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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Should the teacher be saying this to 5/6 year olds?

263 replies

ThisIsMyUsername02123 · 19/11/2017 21:18

Hello.

Just a quick one, really. My 5 year old never used to say this to anyone considering it's never really said in the home - "use your common sense!"

I asked him, "who says that?," to which he responds "[Teacher's name]."

Do you think that a Year 1 primary school teacher should say things like that to 5/6 year olds, considering how rude and abrupt it is to say something like it? Personally, I find it quite ridiculous considering the fact that not even DS15's Year 10 secondary school teachers say things like that.

Cheers.

OP posts:
WildBluebelles · 19/11/2017 21:55

Plus, you're a teacher and you're saying things like, "ugh Year 7"?

And that you think teachers in secondary schools should be allowed to speak to children how they want and that you wouldn't give a shit what went on. Maybe consider a different career, OP.

If it is true that you are a teacher at the same school, my guess is you dislike your colleague for some reason because otherwise I seriously don't understand this post.

Mrskeats · 19/11/2017 21:55

I don’t think the op is a teacher at all
The posts show no thought at all

DumbledoresApprentice · 19/11/2017 21:56

I don’t see any reason for it to be appropriate with 11 year olds but not 6 year olds. I don’t think, in itself, it’s rude. It can be rude, depending on circumstance or tone. If you know the tone because you work with her and hear her say it yourself I’m not sure why you didn’t tell us that in the beginning. Why on earth would we have figured it out? The only interaction you mentioned was parents evening, if you’d said “I work in the same school and hear her speak to children in an unpleasant way” that might have given us a clue.

Carebear1357 · 19/11/2017 21:56

Leave the poor teacher alone ffs.

calamityjam · 19/11/2017 21:57

So...., you dislike the teacher. This was the best example you could think of to get us all to reply thats she is indeed a nasty cruel witch whose next move will probably be to lock your little darling in a cage and poke him with a stick? Seriously who in their right mind would teach in this age of snowflake children and over parenting.

Oddmanout · 19/11/2017 21:57

Its blatantly obvious that you just don't like your colleague and want an excuse to badmouth her!

Get a grip, its not rude.

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha · 19/11/2017 21:58

Look, you clearly don't like the woman, but if this is the best you can find against her, you need to let it go.

Original poster
ThisIsMyUsername02123 · 19/11/2017 21:58

Mrskeats How could me asking about an issue between my child and I possibly make her life any more difficult than it is? Your tone isn't much nicer.

Valerrie I said it was trivial early up - I never made it out to be the worst thing on the planet. No need to be so confrontational. Shock

OP posts:
melonribenia · 19/11/2017 21:58

I teach y1.

It’s a common thing to say in a nice tone that encourages them to think for themselves.

Should I wear my coat today?
It’s up to you. Use your common sense.

Can I eat 6 bananas for break?
What do you think? Use your common sense.

However, I agree that tone can be everything. And in a nasty tone it could be rude

LockedOutOfMN · 19/11/2017 21:58

I agree with youarenotkiddingme.

It's encouraging young children to think and risk assess for themselves.
It would be daft NOT to say it Grin

I think 5 year olds do have common sense and the teacher is encouraging them towards applying their knowledge, developing independence and making decisions for themselves.

Unless the OP has heard the teacher says it, she doesn't know the tone of voice the teacher is using so can't say that it's being said to the children rudely.

Carebear1357 · 19/11/2017 21:58

Not the OP I mean, the teacher the OP has an issue with.

DontMakeMeShushYou · 19/11/2017 21:59

I'm a Year 3 teacher. In the same school. A colleague of his teacher, in case you weren't able to figure that one out.

Are you?

I'm sure on a thread I read recently you said you were working nights. Hmm

Mrskeats · 19/11/2017 22:00

Because you are leading on to the next drip feed which will be you are going to complain about her.
Surely you have planning to do?

Mrskeats · 19/11/2017 22:00

(If you are a teacher which I seriously doubt)

Gaelach · 19/11/2017 22:01

It sounds like your child is rude and you're struggling to deal with it, so you're blaming his behaviour on a "colleague".

CoffeeBreakIn5 · 19/11/2017 22:01

I'm a secondary teacher, I don't think it's right to say that to children of any age - as tempting as it might be sometimes. It's a nasty thing to say. I wouldn't complain to the school about it but it'd annoy me and I'd probably bring it up on parents evening.

As a teacher I always consider the phrases I use, it doesn't take much to really knock a child's confidence and this is potentially a phrase that could. I also hear colleagues saying 'shut up' which is rude. Just because something can be said with a smile doesn't make it acceptable.

WildBluebelles · 19/11/2017 22:01

What you said on a previous thread recently:
Went a few weekends ago for a wedding. I was working all night due to the heavy nature of my job (between Friday night - Saturday 7AM)

Doesn't sound like a primary school teacher, but maybe other teachers can enlighten me as to whether you need to work all night at the weekend. Or maybe you were a doctor on that thread?

Original poster
ThisIsMyUsername02123 · 19/11/2017 22:03

There's not much to like/dislike about the colleague. I don't know her. I see her in corridors maybe twice a day because I have an office of my own to sit in when I'm not scheduled to teach.

Only interaction I have with her is at parents evening - and that's gone. I'm just more bothered about 5/6 year olds' parents having to deal with now teaching them to learn to use such phrases in the correct context so you don't look like you're being rude for no reason, for example, like some of the posters above me.

If I've offended anyone with trying to not show myself as rude if in the horrifying event that my DS were to say this to me in front of other people, I apologise. People will have different opinions and this is just one of the occasions that is demonstrative of this notion.

OP posts:
Mrskeats · 19/11/2017 22:04

Ohh wild I love a thread detective

Mxyzptlk · 19/11/2017 22:04

I remember teachers saying things like this to me. I had no idea what they meant (at age 5 or so). I would be left guessing as I genuinely didn't know what the "common sense" thing to do was supposed to be.
I don't feel it encouraged me to think for myself. Rather it shut down communication and made me feel bad.

You've said it is too trivial to mention to the school, so the only other thing you can do is ask your DS not to say that phrase to you, as you don't like it.

Original poster
ThisIsMyUsername02123 · 19/11/2017 22:04

This is a side job, WildBluebelles. I teach about my real job. I work in various schools doing this - it's part of my duties.

OP posts:
Wilburissomepig · 19/11/2017 22:04

Oh, so you just want to slag your colleague off online because you don't like her? I get it now ...

Don't normally hear adults using expressions like 'ugh', how odd. I usually hear that from the Y7s (that you dislike so much), in the school I work in. With them being 12 and all that.

Gaelach · 19/11/2017 22:05

You get your own office for PPA?!?

Original poster
ThisIsMyUsername02123 · 19/11/2017 22:05

If anyone is interested further, let me know and I'll happily divulge anything that isn't too outing.

OP posts:
Mrskeats · 19/11/2017 22:05

Own office in a primary school? No way

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