To ask teachers what your pet peeves are?

[Collettegirl]

Personally mine are wet playtimes, and children who don't have a pen/pencil.

Can we crowd fund for a hit man for trolls?

I reached page 10 and have decided to add my own.

I've never once become annoyed with a child for not having correct uniform/pens/pencils/forgetting books etc. I've worked in schools where the children get one meal a day (at school); are in holey clothing; have social services involvement etc. The parents have no money to buy supplies; the children are dealing with horrifically turbulent home lives. I am not opening that can of worms, highlighting their issues to the entire class or punishing a child for being in such a shit situation.
What I do complain about is funding being so shit that I need to buy coloured pencils, pens, writing pencils and glue sticks if I want anything after the initial allocation and/or decent supplies that last.

My gripes tend to be parents.
The one parent who had a go at me because her child didn't go to homework club because she never signed the form.
The one parent who blamed for me her child forgetting to bring their glasses.
The parent who demanded a different parents night time as none of the ones left suited and wanted to visit on a different date or move an existing appointment. This wouldn't annoy me but she had left booking until the system actually closed, ignoring the initial letter and 4 reminders.
The parent who sent their child to school after they were sick, messaged me at 9.30am to tell me so and then refused to answer calls from the school to arrange collection of her child.
The parent who complained that their child had to stand during a 45 minute p.e. lesson. It was being run by an outside company and so my presence was required, otherwise they would stay in the class with me. The instructors needed to use a 3 benches in the hall and if the child sat on the floor/a chair they would become a hazard and the parent would complain if they were tripped over and hurt.
The parent who complained that their child was punished after biting another child.

Then more general gripes including:
The constantly changing and shit curriculum (CfE I'm looking at you).
Ever changing policies.
New schemes of work branded about as the Holy Grail which are, you guessed it, shit.
Listening to teacher complaining about children with known/suspected ASD/SEN.
Listening to teachers who believe the only way of teaching is their way.
Listening to teachers who talk about other teachers (such as the woman who assessed her own child's reading and decided the child's teacher was bad at her job).

Secondary teacher here;

Kids who don't bring a pen to school - not because they don't have one at home but because they can't be bothered to bring equipment.

Parents who take their Y11 children on holiday in term time - one of mine went for 2 full school weeks. I teach a core subject so that's 10 lessons missed with me. No amount of 'they will catch up' helps - they rarely do and even if they copy up the notes that usually don't understand as they have missed the input.

Parents who think the school rules apply to every child except theirs

@DawnsMumsnet To be fair it was me that brought that up as an issue, not the OP. Others have mentioned Reception year kids starting in nappies too rather than the OP.

shawshank but it’s inevitable on threads like this and the deviant would have known that. PBP are PBP for a reason. Should be taken out & pelted with slush, then left out overnight.

2kids nail varnish remover for that one!

I’m not a teacher, but I work in a school in a support role. My pet peeve is children who fully believe they have the right to argue to toss over every single thing you say. So much counting to a trillion in my head!

Please don't delete this thread yet.

I am starting teacher training in September and I have found at least ten really helpful pieces of advice already.

I am going to try and you as many of them down as I can before the thread disappears for good.

Can I ask what I should and shouldn’t do at parents evening please? I know there must be things that teachers like/dislike.

Shiraz - I think just coming in with an open mind, ask what can you do with your child at home, turn up on time for your slot (and accept that sometimes the meetings run over. I don't like it either but it can happen). If you have an issue to bring up, flag it in advance with the teacher. It may take a longer meeting than the 10 mins at parent teachers.

Don't do what one parent tried to do and audio record me.

Really though for the vast majority of parents, the meetings are pretty routine. Most parents who come in to me don't really need to come in - their child is fine - but it's nice to meet them anyway.

Shiraz, try not to talk past your allotted time.

please dont delete the thread

I don't know how true this is, but I read a physiological explanation of how constant snacks actually makes it physically harder for children to learn bowel control,

if we are trying to save the thread shall we NOT talk toilets?

Mrs Wentmad, you've spelt February wrong. From a more able child (whose parent is a teacher, though that is obviously irrelevant).This is after daily FEB-RU-A-RY practice with the whole group. Still didn't believe me and went to check in a dictionary (can't fault that I guess).

Thank goodness we've moved to March!

Thanks all, I have no issues with either of my children or teachers ... would like to know what ds teacher does to motivate him (v bright but v lazy!) and she has inspired him like no one else and he has grown so much in confidence too

As with everyone else, pupils with no pen.
Pupils who complain loudly and vociferously when they aren’t allowed to have a drink for an hour for h&s reasons.
Pupils who drink a litre of fluid at break, can’t be bothered to use up their own time to go to the loo and then go on and on about their human rights when I refuse to let them go, ten minutes after coming in from break. Oh, and they don’t have any medical issues.
Pupils who expect you to be psychic and provide you with a pen/paper when they’re sitting at the back and haven’t started their work after twenty minutes.
Pupils who accuse you of deliberately losing their exercise book.
Pupils who claim they can’t possibly do any work because it’s too hot (um, no, it’s 22 deg C, I have a thermometer).
Pupils who tell you they got a shit mark in their mock exam because you are a shit teacher. When you point out one of their classmates got an 8, instead of saying sorry they change their story to say it’s because you never help them. Which is also untrue.
Year 7 classes who congregate around your desk at the start of the lesson to ask non-urgent questions instead of putting their bag away and getting on with their headings. You’ve been trying to train them for six months and they just aren’t getting it.
Those pupils who think mindless destruction of displays/furniture/equipment is all a big larf and if you question them you are told you are pathetic and need to lighten up.

Despite all this I do actually like teenagers. It’s just a certain percentage of them that are real pains in the backside.

Thanks all, I have no issues with either of my children or teachers ... would like to know what ds teacher does to motivate him (v bright but v lazy!) and she has inspired him like no one else and he has grown so much in confidence too

Say that to her! It's always good to hear you're making a difference, I'm sure she'd be really touched to hear it.

Hi everyone. We've been keeping an eye, and tbh if you're OK with this thread staying then so are we. As the OP is a troll she clearly won't be back, but that aside - as you were. Do hit report if you have any further concerns.

Students who vandalise wall displays.

I get that teachers will have parents that annoy them, but can I ask please if they would not treat all parents like the plague. A lot of us are just as educated as you, and try not to be a pain or a hindrance. The majority of us don't believe everything their children say, and I for one, leave you all to get on with your job. Just because some parents are annoying, that doesn't mean we all are.

Cheers Caroline

Not a teacher but wanted to say thank you to all you wonderful teachers that keep our children safe, edcuated and loved.

Tried to word that better but my baby brain is playing up lol

My kids love their teachers and I really take my hat off to them as they do a wonderful job!
Thank you
From a mum of 3 (nearly 4)

Re children who couldn’t do up their own clothes - my infant uniform was terrible! A pinafore dress with zip at the back. Long sleeved shirt with four, very difficult tight buttons on the stuff cuff. No velcro shoes allowed.

How daft is that for 4 year olds??

Mum sewed on a longer tab onto my zip. She sewed the buttons to the cuff and put on elastic so I could slip the sleeves on and managed to find shoes that had enough elastic on the T bar so I didn’t need to do the buckle.

Infants should be in joggers, tshirt and jumper and Velcro trainers for school.

I took my parental duties very seriously - tried to follow all the codes and conducts, made sure they had everything they needed - did it all, but ( sometimes) schools made life hard as well. its not always a one way street -
i work in a primary as a minion and can see the pressures teachers are up against, but the majority of parents are doing their best too I think, its always the minority that make it bad for everyone else however hard you try to do the right things. Its just life and some people are just not good making their kids toe the line, so then everyone gets tarred with the same brush. Not all teachers are nice either - yes, they are human, but one or two i have come across need a bit of a reality check and are extremely rude, look down their noses and generally stuck up. not all of course.