Was your daughter on a school trip at Alton towers today?

[Zzz1234]

Was she late for her bus? did the teacher lose his rag at her in the middle of the entrance area? If so is she ok?

Can’t believe what I saw today, two girls were 20 mins late back, yes they should be in trouble but they did not deserve some teacher screaming at them, I was 75 metres away and could hear everything I felt so sorry for the girls. I was in a queue and I wasn’t talking about it to the other people in the queue, I was about to go over, but another teacher did.

Would love the name of the school to make a complaint to. Heat is not an excuse, I have lived in hot countries and never saw a teacher lose it like he did.

I know it’s not Aibu but posted here for traffic....

I don’t think shouting is ok. The children were wrong but the teacher shouldn’t have been screaming at them. You wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) accept it from your boss or your partner or someone in the street and it’s not ok teacher to pupil.

^ this.

Yes, consequence should be applied. But none of us know the circumstances or abilities of children.
And just because it's adult - child doesn't mean you don't apply some respect when talking to them.

They may be serial offenders who were taken on trip because they promised to buck up ideas.
They may be totally well behaved children never in trouble before who made a genuine misjudgement.

It's totally disingenuous to compare teaching to most other jobs. I have never had another job where part of my job criteria was to take on the role of another person's parent. So no, I probably wouldn't shout at a colleague in another job, but I also wouldn't really care if they got on a coach on time because the coach would just leave without them. But students are not colleagues.

I work with homeless people, they're a little bit challenging, aggressive, unpredictable - sometimes they are just plain nasty, things kick off, but if I so much as raised my voice I'd be warned, and losing it completely would probably mean instant dismissal. Because I am trusted to care for people who are NOT in a position of power, I have a higher duty of care. No one would say oooh look at Staples having a go at that man, she has such a stressful job she's well entitled to a rant now and again. They'd say that woman can't control herself she shouldn't be here.

Are you me?? ! I work in the same sector and absolutely agree. And if we are going to talk about how 'poorly' teachers are paid...shall we compare jobs and salaries as well??

As someone who spent a year in a classroom with an out of control, terrifying teacher I thank you OP for taking an interest in those children's well-being.
I wish someone had spoken up for our class. I tried to tell my parents, but as it was the 80s, it was the 'teacher can do no wrong' attitude - a bit like this thread really.
Years later I found out the teacher was an alcoholic which perhaps contributed to his rages.
Yes teachers do a terrific, often very difficult job. But not all.

I don't understand why teachers are excused for with "it's a stressful job" or the whole "you should try doing my job". Well no I chose to do my job instead and wouldn't ask you to do it! I manage a care home so I understand being stressed and underpaid but I do it because I love it. I wouldn't invite anyone to do it who didn't want to because I carr about the care my residents receive.

A doctor was once verbally abusive towards me. The surgery couldn't have been nicer about it. Not at any point did anyone say "well it is a highly stressful job". There's just no excuse for it.

Every flipping year at this time, some charmer comes on MN with a (possibly made up) story to wind up harassed teachers. Every year. And they fall for it and it turns into a massive bunfight.

Pigeons learn faster

I have a nearly teen. She can be selfish and unthinking, same as most of them. I'd back the teacher 100% even if I was surprised or didn't personally agree with the method.

You have to present as a team. How can kids have respect for teachers when the parents don't?

I think id be grateful these guys took my kid to a theme park. Weve all been on coach trips. Theres a fair chance that the driver was threatening to go anyway, because the time given is usually the very latest time back before the driver goes as they might have other jobs to get to or a specific amount of time hired.

I honestly dont know what you think teachers can actually do to discipline unruly kids, if they cant even shout at them now and just have to talk to them gently and non scarily even if theyre a complete brat

The level of entitlement of some parents here is astonishing.
All respect for teachers who have to put up with this shit often.

If you do it to my DCs, I would be more than happy to join you and make sure they face consequences that they rememebr forever.

Completely not the point here, but when did schools start doing trips to theme parks? It's not something they did when I was a kid. All our trips had to have educational value.

Used to have a trip to Alton Towers at high school when I was there in the early 90s so it's not a new thing.
Do a stint on the summer fair helping out with a stall or whatever and if you did the reward was an end of year trip to Alton Towers

i had a trip to alton towers with school in the early 90s

We went annually to Thorpe Park!

mathanxiety I’d better hand in my British passport then. Oh and if someone could raise Ian Paisley from the grave I’m sure he’d be delighted to know he’s not British!

mathanxiety

And the reason those two conclusions are unthinkable is...?

I haven't said they are unthinkable, I have said that they are not the only possible answer.
Why are they the only two answers that you will accept?

and If your answer includes the phrase 'because he is a teacher' or words to that effect, then you have lost me.

We used to take the whole school to AT in the 90s - well those who wanted to go, which then was the majority. There used to be about 8 or 9 coaches.

One year, a pupil didn't turn up at the right time. All but one of the coaches left. The other coach waited and waited - AT closed down - and this was before mobile phones. Eventually the police, the parents and the school were contacted. It was explained that the school had a duty of care to the 40+ other children on the coach who had now been waiting in the heat for more than an hour, and the coach left without the pupil. Almost as soon as it drove out of the car park, he appeared. His parents had to drive to collect him from a local police station.

Teenagers can be real arses to be honest, they don’t give a damn about other people’s needs/feelings (judging by experience with my own dd). A bit of humiliation might at least make them think. I don’t think getting shouted at is that big of a deal unless it’s day in day out, a one off is not going to scar them. I very much doubt they are still crying about it more likely texting about what a Pratt they think the teacher is.

So bookbuddy remove the word "teenagers" from your post and replace it with another group who can be arses, see how you get on with that.

Red talks above about working in a care home. I wrote earlier about working with street homeless people. These groups are way more stressful than dealing with teenagers, difference is that staff working in those areas aren't allowed to rack up with a massive sense of entitlement or siege mentality - they know its their duty to control themselves and provide care for the client or person involved, even if you have someone smearing shit on themselves or threatening to kill you. If they don't, and of course some don't, then they aren't doing their job properly.

How is this teacher bashing? The Op saw an incident and on that occasion a teacher behaved badly. Unfortunately if you are looking to say all teachers are right 100% of the time then you need to say any thread questioning one incident is teacher bashing, in order to back up that argument. Because how on earth can anyone say that the behaviour the Op saw was justified, appropriate or excusable?

Because how on earth can anyone say that the behaviour the Op saw was justified, appropriate or excusable?

People defend what they know. If they didn’t, they’ed have to answer some big questions.

Teachers defend because they’ve either done it themselves or understand how the teacher was feeling but won’t say it’s out of line because of those big questions... Some parents will defend because they’ve seen the behaviour that maybe caused the teacher to snap.

It doesn’t make it right, it isn’t right, but they defend it because it’s what they know.

It’s quite interesting “bug wstching” on these threads. The tag team picking on other posters, disguised as “banter”, displayed on this thread is embarrassing. I’d hate to think my children were looked after by people who were so immature. They have done their profession a disservice. But it’s what they know, it’s worked in the past to shut people up. They just took it too far on this thread and looked stupid.

extrapianolessons I think you will find that queen and I were personally insulted first, simply for taking part in a reasonable debate. Rather than get chippy and defensive we went with it and had a giggle and made eachother laugh, it wasn't really for the benefit of anyone else let alone a lurking "bug watcher". You sound really quite sour, and possibly need to get a hobby, or even just find someone who makes you laugh.

It's very different to working ina care home or with vulnerable adults
Behaviour management is an absolutely vital part of being a teacher you're not managing behaviour with the elderly or the homeless- if you don't have this everything else won't work - if you've ever helped at a kids party or brownies or cubs you'll know how hard it is managing even a dozen kids- imagine 30 in a classroom who are at an age where they are constantly testing you and trying to find a weakness. You have to put on a front as a teacher - you're not the kid's friend or parent it's a very specific role and if you don't ha e boundaries and respect it's not good for either side. Most really effective teachers won't have to shout a lot but there will be occasions when the odd 'hairdryer ' moment may be the last resort and a bit of a shock is needed. This isn't humiliation or verbal abuse but it is the reality of managing large groups of children who can be very challenging.

Whilst the shs outing is less than ideal, we don't know the background. These girls could be continually late, they may have been a nightmare all day, they may have ignored previous warning, etc. Also, being in a two isn't usually part of the school rules - they normally prefer a group of four in case of problems, so may have broken that rule too.

Dd and friends were late for a meeting point at a theme park once. They were stuck on a ride which broke down, for about twenty minutes or so. Luckily it was a ride you could have a bag on and they were able to call another friend to explain. And they called again as soon as off and ran as fast as they could to meet them. Luckily it was the meet up in the middle of the day so they didn't keep everyone waiting in a hot bus.

Did these girls call anyone to say they were late? Or did they just saunter up casually with a couldn't care type attitude?

Obviously the teacher should have kept his cool a lot more and been more professional, but we don't know the full circumstances

Wonder which the girls would prefer?

Shouting for a short time
Having to apologise to whole class of their peers on the bus
Missing prom
Missing another trip to Alton towers

I know which most teens I know would opt for!

I think you will find that queen and I were personally insulted first

And so you insulted back and continued well after the people you were insulting had left the thread.

🙄

People defend what they know - you are so right extrapianolessons that is very insightful.

Thirtyrock then goes on to prove that precise point - It's very different to working in a care home or with vulnerable adults - well, only because you wouldn't get away with losing your shit in front of everyone and its ostensibly more upsetting. Oh and you have to respect those you are caring for even when their actions don't warrant it.

I've worked in homes with young people, in primary schools, in Young Offenders institutions - in fact maybe we should use the latter example because they are places where only staff who retain their cool are effective and those who lose it put everyone in danger; even staff who are cruel and sarcastic put their colleagues at risk because it provokes a backlash that can build up.

There's a difference between asserting authority and feeling entitled to freak out because things are tough. If my daughter was late back I'd expect the teacher to be cross and worried, maybe issue a sanction and even raise their voice, but that's not what the OP has described.

25 years ago, I was rather late for the school coach after an Alton Towers trip. They left without me

My mum had to come all the way to pick me up and yelled at me quite a bit for being so bloody stupid. She didn’t go raging into school. I’m not traumatised by it, I realise I was a cocky little sod at 15 and thought I was more important than anyone else and I didn’t do it again that’s for sure!