AIBU to think that those who insist on teacher bashing need to think

[user546425732]

Where would the country be without teachers?

How would the country get the skills needed? How would you all go to work? What would happen to the economy with all those parents at home doing childcare?

Agree! There seems to be a rush of threads at the moment criticising everything teachers do.

I don't disagree with you OP, in that teachers are generally amazing! Do a great job and are very very needed.

However, YABU because this is a forum largely used by parents. One of the biggest parts of their children's life is school. Parents worry about school and want their children to be happy and safe there. Mumsnet is a place parents can come to air concerns about teachers, let off steam, moan etc.. without doing this in real life because sometimes they know that wouldn't be fair.

This is a forum, views will be expressed. A forum largely aimed at parents will naturally discuss schools and teachers.

If you are not happy on here OP, you can, as you have done, say so. You can also find other forums to visit instead.

If you are a teacher, thanks for being part of a great profession.

The number of teachers talked about negatively on here is a mere pin prick. The rest (a vast sea of them, millions I'd estimate) are not mentioned on here at all because mums and dads across the country have nothing negative to say and are happy. That speaks volumes

Easy targets, the nation's free baby-sitters. I was once told by a child that teachers only worked til 3pm, this from a vicar's daughter who was appalled when I referred to her father's one hour on a Sunday job!
Reading some of the comments here and in other media people really don't understand the job, especially in the last few years where the pressure has been ramped up.

Genuinely it's good if parents can ask questions or discuss school issues, but all too often it's a criticism of schools or teachers with little evidence or consideration of the bigger issues. One was based on a Facebook post! Or where someone overheard a girl getting a telling off at Alton Towers. Surely nowadays people must realise that teachers have a tough job, are not all saints and we should all be working together for the best outcomes for our children.

We should all be working together, yes, absolutely. I'm sure all the teachers that I have known in my long life who have been arrogant, rude and patronising were an anomaly. Sadly I've never known teachers who have wanted to work together with parents. I hope I'm in the minority in having had such misfortune.

Teacher bashers (without good cause) need a smack.

Ok, let's make it about the police. Where would we be without them? So they should be above criticism, right?

It pisses me off when people respond to specific concerns people have about specific teachers, nurses and the police by gassing on about the profession as a whole.

I think it is fair for people to sometimes question the actions of teachers/ police / medics etc . However I think there is a disproportionate amount of teacher bashing threads in this site where the patent believes without any doubt some of the ridiculous things their darlings have said or the unrealistic expectations they have of teachers . From my experience of working in a school these people are often the ones whose children cause the most trouble and their parents never ever help at any event / function at the school.

Teachers are not above criticism.

And I am a teacher.

That's a shame Mary that in your experience teachers have been rude and arrogant and not wanted to work with you. I hope the issues were sorted out. I've come across a couple of difficult teachers, but have had positive outcomes with discussion.

Iv been spending lots of time in my kids school due to various issues. Iv been shocked by the attitude of parents and the crap that teachers have to put up with from the parents. The kids seem the easy part for most teachers

Teachers are not above criticism but when a whole profession is denigrated then it's highly irritating to be a teacher. We're on the cusp of '6 weeks holidays and still moaning' threads and 'why should I get my kids teacher a present for doing their job?' etc etc crap. I was a teacher but still at the school gates I've had people pondering returning to work whether they should become teachers because they finish at 3 and have all the holidays off. When I point out all the planning and preparation, one mum who knew me quite well said she'd seen teachers planning their lesson (5 hours of entertaining 30 children) on the bus in the morning so it can't take up that much time I did encourage her to look into it- afaik she decided against it

Where would the country be without builders? Without builders you wouldn't have a school. Same goes for the bus driver to get them to school, the roadworkers who build the for the bus to drive on, the oil rig worker who helps fuel the bus.
I hope you aren't a teacher OP because no one should be teaching if they think they are above criticism and more important than the rest of society. Every one needs everyone else, not one person can do tgeir job or even survive with out help, direct it indirect, from others.
Some people might be overly critical sometimes but it's better they post on here and get pulled up so they become more realistic in their expectations.
Saying teachers are above reproach sets a very worring precedent

I don't think teachers are above criticism, and I say that as a teacher.

However there are a small minority of parents who had issues when they were at school/issues with anyone questioning their snowflake and will complain about everything.
I had one mother complain that her child had to stand during a 45min P.E lesson. It was run by a specialist, used all of the equipment (including benches) and if they weren't appropriately dressed they couldn't participate. The child, along with another and my heavily pregnant self, had to stand. I had to supervise the class and the children couldn't be left alone in our classroom. Having chairs/sitting on the floor would pose a danger.
When I asked, with SMT there, if they'd complain if their child was hurt while sitting instead of standing and the parent replied yes I gave up. They complained about standing, would complain about sitting and would complain if their child were unsupervised in the class.
There is no winning with people like that.

However, I've also backed parents who have complained about teachers/smt with due cause.

I think in general, you're more likely to hear someone complain when something goes wrong than give praise when something is right. That's why there are so many negative threads.

But I also think some (a minority really) parents are unable to see past their own darling child and don't realise that the teacher has a huge group. Their child is no more important than any of the others. I also think some have no respect for staff work/life balance.

I agree teachers are not above criticism but I take my hat off to them, it's not a job I could do and I know how difficult and challenging it can be. Some of my friends teach.

Unfortunately some parents are blind when it comes to their kids behaviour and simply cannot believe their snowflake is ever in the wrong.

As parents we have always backed up any punishment our kids had st school and backed up the teachers.

Honestly you can tell the teenagers whose parents don’t support the school and side with their kids. They are usually the ones in trouble with the police, rude , obnoxious and unemployed.

They cannot conceive that the world actually doesn’t owe them a living and mummy and daddy can’t go to their work place and deal with their ‘nasty boss’

Teachers are bloody awesome in my experience.

Raven that is definitely the issue.
In my career I can count on my hands the amount of times a parent has genuinely been thankful for anything I've ever done.
I've lost count of the amount of petty complaints (a child not getting as many points as the previous year, despite teachers having their own methods; a child getting in to trouble because they were bulling; a school trip arranged on the wrong date because the parent worked then and couldn't accompany their child; a parent not booking their parent's night appointment properly and not being allocated one but turning up and not wanting to wait; a child biting another and being disciplined; a child ruining my classroom; a parent believing I purposely excluded their child from a friendship group on a trip etc etc). That becomes tiresome and could be avoided by parents not believing some of the ridiculous nonsense that comes out a child's mouth/using common sense.

Teachers are not beyond criticism.

But like husbands and MILS, people only post about the bad experiences

Where would it be with GPs, politicians, bus drivers, train drivers.

Bore off with your where would the country be without teachers. I'm so fed up with this holier than thou attitude in the UK to teachers.

And this is a TAAT .

Teachers should not be and are not beyond criticism.

But it should be done in the correct way.

as for

Where would the country be without builders? Without builders you wouldn't have a school. Same goes for the bus driver to get them to school, the roadworkers who build the for the bus to drive on, the oil rig worker who helps fuel the bus.

Where would it be with GPs, politicians, bus drivers, train drivers.

The next time you have a complaint against these I recommend doing so in the same way that you would a teacher, and see where that gets you.

Teachers are parents and grandparents too, so surely are entitled to post on here.

We’d probably be fine without politicians Lego

Mary you certainly are in the minority. Every teacher I’ve ever known has wanted thereto be a partnership with parents. Why wouldn’t you?

As far as the borrowed FB thread about Alton Towers, which parent has never shouted at their child to stop them doing something potentially dangerous, or shouted with relief when they have done something g dangerous.

It depends what you mean by "teacher bashing".

I tend to agree about threads that make negative comments about teachers in general: "I hate when teachers do XYZ".

However I disagree about threads about an individual teacher or incident involving a teacher. Like any profession teachers have professional standards and aren't beyond criticism. Sometimes the conclusion will be that the teacher was in the right, or at least having a blip and it should be ignored. Sometimes people will think the teacher was unreasonable. That isn't a criticism of teachers in general and it's right that parents have the opportunity to discuss things like this without being accused of "teacher bashing".

I also agree with others that I've had mainly wonderful teachers but I'm not going to start threads about them because there's nothing to say. I will however write to the head and also write a heart felt card telling them how grateful I am.

The school system is one of the few things that most of the population has been through so I guess that's why most of us have opinions on how it could be done better.