Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Assistant Head told class their behavior resulted in supply teacher being fired

217 replies

Rockingaround · 04/12/2018 23:10

Ok - the class had a supply last Wednesday . Whilst there, a few pupils (grade 4) wrecked the craft area ... made slime, cut up ping pong balls, wasted resources and stole craft items.
Today the Assistant Head comes to speak to the class about their behavior. She says how unacceptable their behavior is. How in future if they see any pupils behaving inappropriately they must tell a teacher. A little boy in the class says “but the teacher let us do it”, she replies “yes but he wasn’t a real teacher and he has been fired because of your behavior.
My little girl comes home crying saying what if the teacher has kids, what if he can’t afford to live, it’s just before Christmas etc. she also said “it just as much my fault as I should’ve told another teacher what they were doing”.... so I call the school, speak to the assistant head who talks about how appallling the children have behaved for 5 minuets; when there’s a pause I say “it’s not their behavior I’m concerned with, did you actually say that their actions caused the guy to get fired?” ... “well I told them he wasn’t coming back”. I said “my little girl told me that you said he was fired because of their behavior”. She said “well yes, because children need to understand there’s consequences to their actions”. I said “well that’s just not acceptable, they’re too little to have that responsibility, plus the supply teachers confidentiality - it’s just not fair, I’m coming into school in the morning to speak to the Head”

AM I GOING INSANE!!! Am I being unreasonable, this is not okay right????

OP posts:
FunkyKingston · 05/12/2018 06:48

I'm guessing this is in the IS (refs to grade rather than year group and spelling)

But FFS, if you let a bunch of 8 year old run riot to such an extent that they're smashing up and stealing equipment then it shouldn't be a surprise that you aren't rehired for further cover and should probably reassess choir career choice cofnthst level of bad behaviour happens on a regular basis.

The depute head seems a lying knob, completely unprofessional and clueless about how to interact with children.

BoneyBackJefferson · 05/12/2018 06:50

Do posters really not remember how they acting when they had supply teachers in school?

Or are they remembering through those rose tinted glasses?

user1457017537 · 05/12/2018 06:55

I agree with previous posters that they should be aware of the consequences of their action. You could explain to your DD that the actions of the others were unkind and that you know she had no part in it,

Gileswithachainsaw · 05/12/2018 06:58

I would be less concerned about the head and more concerned about the awful behaviour.

Sounds very calculated and nasty.

And no they aren't too young to know their actions have consequences

Personally I'd have told them they were so horrified they said they would never ever cone back and teach them again.rather than being fired

I'd also be asking my kid if this was usual in the class Cos if there are a big number if kids being that naughty and destructive I'd be thinking twice about my dd attending that school if other options are available.

By grade for they should have a good understanding if school rules and how to behave. I would he concerned discipline is lacking in school and that it would likely get much worse

noenergy · 05/12/2018 07:05

The main problem here is the unruly kids and their bad behaviour, they should be punished, but now they will continue to do the same and play up and try to get rid of any other supply teachers.

BoneyBackJefferson · 05/12/2018 07:06

Gileswithachainsaw

Personally I'd have told them they were so horrified they said they would never ever cone back and teach them again.rather than being fired

I have known children (groups of and single) that would consider this a badge of honour.

mistywintermorning · 05/12/2018 07:10

I don't think it's a big deal TBH.

Biker47 · 05/12/2018 07:13

And the problem is??

Lexilooo · 05/12/2018 07:14

I don't think the AHT realises that they have just rewarded and encouraged this behaviour. The ring leaders will be delighted with the outcome, they have faced no real consequences and will aim to get supply teachers fired on a regular basis. This is basically a reward to those kids.

Feb2018mumma · 05/12/2018 07:14

You have already called the school and now arranged a meeting with the head becuase they used the word sacked instead of saying 'wont come back again'. Please think this through before the meeting today, if it's something you really want to do? It's no wonder so many teachers quit / have breakdowns! Such unrealistic goals and remember that the teachers will be warned to be careful what to say to your child after you complain about word usage, it might end up no teacher wanting to talk to her for fear of reprimand (who knows what words we can say to this little girl without upsetting the mother, best to just speak when spoken to)

icelollycraving · 05/12/2018 07:14

I don’t really see the issue. If my child’s class’ behaviour was so bad, I’d let that be a wake up call that there are consequences. I would not be phoning the school. I would be teaching my child what to do about her behaviour and those of her peers.

Gileswithachainsaw · 05/12/2018 07:14

I have known children (groups of and single) that would consider this a badge of honour
Urgh....

I think we very often under estimate what kids are capable of. Quite frankly it's no wonder they get to 8/9/10 + and behave like this. And think its funny.

They get to act like animals then have it excused because "they are just kids" or it's some stage of development thing.

adaline · 05/12/2018 07:21

To be honest, I don't many groups of 8/9 year olds that wouldn't have played up for a supply teacher. I'm not saying all 8/9 year olds would do it but a fair few definitely would have done.

I kind of agree with @BoneyBackJefferson too - isn't winding up the supply teacher kind of what children have always done? I certainly remember it happening when I was at school. I'm not saying it's right but it's certainly pretty common.

However, if the teacher was genuinely struggling he should have gotten help at the time or straight after, not let the situation deteriorate to the point that he wasn't asked back as a result.

Arpafeelie · 05/12/2018 07:22

What exactly were the "good" kids supposed to do? Walk out of the classroom without permission to ask another teacher to leave their class and intervene?

Tell the supply teacher that they could see he wasn't coping and could they fetch help from another teacher?

Walk out of class and go to the school office and request help from another teacher?

OhLemons · 05/12/2018 07:22

I think the dht was probably unwise to say what she did for many of the reasons cited in the thread.

I also think that your anger is disproportionate and that you're blowing it a bit out of proportion.

Arpafeelie · 05/12/2018 07:25

If they are told that in future if they see misbehaviour in the classroom they have to tell a teacher, how do they access this teacher? Because if in future they just leave their own classroom to go looking for another teacher, I would have thought that would look bad for the supply teacher, too?

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 05/12/2018 07:27

I.doubt they'd be fired over just one bad day. If that were the case there'd be no Teachers left in the world. It'll be what they call the straw that broke the camel's back.
I do however think it's important that the culprits (only) and their parents are spoken to as a result of their behavior and the consequences it can have. They are old enough to understand. They're not little babies in pre school.
I'd just like to say. Your dd sounds lovely, BTW. Very compassionate and thoughtful.

LL83 · 05/12/2018 07:30

The badly behaved children could be pleased and this will encourage them to act up. And the empathetic children will feel awful.

Yes children should learn consequences but this is not teaching that at all.

Also agree disrespectful to supply teachers

vickibee · 05/12/2018 07:32

It is really hard when you are a supply teacher, discipline is harder because you don’t know any of the class names or if any of the kids have issues.
I find it hard to understand that some kids have such a lack of respect in general for teachers and education

LL83 · 05/12/2018 07:35

Also if in your child's eyes the teacher allowed it why would she go to another teacher? You can expect children to judge the teaching and report it if it's too unruly. If there is an emergency you hope they would get help but anything else is not their responsibility.

LL83 · 05/12/2018 07:35

**can't rather than can

Nenic · 05/12/2018 07:36

I wouldn’t be complaining. This is why kids think they can get away with anything in school. It’s because they do.

Gileswithachainsaw · 05/12/2018 07:36

I kind of agree with@BoneyBackJeffersontoo - isn't winding up the supply teacher kind of what children have always done? I certainly remember it happening when I was at school. I'm not saying it's right but it's certainly pretty common

See this is precisely what I mean. This kimda crap is seen as some kind of right of passage and not taken seriously.

Teachers go off sick. The pe teacher has to take Maths one day. An older kid takes a group of kids off for an activity etc

All really common..something kids should he used to happening and knowing full well the same rules apply

Arpafeelie · 05/12/2018 07:38

What is the school set up? Were the class in a classroom with just the supply teacher? How could the good children have told another teacher; where was the other teacher they are supposed to have told?

MaisyPops · 05/12/2018 07:44

The assistant head shouldn't have said what they said, not because it might upset the students but because it risks empowering a group of students who have chosen to be badly behaved and disruptive that their choices can influence staff.

I joined a school and picked up some badly behaved classes and it was awful how they had this smug narrative of how they've got their last teacher sacked.

I hate the idea of staff 'making' students behave. It removes agency from the students.The bottom line is they are old enough to know how to behave. A teacher doesn't make students behave. Students choose to behave appropriately.

In this situation they chose to be badly behaved. Stern words needed having but they should have been on student actions, not staff employment.