Maths Teacher

[Namedchangedforthis37]

Before I request a call back from DS's teacher, I wanted to ask whether I am being unreasonable.

DS is Year 9, he tells me that one teacher does not like him. I'm of the opinion that not everyone can get on, and have told DS to go to school and do his best etc ... however a few things have happened that make me think DS isn't just being a typical teenager about this teacher and has a point.

1. School progress reports came out before Christmas, DS on track for this subject but got a 4 (on the 1-4 scale) for attitude/effort.

1. They run a Maths group after school which DS wanted to go to. It's for the most able in the subject, and DS wanted to attend. When he asked this teacher, he was told it was invite only and DS couldn't attend. I spoke to reception about something else, and mentioned this, and was told it was open to the top set only (DS is in the top set, there is only one).

1. They did end of terms exams, DS came 2nd in the year by one mark. He got a detention for answering one question wrong, apparently this was the easiest question on the whole paper and everyone else in the school would have got it right. DS said he over thought it because he was trying so hard.

1. No praise given for his exam performance, just the above bollocking.

1. Got given a detention today for inadequate classwork. I was waiting for him outside as had an appointment. One of the girls in his class told me that he had detention for not finishing his work. She sits next to him, 3 students completed the normal tasks, and had their hands up to ask about the extension tasks on the board. They hadn't covered any of it, and needed a bit of help just to get started. Teacher ignored them, so none of them did it. The other 2 didn't get a detention, but DS did.

He has had several detentions from this teacher, never had a single detention in maths for the previous 2 years (with different teachers). Effort grade has always been a 1.

The detentions are mostly for inadequate work, but after speaking to DS and the girl, it seems that only 3 or 4 kids finish the normal work and usually do the extension tasks, so if DS doesn't finish the extension tasks he's been getting the detention (even if others haven't finished it either).

Is it just me, or is there something wrong here?

To go from a 1 to a 4 is concerning. Is be asking for a nice friendly meeting for everyone to get to the bottom of the problem and agree how we could all move forward together to be more productive.

Just ask to chat it over with the teacher. Most normal teachers/people will help you

Exactly what Sex says.

im a secondary maths teacher...id be pissed off if i were you. ask to go in see his book and alleged lack of work. speak to the head of maths and raise concerns or his form tutor.

if a student got 2nd score in the year they should be at the club you mentioned amd praised for their marks. i would call home to tell parents how well they did. lots of my grade 9 students overtgig simple questions and normally we share a joke when they realise their silly mistake.

A detention for getting one question wrong? Sounds very unlikely. Has this been confirmed? Definitely need to speak to the teacher to get her side and then move forward from there.

That’s very unusual behaviour from the maths teacher. I’d request s meeting to make sure your son is giving you an accurate account of the reasons for those detentions.

Prepare yourself to be told a very different story. Your d's may be bright and good at me the but reading between the lines he is probably arsing around and being a general twit in the lessons. The teacher doesnt like me is usually code for I don't like the teacher.

I think there's another side to this story

I think I'll just ring and ask if we can have a meeting to figure out what is going wrong and what DS needs to do about improving that 4.

I am prepared to be told differently by the teacher, but it just doesn't make sense to me.

Like I said, I'd be weary about DS saying someone doesn't like him, but I was told about his detention today by someone else. She's not one of DS's friends, she a friend of his friend who sits next to him, and she was the one who said he gets a hard time when he does as much, or more work than anyone else.

We get notifications for the detentions too, what lesson it is and the reason, and it's always inadequate classwork. Only one has been disruptive behaviour (and DS told me the reason for that and accepted full responsibility).

Meeting ASAP.

My dd was a model pupil but one science teacher made her life hell and by the end of the year she was a nervous wreck.

Get in there and sort it op.

I too would ask for a meeting with the teacher to discuss and get their POV of what's happening. If you're then not happy you can escalate further to HOY.

I'm wondering if behaviour/attitude from your DS may be going on here, it would be interesting to see what the teacher says (I work in a school and have seen this - I'm also a mum so also hear it from myself own kids!).

However I may be doing your DS a disservice and my own experiences influencing my view.

Inadequate work sounds more like not bothering than failing to complete the extension.

Maybe your DS is finding the work too easy and messing about? The teacher may be singling him out because he can see he's capable of more?

It sounds like your son is mucking around in class. No wonder the teacher doesn't want them in the after school Maths group.

Yes I would be talking to the teacher to find out what is going on and I wouldn't be believing a Y9 students version of events.