To start this thread about teacher's experiences of OTT parents as there are frequent posts by parents about teachers!

[Mammajay]

I was in my class with a group of students when the door opened and in stepped an angry parent with an Alsatian dog pulling on the lead. The mum was demanding I returned her 12 year old daughter's radio which I had confiscated the day before due to her disturbing the lesson with it. I wanted to tell the mum to p... off but being a professional, I carefully removed it from my desk, returned it to the mother and asked her to ensure it was kept at home in future. That girl dropped out of school later. In the majority of cases, parents need to support teachers who are trying to maintain discipline so that they can teach and students can learn. Other teachers' examples of OTT parents???

I wouldn't have returned it! I would have asked her to leave with the dog and return to speak to you at x time, without dog, when you didn't have a class!

The verbal abuse iv witnesses from parents to teachers is truly shocking. Esp when they do it at classroom door

The dog looked quite aggressive and so was the mum. I was trying to appear in control and to minimise the dramatic effect she was having. I doubt she would have left quietly.

Oh god, where to start.

There are 3 other threads, 2 are about complaining about teachers and the third asking how many teachers are leaving the profession this year. I think the subjects are connected. Of course there are other factors, but teachers need to feel supported.

Is it getting worse?

You mean OTT parents? Yes.

I’m a secondary teacher in a very affluent area. Been here a year or so after a much longer stint in more deprived area. The way parents treat teachers here is atrocious, they make ridiculous demands and blame the teachers for their children’s failings. Luckily our pastoral team are strong and deal with them firmly but I still have days when I miss my old school!

The dad who phoned "I need to speak to xxx now, don't let her leave the building without calling me. You better watch out if I can't speak to her". He rang at 4.30, I'd already left.

My crime, asking his child to tuck her shirt in, I hadn't even set a detention, just asked her on the corridor.

Yes- take back the threads!!! I'm a totally pushy mum with my own kids but being a teacher has saved me from becoming a complete Arsehole. When my eldest in particular comes home with "Mrs X was so unreasonable, blah blah blah" I always know the questions to ask to find out the truth.

This week I had a mum tell me I was a crap teacher because her child didn't get to sing with the choir at leavers assembly. He's never been in the choir. There are no auditions, you just turn up.

A Dad this time, waiting on a leavers assembly knocked on my classroom door (nearest to the hall) and asked where the cafe was. I said there wasn't one and he asked me to make him a coffee! When I said no, I was teaching he huffed and puffed. When I saw him in the hall 20 mins later for leavers assembly he was dramatically telling some other parents how rude I had been.

I could go on and on. Someone else take a turn.

I think the worst incidents I see are parents backing up the unreasonable behaviour of their DC. 'Well, he's bored in your lesson so misbehaves'. Fuck off, I'm not a cabaret act. My lessons are usually interesting and active (always educational) but sometimes, we need to be serious, concentrate and learn hard stuff.

Once at Parents' Evening, I saw a mum lunge at a teacher, trying to strangle her. Bit embarrassing, especially when dad was a police officer.

Just today I have dealt with the very angry parent of a Y6 child. Angry because the Y6 'show' has had to be bought forward by a day for an extremely good reason. He was NOT HAPPY. I knew that because he had a go at 3 other members of staff before he got to me. He wanted it moved back to the original day. Never mind that the other 35 families are happy with the change, he DIDN'T CARE about them. He DIDN'T CARE about the reason. He DEMANDED (he said that) that we change it back.

No.
(Wanker)

Crumbs! Was he with her at the time Cherrysoup ?!

I’m a parent governor and have been approached in the playground with ridiculous comments/complaints from other parents. The worst two that spring to mind were about ‘miss x picking on poor ds/dd’. One of this children are now in a pupil referral until and the second is on their 3rd secondary school!

Ffs learn how to discipline and parent your kids!!!

Well I'm glad I don't teach so I don't get to deal with the parents directly. But had to feel very sorry for one teacher who was brought to teaers by a parent. She'd had to ring to tell them about the child trying to hit her in class but all the parent wanted to do was shout at her for her ineffective teaching and not being able to control the children in her classroom.

*unit not until

I work I’m education, but I wouldn’t post about Ostend on a public forum. Totally unprofessional.

in education

What's wrong with Ostend? It's got quite a nice beach...

Foreign why is it unprofessional? Parents post about teachers all the time.

Mn is anonymous (on the whole unless some freak stalks you). Where's the issue?

At least this way people can see what teachers have to deal with.

Ostend??

Teachermaths
Foreign why is it unprofessional? Parents post about teachers all the time.

Anything that is identifiable is going to get you in to trouble if its picked up by the parent and fed back to the school.

Also remember that this is a public domain and can be picked up by the gutter press.

So posting anything about parents could be career suicide.

Just received a message saying their child was to be exempt from the individual presentation, as part of their assessed talking and listening pieces as prescribed by the curriculum. The reason? Their child doesn't want to and they're telling me that.

Same child who was pulled from p.e. as they hate sports but then came 3rd in sports day and refused to go swimming as they couldn't but then went after school, with a friend, several times.

No ASN, just a lazy child who is used to people bending over backwards for them.

My job is to teach your child and cover specific outcomes. If you want to pander to their every whim so be it, but I won't.

Yes ForeignBodies you are coming across more 'ostend' professional than the rest.

I don't think professional means a silent walk over. Sometimes it's ok to say NO!

Many of my teaching colleagues are nice women who were good school girls who always followed the rules. Speaking out is often seen as wrong or unprofessional. I disagree.

I teach to the best of my ability, I genuinely like young people and admire their ideas, but I am not a punching bag so when some parent is unreasonable, I won't take it.

I'm not here criticizing children /young people. As far as I'm concerned they are wonderful. Parents - Im respectful when they are.

Not a teacher but our school are mixing up the classes next year to better balance the classes across the year there have been many many instances of children clashing so it's best to separate them etc they usually get to go up a year in there same classes iyswim the wailing that went on was ridiculous rocking and crying threatening to remove their children all the screaming and drama about it all was insane in our area we are the only school that dont mix the class up each year the abuse the school took over this was appalling