To feel like parents aren't allowed to criticise teachers anymore?

[velaryon]

I have the utmost respect for the teaching profession, especially the hard work and dedication of many teachers despite a pandemic and nationwide lockdown.
But at the same time, I've seen a lot of parents genuinely concerned about the teaching & communication at their DC's school who were immediately accused of 'teacher bashing' and being too lazy to teach their own children.
AIBU to think this is absolutely ridiculous?
I don't see anything wrong with questioning the level of teaching a school is providing, provided it's done in a sensitive and understanding way. IMO it's ridiculous how quickly someone is accused of teacher bashing for asking a legitimate question.

Let me give you a snapshot into my life OP. Currently I spend Sunday (all day) planning all my lessons to be delivered via PowerPoint through the week. This takes hours longer than normal because I have to think so hard about accessibility for students at home and without me. I do it on a Sunday to give me a fighting chance of handling everything else during the week. This includes (but is not limited to) on line meetings, phone calls to parents of kids- 15 such calls this week so far, all requiring some sort of response or action afterwards, monitoring work set by others, crunching data, planning for September and how the learning gaps will be managed, writing schemes of learning, marking and feeding back on work emailed to me, answering questions in emails, doing several additional lockdown projects to keep motivation high amongst staff and students oh, and homeschooling my own young child. Tomorrow I'll be in school all day running the key worker provision.

I am a head of department by the way and this is an absolutely normal week since lockdown for me. THIS op is the reason why teachers are sick to death of threads like this.

And in the Daily Mail again. Mumsnet has some secret hotline right?
It's why they show very little interest in school threads that aren't in the spirit.

Threads about certain celebrities get zapped, but it's fine to goad and goad and goad.

Op it used to be awful on here. There was a pack that jumped on any teacher thread attacking the op for any perceived transgression.
It got really bad, no one could ask anything about schools or teachers or what did people think it really closed down conversation. Which wasn't ideal on a parent site.

I think loads of posters noticed in the end and complained and it seemed to die down...

What year did all this "happen" in?

PuttingoutthefirewithGasoline, it's always been horrible on AIBU. I just wish parents really needing help realise there are other board on MN. Same question would be answered more calmly and with more empathy. There are many regular parents and teachers on those board who are lovely(well sometimes quite blunt but in a good way) and helpful.

Crimsonnightlotus
You're right about AIBU.

Equally, I think if posters want a genuine resolution and advice, they tend to post in education topics.
A disproportionate amount of the fuming and goading threads seem to be in AIBU.

For example, every year there's the obligatory rush of AIBU threads where someone has seen a uniform policy that says no trainers, they spend £60 on trainers and then come on MN raging that school had the audacity to say the rules applied to their child. Inevitably this becomes a bashing thread where a range of posters seem to think that their opinion about school uniform changes the fact the OP's school says no trainers. Someone inevitably suggests going to the local press as well. When Angry People In Local Newspapers does their 'home you go' shares, I often wonder if any of them are mumsnetters

I try very hard to be supportive of teachers and I try not complain - I always approach them to ask their advice and to resolve any issues.

However, increasingly I am becoming frustrated by the fact the school states in all its communication that it wants parents involved and welcomes feedback but when you actually give feedback that doesn't agree with their perspective / approach you get very defensive responses back.

There also seems to be an unwillingness to recognise able students and set work for them at the appropriate level, whereas it is fine to put in lots of extra support for those struggling. Whenever I have tried to raise these issues (in the context of ensuring DS is stretched in one subject) by offering him slightly more challenging work, I get a blanket response that 'he won't be bored' but no specifics.

I don't think this is about individual teachers - I think it is more about toeing certain political lines, or reflecting the priorities of education authority, or the head teacher's approach, but it is extremely wearing and I would for one appreciate proper discussions and engagement

Rant over

I understand that some teachers are busy but on a few occasions we haven't been able to access work or submit it. Send emails but never get replies, phone up but can never talk to anyone. Like I said it's not every lesson or anything but it is a bit annoying. I don't mind about the lack of marking or feedback it's just they say email if any problems and then they don't reply.
However I'll probably now get flamed for not appreciating how difficult it is for teachers.

Have you seen the number of fucking threads criticising teachers? Its non stop and you think you're not allowed.

Lora, I do really hope those people who needs real help finds education board. Same question can get totally different responses. Say I asked about my concern about school aren't sending any work for dc. On education board, I would get many response telling me info about great site or advice from teachers what to do. On AIBU, I might get shouted at that teachers got enough to do without my complaint or whatever. AIBU maybe good for getting many responses, but not good if you really need help.

Except you are OP, which is shown by thread after thread with titles like:
Why do teachers still have jobs?
Are teachers still getting paid?
Why are teachers not doing Zoom lessons?
Shitty reply from teacher on Googles classroom
Too much contact from school

and on and on it goes.....

Rosebel, your experience may not be so great, but it's up to individual teacher's circumstances. They maybe ill. They maybe busy. It's up to you to deal with sorting it out by finding out what's happening with that particular teacher or school.
It's different scenario if you asked what to do about it, or if you started to criticise teachers in general because of your experience.

Fair enough if a teacher is ill, then no, maybe they can't respond to an email.
But otherwise, I don't think it quite cuts it to be able to say we're "busy." This is currently an important part of the role, so I think it should be pushed higher up the list.

Lots of people saying ask your school. Would you still when school said outright that they will not respond to parent queries?

OP, I think most teachers have an impossible task at the moment. However, having said that, there seems to be a HUGE disparity between teaching efforts that we see from a parent's perspective.
I think the majority of teachers are working their butts off, but (as in any profession), there seem to be some that are doing the barest minimum. It should be taken up with the individual school or teacher. However, it does seem that on many threads on here, posters are lynched for raising valid concerns and accused of bashing all teachers, rather than getting opinions on whether their expectations are reasonable or given advice how to manage concerns. It seems akin to posting a specific parking thread and being told there's a pandemic and being accused of calling all drivers inconsiderate pricks. I've seen quite a few posters bashed whilst ironically being accused of doing the bashing.

are parents annoyed at the wrong people? I mean if the reason teachers cannot use zoom is because the have been told it is insecure - surely complain to the school leadership?

If the reason teachers don’t set differentiated work is because the have large class sizes and too much work - isn’t the solution structural? Ie smaller class sizes, standardised curriculum (though maybe controversial)?

Yes there Is a range of different abilities in teachers as in any job. BUT it is very hard to recruit and retain teachers and this is suggestive of it being a structural problem that it will take more than an individual teacher to fix.

Part of the issue is that whilst an OP is often a genuine individual statement as many of you have mentioned, they get hijacked by certain posters and generalised to ALL teachers. That can make teachers defensive.
On the subject of a school refusing to engage with parents, I would suggest following the school complaints procedure which should be on their website.
And yes provision is varied at the moment. I am able to offer fewer live lessons than my colleagues due to looking after my 2 and 4 year old. I followed school and department guidance and have prioritised years 10 and 12. All classes are getting work and feedback but not the same experience. I really would like this all to be over soon.

Perhaps it's case of the school or individual teachers needing to communicate what work they are actually doing to parents.

For DD1, she is in secondary school and it's clear that her teachers are working hard to deliver lessons in one form or another. DD2's teacher in primary school however seems to have uploaded a load of worksheets and recorded a total of two messages on Class Dojo. She may not be doing the grand total of fuck all, but that's how it appears. Another teacher in the school chatted to a mum about how many DIY projects she was getting done at home. Doesn't give the best impression.

It is is disingenuous to say 'contact they school' -that will achieve nothing! It is only public exposure that changes anything , which is why the shameful NEU told their members (hilariously to keep it a secret on a Zoom meeting they put on their 'open-to-all' YouTube channel) to threaten Head Teachers with social media shaming if they opened schools and the union deemed them unsafe. Who not just approached the head quietly?
Might be better to actually name the good and bad schools? Or, rather just say what provision is being made by specific schools? If it is accurate it will not be libellous.
In the same way a poster recently listed the fee reductions by named schools, why not a list saying egSmith academy Bolton /y10 1work sheer a week, Jones Academy Swindon /Y7 full time Zoom every piece of work marked
Much more useful to parents than league tables!

From what I gathered from the teachers posts is that that teachers need to take a step back and take the personal out of it.

When an OP starts a thread regarding her child’s teacher, they are talking about THEIR child teacher and not generalising the profession as a whole, it’s simply regarding their personal experience and their child.

When a child’s educational needs are not being and that the provisions given (or not in some cases) AGAIN does not mean the OP is generalising about the whole of the teaching profession as a whole. Its simply HER experience and her issue with that individual teacher or school, irregardless if it’s school management dictating the level of education being sent out. That child’s education needs aren’t being met, and that isn’t excusable.

It’s also quite lazy When posters are shouting are bashing/ generalising when posters are speaking about their own situation when the reality is posters who are shouting “teacher bashing/generalising are also making assumptions/generalising themselves as they don’t know the specifics of those individuals or the specifics of the OP experience, they themselves are speculating.
A teacher maybe too busy... it may be the schools management policy... or it may be that the teacher is bone idle etc... without the content your basically assuming or generalising yourselves while a child (at times) is going without even a basic education and no matter the excuse/reason that is not acceptable.

I’ve had my own professional bashing’s threads in my previous career as a social worker (EDT child protection) in that all social workers are crap and in my current profession, however as a professional you know this simply isn’t the case and that it’s just that individuals experience/opinion.

I see very few threads on MN that an OP’s starts a thread that “All teachers are crap” because the reality is, that isn’t what’s being said at all.

What I do see however as of late is that parents are frustrated that their child’s education/issues are not being met or handled sufficiently.... and that the two single sheets/link of work being supplied (20 mins work for the week) is apparently sufficient stated the HT when they contacted the school (example of one thread) and when voicing their concerns they are then told at times very aggressively “yet another teacher bashing thread” when the reality and content of the post is nothing of the sort.

Just because an OP starts a thread or another poster joins in to comment on THEIR similar experience etc... does not also equate to a whole profession being generalised.

Some from what I see and read on here some posters don’t want any teacher threads being started at all, unfortunately a lot of posters children’s needs aren’t being met so parents have that right to post their children’s educations failings, hence why these type of threads have went up two-fold.

Unfortunately with any professions you get the good and bad and I’m afraid to say teachers aren’t above approach and these type of threads aren’t going to be stopped and those posters have a right to vent their frustrations regarding their children’s educational needs.

I’ve met some shockingly awful lazy teachers who allow their bias to get in the way and incredibly unprofessional and have poor teaching standards and equally I’ve met some amazing teachers who do a wonderful job and go above and beyond in my own professional role.

It’s content that matters, not just because a thread has the word “teacher” in it.

@BeltaneBride there was nothing secret about the NEU meeting. Obviously. Although as it happens I am changing Union primarily because the NEU seem to have no idea how the media works at the minute. But that's by the by.
It is always better to approach the school first. Things come to light that way. And in MOST (but not all cases) that will suffice.
It is shameful if teachers are bragging about DIY and similar. I think there are some schools local to me who have provided very little which makes me cross and sad. BUT the government announced the curriculum was suspended. I actually have no idea what that was meant to mean and schools have acted individually.
What I think we see on these threads is a huge number of different issues being lumped together as people don't know who's responsible for what. An individual query can't be solved by teachers on here but it can result in advice on how to proceed to get the desired outcome. But as with everything you catch more flies with honey. When you are experiencing almost daily bashing from the press you can feel quite defensive. Most teachers and parents want the best for students both sides need to remember this.
I fully accept there are lazy teachers, we all know some. It would be odd if there weren't any; we aren't Stepford Teachers. BUT many of us (particularly those with management responsibilities) are working very hard at the moment. As are lots of other people.
If we all remembered that and acted accordingly the world would be a nicer place.
Nothing unique about this though. Teachers seem to be getting it on MN and in the press but for some reason the poor staff in our village shop are getting abuse for things outside their control too!

When an OP starts a thread regarding her child’s teacher, they are talking about THEIR child teacher and not generalising the profession as a whole, it’s simply regarding their personal experience and their child.

Absolutely agree.
What do you think about the following thread titles (some have been deleted by Mumsnet obviously but these stay in the psyche). How do these fit into ‘simply regarding their personal experience a their child’?

Teachers are like rats leaving a sinking ship

To not want my child to return to a school full of reluctant teachers

To wonder why teachers are not teaching

Teachers should show some courage and get back in the classroom

Sick of all the advice written by anonymous teachers

What are teachers actually doing all day

Ffs. I have never seen so many threads being negative about teachers. Please, give us a break! I would die happy if I could go 3 days on Mumsnet without a teacher thread (hyperbole). It’s hard enough dealing with the Covid situation and my job, without wasting mental energy on all this shit too.

Why shouldn't an individual in lockdown get more diy projects done by the way? In the normal run of things, would you be shocked that she went to yoga, or for a swim, went out to eat? Well she can't do those things now, along with everyone else, so there is time available for and restricted to stuff you can do in the house.
Or is the idea that she should be working from dawn to dusk with only a short gap for sleeping and other bodily functions?

What some parents fail to grasp is that it is usually a failure of the school management rather than an individual teacher. The HT says how it's going to be. Parents sound off with no idea of the circumstances in the school. Government guidelines are unworkable - blame them not the schools.

Maybe the HT is shielding and unavailable. Maybe half the teachers are shielding. Maybe they are required to be in school for the children of key workers. Maybe they have been told to prioritise something else.

Too many parents are too quick to blame individual teachers for the chaos that has been thrust upon all of us. There was never a plan to get through this and head teachers are having to make it up as they go along. Some are better at it than others. Nothing but NOTHING in our training prepared us for a pandemic. Have some sympathy FFS.

To read thread after thread from parents, with no clue, criticising teachers is dispiriting to those struggling to do their best.

If your DC's school is inadequate then it's up to you to pick up the slack. There are plenty of resources out there.

I've said before teachers could start a dozen threads of the inadequacy of some parents but they accept they are doing their best.