To tell teachers bashers to go and complain to their own fucking schools

[Frozenfan2019]

Aibu to be fed up to the back teeth of ignorant comments like "do your job like everyone else" and " it's your vocation" aimed at all and any teachers who happen to be on a thread. If you have a problem with the teaching provided by your own school contact them. People commenting have no idea of the workload that the people they are trolling online might be struggling with. It's bullying plain and simple and wouldn't be allowed to be aimed at other groups.

Do you honestly believe that every single teacher in the UK is lazy? If not why not contact YOUR school about the issues you have with YOUR child's teacher instead of starting yet another general teacher bashing thread.

As a teacher on here I have to say I have never been more demotivated. I work hard for my kids at school while also homeschooling my own three like so many of us. How dare you make me feel like I am failing because you have an issues, unfounded in some cases I am sure, with your school?

They are your children take some responsibility, contact the school if you have concerns and accept that most teachers are fired for the children they each but we don't make many of the decisions. They are made at a much higher level.

@FrippEnos

GazeboParty more sackings for the crap ones!

But we are back to

What is a crap teacher?

Its not as easy as exam results.

No it isn’t - but I’d be really surprised if you didn’t know already who were the buttom 5-10% - as students we knew, my kids know. The next tranche is more tricky. I believe in good teachers..,I believe they should be rewarded for their hard work and talent but the crap ones are truly frustrating of course you tell your kids that even the crap ones can teach you something and should be respected but inwardly you’re wondering if they need a tutor and how you‘re going to pay for it.

GazeboParty

I was going to write a long post but you wouldn't like it so I am just going to say that even "crap" teachers have rights and the schools have to follow to policies set in employment law to be able to get rid of under performing teachers.

This takes a term or two to do and then there is the terms notice. So a year from start to finish approximately.

Although if rushed the heads could remove someone in a term with garden leave.

And it certainly wouldn't be because some random parent or Mumsnetter thought they were crap.

I love the idea that a parent would even know whether a teacher was good or not! How ridiculous. I had a situation once where one particular group of parents turned against a TA. They had totally got the wrong end of the stick and she was actually one of the best (if not the best) TA in the school. She was virtually never alone with the children so I knew what her performance was like and that some of the stories about her were completely fabricated. It was all rumour, half-truths and enjoying the excitement of the gossip. Luckily it stopped after a while and they left her alone.
As a parent I’m used to DD telling me about teachers who ‘hate’ her, only to do a bit of digging and find out it’s not the case at all.
It would be rare to survive the training if you weren’t cut out for teaching but the performance management process is there if needed. Leave that to the Head though, it’s not the place of the parent (obviously do contact the school if you have concerns but never assume your DC has told you the whole story).

My daughter hasn't started school yet, but I'll be complaining to the head if she gets a teacher anything like you. I hope you're not an English teacher.

I'm not a teacher thank fuck, but can you just imagine having the child in your class........

N I G H T M A R E!

In relation to your OP, sorry but Yabu. The situation with schools reopening us a national catastophy and there's been too much silencing of parents over it as it is.

To a large extent it is not individual teachers fault but I do feel some of them are using very flimsy excuses not to back (having read about schools not being able to reopen because pretty much every teacher is either shielding or living with someone who's shielding). But mainly anger is directed at politicians, unions, and local councils and headteachers if the latter two have blocked schools reopening.

If the threads are upsetting you, come off Mumsnet or don't open them.

But don't make parents feel bad for voicing very legitimate anger about what's happening, as this is the worst thing that has ever happened in education in my lifetime.

PS why are you home educating your children when you're a key worker so they can go in to school?

I just don't think some teachers represent the profession well. I know some teachers working really hard and doing the absolute best for the children but others who are refusing to go back. I just don't think that's fair as nurses, carers, police, doctors...other key workers have had no choice and have had to work despite the risks which are actually higher in a care home or hospital when delivering direct care. If teachers are truly key workers (which IMO they are as education is so vital) then why do they get a choice to opt out?

I know of no teachers refusing to go back except if they are clinically extremely vulnerable. I know of a couple who have struggled a little with childcare ( pre school age children, nurseries not yet open/ limited hours / childminders and grandparents unable to take children) but they are working things out as quickly as they can. Unless you know someone’s medical history how could you possibly comment? Schools can not provide social distancing so must be cautious with those clinically vulnerable staff.

" I studied for 4 years to be an educator, not a childminder. It's a insult when you read it x100 every damn day."

Childminders are educators. It's insulting to us to see teachers disparage us and the work we do. I noted that most teachers on here now understand that and have stopped saying it.
If you're a childminder, then thousands of parents who've been educating their children since March are teachers.

Pinkprosecco the simple answer is staff don't get a choice to opt out, not sure why you think they do? What experience do you have of this? If they are clinically vulnerable they will have been asked to work at home - same in any other job.
Don't spread misinformation please!

@Tanith I've nothing against childminders - my best pal is one and I've used them myself over the years (gosh, school staff are working parents too - who'd have thought it?!). The point was that's not what I trained to do, but reading many posts on here - ignoring the sudden concern for vulnerable kids/ASN kids that some posters never had before - it seems that schools MUST be opened full time NOW to accommodate "working parents".....

I love the idea that a parent would even know whether a teacher was good or not

I’m not a teacher however in my professional role (now and when I was a FT social worker) I’ve met some awful teachers who had acute biases about the children to the point they don’t even provide the basic information of the children, one in particular I had to submit a report to the head teacher after a CORE meeting in which we could not ignore her mentally, due to this they were subsequently dismissed.

My younger sons first primary school teacher hated that he was “shy” he wasn’t shy, he had sever speech and language delay and refused to speak as no one could understand him and refused to refer him to SLP as she could “help with his shyness” I had to go above her and asked why they would not refer him, the head teacher could not give me an answer even after speaking to the teacher.

Ds needed 3 years of intensive S&L therapy, 3 x a week in school (2 one to one and 1 in group therapy) and one 2 hour session with the S&L therapist (again 1 hour group therapy and one independent)

Again I wasn’t the only one to complain about this teacher, the teacher went into a completely different role the follow school year.

Ds1 secondary Math teachers, Ds is a grade 9 math pupil and had been consistently above average since attending secondary.

In 2 terms ds went down 3 grades, Ds always frustrated that the teachers were crap... on speaking to head of math, he advised Ds had a multitude of teachers during those terms and he had to dismiss them all.

Fortunately they found the correct fit and Ds is now back to his previous grade.

Parents, outside professionals and even kids can see when a teacher is good or not.

In my role in dealing with multiple agencies I see determine when someone is good or bad at their role.

What I don’t get - and admittedly this is only from a small number of teachers who are posting - is this one for all and all for one attitude.

Everyone who works anywhere knows who the lazy crap colleague is. Surely it’s the same in teaching. Having been through school myself and having had two dcs in school, it’s fairly obvious who are the great teachers and who are the can’t be arsed and/or incompetent ones. (Nothing to do with nice/nasty, btw; merely job performance). I’ll judge away thank you very much at the music teacher who can’t read music, or the history teacher who spends half the time flirting with the boys and hadn’t heard of the Vietnam War (to be fair this teacher has been, er, eliminated).

So it would be good for some posters to acknowledge that yes, there are - amongst thousands of teachers - some who parents have every right to feel let down by. Of course there are many awful parents, both interfering and can’t be bothered, but stop banging on about how every single teacher is a worked-to-the-bone saint.

Majority of teachers I come across are wonderful, family members who are teachers are awesome, however it’s only on MN that I see the “we are worked to the bone type” comments.

My cousin (Head of Tech) runs a football team, holds training and has sport workshops, he also teaches his lessons and attends meetings.

My other 3 cousins (all primary) never complain about their workloads, I spent most weekends (before lockdown) enjoying a cocktail or 3)

But I suppose it’s down to the individual and how they manage and cope with their work schedules and manage their stress factors.

It’s all individual, I work 50-60 weeks and my case load are higher now when I was working for the Emergency Duty Team (children’s social work) however I manage my schedule better as I have an excellent team around me.

I didn’t manage at all dealing with 40+ case loads myself and getting no support at all.

others who are refusing to go back I don’t know any apart from a couple with serious medical conditions and shielding letters from the government.

If teachers refuse to go back, without legitimate shielding reasons, usual HR policies kick in from day 1. These include formal attendance management procedures (3 occasions of absences (1 absence is a half day) in 6 months) time off without, agreed improvements and review, occupational health involvement, being declared unfit to work and termination of contract

Just because COVID is happening it doesn't eradicate all usual legal policies on going to work.

I’m not sticking up for all teachers, I know some are definitely more dedicated / better than others . But the idea that teachers are refusing to go to work I have to challenge it. The same as any job, there will be procedures in place to protect staff but no one will be just opting out of work . All employers are or should be being more flexible than normal in order to keep staff safe and support parents with any childcare difficulties .

@JesmondDene

If teachers refuse to go back, without legitimate shielding reasons, usual HR policies kick in from day 1. These include formal attendance management procedures (3 occasions of absences (1 absence is a half day) in 6 months) time off without, agreed improvements and review, occupational health involvement, being declared unfit to work and termination of contract

Just because COVID is happening it doesn't eradicate all usual legal policies on going to work.

Yep and possibly a breach of conduct for failure to respond to reasonable management instruction and unauthorised absence.

Most organisations are gearing up to go back now. Many of us will have to work in less than perfect conditions whilst we navigate this uncertainty. Teachers should be allowed to wear visors or masks though if they require them. To suggest they can’t invade they scare the pupils is absolutely ridiculous.

I haven’t seen a single post of teachers refusing to go back to work, what they are doing however is refusing to go back to FULL CLASSES until safe systems are in place.

Most teacher are working, albeit in a different way individual to their own circumstances and schools policies.

I'm a teacher. Tbh I just dont open the threads- I know I have had to work hard and be flexible in ways I could never have predicted, so I don't give a monkeys if strangers on the internet think otherwise.
Part of being a teacher is to develop the skin of a rhino - at some point in your career you will get a hard time be it from a kid, a parent or general forums like this. Learn to shake it off and you'll be a happier teacher long term. :-)

Well there's a big variation isn't there? Some of my son's teachers haven't provided any feedback at all, on all the work they have requested during lockdown. Or responded to me when I have asked questions. I think that's pretty poor.

Others have provided detailed feedback and encouragement on every single piece of work. I think the problem is that it's not clear who to complain to. Certainly there hasn't been any attempt to solicit feedback aside from one survey a few weeks ago. Maybe one of the reasons private education is doing better is because the parents are paying and feel empowered to complain.

Certainly it isn't all about resources because the gap between the good and bad teachers during this period has been huge.

Anyway the OP is definitely being unreasonable. Even the title is quite rude. Of course parents are worried and want to compare note on what is happening to the education of their children.

Pinkprosecco the simple answer is staff don't get a choice to opt out, not sure why you think they do? What experience do you have of this? If they are clinically vulnerable they will have been asked to work at home - same in any other job.
Don't spread misinformation please!

Plenty of posters who said they were teachers on here were saying they would refuse to go in during the beginning of lockdown. I'm just saying what a stark difference between all other key workers and teachers I've noticed. Yes it is only my opinion but not misinformation. I don't hear any other key worker group, many of whom face a far greater risk, posting about not doing their job. I'm not talking about anyone with a shielding letter.