And people wonder why teachers leave

[Tanaria]

More of a rant, I suppose, but still.

I'm having a formal complaint put against me. Because I've set a test, which a student failed to complete on time (not IT issues or timing, they were online). Despite giving 100% extra time. Despite announcing the test in advance. Despite tagging the students. Despite hanging around for over 1/2 the lesson to respond in Zoom and in writing for the rest. Despite giving students another chance to complete the test again.
Because the student asked a question about the test 2min after closing time - in my break and while I was in a meeting (IN MY BREAK) and juggling my own children at home. Complaining I took more than 30min to respond. After the lesson. And are now going for my head.

Well, I have given up on dry Jan. And I'm looking into working somewhere I don't have to deal with people anymore.

Academy and no, I'm just a middle manager.

Take YOUR kids for a walk

Do something daft/fun -play at the park

Order pizza for dinner.

Have a few more drinks

Do something for yourself

Remember that most parents & kids, appreciate what you do and that even if you work by & for yourself, people at work are sometimes arseholes!

@Tanaria

I'm just so sick of doing everything asked of me and atill being made to feel awful. We HAVE to assess kids weekly (which is more than the every 2 weeks we did prior to Covid) and the data has to be meaningful, so I can't leave tests open-ended in time.

I’d suggest then that the complaint isn’t about you but this daft policy that you didn’t set. Tell them to feel free to oppose the idea!

These daft parents devastate lives and families and the teaching profession and our children's education for years to come....they promise to change and it never happens.

We had a parent complain today that there was a "gap" in the zoom lessons and it was disgraceful that the children at home couldn't access the same lessons as those in school.
The class were outside for playtime!

Sending 💐. The parent sounds like a cretin.
This situation has brought out the best in some but the worst in others.
I see teachers at my dc school at near breaking point but all of them have done it with a smile on their faces and deserve more credit than they are getting.
Get a glass of wine and give your own dc a squeeze.

This sounds really unfair.

I hope you're ok. Once it's all done I would put a complaint in about the pastoral services. Why are they making your life more stressful when it's obviously not a fault of yours 💐

They're arseholes

I set a weekly assignment for mine. Due in at 7pm the night before the next class so I can get them marked (in my time, at 7pm)

I have 7 messages sat in my inbox all with 'i need an extension...'

1 submitted 13 minutes ago. Inboxed me 6 minutes later to ask why I'd not returned it.

Fuck off!

That doesnt sound easy. But dont jack it in thinking that other jobs with equitable pay will be easier. I have a civil service job and the people i serve/deal with have the freedom to make complaints about me but i do not have the freedom to complain about them!! I feel this is the way things are.

The class were outside for playtime!
I thought I had heard every entitled parent complaint but this tops them all.
Yes had an incident today (too outing to reveal) but luckily the Head was supportive.
There are some reasonable SLTs out there - don’t give up - just find a saner school.

This lockdown is bringing the worst out of everyone and affecting the kids and parents the most while everyone else is swanning around as per usual

You have my sympathy OP.

We had a parent today complain that her child's friends aren't in school.

Um, yes, we know, there's a reason for that.

Give me strength.

My youngest moans about his teachers. I can hear them online and say to him “Your teachers are doing their best while they are also worried and finding working outside of their normal environment. So your work exactly and you would in the classroom. Your teachers are doing their best. You should be helping them as much as they are helping you.” My kids’ teachers and school are amazing! I have the greatest of respect for you all

@PurpleDaisies

Formal complaint to who? The head?

Unreasonable parents have always been unreasonable and I don’t think that’s the major reason teachers are leaving. It’s stress and workload.

That’s what I thought complained to who.

@blue25

I’m sure your Head will listen and nod politely to the parent. Then ignore, as they should do.

That's the norm tbh. Unless it contravenes safeguarding, or is positively dangerous, it will be 'overlooked' or quietly forgotten about.🎉 Teachers and SLT have way more important issues to contend with right now.

Fuck em op! Enjoy an evening off with your family.

From what you've said OP they don't have a leg to stand on. Don't even worry about it. They sound batshit crazy. How could SLT possibly take this seriously

Thankfully these kinds of parents are in the minority but it’s one of the most infuriating and depressing parts of the job. You just know some of them see you as basically a servant for them who can never do enough.
Thankfully, I haven’t personally had to deal with many like this.

The test had finished. Full stop. Christ some people need to give their head a wobble. Sending sympathy Op. don’t do any work now, do something for yourself.

Yanbu. The parent is bejng a dick.

That said you have to deal with dicks in many (perhaps all) professions and jobs, so may well not be better in any other job.

Your head will dismiss it immediately and support you if they are worth their salt, again as would a line manager / director etc in another job.

Pikoty - no but they are the only profession that are being constantly pilloried and attacked throughout the pandemic despite being the only profession being asked to work with no social distancing, no masks and no PPE.

purpledaisy
It’s interesting that you say that and, of course, every school is different but in our survey of staff (about 400 teachers) unreasonable parents and parents who simply wont accept what the teacher is saying and excuse everything their child does by blaming someone else despite overwhelming evidence is a top reason for considering leaving the profession particularly for SMT (and score for the question do you think school and trust leadership supports you with parental disagreement / complaints was over 90% strongly agree so it’s aint is!)

Ugh! Just happened to me today. Out of a group of 20 uni students, 5 completely failed to read/ understand a spoken assignment, clear written instructions available online in the portal since last October and discussed twice in class.

Four students took it on the chin, but one tried to call me out in front of the class implying that he was deprived of the information. His summing up was "well, I'm kinda done" in a really nasty voice. So I said fine and bumped a student up to his slot. Then he said "oh great, so now I'm not even allowed to have my slot?" For the first time in 5 years of HE teaching I lost my shit. I asked him to define being "done", he wouldn't and so I offered the standard definition being "I'm not doing this" and/ or "I don't GAF". He said he didnt mean that, I said good and gave him back his slot. I am very kind and flexible but I will not be bullied.

Honestly, I was just so offended at his laziness and rudeness. Don't care if he complains, I have very good reputation (deserved), how dare they! YANBU

That must be so gutting, what arseholes 😡

I’m SLT and this should be nothing for you to worry about.

I had a parent complaint last week that had been escalated to me via the class teacher and also the phase leader. The parent was complaining that the teacher didn’t like her child as she had only asked her to respond twice in a live lesson whereas child x was asked three times 🤷‍♀️.

I swear some parents actually get off on starting rows with their child's school. They almost see it as a challenge.

My child missed a Zoom class today. It was half her fault - her laptop was off all weekend and she should have turned it on earlier than 10 minutes before class started - and half her laptop deciding it needed a massive unforeseen update.

I listened to her moan, told her not to worry but to make sure she caught up, and to turn her laptop on earlier next time to make allowances for Internet crapness.

I like to think I'm an involved parent but I wouldn't actually have the time or energy to chase up a missed test that was lower than GCSE level - I'd assume that if it wasn't her fault she missed it, the teacher would let her sit it again, and if she missed it because she was pissing about online, then tough luck on her, frankly, and I'd like to think the teacher would quite rightly give her 0.

I've no intention of micromanaging a 13 year old's studies ffs.

We got her progress report back last week and she's in the 90s for most things, and her lowest mark was the mid 80s,so clearly it's worked well so far