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.

OP, in case your school does NOT handle this sensibly, you are in a union right?

@spanieleyes

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!

Well why haven’t you set up an playtime zoom?! You should be occupying the children all day not just the times it suits you.

A friend seriously had the above said to her. We giggled about how ridiculous parents can be and I patted myself on the back for getting out before all this nonsense.

@Tanaria relax, dry January was a bust this year anyway most of my teacher friends gave up on 5th January. I imagine nothing will come of this complaint and even if it does result in a discussion say exactly what you’ve said here. If your head doesn’t agree with you, start looking elsewhere. It isn’t reasonable to expect an answer straight away at the best of times. I had a parent complain that I didn’t answer their emails after 5:30 until 7am the next am. The head told her in no uncertain terms he didn’t expect his staff to be responding passed 4:30 or prior to 8:30.

@SoVeryLost
We leave the zoom on during lunchtimes ( as the children eat in the classrooms) so those at home can join in and chat to those in school but hadn't considered taking an iPad outside onto the playground so they can join in then too. How remiss of us! 2/10, must do better!

I’m curious as to why there are weekly assessments. What subject is this for?

Obvious the parent will get nowhere but it sounds like it’s the last in a long line of things. Hope you feel better tomorrow.

I've done weekly assignments on Teams since September. Maths. Means I've got a good idea of who's grasped something.

Hard to know who's actually doing the ork when it's a class of 30 over Teams

Colleagues are collecting work via class notebook but this way I have data on them for each topic that's not just pics of their notes/ calculations

[quote spanieleyes]@SoVeryLost
We leave the zoom on during lunchtimes ( as the children eat in the classrooms) so those at home can join in and chat to those in school but hadn't considered taking an iPad outside onto the playground so they can join in then too. How remiss of us! 2/10, must do better![/quote]
Wow! You are doing better than my DS’ school. They have no social video conferencing time via school, not that I’d demand it anyway. They have minimal live time but it’s done in a way that makes sense to me and isn’t just wasting the teachers time.

l think its such a shame we live in a society that is so hell bent on naming, shaming and blaming. This is all down to fear.
l work in a supermarket, it is absolutely exhausting, l spend most of the day apologising for things that are out of my control. It can really grind you down, so l feel for you. My advice would be try not to take it personally, you know that your doing your absolute best in difficult circumstances, l often find people lash out due to their own insecurities and its obvious that how this parent is behaving says alot more about them , than you. l totally understand your frustration, l have just read a good book called " l am an Island", about a couple that give up their lives in london and go and live on a remote Scottish Island, and to be honest it didnt turn out to be anywhere near as ideylic as they thought, infact quite unbearable at times, but l am still tempted.

@JamieFraserskiltspeaksout

I’m curious as to why there are weekly assessments. What subject is this for?

Obvious the parent will get nowhere but it sounds like it’s the last in a long line of things. Hope you feel better tomorrow.

All my secondary school teacher friends are having to do this. Many of them are having to report back to parents regarding what their children have done. It’s to assess engagement more than anything of the friends I know that are having to do it.

There are so many cretinous parents. Baying for blood every time little Johnny snivels and says it's unfair.

I've a 15 year old but every time she utters anything about Zoom lessons. I just say 'look it's a bloody nightmare for the teacher. Get on with it'

I’ve been laughing today on a well known app at a lot of the things parents have requested of teachers including sending an unopened box of Christmas cards in to primary and asking the teacher to write them for their precious to each member of the class as mum can’t remember all the class members’ individual names. “And when you do you your own write something he would probably want to say to you.” 😮. See. Parents can be absolute knobs!! 😂. 💐

The parent sounds like a nightmare and that they are looking for a fight. 5 minutes on here shows you there's enough people like that who seem to revel in any excuse to pick a fight or moan about schools.

But your school seem to be handling this badly. Most pastoral leads I've worked with would point out that you delivered your lesson but aren't on call all day as you have other students, other classes and other workload.

@spanieleyes

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!

My 16yo is online daily and college is 9-4.15 as usual.

They usually have 10-15 minutes break in 3 hour lessons and college have been great at doing this.

I leave my ds 4 little jobs a day (eg recycling out/ putting cutlery in drawer off drainer) to make sure when they have time off screen he actually moves!

Cannot imagine complaining there's a break 🤣🤣 I actually think they don't have enough as lunch is only 45 minutes but I wouldn't dream of complaining about that either!

Yeah, I think the issue is perhaps not the parent (although they are unreasonable as fuck) but SLT not backing you on this. I know mine would tell any parent who demanded an immediate response to an email where to go.

There are other schools out there with decent SLT! Might be worth looking for one before you give up on teaching entirely?

My sympathies. I have had a bit of a pants day teaching today. Being live all the time for questions I am finding draining, so few are bothering to turn up - I am chasing so many students. It's sixth form who I have had the most issues with today. All want 'apparently' discussion lessons, refused to engage with me at all - 20 minutes of me talking with not a single comment from them, its disheartening.

Then a student who has done nothing so far except turn up to 1 lesson over the last 2 weeks asked me to increase his predicted grade.......

I need wine but its only Monday!

I was actually very pleasantly surprised this evening when Prof Powyes (sp?) thanked the teachers and supermarket staff for providing childcare for nhs staff to continue working and supermarkets for priority slots.

I know many a teacher and currently their workload is even harder than their already ridiculous workload.

I feel your irritation. Someone made a formal complaint about me too. I’m trying my best, home schooling, working, usual. Some People are self entitled shits. Wait and see what your SLT say. If they disappoint, private might suit you.

This isn't a parent issue. Although the parent sounds like a pain.
It's a leadership issue. The pastoral care, why did they pass to head without listening to you. Head of dept should have stood up for you and dealt with it, without it going higher.

Your problem is not the parent. It's lack of support.

Will the head support you? If not, that's your issue, and I agree you should leave. But don't leave teaching. There are better, more supportive schools. I've just made a move and don't know why I didn't do it years ago. Nights spent panicking about what my head or SLT would or wouldn't do... Now I work somewhere where they think I am the bee's knees.

There are shitty bosses in all industries.

I think schools, though, on average have APPALLING middle management (heads of studies, pastoral heads etc).

They are, with honourable exceptions, people who have only ever worked in schools and try to manage intelligent graduated and Phds in the same way as they would a year 12 class. Their view of management is, simplistically, to arse lick up (terrified of head and deputy head) and give to-do lists down, with sanctions. They would definitely give detentions if they could!

Where some schools are far better, though, is some heads do have balls and stand up to the 10% of unreasonable parents, and some do not. If you are with the latter, you need to find a new school with good leadership. Or leave, if you have really had enough..,

YANBU. A whole class of unreasonable parents was the tipping point for me to leave school teaching.

I couldn't read and run - OP I hope you're ok. It is utterly soul destroying when parents do this, thankfully it's a profession that has learnt to cover its back.

Remember that for every student/parent like this there are a lot who are thankful that you're there. Parental complaints make me ill, it really affects me, I'm now on ADs which helps me to remain calm. I don't want to leave but I'm not sure it's healthy to feel like this all the time.

IME school will listen and investigate to placate the parent but to also come to a conclusion they can't argue with. It's probably the best way to draw a line under it rather than the parents continuing with an issue they feel is unresolved.

@Tanaria you’re in the wrong school not the wrong job. In my school that parent would have been told their complaint was ridiculous and it would never have held any traction.

They really don’t have a leg to stand on.

Just to reassure you that most other professions and jobs have this sort of shit going on.

My job has difficult stakeholders that will throw you under the bus to senior management to cover up their own mistakes, constantly having to back ourselves up with documentary evidence such as emails etc to show that the mistake was not ours and that is after going out of our way for the stakeholders, working in to the evening in our own time above and beyond what is expected.

I am pretty sure this shit happens in some way in most jobs. You need to find a job with no humans involved at all to get away from it.