Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

DD’s science teacher AIBU

740 replies

Adviceneededalways · 21/01/2021 21:46

Dd14 is quite an opinionated teen and has become very sensitive to even a sniff of inequality. I think it’s quite cool that she has strong beliefs but do sometimes have to tell her her to rein it in a bit..

She came down from Google classroom tonight on a fowl mood and announced that she was drafting a complaint letter to her science teacher due to an argument they had over an exercise in class...

The exercise was dividing statements into fact and opinion, ie FACT on average the sun is 150 million miles from the sun. OPINION pineapple taste good on pizza...

The final one was girls should be able to work in any area they choose which I’m sure you have guess the teacher was adamant was opinion and if had been marked down on the sheet as such...

I personally think this is less about being opinion or fact statement and more to do with it being a poor choice of example in a class of predominantly strong minded young girls but DD is very upset and angry at her teacher.

Is she being a bit immature and dramatic or does she have a point...

I’ll include the work sheet in next post.

OP posts:
Frodont · 22/01/2021 07:59

I've slept on it and still think its an outdated and inflammatory message. Is it a mixed school? Some of the boys will just see it as a chance to put the boot in. I wouldn't formally complain, but if my dd wanted to suggest other, more enlightened examples to the teacher I'd be fully behind her.

Ridiculous that people are tying themselves in knots trying to justify it.

Xerochrysum · 22/01/2021 08:00

I have a similar aged child. I don't understand why you wouldn't want to correct your own dc when you know they are wrong, just because you want her to be opinionated.
In normal circumstances, it maybe a teacher's job to make her understand why she is wrong. But with limited communication at the moment, she is adamant she isn't wrong and wants to complain, and you want to encourage that as a parent?
She is only 14, she will still make a lot of mistakes, and you want to encourage her to believe that she is never wrong instead of guide her? I don't get it.

Frodont · 22/01/2021 08:00

Its like you all want to be spoon-fed woke opinions only

It's not a "woke opinion" to understand that girls can do any job they choose. What a revolting statement.

Lookslikerainted · 22/01/2021 08:02

Gosh that poor teacher. Your DD is overreacting and sorry sounds like a very irritating student.

HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 22/01/2021 08:03

It's not a "woke opinion" to understand that girls can do any job they choose. What a revolting statement.

My point was that the discussion around the statement is vital. The statement hasn't been presented as a fact (nor is it). It's designed to challenge and make students think. Being given a load of bland obvious answers doesn't do this.

Frodont · 22/01/2021 08:05

If the teacher can't take it then she should have chosen a better example! I'm sure she knew exactly what she was doing. It's not an example you just pluck out of the air. For some reason she decided that the girls in her class needed something to frustrate and anger them, even if they may not have understood the clever clever nuance.

Morgan12 · 22/01/2021 08:07

It's an opinion.

Change women to man or even to people. It's still an opinion.

Frodont · 22/01/2021 08:07

"My point was that the discussion around the statement is vital"

In a science lesson? What a waste of time!

pallasathena · 22/01/2021 08:08

This is about comprehension skills / thinking skills.
And if you can't understand what is a fact and what is an opinion then there really isn't much hope is there?

EmilySpinach · 22/01/2021 08:08

This thread is unbelievably depressing. When did it become acceptable to post a teacher's work online to be ripped apart?

We do similar activities as English teachers but with an additional layer of nuance; we expect students to be able to identify incorrect facts and opinions presented as fact in addition to straightforward facts and opinions.

OP, your daughter needs to learn about modal verbs, and she needs to learn that the plural of opinion is not fact. You sound a bit scared of her, tbh, and you should probably do something about that. At the age of 14 she needs to be able to accept when she has got something wrong.

ZaraTheWonderDog · 22/01/2021 08:11

@wildraisins

Tbh in your shoes OP, I wouldn't care whether or not it was fact or opinion or what anyone thought about that.

The much bigger issue here is them perpetuating outdated ideas on their worksheets.

By even mentioning the statement "girls should be able to do anything they choose!" you imply that there is an argument that they can't, or even that the default position is that they can't.

Sod whatever the actual answer was or should have been. Get into the school and complain.

Jesus Christ.
Frodont · 22/01/2021 08:11

@EmilySpinach

This thread is unbelievably depressing. When did it become acceptable to post a teacher's work online to be ripped apart?

We do similar activities as English teachers but with an additional layer of nuance; we expect students to be able to identify incorrect facts and opinions presented as fact in addition to straightforward facts and opinions.

OP, your daughter needs to learn about modal verbs, and she needs to learn that the plural of opinion is not fact. You sound a bit scared of her, tbh, and you should probably do something about that. At the age of 14 she needs to be able to accept when she has got something wrong.

Rubbish.

I wouldn't be encouraging my dd to write to the teacher but I'd be encouraging her to explain why she thinks its wrong - EVEN IF THE DD IS TECHNICALLY WRONG - that is what setting so-called 'challenging' work is supposed to do? Encourage robust discussion?

pallasathena · 22/01/2021 08:12

@EmilySpinach

Absolutely spot on.

ZaraTheWonderDog · 22/01/2021 08:13

@Frodont the teacher would have chosen the example not for 'clever clever nuance' but because it becomes all the more difficult to separate fact from opinion when your judgement is clouded by your emotional response to a statement. It's a valuable lesson to learn especially in the sciences and she is doing her job well.

EmilySpinach · 22/01/2021 08:13

Which part of my post was 'rubbish', @frodont? All of it?

Frodont · 22/01/2021 08:13

We do similar activities as English teachers but with an additional layer of nuance; we expect students to be able to identify incorrect facts and opinions presented as fact in addition to straightforward facts and opinions.

Yes - English! And nuance! This is science and will no doubt provoke a ridiculously drawn out and circular discussion, wasting time which could be spent on actual, you know, science.

Lanzo · 22/01/2021 08:14

It is a 5min starter probably printed from the internet. A child is in school from age 4-18 and is taught thousands of lessons on all sorts of things by lots of different teachers. They will come across good and bad worksheets. If teachers spent this long agonising over each worksheet they handed out, they wouldn’t get any teaching done and then you would actually have something to worry about.

pallasathena · 22/01/2021 08:14

@ZaraTheWonderdog

Totally spot on.

Frodont · 22/01/2021 08:15

[quote ZaraTheWonderDog]@Frodont the teacher would have chosen the example not for 'clever clever nuance' but because it becomes all the more difficult to separate fact from opinion when your judgement is clouded by your emotional response to a statement. It's a valuable lesson to learn especially in the sciences and she is doing her job well.[/quote]
I agree its an important skill (although tbh having gone through gcse science revision with two dcs I can't think of a gcse question where this would be relevant), I don't agree it's mean of a 14 year old girl to challenge the teacher over it.

HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 22/01/2021 08:18

In a science lesson? What a waste of time!

Science isn't a standalone subject (none of them are). What a tick box way of thinking. Humanities and English don't have the monopoly on discussion. I often use challenging ideas in maths lessons, particularly around sex, gender pay gap, etc.

donquixotedelamancha · 22/01/2021 08:19

Yes - English! And nuance! This is science and will no doubt provoke a ridiculously drawn out and circular discussion, wasting time which could be spent on actual, you know, science.

I would suggest that understanding the difference between objective fact and personal belief is at the very core of actual, you know, Science.

Not everyone needs to know the optimal conditions for the Haber process but everyone benefits by being able to apply the Scientific Method.

Dee1975 · 22/01/2021 08:19

Whether it’s fact or opinion, I think the teacher should have chosen a different example!! As one other poster said, she doesn’t know her audience!

HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 22/01/2021 08:19

I can't think of a gcse question where this would be relevant

Education isn't just about passing GCSEs. I'm depressed you're a teacher.

Torvean32 · 22/01/2021 08:20

It is an opinion. There are jobs that are still not open to women.

To be honest your daughter sounds like she has an over inflated ego.

Frodont · 22/01/2021 08:20

@Dee1975

Whether it’s fact or opinion, I think the teacher should have chosen a different example!! As one other poster said, she doesn’t know her audience!
Of course he or she should have. Or at least be ready for some very "opinion"ated 14 year old girls!
Swipe left for the next trending thread