What is this behaviour by teacher?

[accesstheinternet]

Class of 9 and 10 year olds, about to go into lockdown, the class is talking about what it will be like and asking questions. Suddenly the teacher says out of the blue, first time anything like this has happened "and who will miss Charlie and his bad temper?"

Charlie is shocked and upset and the class sort of murmured "me" and Charlie's mother asks the teacher what was up when she saw her and the teacher said that she had spoken to Charlie and all was fine, apparently Charlie had lost his temper because someone had pushed him in the playground.

Then the next day Charlie comes out in floods of tears, saying that he had written down an instruction he thought had to be written down, the teacher had starting berating him and saying only he would do that, and encouraged the whole class to mock him, he had become upset at the berating and some of the class had laughed.

The teacher is normally fine.

[LilacTrees]

When my dc were at primary, the teachers didn't banter with the kids, but when they moved up to secondary some did. The teachers get it right at their school. It's funny and not mean. Dd2 has quite good social skills and a couple of teachers have aimed the banter at her, I think because they know she'll be fine with it. What op wrote that the teacher said isn't banter, it's just mean, but it would be a shame if teachers who get it right felt they couldn't joke with kids at all. School would be more humdrum and boring for the kids.

[thatwasme22]

''msbehavin sounds like normal high school banter in a relaxed class environment. Doesn't sound remotely like bullying. And yes - high school kids do banter with teachers too - gentle humour that is about laughing with kids, not at them, is a good thing.''

And the problem with this is that too often the lines get blurred and somebody says the wrong thing or somebody doesn't find it's funny. The people I see who can 'banter' the most are the ones who are the least likely to put up with it when the tide changes or in other words when the joke is laughing with/at them. And I say this as a teacher.

[ThisMammaCat]

I just have two things to say on this thread.

1: When I was very young (infant school, maybe 6 or 7), my teacher was talking and I was totally engrossed in what she was saying, to the point where I was doing that classic open mouthed expression that kids sometimes do when completely engrossed. The teacher made a joke about me "catching flies" and it made me feel so embarrassed that I changed my whole posture, stopped listening, and spent the rest of carpet time paranoid. I don't even remember that teacher's name but I will never forget how her flippant remark made me feel. She likely had zero clue as to how that made me feel and would likely be pretty horrified.

2: At DS2's old school, there was a horribly disruptive bully. Absolutely vile kid who also has a vile mother. The kid laughs when people get hurt, is very disrespectful to teachers and staff, still picks random fights to this day, and guess what? The teachers still treated him with decency because that's what is right. (Maybe they didn't tease him because he's a big tall lad showing scary traits and could have easily taken a teacher down, who knows).

No one can truly know how a child is reacting internally to what has been said to them, and teachers are in positions of power, their words matter to the children.

[StoneofDestiny]

msbehavin sounds like normal high school banter in a relaxed class environment. Doesn't sound remotely like bullying. And yes - high school kids do banter with teachers too - gentle humour that is about laughing with kids, not at them, is a good thing.

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

Thanks @LolaSmiles

[LolaSmiles]

BeingATwatItsABingThing
Not relevant to the thread, but I love your username

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

Wow! Just... Wow!

[SmileEachDay]

Still, it's good to know that teaching's reputation is ruined by teachers suggesting that teachers can get it wrong in class, the concerns about a teacher should be raised differently depending on someone's position in a situation, and that any safeguarding situation would be investigated follllwing relevant procedure

Damn all this common sense. Teachers are just the worst when they do this stuff. 😳

[EarringsandLipstick]

@LolaSmiles

EarringsandLipstick
Who knows.
Still, it's good to know that teaching's reputation is ruined by teachers suggesting that teachers can get it wrong in class, the concerns about a teacher should be raised differently depending on someone's position in a situation, and that any safeguarding situation would be investigated follllwing relevant procedure.

😂 yes!!!

[LolaSmiles]

EarringsandLipstick
Who knows.
Still, it's good to know that teaching's reputation is ruined by teachers suggesting that teachers can get it wrong in class, the concerns about a teacher should be raised differently depending on someone's position in a situation, and that any safeguarding situation would be investigated follllwing relevant procedure.

[EarringsandLipstick]

@accesstheinternet

I am not going to get a useful answer to my question, am I?

lola, smileeachday - to the extent your profession has a bad reputation, your posts here are going to be part of the reason why.

I am out now, and hiding the thread, you can ponder and trollhunt and be goady as much as you like.

😳😳😳

So it was a thread about teacher-bashing all along...

Normally when that term is used on MN I don't quite subscribe to it.

This has truly been one of the oddest threads. Smiles & Lola, the OP has certainly had you in her cross-hairs!

[SmileEachDay]

accesstheinternet

You’ve got exactly the answer that you should have. Safeguarding is very procedural- it’s all about establishing what happened and acting appropriately.

It’s impossible to give you anything more specific with no idea about the perspective of your information.

[accesstheinternet]

I am not going to get a useful answer to my question, am I?

lola, smileeachday - to the extent your profession has a bad reputation, your posts here are going to be part of the reason why.

I am out now, and hiding the thread, you can ponder and trollhunt and be goady as much as you like.

[SmileEachDay]

Maybe @smileeachday could answer the question - which I will put slightly differently to help her - how would you safeguard Charlie at your school?

I definitely wouldn’t take my information from “it being a close community and everyone knowing each other”

I’d investigate and follow statutory procedures. What those were would depend on what actually happened.

[LolaSmiles]

EarringsandLipstick
I agree. It all got a bit strange once they got on about how teachers have found this thread hard to read (explicitly mentioning me, even though I said the teacher was wrong if it happened as outlined, but never mind) and what teachers need to take away from this thread.

It's really become most strange.

[EarringsandLipstick]

We can't, but I think that was probably the point.

I think I'm beginning to agree.

The OP's later posts are much stranger than her initial ones tho.

[accesstheinternet]

@LolaSmiles

I would imagine Smile would follow her school procedures, investigate, and follow up accordingly with those who need to be involved. The same as in any other UK school.

She probably wouldn't be chatting about the teacher's personal life or stress due to covid over Easter weekend though.

Maybe @smileeachday could answer the question - which I will put slightly differently to help her - how would you safeguard Charlie at your school?

[SmileEachDay]

What I wouldn’t be doing is updating anyone about it on a Sunday or posting about it on the internet.

[LolaSmiles]

SmileEachDay
I thought so.

How can anyone give meaningful advice without this detail?
We can't, but I think that was probably the point. Most people on the thread, me included, have said if it happened as outlined and the OP saw this then it needs following up, and have offered advice. Plenty of others have also asked repeatedly what the OP's position is as it makes a big difference between seeing something first hand and hearing about something second hand, but the OP doesn't want to share this information.
Not that it matters now as it would seem small communities mean this sort of thing is resolved on Easter weekend.

[EarringsandLipstick]

OP, on the basis of this:

and you had evidence that it happened exactly as I quoted

How would smile have this evidence?

If it was via the mum, it would be based on what Charlie said, so not necessarily the full story.

If it was via another colleague, wouldn't there be wider issues at play, such as the relationship between the TA & the teacher?

[SmileEachDay]

Yup. Exactly that Lola

[EarringsandLipstick]

[quote accesstheinternet]@smileeachday - seriously - if this scenario was at your school, at which you are apparently a safeguarding officer, and you had evidence that it happened exactly as I quoted, what would you be doing about that teacher?[/quote]
Surely it depends who you are in this scenario?

You've been so detailed about this teacher & what she said, but won't even indicate if you are the mum (tho you suggested this before pulling back)

Surely you can see that that is really odd? If you've no privacy concerns, how does it matter if you say you're the mum (or someone else)?

You want to know what smile would do? But about what? In terms of discussing with the teacher? But is this on the basis of a complaint from the parent (you in this scenario? Or not?) or another colleague (like the TA, also possibly you?). How can anyone give meaningful advice without this detail?

[SmileEachDay]

I am amazed that you are a safeguarding officer

You’ve trawled through my posting history? That’s a bit strange.

[LolaSmiles]

I would imagine Smile would follow her school procedures, investigate, and follow up accordingly with those who need to be involved. The same as in any other UK school.

She probably wouldn't be chatting about the teacher's personal life or stress due to covid over Easter weekend though.

[accesstheinternet]

@smileeachday - seriously - if this scenario was at your school, at which you are apparently a safeguarding officer, and you had evidence that it happened exactly as I quoted, what would you be doing about that teacher?