Mean supply teacher

[Inheritanceconfusion]

More of a WWYD…

DD is in Year 2. This week, she’s had a supply teacher who has apparently shouted at the kids, including at one little boy for making a mistake with his maths, and he ended up in tears.

Several other kids have said the same, so it’s not just DD!

Would you say something to school? It’s an extremely lovely school with very positive and kind teachers so this has been a new experience for everyone!

Or is it just one of those things?

Yes I actually would say something to school as schools often have regular supply teachers that they request so they’ll possibly not to request her again.

How long is the teacher likely to be there? If they're not going to be back after this week, I wouldn't bother. But if they are like floating supply, I would perhaps have word with the head.

No. She is the supply so she is just putting in some boundaries.

Shouting at a child for making a mistake when you are supposed to be helping them to learn is an interesting interpretation of 'boundaries'.

OP I would absolutely say something - sounds awful for the kids.

I would say something because schools can say 'not that person' if they use a supply agency. But, i would also say that in my area its really difficult to get supply so the head may weigh up other factors and not change anything.

@ljs22

okay then.

DS's school had a cow of a supply teacher for a while. I say this as a former supply teacher who saw her in action while I was supporting in school. All the children that came to me for their intervention were relieved to get 10 minutes away from her, and she was utterly oblivious to sensitively working with SEN children.

DS had her once, and she made him re-write his work... he's dyslexic and dyspraxic and can't write neatly. Legibile is doing well. I spoke to his teacher after and enquired politely if she had access to his pupil profile, and the appropriateness of making him re-do work done at his usual SEN standard.

She didn't do many more days in the school after that, there had been too many parental complaints.

I normally err on the side of supply teachers as it is often in at the deep end, working on the hoof with a lack of information and when my DCs have had someone different, I point this out to them, but this particular teacher was ruthless to inappropriate in her expectations and it wasn't necessary for those classes. It also annoys me as it tarnishes the reputation of competant supply teachers.

Thanks @BogRollBOGOF that’s a really interesting perspective. The SEN kids definitely struggled with her yesterday. The kid who cried was being made to answer sums out loud, which were apparently much harder than what he’s used to (I think he might get some learning support).

It did strike me that she can’t possibly take in info about all the kids (DD has a bladder condition and needs easy access to the loo. This teacher wouldn’t let her go between breaks which made me cross but then I thought, well, she can’t know everything about every kid). But I’d have thought that recognising that different kids work at different levels was a bit basic.

I would. My DS had a long-term supply teacher for a big chunk of Y3 who was absolutely horrible - shouty, snide, whole-class punishments for the tiniest of things. In the end, it got to the point where the children in the class put their heads together and all wrote little letters to the head one lunchtime telling her they were scared of this teacher, and she was gone the next day and was never seen at his school again. I can imagine how hard it must be to be a supply teacher, but some of them take it too far and the head won't know if she's not told.

Oh bless all those kids @spiderlight! very brave of them.

I'd say something. I used to teach supply in that year group and never shouted, doesn't sound right at all.

Yes, complain. And I'm a teacher.

Complain.

Shouting at young children for making a mistake in maths is not "putting in some boundaries". It's bullying. I am a teacher and I've done supply work so I know it can be difficult sometimes - but I'm sick of hearing teachers talking to children unkindly and disrespectfully- and then wondering why those same children grow up to be disrespectful to others.

I’d say pass it on in form of feedback rather than a complaint. Although TAs and other adults will have seen her interact with the children, so school should be aware already.
sometimes there isn’t much choice for supply staff

@OldWivesTale

I rarely hear teachers speaking to others unkindly. Assertively perhaps but not unkindly. So you’re blaming teachers for children being disrespectful to others?

Yes, they are part of the problem; or rather the current culture we have in schools is part of the problem. I have often heard teachers talking disrespectfully to children- both in primary and secondary; teachers should not be shouting at children, especially young children - andbthey do - all the time. Teachers should model respectful behaviour and I'm afraid that they very often fail to do this; and sadly it's become normalised in mainstream, state schools.

I say "they" - I am a teacher myself and have recently been a supply teacher but I am always respectful to children.

Boundaries, my arse. An excuse for shit teaching, more like. She's the one who needs boundaries!

Absolutely, I work in a school and when we use a supply firm we can request not to have certain people back. If nothing else then it gives the school an awareness of this person's behaviour and a chance to look into what happened (e.g., speak to the class TA if there is one.)

If it's just shouting then I probably wouldn't bother. Mileage for acceptable teacher stictness really varies and school management will probably have a high tolerance for it.

@OldWivesTale

I am on supply I don’t recognise what you say to be honest. Large majority of teachers are respectful to children primary and secondary. Most know that full on shouting is a pointless endeavour. Also KS1 kids can mistake shouting for a slight raise of the voice in my opinion.

Of course there’s supply blacklists I haven’t found myself on one yet 😉.

We had the exact same situation last year with DS.

After some discussion on the class whatsapp a lot of us called the school, and the head was horrified. She was out a day later.

The headteacher actually ended up teaching the class so there are solutions.

my friend is an SBM and she hires and fires agency supplies - speak to the school, they do listen and they don't have people back who arent a good fit.

Sometimes you end up with Secondary school science teachers trying to teach Y3 kids and they cant cope.