Should I correct a teacher?

[Sadgirlonatrain]

In my son's recent geography homework, one of the questions on the sheet referred to the decline of coal mining in the North East.

"How would this of effected the area?"

No wonder the use of 'would of' is so widespread now, never mind the incorrect use of 'effected.'

Would you say anything to the school?

Absolutely correct them!

I'm a teacher - and if I make an error on a worksheet PLEASE TELL ME. I'd be mortified and want to correct it immediately.

Thank you for your thoughtful response.

I would definitely say something, teachers should at least be literate. Someone else needs to check over messages sent home.

There is much more to a teacher than SPAG.

Of course there is. But it's pretty basic and I'd be concerned about a degree educated, qualified teacher who can't differentiate between 'would of' and 'would have'.

Ok so this is geography. Then when said child is being taught English and the importance of SPAG, how using incorrect SPAG will get them marked down in exams and written work, can you not see how geography teacher’s error is incredibly confusing? Confusing for children who also may have EASL and are being taught correct grammar then see their teachers using incorrect grammar. Children are being held to a higher standard than the people teaching.

It isn’t being the grammar police to expect the people teaching your children to have a basic grasp on the language they’re teaching in.

It’s commendable you’ve reached such a high level position with a difficulty to overcome such as dyslexia. However if you were doing something in your job that lead to mass confusion and contradicted colleagues jobs for example then you might find yourself being pulled up on that mistake.

A lot of disabled people find they longer have a job or promotional prospects once they start to ask for RAs so they fear speaking up.

That is also illegal.

Either they ask for RAs or they have parents complaining about their poor English. Even if you're not dyslexic but are aware your English isn't great, surely you'd get someone to quickly read your worksheets? Doesn't even have to be another teacher.

Shouldn't it also be affected not effected?

I would spin it and say something like “Here’s my son’s homework. He tried his best, I hope you love. What impressed me is he spotted a grammatical error on the actual homework sheet! 😁 It was a good lesson, I got to show him that everyone makes a mistake, even teachers and mummies and daddies”.

But having written it out I’m not sure I’m brave enough 😂

Ignore me I missed the bit where you mentioned that!

And it's that failure to see that typing on your phone, being tired, being human will mean occasionally teachers aren't perfect that made me realise what utter contempt teachers are held in.
No thank you. But please don't complain about the lack of good teachers.

I would just tell my child the correct way to write it and move on.
It’s good to explain that everyone makes mistakes.

If only it was that easy. I was turned away as an undergraduate when I initially approached my university for a dyslexia assessment as they felt my grades where too high. If youre intelligent it can be incredibly difficult to be diagnosed with an SpLD, it’s then even harder to access support, especially due to the stigma attached to it

It is a geography teacher not an English teacher. I think you would come across as dickish. If you are bothered tell your child, or better yet get your child to tell you what is wrong with it.

Could of, would of is a classic dyslexia mistake btw

Isn't it more that your self confidence was damaged by you going into a profession ill-suited to your disability?

SLTs simply cannot let letters/emails/worksheets/documents go out to pupils, parents and fellow professionals with multiple literacy errors ointhem. They just can't. It reflects very badly on the school, and means that pupils are exposed to faulty spelling and sentence construction. They had no option but to address that with you.

I'm sorry that you've had a rough time, but were you not advised that teaching was going to throw your disability into sharp relief, and cause you problems and stress?
I think that your university shares some of the responsibly here.

I used to work in an admin role typing up handwritten reports . These were for degree qualified professionals yet for quite a few the SPAG was terrible.

I would certainly send it to the school - perhaps to Headteacher so as to not embarrass the teacher.

Certainly you should.

Yes, I'm afraid I would have to mention it.

I did correct a teacher once before years ago myself when my youngest DD's primary school class were doing a project on one of the Queen's jubilees. It was a discussion looking back at the coronation, which my DD had spelled correctly but the teacher had corrected her to coranation (and marked DD down on it too).

I did it as nicely as I could, and not publicly. She checked it out, accepted my comments and adjusted my DD's mark accordingly.

"How would this of effected the area?"

A tired person wouldn't write this. It would have been written by someone who believes this is correct sentence. Unfortunately it is a common mistake by those who aren't familiar with the correct form, we even see this from time to time on MN.

I encountered this and just corrected the worksheet which was handed in with the homework. Nothing was said by either party but I felt better and I hope the teacher checked herself. Certainly there was no falling out between us.

Well I hope you have never made an embarrassing typo when stressed, tired and overworked, OP!

In all honesty, I'd mentally file this but do nothing now. If it forms a pattern then it might be worth addressing with the school, but it would be pretty nasty to crucify a teacher that is likely stretched to within breaking point and potentially typing this out at 11pm on a saturday night over one of those mistakes you cringe over, knowing that you were mentally talking to yourself and put your thoughts down.

Thank you everyone, I really appreciate all the replies on this. I'm also very aware my own SPAG might not be 100%, so I'll take any criticism myself!

It's a tough one, not wanting to embarrass anyone, but not wanting to let something go when it's so incorrect.

To address what you've said @Receiptsplease I am the biggest supporter and defender of teachers, and really hope I'm not coming across as a teacher basher. I just want the kids to be taught correctly.

I would send a quick friendly email to the head of year as I get on very well with her and know she wouldn't take offence. However, in the school brochure she encouraged the children to 'emerge themselves in the school environment' when she meant 'immerse,' presumably 😬

I'm more confused than ever now whether to leave it or mention it!

Well we keep voting for a party that consistently has reduced the funding for state education, so I should have thought the answer was obvious.