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Original poster

To roll my eyes at hyperbole in school newsletters and social media?

34 replies

graycenfayver · 26/05/2023 15:24

The students at my children's school are regularly described as "amazing" and "incredible' for relatively minor successes, and another local school has just tweeted about it's students' "unbelievable", success in a maths challenge (which seemed fairly average for a comprehensive school). i feel like responding to their tweet to ask why they consider the scores so unbelievable, and to suggest that if they believed in their students' potential a little more, they might do even better!

Am I just being a pedant and a cynic, or does this constant hyperbole annoy others too? Is it healthy for young people to have so much effusive praise heaped on them for good (but not earth-shattering) achievement?

OP posts:
Sissynova · 26/05/2023 15:26

i feel like responding to their tweet to ask why they consider the scores so unbelievable, and to suggest that if they believed in their students' potential a little more, they might do even better!

knock yourself out, you’re only making a dick of yourself.

neverknowinglyunreasonable · 26/05/2023 15:29

Don't respond to the tweet like a coward, stand in the playground and yell at the kids directly.

"You don't impress me that much"

"You're spelling is average at best"

Etc

They need to be told.

Sirzy · 26/05/2023 15:31

but for that child it may be an amazing achievement. Just because it seems easy to you doesn’t mean it was for them

WhatHaveIFound · 26/05/2023 15:36

Honestly, you have no idea what is going on in people's lives.

My DS made it to his Y13 Leavers event today. Two hours in school but for him that's a massive achievement and his health will be set back because of it.

If you can't say anything nice about the achievements of others, don't bother saying anything at all.

loverofbono · 26/05/2023 15:42

I get it OP. The constant praise is not for me. But you'll get flamed on here, just you wait.

MysteryBelle · 26/05/2023 15:54

neverknowinglyunreasonable · 26/05/2023 15:29

Don't respond to the tweet like a coward, stand in the playground and yell at the kids directly.

"You don't impress me that much"

"You're spelling is average at best"

Etc

They need to be told.

😂 perfect.

Op, imagine telling a child directly what you think. What an ass you are.

”You’re spelling is average at best.”

As is your grammar. 😄

MayBeeJuneSoon · 26/05/2023 15:57

They will get a shock when in the workplace then!!!

Schools should tone it down. All this celebrating mediocrity... ridiculous!

Quinoawoman · 26/05/2023 16:15

'to ask why they consider the scores so unbelievable, and to suggest that if they believed in their students' potential a little more, they might do even better!'

What do you mean they don't believe in their students' potential?

Theunamedcat · 26/05/2023 16:18

Quinoawoman · 26/05/2023 16:15

'to ask why they consider the scores so unbelievable, and to suggest that if they believed in their students' potential a little more, they might do even better!'

What do you mean they don't believe in their students' potential?

It's the faux suprise "unbelievable" I mean the best praise I ever got was my teacher telling me "I knew you could do it you just need to believe in yourself a bit more and you will go far" ....shame no-one else including me believed it

TeaandHobnobs · 26/05/2023 16:23

At our school it is the word “fantastic”. Puts my teeth on edge.

Hnotaitch · 26/05/2023 16:26

I’m with you actually - it’s a bit cringe and try-hard and as such sounds quite insincere and fake. It’s so much nicer when it sounds meaningful and warm.

MargaretThursday · 26/05/2023 16:36

I agree and disagree.

I think it's nice that they celebrate achievements.

But I think that going OTT on the superlatives makes it feel patronising and as though they're trying to big it up rather than they're actually impressed by it.
At junior school at any event the head used to go on about "amazing", "fantastic", "totally unbelievable" even when the event (and I'm including my dc there) was pretty mediocre. It meant that the children switched off as he started speaking because he always said it was brilliant to the extreme so they didn't really believe it.

At secondary they do a lot of celebrating in a much quieter way and I think on the whole the children do feel proud when they get mentioned. Only thing is that it's so big, it requires a teacher (or a parent) to put it forward, and so there are certain groups that get celebrated a lot and others which don't.

NeedToChangeName · 26/05/2023 16:56

They should be celebrating students' efforts, not achievements

Fairislefandango · 26/05/2023 16:58

It may be a little OTT, but so what really? It would take an extremely petty and mean-spirited person to respond to it like that.

Also it's very naïve of you to think that the reason for the hyperbole is that they actually think the results are astonishing and far above what they expect of their students. The hyperbole is pure marketing and crowd-pleasing. Unfortunately that’s what schools have to do these days if they want to compete well with other local schools and get enough bums on seats.

thatsn0tmyname · 26/05/2023 17:07

Given the disruption of the covid, I take every opportunity to ' big up' my students and get them through the year.

neverbeenskiing · 26/05/2023 17:08

This is just one more thing where schools cannot win, because for every parent like OP who thinks they are over-praising children, there will be another who says they don't praise them enough.

People also need to keep in mind that for some children who are ignored, constantly criticised or much worse at home, praise from adults at school is the only positivity and validation they get.

Lovetotravel123 · 26/05/2023 17:09

I agree. Similarly, I feel that the word ‘stunning’ is overused. It means we are running out of words to describe things that are actually stunning/ amazing/ incredible.

Hnotaitch · 26/05/2023 17:11

The praise has to be sincere, though.

So if the football team lose and you say ‘unfortunately All Saints under 14sndid not win but they played really well and were great sports’ that’s nice. If you say how amazing they are but … it’s a bit fake.

Calibrachoa · 26/05/2023 17:11

Quinoawoman · 26/05/2023 16:15

'to ask why they consider the scores so unbelievable, and to suggest that if they believed in their students' potential a little more, they might do even better!'

What do you mean they don't believe in their students' potential?

Op is pretending she thinks "unbelievable" meant they didn't believe it

FluffsAndFluffs · 26/05/2023 17:16

It's silly OP, but it's social media speak. Everything is amazeballs. Even our average dc 😂.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 26/05/2023 17:20

I think that when you've had a half term of hell, the fact that you've managed to get a year group of low resilience, insecure and irritable kids to a stage in their maths despite having a TA teach them for 7 months to make it to an event without five calling in sick because of their parents' anxiety, fed half of them breakfast, provided socks and knickers, brushed hair, made sure they all have something to eat on at lunchtime because two came with half a melted Kit-Kat, made sure they didn't end up in a full blown punch up in the minibus that's been making grinding noises turning left but there wasn't any budget to take it to the garage - and then they've not just behaved well, they've won - yeah, you're going to big them up in the newsletter.

Fandabedodgy · 26/05/2023 17:33

Begrudging kids some happy adjectives and fulsome praise 😳

WhoToBeToday · 26/05/2023 17:34

neverbeenskiing · 26/05/2023 17:08

This is just one more thing where schools cannot win, because for every parent like OP who thinks they are over-praising children, there will be another who says they don't praise them enough.

People also need to keep in mind that for some children who are ignored, constantly criticised or much worse at home, praise from adults at school is the only positivity and validation they get.

This

x2boys · 26/05/2023 17:41

WhatHaveIFound · 26/05/2023 15:36

Honestly, you have no idea what is going on in people's lives.

My DS made it to his Y13 Leavers event today. Two hours in school but for him that's a massive achievement and his health will be set back because of it.

If you can't say anything nice about the achievements of others, don't bother saying anything at all.

This is very true my year elevan,son is currently sitting his GCSE,s ,he was critically ill in February and in intensive care for three weeks so it's an amazing achievement that he's actually doing his exams ,and what ever he gets I grade wise im extremely proud of him for getting this far .

LlynTegid · 26/05/2023 18:00

I am with you, exaggerated language is no help. Saying well done, being proud of an achievement, or how your efforts have led to an achievement (insert name of it here). Recognise achievement without going over the top about it.