Terrible class teacher causing concern amongst parents

[DodgyMcDodgerson]

My son is in Year 2. To briefly summarise, his class teacher shouts at the class frequently, there’s alot of punishments both individual and whole class, alot of putting kids down and responding to them very abruptly.
most of the girls in the class are terrified of her (as in to the point some girls are crying coming into school, another little girl wet herself rather than interrupt the teacher to ask to go to the toilet. When the girls mother suggested her daughter had been nervous to put her hand up in case she got shouted at, the teacher completely dismissed this as unthinkable). There are a few boys in particular who she seems to really
single out to tell off, and these are lovely kids - not unruly or being disruptive. She’s telling one boy off for not understanding the work as an example. The kids are unanimous in their dislike of her. The parents in the class are unanimous in their dislike of her.Literally not heard one positive word about her.
one child has already transferred to a different school and there is talk of more
following.
bearing in mind that this is not even 6 months into a new job and in a class of 28 children there have already been at least 5 complaints (that I’m aware of) - is this teacher likely to remain at the school????

This happened when I was younger at school and my mum complained along with several other parents ( and yes I was well behaved and very quiet and timid and did my work ) the school were actually glad as it backed up thoughts they had about the teacher and she left pretty swiftly after that. Definitely say something.

If you are having issues with your son then you should complain and follow the correct procedure. Stay away from the playground gossip and whatsapp groups. It could be a bad teacher, it could be badly behaved kids. Both definitely exist and without being there you can't actually tell which it is.

If your child has specific issues with their teacher or you have issues as a parent then make an appointment to speak to the head. Make sure you have specific examples that are verifiable of what the problem is. Encourage all other parents to individually do the same thing. Do not go in as a gang and do not go in with unfounded gossip or stuff you’ve heard from other people. This is the only way you will look credible.
If you do not get a suitable response from the head then you can escalate this to the governors.
As a primary teacher myself of 20+ years I do feel I need to give another perspective. I currently teach classes from yrR to yr6. The last 2 years I have seen a rise in low level disruption across the classes. I find myself now raising my voice and feeling utterly infuriated more and more. The poor behaviour- calling out, interrupting, giggling, leaving their seats, wandering round, stupid noises, more stupid noises, more giggling, more interrupting……. Is CONSTANT. I am a good teacher, my behaviour management has always been a strength, I have good relationships with the kids. I have NEVER struggled like this to actually teach the things I’m supposed to teach them.
I’d estimate that maybe 40% of my day is spent dealing with behavioural issues and the fall out of them. That includes lesson time.

There are of course some bad teachers - usually not due to absolute malice but because they haven't had great support and training, and perhaps are temperamentally unsuited to doing what is a stressful job at times.

Most would like to be good at it. I think it's a very small minority who actually enjoy being shit/upsetting kids.

So OP you may be right. But as others have said, you are expressing as facts some things you cannot know for sure as you I assume have not seen her teach.

If you want to get anywhere in your complaint to the head, I would stick to absolutely verifiable facts. And I promise you it does happen that kids exaggerate these things sometimes because they have decided they don't like the teacher - but the teachers job isn't to be liked by the kids. She's a teacher, not a children's entertainer. I do of course agree she should not be frightening or unfair.

This happened at our school in one of the other year 2 classes when DD was in year 2. It was a teacher new to the school but apparently came with a great track record. As others have said here, first of all it was ignored as it was just the parents of the “troublesome” kids who had a problem with her, and the children with parents whose English wasn’t great. It was 2021/22 and the “good” kids parents said it was post covid problem behaviour and low expectations from YR and Y1. But eventually it spread to all the kids, they all started hating their teacher and by extension school. It’s a good school, most kids are well behaved, no particular behaviour problems, a few kids not really getting the EHCP help they needed due to covid, but this was the same in every class. My daughter was in the classroom borrowing some supplies for her teacher and heard how this teacher was talking to the children as she kept them in at break time, and I emailed the head teacher what she’d said as it was shocking. So negative and derogatory to them, considering this was autumn term so they were mostly aged only 6. I couldn’t not pass it on even though it didn’t impact my child (although she was heartbroken seeing her friends so sad). I believe a supply teacher who regularly / only works in the school also spoke to the SLT concerned about how the children were talking about themselves when she was covering the class for a few days.
anyway the class rep (my friend) shut down the complaints on the WhatsApp group and just posted the link to the schools complaints procedure repeatedly… I guess the parents got the hint; eventually the teacher went on leave due to “personal issues” and then left the school. Possibly easier because she had only just started? I don’t know if teachers have a probation period!

Behaviour in schools is terrible.

A lot of kids have been "gently parented" and cope with cross voice, let alone a raised one, and will describe any form of being told off as shouting.

FWIW my DD went on to have a very strict teacher in Y3 which the class absolutely thrived under because she was totally fair with it and very experienced. And just as good at recognising good or improved behaviour as the bad. You knew with her that if your child had been “talked to” or sanctioned in some way that there would be a good reason for it. They never had any whole class sanctions.

she’s telling one boy off for not understanding the work as an example.

Its more likely he hasn't listened to instructions and so didn't know what to do.

By year two the children should really have learned to go to the loo at break and lunch.

On here some people really cannot imagine some teachers are terrible.

Most do a great job but like any profession there are always those who absolutely shouldn’t be in the job. Unfortunately OP has encountered one of those. It isn’t normal for so many children to be scared of their teacher. I’d keep complaining if anything came up with my own child and possibly remove them.

Multiple independent reports relating to specific incidents regarding individual children are more credible than a gang of parents saying 'we want that woman fired'. It makes establishing a pattern of behaviour and instances of failing to meet professional standards and competencies and an agreement to leave asap is more likely.

Of course, if she does go, your children could then have a different cover supervisor every day (and sometimes none so they'll be in with another class) and no actual teachers for the rest of the school year, but that'll be fine, I'm sure.

Echoing everyone else saying raise concerns related to your own child and bear in mind you’re only getting a child’s version of events for many incidents.

@Smartiepants79 I know exactly what you mean 😔 & just today I had a conversation with a teacher who said she didn't feel like she could say anything to some children because of how difficult the parents were!!

...that being said, there are definitely bad teachers and if a teacher is always shouting then it's not a good sign. All the best teachers I know, are the ones who have genuine respectful relationships with the children and are able to manage the class without shouting at them.

Every year a teacher has performance management. As part of that they are (over) scrutinised and observed.

If she was that crap she wouldn’t be getting past this. The school must be ok with her.

There’s nothing worse than groups of parents gossiping either in the playground or via class WhatsApp groups about a teacher.
if you have actual evidence rather than hearsay, go and speak to the Headteacher.

Oh look
more one sided teacher bashing. Joy. I guess you lot will be happy when everyone resigns

Genuine question: how do you know that the children in question "are not being disruptive?"

As others have said, go on the website and follow the complaints policy. Step one is usually to raise concerns with the teacher so book a meeting and tell said teacher how YOUR son feels and see what she says. If you don’t believe her/think nothing will change then escalate up the policy. Usually it’s a written complaint so again list all of your son’s issues with the teacher and then see what the response is. And keep escalating if unhappy. Advise any other parent who complains to you to do the same. If it is the case that’s it jungle drums and some less than resilient children then the school should be able to reassure you by the outcome of their subsequent investigation but if there is an issue you will be immeasurably helping the leadership of the school being able to provide addition support for the teacher and thus substantial improvement /change or, if that doesn’t work, dismiss the teacher. It is not hard to dismiss a teacher if they are unable to do the job but it’s much harder if parents just gossip and bitch in the playground rather than use the processes in place to solve this very thing

My son had a teacher like this in year 2. He went to see the headteacher and "told" of her. Lol. A couple of parents took there children away.
Teacher left mid term.
Son is now 28.

I couldn't agree more. I also teach and have come across several like this over the years.

I was bullied horrifically by a teacher at primary school. I was a quiet compliant bookish child , in fact I was so silent that my parents were concerned that I had selective mutism . I barely spoke outside the family . My reports were full of stuff about ‘speaking up’ and ‘answering questions in class’ . Get to year 5 suddenly it’s all about how I never shut up , I ‘talk all the time about things I know nothing about’ . She would make me stand at the front of the class for ‘talking’ whilst sniggering and laughing with the rest of the class as if it was a private joke. I was petrified. My parents whilst bewildered also ‘trusted the teacher’ until she stuck the end of my plait in a Bunsen burner in a science demonstration ( it was the 1970s) and I was set alight . That teacher made my life hell , obviously that was extreme but there are definitely people who shouldn’t be in a classroom.

Hmm. My DS has a very strict teacher this year. I'm delighted. He's 9 and the behavioural issues in his class since lockdown were getting out of control. A lot of parents are complaining but funnily enough they're the ones with the unruly kids. Just a thought.
Easy to say that- we had a teacher in school who loved me (I lived for her subject). She was awful to my friend who would be as you say one of the unruly children, really singled her and the other kids out. Done under the guise of ‘it’s for your own good’ etc, but I honestly don’t know. Same with my ds, a teacher who really helped him had other kids afraid to go in. I defended her so much but then shut up because who am I to say ‘isn’t it great though that she does x,y and z’ when they’re dealing with kids who are actually afraid of her. Never ok

Completely inappropriate. Parent volunteers hearing readers and the like are not there to spy on staff or gather material for complaints, they should be there solely to help and benefit the children. At my children’s school you wouldn’t be allowed in your own child’s class for several good reasons including preventing parents doing what you suggest. Plus you’d need a DBS check, an interview and two references and a spare couple of hours a week.

OP should raise her concerns with the HT, sticking strictly to her own child and their experiences. If she’s still unhappy after that she should follow the official school complaint process - bearing in mind “my children don’t like the teacher” is not a valid complaint and neither are personal attacks.

From what you have said you could put in a complaints about
Shouting in the classroom
whole class punishments
and responding to children abruptly, if she has with your child.

The rest will have no standing from you.

There are a few uber strict teachers. My eldest once had a teacher who had a list on the white board at parents eve in the first term and one kid had 35 points against him! We was all scared of her too. My second son had SEN and she was making him cry. I tried to talk to her and she was talking loudly and slowly to me so I said "look. He has SEN. However I do not. I fully understand what you saying so there's no need to talk to me like I'm simple" she was ok to me after that.

Typical alpha bully. My technical architect was like this at work until I called him up. They rule with fear.

There are bully's in every walk of life so why not teachers? Everyone learned I guess. No one was happy. I think school is partly about crushing spirit. My eldest has straight A's and fucked mental health so he is a success story. Get the grades, end of. Who would want a child with four As at A level? I'd rather have a happy child.

I find it mind boggling that people on here can't see that a teacher can bully someone it's quite alarming. Society bangs on about speaking out but people on here automatically defending the teacher is insane. Like a person of authority cannot possibly do any wrong and kids must be lying. It's all very Matilda (very extreme example!) My sister is a primary school teacher and several of the things OP has listed in her eyes would be well worthy of a complaint. I find it hard to believe an entire class would lie.