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????

So we both agree that teaching staff and pupils quite possibly behave differently when other adults are present?

Yes. And I’m assuming we also agree that if a teacher can’t be on good behavior knowing another adult is watching, they probably aren’t any better when no one’s there to see.

I am not sure I would refer to a teacher managing a class as being 'on good behaviour'. It is actually sometimes necessary to shout, and for some kids it comes as a shock to be told no - there was a child in my son's class who had parents who always negotiated with her, never directly saying no, and she really couldn't understand when other adults had to say no or even be a bit stern with her. She really thought that she always got to argue her point. It created a lot of issues at school, which her parents spoke about, and if there were a few kids like this in a class then a teacher may have to be more stern/abrupt to stop them being so disruptive.

What a vile comment, taking man hating too far when you justify children being bullied by teachers, he's a child ffs. Teachers can be awful, I remember some horrible ones from when I was little.

Assuming OP is a rational adult — and we have no reason not to — she will be able to judge during her visit whether the telling off are justified and proportionate, or if she is just screaming at children for things like asking questions about the lesson.

Op, I'd approach the head. Ignore some of these comments. We had a teacher like that, eventually sacked, but did so much damage.

Surely if she’s this bad, there would have been more complaints.

If a child left because of her then surely they would look into it.

I would write an email to the head.

Ask all of the parents who have an issue with her to give you their permission to sign their names at the bottom of it and CC them in the email (show them the email first to make sure they accept it).

If the head doesn’t do much or there’s been no improvement after a couple of months, then contact the governors.

It isn't for the OP to decide what is justified though, because, as already stated, parenting styles can differ. What works for bringing up a child at home cannot always be applied in the classroom. It's up to those who are experienced in assessing teaching ability to assess, if need be.

Of course OP should take further steps to address this, such as speaking to the head teacher, but we are also assuming that there IS an issue with the teacher here. Some children simply don't respond well to discipline, sometimes because of how they are parented and sometimes for other reasons.

My DS was bullied by a teacher who had form, it does happen, you do get shit teachers. And she left and unfortunately for the next school is still teaching and no doubt yelling in the face of dyslexic kids for being away with the fairies- she was a joy.

You also get great strict teachers that take the kids some time to get used too.

Unless you are in the room it's so hard to tell either way, but complaints should be taken seriously by the head.

Unless it is an academy. LAs/councils have no responsibility or interventions for academy trusts.

I had a bullying teacher in primary school who traumatised the class. My kids have both had one bad one (same woman, clearly hates teaching and children!). I was a teacher myself for a long time. Most teachers I have encountered are good. The odd one is bad and it has a profound effect on the kids especially in primary when it happens. All you can do is raise concerns with the headteacher and governors.

Many parents don't seem to grasp that things have to be very different in school to how they are at home.The teacher has maybe 25 or 30 kids and a remit of making them do stuff they would rather not do.
If you day yes of course sweetie off you go, when a 6/7 year old asks to go to the loo just after break, s/he will have 15 others suddenly needing to go. So of course yhe teacher has to be a bit stern about it.
Soooo many kids nowadays are brought up with the idea they dont have to do anything they don't want to.

Well, yes, I assumed that goes without saying, but there are a whole class of otherwise unbotherered children, who are now upset.

Also, if the children are naughty, it may not be lack of discipline, there could be other things happening at home. I think the days of shouting at children and being unnecessarily stern have gone, now that we as a society know more about child development.

Children have a strong sense of fair. My dd only ever complained about unfair teachers, she was fine with strict teachers

I find it so incredibly depressing that 6 and 7 year olds aren't allowed to use the toilet when they need to use the toilet. I would never accept that as an adult.

Are you relying on what Year 2 kids are saying? I taught for 40 years and it was known for children to not be entirely truthful.

My dd was never mistreated by any teacher but objected to the mistreatment of her classmates. I changed her school because of one such teacher and then found out she'd been sacked because a delegation of parents went in to complain. Years ago and in another country

Do you not think if multiple children are saying the same thing there might be something in it?

If multiple adults complained their boss was a bully, generally they'd be believed.

Yes, all parents need to follow the school complaints policy, individually, evidence based, about their own child.

That will give leaders and governors a range of evidence, from a range of parents, concerned about their own child.

Follows school policy and much more effective in highlighting and resolving the issue.

My sisters child had a teacher like this and lots of parents complained formally to school, the Governors and Ofsted and the teacher left (as in, they said they would either be sacked or could leave of their own accord)
There are plenty of teachers out there who shouldn’t be in the profession!

@Cloudbuggi they are very young children. In my experience small things tended to grow arms and legs.

Not saying that's necessarily the case here

Could be. Or it may be that this teacher is an inadequate bully with poor behaviour management skills. I'm a primary school teacher and I can assure you that such people do exist. I know one who has been suspended for bullying twice, he bellows all day long and threatens the kids with a ping pong bat on which he has drawn an angry face.

OP you need to put your concerns into a formally written letter - dates, times, specific incidents if you can manage it. Send it to the Head and ask for a meeting to discuss things. If you know of other parents who share your concerns, you could talk to them first and produce a letter signed by all of you. This isn't normal and you can challenge it.

We had a witchhunt of a teacher a few years ago. NQT who had worked in a supermarket then trainer later in life. A group of parents got together as they'd been at school with her and "didn't want their children being taught by a Tesco worker"

And this kind of utter contempt for children is why you hear about children being abused for decades on end by the same person. Because there are people like this who would sit there for 40 years calling every one of those kids a liar.