Teacher told kid they were a waste of space

[ZeroFuches]

Quick question for you vipers regarding the above. Teacher accused entire class of Yr 13 of not doing their homework and asked them one by one if they had completed it. No one had done it (a past paper for context, they're almost on study leave). They all replied that he hadn't set it as homework but as revision for study leave. Teacher then shouts at one pupil, telling him he is a waste of space and that it would be better if a smarter person was breathing the air that they were breathing.

I'm tempted to email the school - although I may be biased towards this Teacher as they previously likened the suffragettes to Hamas.

Aibu?

You're seriously going to kick up a fuss? Your child is in year 13?

Thoughts:

1. Your child will cringe with embarrassment
2. Will you be complaining to your child's eventual workplace when they encounter rude people?

This sounds awfully like someone I used to teach with. They viewed insulting students as part of the 'banter' but it was thinly veiled bullying and discrimination.
Please flag the teacher to the school. It's people like that who give teaching a bad name.

She may be right!😉

I’m a teacher. Please approach the school about this and ask them to investigate. There’s loads of amazing teachers out there but there’s also some that aren’t in the right profession. It’s really hard to deal with them if nobody says anything. And while your son is 17/18, this member of staff presumably teaches younger years. Imagine them treating a y7 like that. If you approach the school calmly and rationally, they’ll appreciate it.

I don't understand why the crucial information about the child in question being vulnerable was missing from the OP. I think it's very unlikely those were the words the teacher said but, if they did say that to a vulnerable student, I don't see why you would be questioning whether it was ok and saying you might be biased because of another remark which I also don't believe
was made or not in the way implied here.

It sounds like a teacher exasperated with a group of young adults who are coming across like they give less of a shit about their forthcoming exams than he does, and I sympathise with him, speaking as someone in a similar position.

They weren't asked to do it at this stage. They were asked to do it when they go on study leave, which hasn't started yet.

Part of adult life is also understanding that being cruel to others is inexcusable regardless of how difficult your day was. I've been very stressed many times, and never have I demeaned someone (particularly someone younger & less able to speak up for themselves) for something so insignificant.

Regarding the homework, did he maybe say when setting it that he would mark it and give feedback if any of them wanted to do it earlier, then they returned from the Easter holiday lacklustre and seemingly not having done much revision so he asked if any had done the past paper and got frustrated that none of them had on top of everything else. Yes, I'm projecting massively and have no idea if this is what has happened, but this is the type of thing that happens in our school all the time and kids can then minimise and latch onto the one factor that they think lets them off the hook.

Everyone is leaping to the kids' defence in terms of the homework, but by this point in Y13 they should be leaping on any opportunity to practise, get feedback and act on it. Leaving past papers until they're on study leave and may not be able to get feedback isn't sensible, no matter what date was set, especially if they're not doing much else either.

That comment directed at one person in front of others, is disgraceful.
That kid was publicly humiliated.

If a boss in an office said that in front of colleagues that boss could be fired for bullying an employee.

WHY are teachers allowed to verbally abuse young people and it's seen as something different???

Regardless of their age these are still children in a school setting and this was unacceptable from a staff member. Imagine how he probably speaks to the younger students because this attitude will not be an isolated incident. Statements like this could be very damaging to a younger student. This is a disciplinary matter and as a parent I would absolutely be making a complaint in order to protect all the students this bully teaches. There is no excuse to speak to children like this in a school setting.

Ex teacher here. I’d suggest that your child goes to their tutor or, if that system isn’t in place, go to the Head of Year. Ask for a chat. Explain what happened in a calm manner and why they found it unacceptable. It should then be taken further. It’s great practice for dealing with things in an adult way ; they could well come up against similar people at uni or in work.

I do find it odd that, three or so weeks before study leave, a teacher would set work not due for weeks. Whilst they’re still in school, it’s an opportunity to get that past paper marked and discuss how to improve marks. Once they’ve left, that opportunity is gone. Perhaps it was a miscommunication and the teacher arrived expecting the paper to be done and to troubleshoot. I do know myself that ‘ rumour’ about deadlines can quickly become set in stone in a class.

As for the Hamas/ suffragette comment ~ impossible to comment without context.

On the whole teachers, particularly of classes who are taking public exams, feel enormous responsibility for their students and it can feel frustrating when you don’t feel they’re stepping up. That’s not to excuse the ridiculous comment about ‘waste of space’.

I also know when there’s a personality conflict that students can focus on that rather than their studies, so I would warn them against that.

Sounds like your child would be doing everyone a favour to raise it in a mature and non confrontational fashion.

As a teacher, if I actually spoke to my students this way I would certainly be facing disciplinary action. You can’t tell students that they’re a waste of space and don’t deserve to breathe! If this is true I would absolutely be contacting the Head.

This first post says it all
Absolutely agree!

No. She's seriously not going to kick up a fuss. If you'd actually read all OP's posts she's clarified she was considering encouraging her child to email the head of year themselves, if they wanted to, rather than doing so herself. And no suggestion this would have involved "kicking up a fuss", just raising an issue.
Which I personally think would be appropriate.

Most workplaces encourage raising concerns if a person in a position of seniority is witnessed bullying a vulnerable/more junior colleague. If a Head of Department had called a NQT a waste of space and that it would be better for a smart person to breathe the air they are breathing I'd think it appropriate for another teacher to support a complaint, even more so if the NQT was known to be vulnerable - why do students not deserve the same basic standards of professionalism and respect?

Don’t you think it’s relevant to see this in context. Assuming these students have been doing a lot of revision and maybe the teacher is exacerbated by their lack of …..well lack of anything. Think if I was a teacher at this point before exams I would be getting desperate that no one is doing the stuff I’m giving them.

I wouldn’t want to be losing a teacher that clearly cares. Even if he said something inappropriate to probably a bunch of 18yr old adults.

Parents do know they can’t complain for their darlings once they are at Uni etc don’t they?

I guess we can all be careless with language - neither 'waste of space' or 'you vipers' are great phrases

Absolutely
Clearly this teacher is frustrated by the kids not bothering to do the work so close to exam time.
If they are A level students I’m guessing they should have the intelligence to appreciate that.
Why everyone has to make a me me me mountain out of a molehill with everything these days I just don’t get.
Move on life’s stressy enough!

WHY are teachers allowed to verbally abuse young people and it's seen as something different???

Agree with this. I often hear about behaviour from teachers that would get you sacked in any other context.

That said, I’d want to know more about the hamas/suffragette thing. I can actually imagine very well a debate in which these were contrasted- “is terrorism ever justified?” say. Nothing intrinsically wrong with including both examples in the debate.

Yeah it sounds extremely paraphrased to me tbh. Can you imagine this happening because I certainly can’t?

Lol

I sense you are a good teacher and hope OP takes on board your words.
🤞your students do well and you have a good break

Sounds like my daughters maths teacher, Mr. TAYLOR!!! Tells them they're all gonna fail their GCSEs next year. Hope he's leaving. I did complain about him but doesn't look like anything was done 🙄

This is absolutely brilliant! 😅😅😅

I'm going to use that expression when a suitable situation arises. Hopefully soon!

This is the weirdest thread I’ve read in a long while. So many PP sure that this didn’t happen. I remember a deputy head, back in the nasty 90s regularly shouting at kids that they were a waste of space. Some teachers are foul and this bully should be reported. Presumably he teaches younger people too?
And the Hammas comment- what exactly was said?

They're not. It absolutely would not be acceptable or allowed anywhere I taught.

It's interesting that it's the teachers on this thread who are saying that he was absolutely wrong and this should be followed up, while the (apparently) non-teachers are letting it go or blaming the kids.

What he said to an individual child was appalling. It would be bad enough said to the whole class, but a terrible thing to aim at a single, and apparently vulnerable pupil.