To correct the teacher's spelling?

[Dany0909]

I'm a year 4 TA in a primary school. This year I have a new class and a new teacher.
She's an ok teacher in general, I've definitely worked with better.

Yesterday, she handed out the spelling list and had spelt one of the words wrong. I pointed it out to her privately as I didn't want parents to notice and she got in a huff. She didn't believe me and checked the spelling online before changing it.

Just today, she misspelt three subject-specific words that I'm sure she has been teaching for years so I was surprised she didn't know them. The kids copied them off the board incorrectly but I felt too uncomfortable to say anything.
I'm not going to specify the words so this post doesn't give me away just in case.

Anyway, I'm not really sure what to do. It's annoying because obviously the kids are learning incorrect spellings from her, but at the same time I don't really want to annoy the teacher. I'm not sure if she's dyslexic but surely if you knew you were then you would double check the information you're asking children to copy down. She's not overly nice or welcoming towards me so not sure how to approach it. Should I just leave it???

My teacher is dyslexic. Whilst teaching she will sometimes query with myself, or the other TA on how to spell a word, she will also ask the children. The difference being is that we turn it into a teaching moment and explain that adults sometimes misspell, it's ok to question a spelling, even from an adult and how to use a dictionary.

I taught. Not great at spelling. Used to get the dictionary out in front of the kids to check (if I'd not had chance to check already,) and teach them how to look up words.

Similar issues here with my daughter being sent to the head for correcting teachers. I asked and her tone was fine. They just thought it "sent a bad message" about her superiority.

OMG.

Were you in Scotland?

I moved school after 1st year in Primary, new school taught using ITA, it was dreadful. Located in Bedfordshire

I used to send back badly spelt, incoherent school reports, to the Head, and ask for reports that were legible. 🤷‍♀️

When in junior school we had spelling books where we could ask teacher to write words we couldn't spell. I asked for anorak and the teacher wrote anerak, it wasn't til I asked another teacher for a different word that 'anerak' was noted and corrected, shecasked who had written it and I told her, I often wonder if she told the other teacher

And people who do things have their noun end in -er. Footballer, reader, walker, stationer.

Oh no. I’d have been outside their door at 8am the next day

Worked at the same secondary school as DCs attended. Pointed out spelling, punctuation and grammatical mistakes that a deputy headteacher had made in a letter. They made one DC's life a misery purely because of this. The POS is now a headteacher at a different school and we feel deeply sorry for everyone there.

I'd keep mentioning it to her pleasantly and diplomatically. It's too important to let this go. I wouldn't report to the head of department or head teacher unless she becomes really difficult and she is not prepared to take your comments on board.

I'm a Y4 TA, I'd definitely mention that the words were incorrectly spelled. I'd do it discreetly and away from the children. I'd also do it quite gently not just say "you've got that wrong". As for her being annoyed with you, so what? She's not your friend, just someone you happen to work with. It doesn't matter what she thinks of you.

Teachers are not infallible, even experienced ones. Once remarked a whole maths exercise book (yr 9). Dozens of correct answers marked incorrect and a few the opposite way. My ds changed group & I was told teacher was having personal issues.....he retired early a year later.
So hard to get staff maybe schools hang on too long.
Speak to the head or the deputy or an experienced member of the governing body whichever is likely to be sympathetic.
Good Luck 🤞

Not remarked.... re-marked👀😳😀

Definitely correct her or have a word with the Head. I had two English teachers, one for Literature, one for Language. The Language teacher sent my yearly report home with spelling errors and the contempt that my mother heaped upon that man’s head was epic (and very satisfying as he had also made errors when marking my essays).

I was the same. I advised a Primary School teacher at my son's school, that they had used an apostrophe incorrectly on a poster. She was convinced that she was correct and then just at that moment, the headteacher came past, heard the conversation and told the teacher that I was correct! Lol

Tell the teacher that she got it wrong, after all she is paid to get it right. I once worked with a teacher that couldn't tell the time using a analogue clock or recite the 9 times table.

The teacher should know the correct spellings, goodness, are these from teaching sites? If self created then one needs to check. You absolutely are doing the right thing, what's the point of children learning incorrect words?!

It's a shame she gets huffy and doesn't appreciate your input. Honestly, I really do observe many teachers, yes even ones with English degrees, who have no concept of grammar and have atrocious spelling! Even some letters sent out to parents I could point out misuse of so many language concepts.

My DS was year 1. At parents' evening his teacher said to me "It doesn't matter how they spell a word as long as they get the first letter right".
I replied "I disagree. Spelling is very important and correct spelling gives a good impression".
The result was a frosty relationship (her not me) for the rest of the year. She was OK with DS so she wasn't all bad!

I’m sorry, @CustardySergeant - it’s nemesis, not nemisis.

I still remember the university tutor who corrected my spelling of Isaiah - I had used the spelling from my Bible. He was adamant that his spelling of the word was the only correct one.

i think i would just wait until a parent raises it.,hopefully won’t be too long.,if you have to work with her for a year it’s going ti be really awkward

Don’t blame you for being furious about that one. I actually can’t believe a teacher would get this wrong.

In Y5 my DD got a printed list of spellings every week and at least one or two of the words were incorrectly spelt.
I spoke to the teacher who ignored me and then head of KS2. They obviously had a word and the spellings were correct for the rest of the year.
It was slightly different as I was a parent. Can you offer to do the spellings for her so you know they are correct? Failing that you need to raise it higher up. It wasn't awful impressive as a parent to have a child come home with a list of spellings that were incorrectly spelt.

Unfortunately it's not uncommon. My cousin is a teacher at a private school and her spelling and grammar are both appalling. Even her wedding invitations stated the venue to be St Gile's Church (instead of St Giles' Church). She's a lovely person but if my kid was being taught at her school I'd want my money back!

My youngest goes to a primary school ranked "outstanding" but the head teacher's newsletter is always littered with errors such as "Here Here!" instead of "Hear Hear!" and "dates for your dairies". For a long time I assumed she dictated the newsletter and it was typed by the school secretary whose first language wasn't English. However, it was later confirmed that she typed it herself. I may have discovered this when I helpfully suggested she should proof read it after the school secretary typed it and she may have given me both barrels along the lines of "dont you know how hard I work?" for daring to bring it to her attention.

Because of being taught things like 'frontal adverbials' and suchlike