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AIBU?

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Original poster

To correct the teacher's spelling?

377 replies

Dany0909 · 10/09/2024 22:35

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???

OP posts:
norhyme · 15/09/2024 17:32

She's an ok teacher in general

Unless you're a qualified teacher conducting her appraisal, you don't really get to make a comment on her overall knowledge and skills as a teacher.

You might have noticed a mistake, or have an opinion based on your TA experience, but starting like this only makes it sound like you think little of her generally.

Why don't you pay to study to masters level while training, then do your compulsory ECT years to a high level and take on all of her responsibilities and workload? I'm sure you'd be loads better based on how you've come across here, holding a grudge against your own primary school teacher and not knowing how to use commas in complex sentences.

BlueSkies1981 · 15/09/2024 18:00

Dany0909 · 10/09/2024 23:37

Haha that's rough, I'm not surprised! I must say I'm a bit pedantic about spelling but I think it's so important, particularly when teaching children. In any other job I wouldn't be as bothered.
When I was in year 2, I had a spelling test where I spelt 'jewellery' correctly. The teacher marked it as incorrect and put the American spelling of 'jewelry' instead. It was a private school.
My mum pulled me out and saved her money.

Show quote history

As an ex primary teacher (having changed career) I am still pedantic about spelling and would have to do something about it… I like most people would embrace being corrected and use it positively as an opportunity that we are all always learning… I do wonder though whether she may be dyslexic?

BrownEyedBiscuit2716 · 15/09/2024 18:04

I had a science teacher once, that set us homework on facts and drawing pictures of a breed of dog! My sort of thing, and chose something unusual only to be told in red pen that it wasn't a real breed! I found it in the Encyclopaedia of Dog breeds in the library! I was annoyed but didn't have the confidence to fight back! It may seem minor, but that stuff will stick with kids forever (I'm 34)

NowImNotDoingIt · 15/09/2024 19:18

Julimia · 15/09/2024 15:36

Oh my goodness so glad you are not my TA. You're supposed to be a team not go criticising her to the HT or on Facebook. JUST point it out to her lightly. Spelling is obviously your forte... something else i will obviously be hers. Not being brilliant at spelling is not a crime. You can do the spelling list next week. Get a grip

She did point it out lightly AND saved the teacher the embarrassment of sending the wrong spellings home. The teacher got huffy.

I've always covered for teachers with poor spelling skills if they were decent and gracious about it. The huffy , stuck up ones? They got picked out during book scrutinies/learning walks. Oh well..

Julimia · 15/09/2024 19:19

I've made nothing up she said she'd pointed out the mistake and had woked with better. Not criticism?and someone suggested telling the HT. They are a team and should work as such but a change of team in such close proximity takes time and sensitivity.

Julimia · 15/09/2024 19:24

Completely not the point. Secondary teachers have one or two chosen subjects to deal with. Primary school teachers are expected to be fountains of all knowledge in everything. Also the teacher and TA have a fab opportunity to work as a team. Have done it for years.

Julimia · 15/09/2024 19:29

Yes but she didn't want to leave it there did she? They have the opportunity to work as a team ... together

FrippEnos · 15/09/2024 19:36

NowImNotDoingIt · 15/09/2024 19:18

She did point it out lightly AND saved the teacher the embarrassment of sending the wrong spellings home. The teacher got huffy.

I've always covered for teachers with poor spelling skills if they were decent and gracious about it. The huffy , stuck up ones? They got picked out during book scrutinies/learning walks. Oh well..

Show quote history

The OP mentioned that the teacher was "an ok teacher in general, I've definitely worked with better"
Before she mentioned the spelling,
We also don't know how the subject was broached, just that it was in private, and depending on that we only have the OP's word that the teacher went off in a "huff".
There are many teachers that would go off in a huff, but there are also many TAs that think that they know better and own the class due to having been in the school longer.

BlackForestCake · 15/09/2024 19:38

OP, I used to be an editor for various publishing houses and they used different spelling and grammar tules according to their own house style.

In which house style is "should of" correct, please?

SelMarin · 15/09/2024 19:48

Julimia · 15/09/2024 19:19

I've made nothing up she said she'd pointed out the mistake and had woked with better. Not criticism?and someone suggested telling the HT. They are a team and should work as such but a change of team in such close proximity takes time and sensitivity.

So why did you say:
"Oh my goodness so glad you are not my TA. You're supposed to be a team not go criticising her to the HT or on Facebook" when she hasn't done either of those things, and then tell her to get a grip?

Given that the teacher didn't respond well to being lightly corrected, and the OP wanted to know what (if anything) she should now do, suggesting that the OP correct the teacher lightly isn't very helpful either.

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 15/09/2024 19:49

Julimia · 15/09/2024 19:24

Completely not the point. Secondary teachers have one or two chosen subjects to deal with. Primary school teachers are expected to be fountains of all knowledge in everything. Also the teacher and TA have a fab opportunity to work as a team. Have done it for years.

Was this in reply to me? I wouldn't expect a primary teacher to be an expert at all in all the geography, science, history etc that they do. You can prep for that topic by topic. They should be very reliable on basic maths, literacy and SPaG though imo. Incidentally, I have 3 chosen subjects to teach - 3 languages - and wouldn't make such basic spelling mistakes in any of them, even though none of them is my native language!

SelMarin · 15/09/2024 19:50

Julimia · 15/09/2024 19:29

Yes but she didn't want to leave it there did she? They have the opportunity to work as a team ... together

The OP literally concluded with "Should I just leave it???"

Julimia · 15/09/2024 20:12

But she didn't did she?

SelMarin · 15/09/2024 20:13

Julimia · 15/09/2024 20:12

But she didn't did she?

What are you talking about?

Original poster
Dany0909 · 15/09/2024 20:27

Julimia · 15/09/2024 19:19

I've made nothing up she said she'd pointed out the mistake and had woked with better. Not criticism?and someone suggested telling the HT. They are a team and should work as such but a change of team in such close proximity takes time and sensitivity.

Hi. I think I saw you asking for detail on how I broached the spelling test situation with her. It was about 20 minutes before the end of the day and the kids were quietly reading. As I was handing out the spelling sheets, I noticed the error. I then quietly went over to her with the sheets and said, 'sorry xxx but I think this word is spelt incorrectly, it's an A not an E.' She took the sheets out of my hands and just started googling the spelling and didn't say anything. I just walked away awkwardly because she didn't respond to me. Then she asked me to go to the printer and get the new sheets and hand those out.

OP posts:
SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 15/09/2024 20:29

Julimia · 15/09/2024 20:12

But she didn't did she?

I have read the OP and the updates, and @Dany0909 hasn’t said she has taken the matter further, @Julimia - so why do you think she hasn’t left it?

Original poster
Dany0909 · 15/09/2024 20:43

Update: Thank you for all your replies. I don't talk to the head about it as honestly I don't want that sort of drama at work. I'm in my final year of a primary education degree so I only work Mondays and Tuesdays with this class, the rest of my week is spent at university. I haven't seen her since this was posted. I spoke with my tutor who advised me to subtly correct the spellings on the board when the children aren't looking and to not make a big deal out of it.

OP posts:
Julimia · 15/09/2024 20:45

No not me sorry

Julimia · 15/09/2024 20:46

Posted on here for a start

NowImNotDoingIt · 15/09/2024 21:50

Dany0909 · 15/09/2024 20:43

Update: Thank you for all your replies. I don't talk to the head about it as honestly I don't want that sort of drama at work. I'm in my final year of a primary education degree so I only work Mondays and Tuesdays with this class, the rest of my week is spent at university. I haven't seen her since this was posted. I spoke with my tutor who advised me to subtly correct the spellings on the board when the children aren't looking and to not make a big deal out of it.

Correct what you can when you can, the children's learning is more important than someone's ego. A good/great teacher knows that.

Ellie56 · 15/09/2024 21:53

@Dany0909

When I was a TA and I noticed a spelling mistake, I would say, "Oh dear, everybody's asleep this morning. Nobody's spotted Miss X's deliberate spelling mistake."

Cue twenty odd kids suddenly taking a much greater interest in what the teacher was writing!

JRM17 · 15/09/2024 22:24

Surely your loyalty should be to the children and their education and not to a teacher who spells worse than a 7yr old.

Globules · 16/09/2024 07:47

Dany0909 · 15/09/2024 20:43

Update: Thank you for all your replies. I don't talk to the head about it as honestly I don't want that sort of drama at work. I'm in my final year of a primary education degree so I only work Mondays and Tuesdays with this class, the rest of my week is spent at university. I haven't seen her since this was posted. I spoke with my tutor who advised me to subtly correct the spellings on the board when the children aren't looking and to not make a big deal out of it.

Honestly? No. Your tutor has it wrong regarding subtly correcting.

It's nigh on impossible to change something on the board without at least 3 pairs of young eyes seeing it and pointing it out.

And the teacher is likely to notice the changes if they keep happening. That will make things worse when they do.

I agree not to make a big deal of it, but please don't make it a bigger deal by trying to covertly correct the mistakes.

Kazzybingbong · 16/09/2024 08:32

Growlybear83 · 10/09/2024 23:32

Oops - autocorrect knows better than my daughter's teacher. That should have said the teacher corrected 'I should have' to 'I should OF'.

Nooooo, that’s terrible but it’s a reflection of the current teacher retention crisis. Good teachers are being pushed out and they are letting unqualified teachers teach. It’s so easy to get on a teaching course these days too.

I was a teacher and a few of the people on my course were clearly failing. They still passed and got jobs.

In my old school, one of the PE teachers was at the end of a temporary contract. He went for a maths job, another maths teacher did his lesson plan for him and he got the job. He openly admitted he was bad at maths!

I have a lot of teachers on my FB and they constantly use incorrect spelling and grammar in their posts. I despair.

Alina3 · 16/09/2024 10:04

I once had a university lecturer correct my correct use of the word 'effect' to 'affect'. The sentence was 'effect change', as in cause something to happen. Cause change. They assumed I meant 'affect' change. Like influence it in some way. To be fair to them they took my response to their error in good grace. That's the sign of a good teacher: when they make errors, they own it and don't like ego get in the way.