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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
TealPoet · 11/09/2024 06:38

I’m sorry for your predicament but please don’t leave it - it could have such serious consequences for the children! Of course we all make mistakes but she needs to graciously acknowledge and correct them not be offended and double down. And a high standard of spelling should be mandatory for a teacher.

MeowCatPleaseMeowBack · 11/09/2024 06:39

Devonshiregal · 11/09/2024 02:04

This is so gross. So gross. Whyyyy can’t people just get it? Is it that hard? The OF. It makes me squirm - it runs so deep and I couldn’t even tell you why.

No one says “I of done that task.” They say “I have done that task.” Therefore we arrive at “I should HAVE done that task.” Arghhgggghhhgghh!

Second to this is brought and bought…when they’re mixed up but someone actually doesn’t know the difference, rather than just a slip of the tongue.

I’m not even that great at spelling or grammar myself so it’s awful to be a snob about it but these are truly maddening!

Edited
Show quote history

I think it's so jarring because it shows that the person doesn't read. If you read you see 'should have' all the time and never 'should of' and you learn the correct phrase. If you don't read you hear 'should of' and feel fine using that. And a teacher who doesn't read is disturbing.

Wilfrida1 · 11/09/2024 06:44

Heaven only knows what she's like with apostrophes!

Or should that be apostrophe's?! 😂

Goldusty · 11/09/2024 06:48

Well as a parent this would make me really angry. Let me guess it's a state school in the UK?! I am going to be brave and say what I really think about the standard of some teachers today...awful. How can we expect our children to respect and aspire to be 'educated' if the teacher isn't.

CarleyBup · 11/09/2024 06:49

Youthiswastedontheyoung · 11/09/2024 01:17

Whilst of course I agree teachers need to spell words correctly whenever possible, we are not infallible. We are human and sometimes make mistakes.
I teach Y6 and think it's important for them to understand that to make mistakes is human and often how we learn.
If I make a mistake on the board, for example, and a child identifies it, I would thank them and correct it.
I want my class to have the courage to try, to answer questions, and accept that they will make mistakes along the way but that it's perfectly OK to do so.

Edited

Absolutely. You sound like a fantastic teacher.

Monkeysatonthewall · 11/09/2024 06:50

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'.

😲😲
No wonder so many adults don't know how to spell this...

SinnerBoy · 11/09/2024 06:51

Conniebygaslight · Today 06:31

I cannot stand when I see this….

Cannot stand it?

😀

Globules · 11/09/2024 06:51

You'd rather have your child taught for the next 10 months by 2 adults that hate each others guts, and still have incorrect spellings @ThePrologue ?

Or a team who are muddling through some incorrect spellings here and there?

Incorrect spelling is not a sackable offence. It's not even something a teacher would receive a warning for.

What does anyone think the head teacher will, or can, actually do in this situation? Do you seriously expect the head to be checking every spelling on every worksheet in future?

pilates · 11/09/2024 06:55

You need to correct her every time. Tough if she doesn’t like it.

AsTreesWalking · 11/09/2024 06:57

My son had a very poor teacher for year 4. She wrote 'synagogue' on the board (incorrectly) and said: "ooh, I'm not sure that is right". She was terribly cross when he told her it wasn't, and corrected it. The same teacher also taught them that people and dinosaurs co-existed....
Funnily enough, she really didn't like my son.

bigvig · 11/09/2024 06:57

Teacher here - tell the head. This isn't on. As an aside they need to stop letting students on primary teacher training courses with less academic level 3 qualifications- cache childcare health and social care etc. It's as if they don't think primary teaching standards matter.

greengreyblue · 11/09/2024 06:58

Been in this position several times. You have to tell her. You can’t stand by and watch the children get incorrect spellings. Talk to her in private. It’s shocking when teachers can’t spell. Of course there are words we are unsure of but check the spellings . Standards are slipping for sure .
I’m a HLTA and teach classes. If I am not sure of a spelling I say so and look it up in front of the children and say that it’s ok to check. It’s never been easier.

BirthdayRainbow · 11/09/2024 07:00

I had to tell a year four teacher there was a spelling mistake in their list of spellings and she was grateful. My son's education was more important than her ego.

With my daughter she had a maths question marked wrong so she spoke to the teacher and said she was right. The teacher asked her to show her her workings and prove it was right. My DD was right and all the texts books had to be corrected as the answer in the back was clearly wrong.

FrippEnos · 11/09/2024 07:02

Its a good job that most on here don't know that several years ago there was a big push to try and get text speech/spellings allowed for GCSE marking.

BirthdayRainbow · 11/09/2024 07:03

Stirmish · 11/09/2024 00:16

The obvious choice is to tell her but I wouldn't because it'll just cause friction

As frustrating as it is just leave it

Your child needs an advocate and it is supposed to be you..

Why would you put yourself or the teacher before them? You to avoid "friction" and protected the eta hers feelings.

SleepwalkingInTesco · 11/09/2024 07:04

When I was in primary school I had a teacher call on me to come over and ask me how to spell a word for a letter she was writing 😂she was an amazing teacher and it wasn't a regular thing. Just a funny memory

ThePrologue · 11/09/2024 07:04

Globules · 11/09/2024 06:51

You'd rather have your child taught for the next 10 months by 2 adults that hate each others guts, and still have incorrect spellings @ThePrologue ?

Or a team who are muddling through some incorrect spellings here and there?

Incorrect spelling is not a sackable offence. It's not even something a teacher would receive a warning for.

What does anyone think the head teacher will, or can, actually do in this situation? Do you seriously expect the head to be checking every spelling on every worksheet in future?

Edited

Oh, don't be ridiculous!
Of course I wasn't suggesting this, but if a professional isn't professional enough to accept their error being pointed out, then they are not professional.
The head should be dealing with it by whatever means s/he sees fit.
Ffs, are you happy to grow a generation of ill-informed children

supersop60 · 11/09/2024 07:04

As a student I gave a child the word spaghetti.
The teacher corrected it to spageti
Yes, I would tell the teacher but be prepared to be unpopular.

sunburnandsangria · 11/09/2024 07:06

mm81736 · 11/09/2024 05:56

Making one tiny mistake on a spelling if a relatively infrequently used word, especially at the end of a 12 hour day doesn't make a teacher 'shit' or "incompetent' as some posters have suggested, it makes he or she human.
What is your job op? Have you never made a mistake?

Teachers awake then?

I was waiting for the 'whatever teachers do they are beyond criticism' posts. It's such a tough job/ you try teaching 30 kids every day/ teach your own kids blah blah blah.

😂

Newmumatlast · 11/09/2024 07:07

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???

Report to SLT

sashh · 11/09/2024 07:09

Globules · 11/09/2024 06:51

You'd rather have your child taught for the next 10 months by 2 adults that hate each others guts, and still have incorrect spellings @ThePrologue ?

Or a team who are muddling through some incorrect spellings here and there?

Incorrect spelling is not a sackable offence. It's not even something a teacher would receive a warning for.

What does anyone think the head teacher will, or can, actually do in this situation? Do you seriously expect the head to be checking every spelling on every worksheet in future?

Edited

The head can speak to the teacher and help resolve the issue.

RockyHardPlace · 11/09/2024 07:11

Tell her! Check with your head, but the children are tested on correct spelling in SATS! Just take her to one side, and say : you want to help, you think it’s important for the children, say something positive like ‘the lesson was great’, and be supportive. Perhaps you could quietly hold up a whiteboard with correct spelling if you spot when she’s writing to save embarrassment of stopping the lesson, have a cue card : but an agreed way between you/her. The children come first though!

@Dany0909

Readmorebooks40 · 11/09/2024 07:12

I am a human teacher, sometimes we make mistakes. 🙈

niadainud · 11/09/2024 07:13

Conniebygaslight · 11/09/2024 06:31

I cannot stand when I see this….

Show quote history

You must spend a lot of time sitting down then. 😉

Globules · 11/09/2024 07:19

ThePrologue · 11/09/2024 07:04

Oh, don't be ridiculous!
Of course I wasn't suggesting this, but if a professional isn't professional enough to accept their error being pointed out, then they are not professional.
The head should be dealing with it by whatever means s/he sees fit.
Ffs, are you happy to grow a generation of ill-informed children

Show quote history

What are you suggesting then? All I can see is that you're pointing out a problem and criticising my solution.

What's your solution? Tell the head? Like I've said, the head has no power to stop the teacher being poor at spelling. The head, should they do anything, will make the relationship between the TA and teacher worse. And the spelling won't have improved. There really is nothing for the head to "deal with" here.

Spelling is such a small part of the school curriculum and a person's education. I'm not saying that's right, but it's the reality.

And that's a weird question you end on... It's really not as black and white as you, and several others on this thread, are making out.

If you were the head, and the TA gave you this information, what would you do with it? How would you resolve this problem? Try to help @Dany0909 , as that is what they've asked for.