Teachers I need solidarity before I leave the profession

[Soniastrumpet1984]

I love teaching. I have done it for 22 years.
I am sick of parents moaning. Today has put the tin hat on it.
Here's my situation (this is not exact but an approximation as close to similar as I can get it without putting actual details.)
Let's say I've been teaching French bakery recipes to my cooking club. A local French bakery has offered to host 5 students( in its tiny kitchen) on Saturday morning at 7.30am before they open so they can watch the pastry chef making the items. This is a total favour and just a nice thing they do not have to do. They did this as on my way to work, I was chatting whilst waiting to get my coffee. I as a teacher have agreed to give up my Saturday morning to take them. Every child in cookery club was offered the experience, by email with their parent copied in. It was NOT first come first served, they were clearly told if there's more than 5, we will draw out of a hat. There were more than 5 interested , so I wrote them all on pieces of paper and trotted next door to a different teacher, who came and drew 5 names out. Now I have Two parental complaints demanding to see photos of the slips and why didn't I video the draw and provide evidence. I know it's Friday and I'm tired but fuck I want to leave.

You are absolutely right, only someone who has no idea of what's involved in that would suggest it. At least names out a hat is random (apart from the fact the parents thought it was rigged 🫣). Can you imagine how much they would kick off if there was actual teacher judgement involved!

Not just the parents/children complaining of the 'unfairness' of everything anything they don't win, but the 'I don't feel comfortable' brigade.
This week I've had 'can I move seats, I don't feel comfortable next to a boy', and 'I don't feel comfortable in the detention hall, can you cancel my detention' and 'I didn't feel comfortable waiting to go to the toilet, so I left the classroom (despite being told not to).'

I have adopted a 'hmm, okay' and big smile.

Get SMT to send a response.

They can point out that the terms were clear and parents knew it was a draw.
I bet they wouldn't be emailing if their child had been picked.
They can also point out you are doing this in your own time and should be thanked. Not harangued.

Situations like this are why all communication from parents in my school goes via the office so I can shield staff from this kind of stuff whenever possible - or at least let them know whilst reiterating that they have my support.

Handed my notice in yesterday finally. Teaching is a proper shit show right now.

I think we should have a stricter email policy, they should all stream through the office and be filtered

If it had have gone well and not provided any stress, there would likely have been chance to repeat this in the future and give more children the chance. But as it stands the moaners have ruined it because OP isn't going to give up her own free time to do it again.

Not at all

I'm just saying it wasn't the best idea and was always going to cause grief when such a small number of children could attend. Why make life harder for yourself?

This is a really good point actually
I also think parents don't realise that when they behave like this, it makes teachers reluctant to engage with their child. Their child is worse off as you are so scared to do right for doing wrong

I found that parents having direct access to staff was having a hugely detrimental impact on staff welfare.

Now everything is filtered via the office and if there is a particularly tricky email I will have a conversation with a teacher rather than just forwarding it.

Sometimes (with the ridiculous and frustrating ones) just having someone else say "Honestly, they are being ridiculous/unreasonable/mean/have misunderstood" and having someone construct a reply with you is helpful.

Because teachers do things for the kids , for the joy of it and the love. There is also no money so when a free opportunity is offered, its amazing that the kids get to do it for nothing.

Parents will complain about ANYTHING. Best school I worked at was oversubscribed. In the face of bonkers parental complaints the Headteacher adopted an approach of: “Is that so? Well, it turns out we have a waiting list of students who are willing to wear the uniform/do their homework/go to detention/not twat about in class so if your child doesn’t want to there’s 20 kids waiting who’d love their place…” worked a dream. They soon sorted themselves out. Doubt you could get away with it now!

And this is why I left teaching kids. It was the parents not the kids that was the problem.

Look at a recent thread on here. A kid pisses in a bin at school but it has to be someone else's fault. That's pretty much what we're dealing with these days.

There is no mechanism this could have been decided that wouldn’t result in a potential complaint.

None.

God wouldn't you love to do this?
Just reply to the email with " off somewhere else then" and every school did it

In my DD school we can't email teachers only the head of year. That's an important boundary to have I reckon!

Wankers. That is all.

Raffle
Applying for a job
Applying to university
Applying for an apprenticeship
Trying out for a school team
Trying out for a school play
Head kid
School captain

Basically living in the real world.

The person you are responding to is absolutely one of those parents so just ignore her and her entitled “why did you do this when it wast fair for everyone behaviour’.

Poster you are the kind of parent that makes teachers want to give up teaching If you can do a better job, retrain and try.

Teachers once again I salute you.

Wow I feel for you.. I try so hard not to be that parent! Just drop him off, pick him up and unless there's anything major I need to mention just leave the teachers alone. There are certain parents constantly surrounding DSs teacher at drop off and pick up each day though, no doubt being a pain in the arse.

I'm astounded that parents have your e-mail address! When I was at school I don't even think we had parents evenings in primary and i'm only early 40s. Parents got a report once a year and that was that. I don't think they ever even saw the teacher at all.

My daughter's in P3 and I don't think her teacher is perfect but I just let her crack on the basis that she's the trained education professional and I'm very much not.

All emails are very guessable so its teachersname @ nameofschool

Not a teacher but a volunteer leader. We are definitely getting far more emails especially from parents of the younger ones.
Emails that just a few years ago you’d never have received.
X was ‘sad’ she didn’t get a turn at a game (there’s too many to all have a turn each week) - easily dealt with by a never mind I’m sure you’ll get a turn soon instead mum writes long email.
And parents getting very involved in tiny details to try and protect child from any minor upset or inconvenience eg y must sit with her friend.

Ah can’t you just wait until these people hit the real world and understand that work isn’t like this.

Can you imagine ‘I feel uncomfortable with the deadline you have given me’.

Our drama lead had a parent email as her son had been sent back for moving when he definitely wasn't moving and it wasn't fair. Know what she was talking about? The children's game of grandmas footsteps!!

Well it certainly sounds like being a teacher makes life harder than it should be and if all teachers decided they didn't want to do it anymore then the rest of us would be screwed.