Inappropriate mnemonic from school?

[Angelofmycoins]

Son is doing exams Y11 - he has just told me they were taught this mnemonic in science (physics?) when they were in Y9:

'Gay X-men Use Vibrators In My Rectum'

(for remembering types of waves ie gamma, x, uv etc)

Aibu in thinking its inappropriate? He did remember it so he argues it worked!

For context, fee paying school, all boys.....

I still find that school mnemonic from the seventies helpful in my fifties so it was worth it!

Hilarious!
But just as teachers don’t report the parents of every child who takes a term time holiday( we always know, either the holidaying child tells us or their classmates do), I don’t think it’s necessary to report teachers for every mistake.
That’s even if it’s true, which it probably isn’t.

I don’t think it’s appropriate to talk to 13 yr olds about anything to do with vibrators up bums, and would email the school. There are plenty of other silly mnemonics that could be invented to help memory. Likely the teacher got taught it when they were young by an inappropriate teacher and is perpetuating it by passing it on- doesn’t mean it’s right!

on a side note, my science teacher from secondary school turned out to be a paedophile.

Nearly 50 years ago at my local comp we were just taught the very dull and safe "some old horses can always hear their owner's approach."

However, I can clearly still remember that.

This reminded me of our creepy maths teacher who taught us: ‘Sex on hard concrete always hurts the others arse’.

I’d totally forgotten it until this thread, but then again I’ve had zero need to recall trigonometry since 🤣. Accusations and rumours of inappropriate behaviour surrounded this particular teacher so it felt very inappropriate, but no way would I ever have repeated it to my parents like OP’s son 😳.

well it’s making fun of themselves with the word “my” oh my god seriously get a life. 13 year old boy will be talking about much worse than this. you are obviously one of THOSE parents. please stop, it will not benefit your kids

There's nothing homophonic about saying gay people use vibrators . ...

it’s also half term …

I agree.

What does reporting it really achieve op?

Your ds has had his mind blown by it now ( or not)

I don’t think it’s making fun of gay people - the vibrator is not going up the gay x-men character’s bum (never thought I would be typing this on a Saturday morning)

It's hard to believe that in this day and age there are still people who think it's funny or acceptable to make jokes about children being raped.

Do you think the idea of women and girls being raped is funny too, or is it just OK to joke about because they're boys? Or is it because they're posh that somehow makes the idea of them being sexually abused at school hilarious rather than just tragic?

I think that's something he and his mates have made up. Not sure what a fee paying school has to do with it though. Do you think teachers in state schools routinely teach inappropriate things.

We got g for ground and c for ceiling

I agree. As a teacher, I get kids in groups to come up with their own mnemonics. Best way for them to remember it. Sounds like boys having a bit of craic with it.

Would you say the same if it was racist rather than homophobic?

Was it definitely the teacher who taught it or was he just repeating something another student had come up with? Not professional if it is the former.

This does remind me of when I was doing A Level physics and someone came up with

Oh Bollocks A Fucking Git Kicked Me for stellar classification. Teacher laughed it off. I did remember it though!

I think it was posh-bashing not child-bashing.

Some people see what they think is privilege and don’t think any deeper than that.

By who? I bet it wasn't the teacher who invented it or told them to use it. It sounds like something a teen boy would say to try and be funny. I would not take it seriously at all.

Within reason, if it brings a bit of laughter to a maths or physics classroom, which I consider are hideously dull places for many, it’s probably not the end of the world if it isn’t too crass. Most of them have heard of bollocks and vibrators etc. A few of the ones mentioned are a bit lurid for my tastes …

Rude ones always seems to stick in the mind more. I’m on my 40’s and recently got taught one to help me in my job… also involved gay me … they seem to get a raw deal in these things. I do think that these things are just a way to make things stick in their brain and if it helps I find it hard to get annoyed at

Bloody hell! Strange that a teacher would say that though?

We had an otherwise very kind, lovely chemistry teacher - but he did regularly tell us jokes, a fair few of which were not really appropriate for children.

His favourite was to hold his hand out flat in front of him (palm upwards) and say "Have you met my friend, the invisible dwarf? He loves it when people tickle him under the chin."

Then, if anybody played along and tickled the air where they supposed his chin would theoretically be, the teacher would gesture twice the distance from his own hand to where the air had been tickled and say "He's actually this tall, but he likes that even better!"

This was exactly my thinking. I cannot imagine this coming from a teacher.

That is … creepy…

Mostly because it isn’t even a desperate attempt to aid memory.

I’m sure it wasn’t a teacher and more likely a Year 9 boy.