Teachers unite around this stupidity and try for another day not to leave the profession

[Fstt1978]

Came in today to an email from a parent. Student deeply upset as we did not get her flowers after she played the 'main part' in the 'show'
She is Year 7. The 'main part' she is talking about? The narrator in our form class assembly about climate change. We were on stage for 6 minutes. It's the done thing apparently- she's seen it on TikTok.
Just blast me into the sun now and be done with it.

At my kid's elementary school last year one of the parents gave her child a bouquet of flowers once she'd finished the concert.

The child tooted on the recorder for five minutes with all the other 9 year olds but apparently needed a bunch of flowers

I know of someone who is doing that. My kids just got a “well done I’m sure you tried your best, whatever the outcome”. That was it 😁

Dear Deluded Parent,

I'm a little confused which show Spoiled Brat has recently performed in? The last school production was the nativity which took place in December?

I'd also like to draw your attention to the school and the DfE's advisory notes on tween access to social media. Obviously these policies are to ensure safeguarding for all children and to stop idiotic trends being exported from the US giving CHILDREN unrealistic expectations.

If you remain concerned, I would advise booking a face to face appointment with Brat's HoY or the HT.

Many thanks,

Sick of My Life

Inset days were removed from teachers’ holidays in the 1980s. Children still attend the same number of days in school as they did pre-Baker.

Fucking. Hell.

Signed, A Teacher.

I think I’d reply either

“did you mean to send this to me? I don’t run the shows, that’s the drama department, but I’d be surprised if they had the budget for flowers for the children. Incidentally she didn’t tell me she was in a big show, if I’d have known I wouldn’t have given her the narrator role in the assembly the other day in and I would’ve let one of the other children have the chance to practice public speaking”

or

“thank you for letting me know that she had set her expectations too high and subsequently got herself worked up, I’ll make some time to speak to the children about setting realistic expectations and dealing with disappointment in our tutor group next week”

Her mum should have got her flowers if anyone needed to!

Having a holiday after GCSEs is very sensible. Holidays are a lot cheaper then than in July, and the weather is likely to be very warm but not 40 degrees on the continent. Also, crowds are likely to be less, on balance.

It would nice not to be so rigidly confined to school holidays dates.

Sadly, my DC just wanted to hang out with his mates on the beach, on the plus side that was an even cheaper option.

Yes but this is on top of a family holiday during the school summer holidays…

See. My daughter has done lots of acting and singing over the years, and her granny (who has never ever seen tic tok) always takes her flowers. I think it’s kind of cute and would hate that people are criticising her for celebrating her granddaughter.

I mean fine if the kid was expecting it as it's all over TikTok and to a 12 year old that's real life right? But for their bloody parent - a proper grown up - who obviously knows that TikTok is NOT REAL LIFE - emails you to complain?

OP the world has gone mad and I am mighty glad that I left teaching 3 years ago. I dread to think how I would have responded to that email.

That's called a summer holiday where I live.

That made me laugh.. triffid shop! 🤣
She could have been presented with her very own book copy of Day of the Triffids, I guess?

Fucking hell, what world are we living in!

To those saying this sort of thing has spread from the US; you’re probably right. We live in a southern state, and my oldest finished middle school a few weeks ago. There was a “bridging ceremony” to celebrate their transition to high school, where the kids awkwardly shuffled across a stage to receive a certificate, and DH and I thought we’d made a sufficient effort just showing up… I guess the email from the school requesting a limit 7 guests per child should have been a warning as to how invested some families were, but we were still amazed. There were gigantic bouquets for the girls, massive helium balloons, flags and t shirts with students faces printed on, and so much whooping and cheering you couldn’t hear the names being called. These are kids who have another 4 years of compulsory schooling to go! We felt very foreign 😂

I see you and I raise you the parent who said in primary school, they received updates in the teens when students were on residential trips. I was in charge of over 100 kids and we barely had time to go to the loo! There are some fabulous parents out there but the minority need to really get a grip.

I think the people saying it's nice , it is. But then it's nice and it goes on social media, then it's nice and now everyone thinks they have to do it.
My mum did us Christmas eve boxes in the 80s before it was even a thing (her mum had done it I'm the 1950s) but the difference is, people didn't know so no one felt left out if they didn't have it

I think.that could be quoted in the reply to the parent. "The school doesn't have a budget for flowers".

This is so ridiculous I can barely believe it. Some people must truly live in their own little world where they are the star.

Yes. It was part of a pay deal. 1985 I think.

Hmm. Live there, work in one of the other places, hasn't happened to any family I know.

You do get people who take the opportunity for their family holiday earlier because they can do it when GCSEs/A levels finish at the end of June/beginning of July so they get term time prices. They might even say "nice for them to have a holiday after working hard" but it's their family holiday just a bit earlier, not anything extra.
How many of these people are doing this and then having another family holiday later?

That’s super cute. No one would say or do anything other than smile at that sweetness.

Brilliant!

We so need that laugh emoji back...

Op did the parents say said child has SEN thats a big thing now.

We had a meeting last week, regarding DD's foreign trip next week, with no phones. They won't be responsible for a lock box, they will update on Twitter etc.

A pompous neckbeard with a twirly moustache and Lookitmee, Lookitmee! glasses was insistent that the teachers call all 40 parents every evening.

Because (dramatic voice) "I have been unable to use Twitter for a twelvemonth....

For evident reasons."

One of my form (Year 11, had them since Year 7) participated in pretty much every big year/keystage assembly over the 5 years. He was frequently told how brilliant he was but never received a gift. In the Year 11 leavers’ assembly, I nominated him for student of the year due to his constant participation, certainly no flowers!

Another entitled parent asked me how he was supposed to deal with his daughter’s disappointment at not being chosen (by random name picker bearing in mind good behaviour and limited places) for a foreign residential. Mate, you’re the parent!

Is this the sort of email that the department for education thinks you should be using AI to write?