Is this rude from a child? Age 6, furious reaction from teacher

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My DS was at school today and his teacher addressed the class saying “I don’t want to hear from you unless you need the toilet, you’re in pain or injured.” My DS raised his hand and said “I’m pain and injured is kind of the same thing.” Another teacher overheard and shouted at him so much he was crying and still crying about it at bedtime.

obviously I only have his account of the incident so this is all the detail I have. He didn’t think he had said anything wrong. I’ve noticed this year he’s complained of strict scary teachers and he’s becoming anxious about going to school. Would appreciate opinions on whether this apparently very big telling off was justified. He said his friends were comforting afterwards and he was crying and apologising whilst the teacher continued to shout.

Teachers should not be shouting at six year olds! It is a completely accepted culture amongst school staff that children get screamed at, it is shocking. I saw it when I volunteered in my child’s school that seemed otherwise a very passive and warm environment - children stepping out of line and being screamed at until they cried. It shocked me to my core.

Sounds like the other teacher thought he was trying to 'show his teacher up' so to speak.

Injury is damage, pain is an alarm signal, they're often linked but they aren't actually the same thing. A lot of people make this assumption though and the teacher could have taken the opportunity to explain that but looks like they didn't bother and just told the child off.

I know teachers have to enforce class discipline, and yes on the face of it your son's comment sounded like answering back (even if he didn't mean it that way) but I do think a gentle touch is required when they are so little. Not everyone is cut out for teaching the early years in my opinion. I'm sorry your little guy is having a tough year.

Well then she should have said that. Far better to say what you actually mean.

A 6 year old being a bit rude is not being spoken to like shit.
I’ve managed to deal with the year 6s I’ve worked with for several years without having a shouty rant at a child, because my behaviour management skills are better than that.

Oh grow a pair. Shocked to your core at seeing a teacher shout at a child. Whatever next.
Shocked to your core if you accidentally walked into Auschwitz or Buchenwald maybe….
Diont be so dramatic

Teachers shouldn’t be shouting at 6 year olds & even if they didn’t actually shout they made him cry and that’s unacceptable. He wasn’t trying to be cheeky poor kid & even if he was it’s an over reaction to make him cry.

On a different subject when did it become acceptable to call young children smart arses in a negative way? Surely that implies it is bad if children are smart/intelligent?

The first time a teacher yelled at DS was the last. I spoke to her about it and she said "yes I did it and I would do it again" and I immediately deregistered him and have home educated him ever since.
Children should be safe at school and there shouldn't be any verbal abuse.

Not in my school it isn’t. Our head makes it absolutely clear that shouting at children is not acceptable.

Obviously you can't know for sure what happened but I do think at that age children can take things literally and don't think they're answering back. I think you can control the classroom without making children cry.

People are being ridiculous here !
If his version of events are to be believed he wasn’t being rude, it was a valid question . He even put his hand up ffs!
I’d ask Teacher for her version and to explain what actually happened to make DS so upset . Only when you’ve heard both sides can you decide what action to take

I think you need to talk to the teacher OP. I can also understand how a six year old might want clarification on words he thinks have the same meaning - ironically, maybe because he wanted to ensure he complied with the teacher’s wishes. I think despite something feeling very off to you, you’re trying to keep an open mind - I have no idea why that has triggered the living daylights out of some of the posters on here.

Personally at 6 yo, I don't think he was being rude. To me it actually shows he's an intelligent child and noticing language usage vs meaning. (Although he was a little off the mark) Unless a child is being a danger or in danger I don't think teachers should be shouting at all. It's unprofessional. Also, it undermines the teacher who was giving the instruction if another stepped in and got involved. It's just poor form.

I would be speaking to the school. Whatever is happening it isclearly effecting his self confidence and causing him to be unhappy and anxious.

At 6 they are still so young and don't have the maturity yet to understand the full scenario of whatever had played out to lead up to the shouting. Also, pushing boundaries is part of learning and a huge milestone for children to overcome. Learning when and how not to push is also very important. But this sounds like it's damaged his framework for that and self confidence.

Smart arse has always been a negative regardless who it is aimed at.

There isn’t a six year old on the planet that I would trust to tell the exact truth of what happened. Another parent not understanding that kids don’t always tell the whole story or get some of it wrong.

And yeah being a know it all to a teacher is rude.

That’s a horrible thing for a teacher to say to such young kids. I completely get why at age 6 he said that in response as I was the same as a young child and was punished in school and at home for being literal in response, the snide term precocious was used. When I was 6 in primary school I was taken out of my class line after coming out of assembly. Apparently I’d been “talking” after we were told to be quiet. I technically had because I’d shushed another child to make them stop talking. I was asked “Do you have anything to say for yourself?” I said no. I’d never heard that phrase from anyone before so I didn’t understand why the teacher got even more angry with me when I said no. Teachers need to bloody understand where young kids are coming from when they make what the adult thinks is a mistake in speaking. I hope your DS is okay, he did nothing wrong!

and the teacher could have taken the opportunity to explain that but looks like they didn't bother and just told the child off

The teachers instruction was to be quiet - why should she waste more time giving the child more info?

Maybe his parents could teach him some manners?

You quite often see only children think they are the centre of the universe - parents used to tell us to shut up when others are talking particularly adults.

Some kids got the skipper or cane - yet this hoo ha over being told off!

OP by all means go and demand an explanation or explain to your child he was rude.

He’s probably not getting his own way at school hence the dislike of the teacher.

He was a smart arse and you should talk to him about that because it wasn’t an appropriate remark and it was rude… But he’s 6! They should have age appropriate behavioural management methods and shouting certainly isn’t one of them.

Get the teachers version, but if raised voices were used in a classroom setting then I’d be unhappy with that. He’s 6.

Would flip my lid immediately, I've suffered anxiety in numerous settings and it's not nice. No teacher would make my child feel like that at school, I would definitely

speak up and clarify the situation.

I would ask the teacher for their account and express concern about the tone of conversations

Yes I think it is rude, derogatory and offensive and would never use it either to another adult and definitely not a child.

A smart arse at age 6 though ?

Yes he was being rude and a smartarse. He really didn’t need to open his mouth at that point so next time maybe he will do as he’s told and be quiet? Is he not used to being told what to do or following instructions?

Yes 6 year olds are often smart arses.