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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be furious to see one of dd's teachers smoking outside the school gates in full view of school-children arriving

298 replies

pcworld · 16/12/2008 14:13

I appreciate that it is a free country and people have the right to smoke. The teacher in question is not smoking within the school grounds. However ... surely there must be somewhere else for school staff to smoke that is out of view of the children? I am very upset about this! What do others think? I'm unsure how to handle it. I would like to say something to the head - along the lines of suggesting that an appropriate place is provided for staff to smoke in. And at the same time praising the teachers, who we have been really pleased with. Any comments?

OP posts:
LiffeyCanSpellGeansaiNollaig · 16/12/2008 19:26

Children ARE lemmings.

Teachers aren't bus conductors or musicians, they're teachers, and part of the job is being an example.

It's all fine and dandy for mumsnetters to say 'well I would teach my dd this that or the other'. but a lot of children's parents won't have such a plan, they won't know the statistics or the risks, they'll just shrug and spark up..... again! and the only other adult role model close to the child also smokes

Teachers, stub it out or smoke when children can't see you.

georgimama · 16/12/2008 19:35

I don't recall saying that nicotine is not addictive cory. Please tell me where I said that.

edam · 16/12/2008 19:38

Blimey. I smoke but I think if I was a teacher I'd hide it from the children.

mumof2andabit · 16/12/2008 19:57

yanbu ds is only at pre school but I would be hopping if one of his wonderful nursery workers was smoking in full view. The idea is to make smoking NOT seem cool NOT seem like something everyone does. How would this teacher discipline a child with cigarettes who had seen them smoking?

lil · 16/12/2008 19:59

I remember when I was a kid my GP smoked, not in front of the patients but his room stank. He was obviously a serious smoker. Did I suddenly take it up? no, it was watching my peers smoke that made me try it!

stillenacht · 16/12/2008 20:00

I am a smoker and a teacher and we have to smoke outside the school gates - its stupid as my pupils see me and i hate it but what can we do? We used to have an area in school where we could go where it wasn't exposed to the pupils.Twas much better then.

thisisyesterday · 16/12/2008 20:02

erm yes, YABU. children will see people smoke.

i don't get the problem???

stillenacht · 16/12/2008 20:03

All this role model stuff makes me laugh. I'll be a role model when i am treated like one by society, media and pay until then i'll just teach my subject and enthuse the kids in my subject thanks

lil · 16/12/2008 20:06

ha ha Stillenacht. Teachers are expected to be paragons of virtue, responsible for teenage pregnancy rates, the health of their children and everything else you can think of!

spokette · 16/12/2008 20:07

"Teachers, stub it out or smoke when children can't see you."

So would you also suggest that we lead children around blindfolded on the streets so that they do not witness mere mortals smoking as they go about their business?

Yes teachers are role models but they are also humans with flaws!

BTW, parents are role models too but I wonder how many bad habits and behaviours (swearing, drinking excessively, telling lies, over-eating, excessive shouting etc) that delicate children witness every day from these role models?

tiredsville · 16/12/2008 20:20

Maybe it depends on the age of the children?
But no, I had a think about it, and I wouldn't really like my DC to see their teacher having a fag at lunch time, purely for the fact they actually do think the teacher is sanctimonious.

Smug Ex 30 a dayer.

spicemonster · 16/12/2008 20:27

You might not like it but you have bugger all cause to report it to the head.

This is a bit like that woman with people parking on her street. While I appreciate she doesn't like it, we don't yet live in a police state.

lowenergylightbulb · 16/12/2008 20:30

I'm confused - none of my contracts have ever stated that I have to be a 'role model'.

Maybe all teachers who over a certain BMI should be sacked along with the smokers? After all we teachers must set a good example.

Some people have too much time on their hands and are too fucking precious.

francagoestohollywood · 16/12/2008 20:33

Iabu, I think

thebrain · 16/12/2008 20:33

YANBU, report it, if they aren't doing anything wrong then they won't get in trouble will they.

Why is it unacceptable to smoke on school premises? Presumably all those reasons still hold true when stepped just outside the school gate. It must be possible to smoke somewhere that isn't in full view.

I got into trouble at school in 6th form for smoking outside a newsagents down the road from, and out of sight of, school. My bad luck the deputy head drove past. I wasn't in uniform and wasn't supposed to be in school at the time, but got in trouble because it reflected badly on the school. That was nearly 20 years ago. Surely things haven't gone backwards?

I'm an ex-smoker if that's relevant. I found it far easier to give up smoking than to lose weight. I'm still fat.

spicemonster · 16/12/2008 20:36

thebrain - I cannot believe you're comparing your 6th form self smoking in your uniform (presumably within school hours) with a teacher who is a) an adult and b) not smoking within school hours!

I'm really quite shocked that you think those are comparable in any way.

lowenergylightbulb · 16/12/2008 20:36

20 years ago teachers could smoke in the comfort of their own staffroom.

I think all this anti smoking stuff is a load of old bollocks.

francagoestohollywood · 16/12/2008 20:36

As lil said, I don't think that young people take up smoking thinking "after all, my 3rd grade teacher - whom I loved - smoked", they start because that's what some of their friends are doing. Or at least that's how I started. And my parents never smoked.

expatinscotland · 16/12/2008 20:37

good grief! folks really have too much time on their hands.

and besides, if you were in 6th form you got in trouble because you were a student, not staff.

stillenacht · 16/12/2008 20:38

lowenergylightbulb - i love ya

expatinscotland · 16/12/2008 20:39

back when i was a kid, A LOT of our teachers smoked.

but i started because i went to a teenage nightclub. you couldn't drink, but you could smoke or do drugs.

so i learned to smoke so i could ask fanciable blokes for a light and strike up - no pun intended - a conversation hopefully.

then i moved to France when i was 15 and all my friends smoked.

stillenacht · 16/12/2008 20:39

We are not allowed to smoke in the workplace hence the fact we have to go outside of school gates and congregate there (and get pennies chucked at us by certain van driving motorists who realise we are teachers!)

tiredsville · 16/12/2008 20:44

Funnily enough, I use to feel a bit embarrased smoke in front of my non- smoking parents.

Is this how it feels for teachers who don't like smoking in front of their pupils?

stillenacht · 16/12/2008 20:49

Nah - i still don't smoke in front of my non smoking parents - respect for my mum and dad but i hate the fact the kids see part of the private me

twinsetiscrapatflouncing · 16/12/2008 20:49

Have not read the whole thread as I want to give my honest opinion.

As a teacher I do not think you are being unreasonable , I find it almost to curlingly embaressing when I see staff smoking outside of school. It actually does not happen in the new school I teach in but my old school used to have a line of smoking teachers out the front and it was so unprofessional.