to be annoyed that ds's teacher told him a spider is an insect?

[pofacedandproud]

Ok ds is in reception, but still. I have always told him a spider is not an insect but an arachnid, insects have 6 legs, etc, but today he came home and said 'Mrs X told me that I could bring a spider to school as the letter this week is I for insect'

I asked him if she really suggested a spider for 'I'. And he was very sure she had. So I told him again a spider was an arachnid. I know it is a small thing but it does annoy me, her telling them that. Yes I know she does an amazing job with 30 children, and she is great, but still.

Wonder if anyone being offensive and objectionable about teachers has been in a classroom recently. How lovely it must be to be so sure of ones own perfection. Small wonder then that such a large percentage of children have little or no respect for teachers. They are 'learning' from their parents. Teaching is a vocation, and very hard work. It used to be a joy. Just like it used to be human to err.

Oh jeez. Sorry. I was a bit offensive. But I have nothing but complete respect for school teachers. I am a teacher, of a sort and have no idea how they manage huge classes of kids and STILL manage to do their job professionally and with kindness. They are, truly, my heroes (though usually in primary heroines)

This is private joshing, really. Not really intended for teachers' ears directly, though of course you're all here.

It isn't quite the same as disrespect.

SleepySquirrel, pointing out that teachers sometimes get it wrong, or even laughing about some of their howlers is not the same as being disrespectful (are you saying teachers never laugh at pupils' howlers in the privacy of the staff room?). I want my children to be respectful of teachers as in being polite and considerate of their feelings. But as to believing that they are always right- good heavens, no! I'm a teacher myself, my parents were teachers, my grandparents were teachers: I do not believe in the infallibility of teachers. And if teachers laugh at the howlers of pupils when pupils are at a safe distance, then surely parents (and even pupils) can be allowed to do the same. The reason dd is able to be kind and gentle to her (quite remarkably ignorant) history teacher is that she is able to come home and blow off steam about what she actually tells the class- that plus the fact that she has never been made to believe that teachers are godlike beings who know more than other educated people.

I thought it was an insect. Am I the only one? (have not read all this though as life is a bit too short).

Stuff is dumbed down for kids. It has to be.
I'm sure when you were taught that plants 'make' oxygen in junior school they didn't take you through the entire chemical process of photosynthesis.

Anyone who has done a science degree knows that everything you learn at GCSE is the dumbed down version. Why would reception be any different?

DH and I are both teachers, and he's a science teacher to boot. I told him the heading of this thread as I knew it would make his blood boil too. I laughed when I saw the tomato-as-a-vegetable debate start (as I like to be pedantic and point out people's errors when calling a fruit a vegetable etc), and told him this too in a knowing aren't-people-ignorant type way, expecting him to agree. ~ But he didn't!!!!! Divorce papers are on their way...

SleepySquirrel I have already said my ds's teacher is lovely and I would not dream of mentioning it to her. Teachers are not though, beyond criticism, obviously.