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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to put a note in dds homework pointing out the teachers errors

236 replies

brook1 · 13/12/2009 20:30

My dd did some comprehension homework last week and brought it home on Friday after it had been marked by the teacher (or possibly ta).

One of the answers my daughter put to her question was "they would have been fed to the sharcks".

The teacher has crossed out fed and replaced it with feed and has crossed out the "c" from "sharcks" and replaced it with an "e" so it now reads "they would have been feed to the shareks".

We are not allowed to speak to the teachers in the mornings about any issues unless they are urgent so we have to make an appointment. I didnt think it was worthy of wasting an appointment but I do feel like it needs pointing out.

DH thinks I will look stroppy if I put a note in.

AIBU.

OP posts:
moondog · 15/12/2009 11:10

It's the bee's knees.
Let me know what you think DP.

daftpunk · 15/12/2009 11:11

will do

fanjolinaballerina · 15/12/2009 12:02

Good lord! Get a life! Mistakes happen, particularly if you are marking thirty pieces of homework on top of classwork, on top of cooking dinner for your own DC's and plan interesting lessons for the next day. Save your complaints for something important, or I guarantee that you will be talked about in the staff room and considered to be a bit of an arse!

LeQueen · 15/12/2009 14:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

corriefan · 15/12/2009 15:13

Corrie, you are like a do with a bone. Let it go eh? I don't mean to be rude or personal (and as I said,I am sorry if you feel I am coming across like this.) You sound like a committed passionate person.
What this field needs though is evidence based practice, not personal opinion and vague theories. (Although obviously MN a place for peopel to expound thier views.)

What are you talking about? The work I have done is evidence based FFS. I work for a renowned company, one of the foremost in the field of dyslexia. I have no idea what you think it is I do and what it is that is published. Of course I'm going to object to you implying I'm vague and just spouting opinions on nothing, it;s not true and it's insluting.
It's you who cannot provide a good argument against my point about marking other than 'trendy nonsense', 'myth' 'what do you do exactly' etc.

PurpleHeffalump · 15/12/2009 16:41

OP - don't you mean "correct the teacher's errors" in your title?

I think you're well within your right to send a note - but please make sure you get absolutely everything correct (so maybe don't write any words ending in 's' as you may get confused as to whether or not an apostrophe is need )

moondog · 15/12/2009 16:53

Indeed LeQueen.
Well put.

Jux · 15/12/2009 16:57

I'm with LeQueen. Children expect to learn to spell, use vocab, read, add up etc from their teachers. It is therefore fairly necessary that their teachers should be able to do those things correctly.

I wouldn't be happy if my dd's teacher told her that 2+2 = 5. Likewise, I'm not pleased when a spelling (whether initially correct or not) is 'corrected' incorrectly.

Much shock and horror has been spouted from many sources at the disgraceful state of literacy and numeracy in school leavers.

There's only one way to change that, and that is for teachers to get it right in the first place.

LeQueen · 15/12/2009 17:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Jux · 15/12/2009 17:32

I went to University in my 30s. I can tell you here and now, there is NOT a magical age at which errors are corrected.

There were about 15 school leavers in my year who brought their essays to me before handing them in so I could correct their grammar and spelling. These are people with A Levels.

How?

LeQueen · 15/12/2009 18:14

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

londonone · 15/12/2009 18:31

LeQueen - I am a teacher and I don't want to get into the debate on this thread but I do think it is very funny that your posts are absolutely riddled with errors.

londonone · 15/12/2009 18:37

LeQueen - I am wondering why you haven't qualified as a teacher? The fact you have been a TA and a CS suggests it might be something you would enjoy

verylittlecarrot · 15/12/2009 19:11

To the OP: If a teacher expects a child to accept their mistakes and corrections with humility and graciousness, they need to lead by example. I'm really surprised by the number of people whose responses here consist of "I am entitled to 'correct' (confuse) your child, however I am outraged if you dare to do the same to me"

I wouldn't point out errors in a letter to parents as presumably the author is not attempting to educate me, however if a teacher has taken a child's correctly phrased sentence "they would have been fed to ...", told a child this was wrong, and should read "they would have been feed to ..." you have a responsibility to your child to ensure they understand that they were correct in the first place and that the teacher's so called 'correction' was not valid. You should of course be tactful and gracious in doing this! I don't think this should necessitate a note to the teacher, merely a re-correction of the sentence so that your child understands how it should have been spelled.

If this was an innocent mistake, and the teacher becomes aware of the re-correction, then a good teacher should be humble enough to accept their error and move on. If the teacher is so incompetent that they truly do not even recognise the difference between correct and incorrect spelling and grammar at the educational level appropriate to your child - they should change profession.

Morosky · 15/12/2009 19:27

Once again posters are siezing on one examples of "poor" teaching and assuming that all teachers, classrooms and schools work in this way.

I correct spellings, I have regular spelling tests from year 7-13.

My school will not employ you full stop if you do not have a degree in your subject and we are expected to update our subject knowledge regularly. I am having to do a second degree because of my A Level teaching which is more philosophy based than my theology degree. If you were awarded a degree below a 2:1, you will need to have a bloody good application to get an interview. Our teachers are not one chapter ahead in a text book.

piscesmoon · 15/12/2009 19:47

However good the teacher they may make mistakes and not notice!
I would imagine that the whole point of the homework was to get the DCs to read a passage and understand it - therefore it was successful.
If you want your DD to see the correct sentence- just get her to write 'corrections' at the end and rewrite it correctly.That way you don't have to get involved.

LeQueen · 15/12/2009 20:08

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

moondog · 15/12/2009 20:10

I think you sound great Lequeen and if my kids were working with someone like you in close proximity, I would be very happy indeed.

devilsadvocaat · 15/12/2009 20:20

are you sure the e isn't a cross?
you know when someone does an x but the top two points join together?

Morosky · 15/12/2009 20:21

That is sad LeQueen, teaching varies hugely according to where you work.

poinsettydawg · 15/12/2009 20:31

How quickly and simply others are judged to be marvellous or rubbish.

LeQueen · 15/12/2009 21:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LeQueen · 15/12/2009 21:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LeQueen · 15/12/2009 21:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Jux · 15/12/2009 21:30

I did find, to my chagrin, that I had corrected dd's typewritten homework assignment which was glued into her book; I can't really help it, I just automatically correct things if I have a pen in my hand. I had underlined a phrase and written 'tautological' next to it! This was year 3 homework. I was so embarrassed and when I saw dd's teacher I apologised hugely but also in fits of giggles! She was apologising to me in fits of giggles too.

Luckily, we got on extremely well after that.