How wrong they were in labelling your child

[Maggiethecat]

It's coming up to the end of the school year and maybe because it's been more like a normal end of year I'm feeling grateful and sentimental.

Dd has had a good year, nice friends, lots of activities, well regarded by teachers and peers, excellent grades and I am very happy for her. But it's made me smile as I remember how she was labelled at 5yo as disruptive and a bit of a trouble maker.

What I saw then was a very spirited, bright child with a twinkle in her eye who (some, not all) teachers were quick to label. I recognised that but for her ethnicity she may have been regarded by some of these teachers as enthusiastic and clever etc. I was very firm in pushing back these suggestions and was keen to avoid having her spirit subdued but she's probably surprised a few of them!

For those of you with similar stories - sending you a wink and smile 😊

At school DD was labelled SEN because she 'didnt talk much'.

I wasnt having any of that. Ridiculous people.

Just imagine, if she was loud and kept talking, she'd have been labelled disruptive. Now an Adult, she's in a lead position in creative field and also has her own Consultancy.

I was in similar field in my time, she's now in the process of taking over my company as Im retiring.

My experience of alschool in late 1970s was deputy head with his florid red-faced unkempt looking self, addressing class with 'studies have proven West Indian children are slow to learn'. Said out of the blue.

This was a Grammar school we'd passed 11+ to get in so obviously intelligent. Yet that was the mindset. Most of us went on to good careers, and/or gain good degrees at Uni

He went on to marry a 6th form pupil. Yuk.

Well done to your dd! Just imagine that had it been the 60s and with a different mother your dd could have been sent to an ESN school 😠

I'm old enough to remember kids being told that they could not become [ x professional, academic etc]. This probably rarely happens now but I know that the labelling and stereotyping, subtle or otherwise, is still common .

We've come a long way but still far to go.....

My experience of alschool in late 1970s was deputy head with his florid red-faced unkempt looking self, addressing class with 'studies have proven West Indian children are slow to learn'.

This reminds me of my A level physics teacher who was from England doing a teaching spell at my West Indies school who would say the same thing 10 times twisting it around in all permutations and with a pained expression on his face. Don't think he realised that our poker faces were from bewilderment at his poor teaching style!