French Teacher called her ginger!

[Hyland]

It would seem that the teacher didnt mean to offend my daughter.

However the class was writing down the translation for french words.

The list went like this:
Politics
Business/company
Aeroplane
Celebrity
Bmx
Shopping centre/world trade centre
Poor people
Ginger
Fashion
Boat
Climbing
Factor
Married
Grandchildren

Anyway when she got to the word Roux, the teacher said to my daughter you will know this one.

I think this threw my daughter off (not knowing why she would know above everyone) and ahe hesitated as she thought the translation for Roux was red and the teacher said no it's Ginger, lets not confuse everyone.

I think their was a few giggles and obvioulsy everyone was looking at her.

Needless to say she was really embarrassed.

What is everyones opinon on this?!

You're looking for an issue where there isn't one

so do you think it's ok to call someone ginger.

I have brown hair so i dont pretend to know how she feels about this.

She has said before she doesn't like children calling her ginger as its always said in a way to make fun out of her rather than in a descriptive way.

So the teacher has thought your dd might know the French word for her hair colour? But your dd prefers red to ginger? I think this might be a case of no harm or insult intended on the teachers part.

Personally I have never had a big problem with being called ginger. Redhead or auburn is nicer, but I don't find ginger offensive or anything.

I think perhaps you should encourage your daughter to be a bit more resilient about these things. Was the teacher French? Perhaps she doesn't think "ginger" has any negative connotations.

Roux is a sauce? Was it rouge or rousse?

I'm sure the teacher meant no harm. It's a shame your child was embarrassed.
But a teacher really taught the French for "poor people"? WTF?

Rousse means 'red-haired' Sorry I should have said.

But there is a translation for poor people Wolfie

But in what context would it be taught in a lesson?

why is it "needless to say" she was very embarrassed?

There is an issue here, but it is with your daughter, ( and you, from the sound of it) rather than the teacher.

In her book it sez roux yes

and poor people: les pauvres

I think my daughter is of the opinion that her hair colour is more closely linked to the colour orange.

The word ginger is usually said to her in a negative way.

If i woke up with ginger hair I would dye it, why don't you dye it?

You have ginger eyes, her reply no i don't i have green eyes. For girls to reply with well they look ginger!

She's at an all girls school.

Well it's practically the same word as 'Pauper' so just just brushing up on vocabulary I would imagine

so what? If someone gets teased for having blond hair do we all stop saying "blond"?

actually, "blond" is used as an insult 100x more than "ginger". "ginger isn't an insult in any way. If your daughter is getting teased, deal with the teasing. Her hair colour has nothing to do with it.

Roux rousse is like redhead. But roux by itself I'm not sure.

I really can't see a problem here.

Other than perhaps your daughter is a little sensitive about her hair colour

But that's hardly the teacher's fault

I have spoken to her many occasions regarding it being just a descriptive word like blonde for hair colour. The problem is the total look of disgust girls have when discussing their preferences and ginger being on the bottom of the list.

Their are many ginger jokes that she has people always telling her and i think she finds it tiresome.

I dye my hair blonde.

The jokes regarding my intelligence i don't feel are quite the same as the hurtful ginger, carrot top comments.

The fact that you have put this thread in "bullying" speaks volumes.
It's quite clear why your daughter has a complex over the term ginger

It's ok to find silly jokes tiresome.

However, it doesn't mean the teacher did anything wrong imo.

Your daughter has ginger hair, she finds ginger jokes tiresome.

You have blonde hair and you aren't particularly bothered by blonde jokes.

Hopefully your daughter will learn to roll her eyes at tiresome jokes, and hopefully you'll help her to do that.

Now if the teacher had mocked your daughter's hair colour, I'd be right behind you but that's not what happened, is it?

I don't think this is bullying IMO

It sounds to me like you are trying to read into this something that's not there.

I don't think this teacher is 'bullying' your dd.

Thanks for your comments Liberty.

I agree that that the teacher didn't mean harm.

It just for the fact that she said my daughter would know above others & the looks/giggles from others.

Wanted to post it somewhere so posted it in the Secondary school section as well. Posting in this section doesn't mean i have already come to a full gone conclusion. Surely that's the idea of listening to others!

Have a word with the school Hyland if you feel that it is bullying.

I'm sure a chat with the teacher, the school counsellor and your dd will help clarify the matter and it is important that your DDs needs are being met. Being singled out on the basis of a racial attribute is discrimination, however it was meant by the teacher.

This incident caused your dd pain and upset and exposed her to comment and ridicule.
No matter how many posters here who may or may not have any idea what you're going through say- grow a thicker skin for eg, and blame you or your dd for being 'too' sensitive- they are all talking shite. That's victim blaming at its most ugly.

You need to take action.

I loathe descriptive nicknames, and especially racially derived ones. Gollywog isn't pc now, so why ginger?

Also I think you could look at the beautiful images of red-haired people the web, sorry can't remember linky. Google images. Red hair is beautiful.