Just got 'told off' by a teacher at DD's school!

[FrameyMcFrame]

DD is in yr 5 and is doing extea maths after school once a week. (to catch up)
She was given the 'Power of 2 Maths' book which you have to do with an adult.
The premise is that you work together on the book to improve speed on mental arithmetic.

The teacher said we had to do it every night but we haven't had time this week due to me and DS being ill(plus she has normal maths, literacy and project homework)so we only did it 3 times.
Teacher was v. cross and complained that it's an expensive book and someone else could have been using it. (in quite a rude way)
She's now taken the book away from DD and when I tried to explain that we haven't had time she said 'it only takes 2 minutes to do it!' in a totally dismissive way.

I felt quite reprimanded!

What a moo!

Doesn't she want to help your dd? Inflexible old bag.

I'm not surprised - that's out of order. I'm afraid that whilst the vast majority of teachers are fantastic, there are a few who have slight power issues. Does this mean that your daughter is not getting her catch up sessions? I'd want to know where I stood - perhaps a word with the Head?

What a crabbit witch! Maybe you could suggest might be better if she could perhaps teach your dd maths in the many hours she ahs at school, rather than expecting you to do it at home.

Well, I agree that the teacher was rude and should not have spoken to you in the way she did. However, the book is expensive at £20 per book. especially expensive when you consider that each boo should only be used by one child and once it is written in, cannot be used again. The books also very specifically state, that they may not be photocopied. We do not use them at our school because they would have to be purchased from the SEN buget, which last year was £200 for resources! We only use them, or the literacy equivalent, 'Toe by Toe', if parents pay for the books. The information states that it should be used 4-5 times per week. Whilst it may have been a one off that you did not have time to do it the required number of times this week, maybe you were not the first parent the teacher had spoken to about a similar issue and she was feeling hacked off?

I would probably pop in to see her next week and explain that you were upset by the way she spoke to you. If this is the first time you have 'missed', I would mention that and remind her that you have both been unwell and therefore to do it even for three sessions was actually an achievement. ( also, it is nearer to 15 minutes than two, to do properly). On the other hand, if this has happened before, tbh, whilst she didn't have to be rude to you, I would sympathise with her PoV.

Sorry, lots of typos!

Yes she was a crabby witch! I think DD will still have the lessons after school but just not using the book. It was all a bit odd though and I did feel as though she was telling me off. It's not that easy to fit in homework at the best of times!
Thanks sayithowitis, I don't understand why she's taken the book away to give to another child when we've already written in half the book!
I might just buy a copy and give it to teacher and ask for Dds book back so we can continue from where we're up to.

Psst! Get your DD a £2.50 WHSmith mental maths book and leave the teacher to her £20 book. Money very well spent, and WHSmith are not going to be on your back if you don't do some every day.

IME some ( especially just qualified )teachers can be a tad unrealistic about RL.
I've never forgotten one discussing extra work to be done at home and asking the child
" Now what time does the baby go to bed ? 7pm ? "
And thinking - " if you imagine that you just pop a 6 week old baby ( which was age of baby at the time ) into bed at 7pm and hey presto! that's it for the night ....

Agree. I'd love to know how it would only take 2 minutes a night - it can take my DCs 2 minutes to get their books out of their bags and find a pencil!

Was she young/childless/someone who has another adult to supervise her children's homework, I wonder?

She is only 24, so dead right there!

It is quite hard to get everything done in the evening when you have more than one child to cater for.

Ah, that goes some way to explain both her ignorance on the matter and in the way she spoke to you.

Do you think you'll take it further?

Wow, that's not on, I'd be tempted to speak to the head.

My DD is only 6 and I got told off for missing one night of reading last week...ONE night! We do it every night...and she was far to tired on the night we missed it so I wrote in her book..and the teacher wrote a cross note back!

Still, better than a teacher who does not care.

Yes I suppose it is Shanahans.

I would speak to the head or complain but I've already been marked as a 'difficult parent' as last year there was some bullying issues with DD and I was in there complaining regularly!

I think I'll just buy the book from the internet and ask for the one DD has written in back. :)

Yeah I immediately thought that teacher doesn't have kids! She's being totally unrealistic about the amount you can get done in an evening.

Expensive books like that are a con. If you want to help your DD then all you need to do is:
make sure she knows her times tables absolutely off by heart (choose one a week and batter it to death)
practice some addition strategies with her (bridging through ten etc - if you're not sure about this I can explain)
Make sure she is absolutely clear on how to multiply and divide (you'd be shocked at how many yr6 pupils are wobbly on this, and how much is impacts on their SATs).

totally inappropriate for the teacher to speak to you like that and to mention the expense of the book. There's no reason why she can't do the book in school - lots of schools do that book and toe by toe in school with a TA or helper. If she is going to rely on parents to do that job then she needs to accept that sometimes life will get in the way and take into account the other homework she has.

Doesn't sound like a very good role model.