Maths teacher called my Ds a pain in the arse.

[dingit]

Granted, he can be.
He met my Dd on Friday, and said 'I teach your brother, he is the pain in my arse. '

Is it just me that thinks that that is totally unprofessional?

I think it was probably a joke. If he really had major issues with your child, I doubt he would have actually said it. Secondary teachers are generally open and relaxed and interact on a more adult level with their students and can say things that primary teachers would never say.

There was a maths teacher at my school who was equally as open with parents, only he was a horror, he would berate, bully and harass pupils, yes, we learned in his class, but out of get of being the one singled out, not out of any willingness.

I know there are people who think learning, no matter how it is achieved is worth it, but when you have a month of being laughed at, bullied and verbally massacred by both adults and pupils it makes for a dire school experience.

I guess what I am saying is that in itself a comment like the one discussed by the op is fairly harmless and innocuous, but coupled with a drastic change in behaviour and attitude (if it is this subject alone) would indicate to me that there may be something other than teenage laziness or attitude going on.

"I think he is lazy and he has a poor teacher. If I had handed in some of the work he has handed in, unanswered questions, no ruler or compass used, I would have been made to do it again."

If the teacher doesn't make him do it again, why don't you?

We didn't make him do it again as we didn't have the work/ questions, that's why we batted it back to teacher. However we do have test paper, which my DH will do over holidays with him.

Yesterday Ds found out he will have different teacher next year, I know her ( she has been there since I was at the school!) so hopefully we will have better communication.

If you didn't have the work/questions, how did he do the homework?

No, it was class work that was incomplete/ a mess, I picked up on it when flicking through his book, the teacher had red pen comments on it.

I guess I would not be upset by his comment to dd if there had not been issues through the year! Time to put it behind us and start afresh me thinks!

"So you think your ds should have been made to do the poorly presented work again, rather than getting a bad grade and learning from that?"

The bad grade isn't going to matter that much to lots of kids whereas being made to do it again is a pain, immediately, and far more likely to be responded to by doing it better the very next time.

Unless there's actually some consequence to getting a bad grade (which would be another way of doing it), if there even is a grade rather than just a tick and a comment, then how is that going to push them to do better next time?

There needs to be some immediate consequence for untidy and incomplete work whether it comes from the parents or the teacher, IMO.

Ageofextremes that is exactly what I was trying to say to the teacher! But he just wasn't buying it, he seemed to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder! I'm under the impression that many of the staff are not happy at the academy, they certainly have a fast staff turn over!

its the tiniest, tiniest bit unprofessional but no big deal- it seems to have been a lighted hearted comment.

Even the calmest, most sensible teacher may say something along those lines over their career.

Its good that you accept your kid is not always an angel- not all parents are willing to.

My son was 'a TOTAL PITA" but he's grown up to be a great guy. :)

I know of a teacher who called a child a dipstick in the playground a few years ago.

Child went home. Dipstick got turned into something v different, d and h. (something your neck holds up)

Parents came in all guns blazing. Steam, fiery breath, about 6 on the Richter Scale.

Witnesses sought. All aged 12.

Parents foreign. Teacher explained 'dipstick' was term of endearment. Not understood. How could anyone call their children something used to measure oil in a car engine??? noooo nooo, must have been Richard's Head.

Teacher exasperated. Went home. Found a box set of only fools and horses with Del Boy calling Rodney a 'dip stick'.

Exhibit A next morning. BBC boxed set produced. Parents recalled. All guns blazing.... "what is zeeeee only foools y hooorrssseeeeees"

dvd played but just at the bit where Del Boy calls Rodney "you plonker".... ahhhhhh wrong bit!

"what is zeeee plonker meansssss?"

More exasperation. Ahhhh You Tube. Type in 'Rodney you dip stick'. Bingo.

I mean seriously, what a waste of time. Now in all fairness, I didn't hear Del Boy go "Rodney, you are a right pain in the ar**" but at least there's no confusion. States just what it says on the tin. Or butt.

Doubt it would come up in the Christmas Special repeat.