canw eall take it easy on slagging off teachers at the moment

[codswallop]

hmb abd I a re getting really pissed off with it! and she has flounced

Sorry poppyseed - if you go back and read some of the past educationt hreads you will find that they can get way more than a little heated, and that sadly individuals have been personally attacked, and the profession as a whole is often rubbished. Sad but true

I am glad this thread has been started. Like popsy, I avoided posting on education threads for a while after certain other threads occured in the past. Instead I moderate them and try and keep out. I have recently decided to start posting again - start of term and all that maybe!

Whilst I see nothing wrong at all in complaining or whinging about certain thinsg that have happened at your child's school or with a particular experience you have I don't really think it is acceptable to have a public slagging off of all teachers and education so regularly.

Let's face it, as teachers we don't come on here and keep telling parents (as a whole) what abad job they are doing in creating some of the "little dears" we are expected to teach, do we?

So, at least for a while, let's all try and keep our posts more structured and focused, eh?

fair point hula

a public slagging off of parents and children
that would go down well wouldnt it....

Popsy - how come you are on here? You neglecting your pupils????????????? !

BTW Pospy - had class from hell. Used the typing thing as a setller. Worked a treat. Thanks Had LEA guy in too to come and see. Class were much better but still, I think, way too noisy and half dozen of lads still way too disruptive. LEA guy had some difficulites with them as I did so he is going to speak to senior management too - needs discipline policy tighteinging higher up the system. And looks like two of the worst lads wil be going back in tot he Learning Support unit - noghtmare in alltheir lessons by sounds of it so not going to ebe in class soon hopefully. Looking up and not quite as stressed over it. I think we'll get there!

Chandra- the kids DON@T have the right to physically abuse a teacher. I tell you that if a child kicked me or hit me then it would be a matter for the police NOT the school.
Hulababy- did you have that year 9 class today- is that the one you're talking about in your post?

Hmm, the reason there are a lot of education post atm is because it is the beginning of term. I don't personally agree that people should be censored on MN from discussing the issues that matter to them about their children.

i didn't tell you about the french teacher that went out of her way to tell me that my daughter was excellent in class, she uses french whenever she can etc etc. and how nice that teacher was to go out of her way to phone me and let me know this - how lovely this woman must be to want to tell the parents good things as we so often only hear from the school between parents evenings about the bad things - if we hear anything at all.

i didn't post that thread but i wanted to - why not... becuase one time it was taken as bragging - rather than a mum being proud and i never experienced anything so hurtful for a long time as i did with that thread ( and a couple of others around the same time instigated by a coward behind a pseudonym - who wasn't very clever about it really).

mumsnet is a place to ask advice - if things go right at school ( or anywhere) - you dont ask advice. i certainly dont feel confident enough to post - a "look how good my kid is thread" as i do a " help me with my kids" thread. but when other posters do and they are recieved well i am delighted - however they do not balance the other threads becuase the nature of mumsnet is to ask advice or comments on ones own situation.

i haven't read a thread that says all teachers are shit or even infers it. i have never come across a mumsnetter who isn't intelligent and therefore i think they know the value of teachers as do i. however if we maintain a stance of not questioning professionals like teachers and doctors when we thought things were not right or unfair then i think we may be in a bit of a pickle. i have questions and value mumsnet for being able to help me answer those questions with differing views helping me form a balanced opinion. this then leads to an education topic dominated by mums wanting to ask questions of the education system and the people it employs - which in turn if took all together could lead someone to think mnetters are raging anti - teachers or education.

i dont remember a lot of names off mumsnet as there are so many but HMB was one i did remember becuase she always answered honestly and kindly and articulatley, therefore i valued her opinions greatly. although its too late for me to say that now, i will try in future to remember to thank those who have given me advice i have acted on.

pixiefish - yes, that's the one. Will try and report back later after DD is in bed and I have more time. But overall it was an improvement. All you (and HMB and Popsy's) advice were very welcome and put to good use! I'll get there... more later

aloha - no one is saying people should be censorded; just try and stick to the point in question rather than just lumping all teachers/schools together as one. Many times these threads do end up getting personal and that doesn't happen elsewhere so much - just have a look at past education threads to see that.

looking forward to hearing from you later then

Agree with aloha.

But Hula, it works both ways; quite often, teachers also lump parents together and imply that anyone who is angry or upset about an incident is unreasonable or not very understanding about the difficulties of teachers' jobs. Just because someone is annoyed about one thing and is venting on Mumsnet, doesn't mean they're the sort of parents who will rush into school and punch a teacher on the nose, but it sometimes feels as if posters are being talked to as if they are. Perhaps that's why it degenerates into getting personal. But does this really not happen on other threads? And if not, is that just because there aren't so many midwives/ GP's/ HV's etc., on Mumsnet as there are teachers?

I'm not in favour of anyone having a them and us mentality - it doesn't seem to me to be remotely constructive - but I do think that teachers are being over-sensitive. As Aloha has said, it's the beginning of term and lots of kids are starting new schools, so lots of educational issues are coming up. Why shouldn't someone post about something that's bothering them?

meanbean - can you find a post where a teacher has started a thread about a parent>

Can you find one where a parent has started one about a teacher

there are a fair few teachers on here and I don't remember many (if any) where a teacher has had a go at a parent

please do correct me if I am wrong

anyway

Hula - was at home as I had a midwife appointment and last lesson was non-contact and the head told me to work at home since I wasn't needed to cover - so I was typing up lesson plans for next week

Anyway - i too am about to bow out of education threads and have a bit of a break from MN too

Meanbean - as Popsy says, I can't think of any thread on here where a teacher has lumped parents together and said something like "I dont respect any parent..."; "parents all hate homework...."; "all parents don't care...." etc. etc. etc. Its actually usually the opposite - with teachers saying that we need MORE parental involvement in schools.

Over-sensitive???? I don't know. Maybe we are right now. But then look how many threads there are having a bit of a dig recently; and that is ON TOP OF out norml teaching days and woes. Believe me I have one class right now that can have me stressed, depressed and pulling my hair out after one lesson (see last week's thread). Start of term might be stressful for parents, but it is for teachers too (many of whom are parents as well).

Popsycal - not you too....

I think what Meanbean meant was that teachers generally (not just MN ones) can be capable of grouping parents generally (not just MN ones). I've sat in my kids' school staff room and listened whilst the teachers talk very openly about parents and children and their quirks and problems (and not in a constructive way). The Head referred to myself and 2 friends as The Playground Mafia because we asked to see him regarding our childrens' lack of reading in school (first term in year 1 not reading). Another instance is the much hated PTA. I chaired our PTA for 3 years and sat on the committee for about 3 other years. If ever there was a "them" & "us" it was then, the Trustees (who were legally responsible for the assets) were ridiculed and scoffed at for trying to run it efficiently and not just hand the money over like an extra school purse. False breakdowns were handed in for expenses supposedly for a school project and when the Head was informed completely stood by his staff member and said "She wouldn't do that" but at teh same time refused to look at the actual receipts that surfaced.

obviously the parents also talk about other parents in te playground too

have added popsycal to the don't go thread ... don't go popsy

I teach and have been reading the ed threads.
I find it very interesting to read them.
I am a new parent (DD 6 months) so have not seen education from a parents' viewpoint before.
It's fascinating to see what issues are discussed and I welcome the continuation of ed threads.
However, I just find it hard to accept when MNers refer to teachers as (I quote from a recent thread) "silly cow"s etc. And this wasn't even the MNer who started the thread!
I do not feel that teachers deserve preferential treatment.
I know that MN is used for people to let of steam and it's a great forum to do so. May it long continue as a way for parents to let off steam.
Perhaps I'm a bit old-fashioned as I just find a lot of the comments become angry, knee-jerk, aggressive and abusive. I don't think any profession should suffer this!
Also, why should a teacher be slated so for making (maybe) one dodgy / questionable decision? I am certain that in 10 years of teaching, despite my best intentions, I have made mistakes at times. Does this make me a bad teacher? yes, If I don't know I'm making them and continue to make them. If it's a one-off? NO!
And I come back to a point I've made before on other threads - so often the story is completely different when contact has been made with the teacher to find out the full story.
Can I have a glass of wine now please? Where's the bar tonight?

Hulababy - Clearly I should not become involved in these threads either as I haven't got a clue how heated they can be. Beats me how some MNetters can be so personal, perhaps they should direct their opinions to the school in question not 'lame ducks' here. I suppose that's the thing with anonymity, people feel free to slate something that really they know very little about and merely scratch the surface in their contact with it as parents.

I left teaching 5 years ago, pregnant with DD, swearing that I would return but as soon as she appeared life seemed to take on another meaning and so I decided to have time out. Since then we have had DS and I am now beginning to think about returning... To be honest, although people have told me that I will be snapped up (being secondary science and head of sixth) I am starting to question as to whether I actually want the stress that goes with the job, I know that there are easier ways to earn money and have time with the family every evening and weekend. I do not know how you cope all of you working mums in teaching. Just my marking commitment alone would take all night every night (10 sets of 30) and the weekend was prep and admin never mind the sixth form stuff......

I am sorry if I offended anyone with my earlier post, clearly there's more that meets the eye here. Maybe I should stick to the areas of mumsnet that gives real support to me as a parent, like the recipe needed for rice crispy cakes or how to cook sweetcorn - they seem to be much more important to me nowadays!!

When I was teaching I definitely slagged off parents in the staffroom!! (I was teaching 19 year olds- but we certainly had some loopy parents).

I'm sure there are teachers I'm not going to get on with (didn't hit it off that well with ds1's reception teacher- although would be perfectly happy to send any NT child of mine to her). There will also be one's I get on well with- I already have quite a rapport with his year 1 teacher- I think she is fantastic and we are having a meeting (her request) on Friday. Likewise some teachers will like my children (ds1 will definitely be a hot or cold case I'm sure). I don't know quite what ds1's reception teacher thought of him, but I don't think she was that keen - however I know (grapevine) that his year 1 teacher loves him already- he;s that sort of child- people are either fascinated by him and find his weirdness attractive, or they are totally out of tune with him and don't really cope with him, and probably find every minute he is in the classroom difficult. I suspect when ds2 gets to school a much more watered down version of the same sort of thing will happen.

However if I complain about a teacher- I am complaining about a teacher- not a profession. Likewise when I complained about a parent- it was a particular parent. SALTS- I can name you one that I can't stand , 1 I think is wonderful, 1 I think is doing the best she can under tyhe circumstances, and 1 who did her best but was (unfairly) out of her depth. I have seen lots of complaints about individual teachers- which someone may then use to compare a bad exerience they have had- but surely this will happen more about teachers than any other profession as they have more of a direct impact on our daily lives. If you dip into the SN threads you will find that the same thing happens when someone talks about SALT, or the LEA, or Doctors, or SS- a general slagging starts (where people relay individual experiences) as those are experiences we share.

Jimjams - i agree that the way to complain about someone is the way in which you describe. A fair and considered way which doesn't lump a chunk of society into one big group
Anyway

Popsy - and HMB, Pixiefish, and those that help with that Y9 class - update here Thanks again

agree with aloha also. don't see why any particular profession should be considered untouchable on MN - but if there were a group with cause to complain about general slagging IMHO it would be midwives!

hmb, as many others have said here, i hope my kids get teachers as good as you when they go to school.

FWIW (my DS1 has only just started School so haven't had much experience with teachers) all the teachers that I have met so far have been fantastic (even the one that doesn't think the children should bring bikes to School is a really enthusiastic and lovely teacher). I am in awe of anyone who can teach and believe that good teachers are born teachers, really special people.

I think they are worth their weight in gold. I am full of admiration for a profession that must be v trying at times, with little recognition or reward.

Well i answered on the thread about angrymums little boy and agreed that she should talk to THAT teacher about her concerns.
I was also on another thread saying how great dd's nursery teachers are.

I think that one person doing something i don't agree with is just THAT person, not the whole proffesion.
Hope people don't go leaving cause of it.
( Custardo, i find it sad that you didn't feel able (or want to) post about your dd being excellent at French, i personally love proud threads so well done her, )
(LORD knows what they're saying about me in the staffroom everyday as i leave blubbing every morning )