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

Rowler- Sorry to be pedantic but I actually didn't refer to teacherS as silly cows. I referred to ONE particular teacher as a silly cow, based on a description of her behaviour that, in my opinion, was consistent with that label, used in a sweeping and tongue-in-cheek sense, at least. A later post on that teacher's subsequent behaviour has done little to sway my opinion, I must say. I believe I'm entitled to state that opinion and was particularly keen to do so as I'm very fond of the poster who posed the problem and am in no doubt whatsoever of her commitment to strong boundaries and good education for her children. Was it just my flippant language you objected to or have you genuinely never met a teacher you didn't admire?

I think Mears (for example) realises that when Mnetters criticise cruel or incompetent midwives they have encountered that this has nothing to do with her - because it hasn't.

Message withdrawn

Makes a lot of sense to me, Yorkiegirl. And I'm about to embark on a social work course so I'm not totally unsympathetic to the difficulties of being a member of a mumsnet pariah profession.

i think it's a real shame that hmb and others have taken threads about teachers personally.

i can understand that it may feel like they are getting a kicking, but they are not. this is a parenting website!! there are going to be parents on it that are pissed off with specific schools/teachers and just as we allow (encourage?) mums (and dads and caregivers) to vent and let off steam (within reason) about hospitals and doctors and hv's and estate agents and other parents and shop assitants, same goes for teachers surely?

it seems from their posts that the teachers on mn are extremely good at their jobs, caring and professional. no one is having a go at them are they???

I was at a cash point the other day and saw this old guy and felt like a 6 year old again and said, "excuse me...it's Mr Pickering isn't it??"
It was my infant teacher. I hadn't seen him in 23-24 years and i said my name and he actually remembered me and my sisters and named a few of my classmates from that time saying that he still has class pictures
I remember SO much about his class, about how he let the girls line up behind one another at story time to do each others hair, how we all lined up at Christmas to give him a Christmas kiss and even a story i wrote in his class.
I think, not only do we look to teachers to teach our children, but for me also, they are forming a huge chunk of my childs childhood days memories.

As i've said though, i couldn't have WISHED for better nursery teachers, they are fantastic!

Message withdrawn

Yorkiegirl, you MUST, it's part of your job.

suew, your last sentence is spot on

SOCIAL WORK scummy?????????? Good god what on EARTH possessed you. I've really admired you up to now!!!! (SW win my award for being the most ineffectual bunch of losers I have come across- I have yet to find one I think is any good although there must be some somewhere!- Acutally I did meet one 2 years ago who was quite good and helped me with DLA- I do suspect a lot of their inability to act though is caused by underfunding and understaffing).

Was that a bit strong? Sorry not having a good time with SW atm! Ah well person first- I'll still respect your opinion scummy

That's the problem isn't it SueW- she'll be unable to do her job properly as the system is so crap. I have just remembered another good SW I met, she was great- did a lot - but got so frustrated with the system that she left!

Last time I had a SW in the house I dropped ds2 on his head in front of her! God knows what she said about my parenting back at the office

Aww, I hope she comes back soon. I can relate to how she feels too. It has been flagged up time and time again that people seem to make a lot of blanket statements on here, generalise and clumping groups together, usually negative ones at that. You know the sort I mean. I work in healthcare and I find it very hard when people say that people in healthcare don't care etc. I will often try and pick up on that and point out that it is an unfair comment. Not only does it create negative expectations for others reading, but it also devalues the work that so many do do out there, in all sorts of areas of work/life etc. I also try not to take it personally, because I know that (unless the story sounds familiar!!) it was not me they are really having a go at. They are just venting, and that is partly why the website is here, and people in teaching, social, healthcare and many different positions are likely to be complained about here.

It would be nice if, though instead of saying 'No primary school teachers understand my children' etc, we tried not to generalise and made it specific and appropriate, like 'None of my childs primary school teachers seem to understand them'. Does anyone get what the hell I'm on about? I think a lot of offence might be saved by this and may be Hmb might be tempted back?! Here's hoping!

LOL Jimjams. I suspected you might not be too impressed and am v touched that you are willing to try the person first approach even in the face of this news. You are a star.

sophable- maybe the reason hmb and others take criticism so personally is because the teaching profession takes a good kicking from every quarter- not MN in particular but the media is always having a dig, a lot of parents have a go... the list goes on and on. It's a thankless job most of the time, one for which we had to go to University at our own expense for 4 (some 5) years, we have to put in more hours than a lot of people realise and quite frankly it's not the easy job some people think it is. We come home from work tired, having been battling with other people's kids' issues/the system etc etc etc all day. we leave our own kids to do this because we can't really afford to stay at home. and then we get criticised all over again... that's why hmb has taken it personally- it feels personal at times (even though it may not appear like that to the poster)

I think we do know that most posts are nmot aimed directly at us. BUT some do get very personal. There were a couple of threads at least last year that got VERY personal and did directly offend. The MN team had to get involved in one of these at least. That's why some of the teachers on here get fed up with the teacher bashing.

Message withdrawn

agree completely SueW. Mum (community nurse) did tell me that there were new recommendations brought in which meant that every little decision had to go through meetings. So far my experience with SS is exactly as you describe. Got fairly deperate so rang them. Told they were in a meeting and they would ring me back that day. They didn't - rang me back 2 days later leaving a message on my answer phone saying I was nothing to do with them (they were the disabled children's services ffs- so who should I have been ringing). Got given another number to ring, was told they were in a meeting and would ring me back- they didn't- rang back the next day, was told I should be talking to the disabled children's section- pointed out they'd already referred me onto these people. They then visited me (when I dropped ds2 on his head).. Said yes I needed help, but no they knew nothing about direct payments and they were far too busy to organise it anyway (I had asked for a care assessment which apparently should be carried out with a statutory 7 days- this was back in June- still hasn't been done). I then decided dealing with trying to get help from them was far more stressful than actually getting on with it myself. Since then they have sent me an application form for a playscheme for children with physical disabilities aged between 8 and 13. DS1 has no physical problems and is aged 5. And they have phoned me 3 times to ask whether he gets DLA (yes higher rate care and mobility) and to aks me twice whether he will be having a statement (has had one for over a year and has full time support at school). Aaaggggghhh

Ooh that feels better. Scummy I hope it goes well for you- a friend of a friend has just trained and I know she is finding the backlog and system very hard

Actually scummy can you please come and work down here- then I would have someone sane and sensible to ring And I could start threads titled 'aren't ss wonderful"

ks- yes i do get that high when things go right- that's why i'm still in the job. The majority of the kids are lovely and I love my job when I'm dealing with them.
The other night I saw a girl who I teach- she has a horrific background and is in foster care but has really 'taken' to me and was devastated when I went off on maternity leave last year. Anyway she came up to me in town the other night to see my dd and to introduce her little sister to me- its those kids that make the job. despite the background- and boy has she had it evil- she is a gem.