Let’s do a new “things parents have blamed teachers for “

[Theos]

I’ll start. ALL MENTAL HEALTH. Our fault.
all lost items - our fault.

This is the major problem for me.

I've had parents actually email me "research" on why you shouldn't correct children's behaviour.

Can we stop pretending that all disruptive behaviour is the result on SEN please? I have a neurodiverse child who just wants to learn and is fed up with other kids twatting around in lessons making it hard for him to concentrate.

I actually agree financial skills should be taught. Makes total sense to me. I don’t blame teachers obviously, but I’d rather finance be covered on the curriculum than some other topics.

Not a positive thread and needlessly divisive and inflammatory. Especially ill-timed given that teachers are striking tomorrow and most would want parents to understand that they are doing so to support children's education, not to attack it.

Parents, please believe that these snidey comments do not represent all teachers any more than the teacher bashing ones represent all parents.

Not the teachers, but I think the school system is garbage and I guess I do blame it for a lot of the problems that kids face. I think that it prepares kids to pass exams, crushes the spirit of anynone either highly academic or not at all academic, no room for other talents and interests. Makes potentially interesting topics dull and to be rote learned for a test. Very narrow cocneption of what success looks like.

Teachers themselves do a good job. Not their fault that they have to follow a curriculum and teach 200 different kids a week.

I don't understand why we as a society have got to a point where people can make utterly ridiculous statements like this and not be put firmly in their place. Schools can't operate unless there is good order. Nobody can learn if their mistakes aren't pointed out to them.

And yes, obviously, teachers should be fair and good at apologising when they get something wrong. But this thead is really about unreasonable parents.

How fortunate you are if you don't know what anxiety is. How unfortunate for the children you teach and their families.

Ah, fuck, I forgot about the strikes.

I actually now think that the timing of this post is non-accidental, and the purpose of it is to make parents feel resentful towards teachers. Good luck with the strike efforts, to those who are teachers.

After 8 weeks of teaching said student, they hadn't learnt anything in all the years they had been at the school. It was my fault.
Said student was supposedly a slow learner (despite no diagnosis of SEND being in record and school is quite hot on getting appropriate provision for such students). No noticeable signs of SEND, but presenting a total lack of motivation and effort.
I taught a new topic today (but related to other skills). Student spent my explanation colouring in their hands, despite me speaking to them quietly several times, then went on to say they didn't know what to do. This behaviour is depressingly common.
🤷🏻‍♀️

I agree this post is in bad spirit.

yes some parents are unreasonable and teachers must get frustrated. However some teachers are awful and some are great and sometimes parents get frustrated with teachers or the education system.

I think if you’re a teacher and you’re that sneery and negative about children and parents then you need to get out of teaching, like many others have. Must be miserable feeling this way.

I've been reading this thread with interest but wasn't going to comment (as I'm not a teacher) until I saw this post.

I received corporal punishment (the cane) twice in secondary school - just before it was banned. Once for sticking my tongue out at the head teacher, and once for internal truancy (stayed in the toilets one lesson as I couldn't face going to my lesson. I know times have changed but I certainly wouldn't class that as child abuse.

The treatment I was receiving at home however (the reason why I couldn't face my lesson) certainly was child abuse and led to my removal.

I absolutely don't know how teachers today put up with so much crap - either from the students or their parents - I take my hat off to you all!

That their 6 year old can't wipe his own bum because we haven't taught him how.

For the exact same reason so many teachers can't see that they are failing to engage and motivate children in their classrooms 🙄

The problem is not just the new generation, that most parents and employers of young adults are trying their best to positively adapt to and learn about them and what makes them tick.

The era of the belt, weak employment laws, parents smacking children and children/young adults living in fear (we are kidding ourselves that it was respect) of parents, teachers or employers has long passed, it needs to be replaced with something, something from parents, teachers and employers. Not one single group has the answer or bears the blame.

This thread is in such poor taste on a parenting site and does the public perception of teachers ability to adapt no favours.

Seriously? Surely they toilet trained them prior to starting school?

I was flabbergasted the other day when someone pitched the idea that schools should.teach basic car maintenance. My first thought was, anything else u want us to do?

Teachers are parents too!

Water safety! Cause you teach that in a classroom!

But why is this a bad idea? Primary schools already teach cooking and sewing and that wood making thing, why not car maintenance? Why not financial, economic and legal topics? It wouldn't be in addition. I would happily trade at least some of the geography, RE, chemistry, art, drama, etc. for some of these subjects.

To label it is to continue to stigmatise.

Making their child do a mock GCSE exam "what's the point? It's just a practice! He's not doing it". Righto then Mr X but don't blame me (again) when he gets a 3 (again).

I worked as a TA in a mainstream, fairly challenging secondary school for 14yrs - teaching is a fucking hard job and there was about 10% of excellent teachers I worked with - inspiring, bright (not necessarily academically), sometimes charismatic, sometimes not but always had brilliant crowd control skills, were enthusiastic about their subject and had the utmost respect of most of the kids (good & bad) - a lot were adequate and hardworking but could not crowd control and about 10% should not have not been employed. That being said, teens are massively affected not just by their parents (yes there are shocking ones but also struggling ones and some staff should not assume to know or judge what, quite often, they know fuck-all about) but wider society and the horrible pressures therein. All schools should have a branch of Police, SS and MH services on site at all times these days so teachers can focus and excel on what they are paid to do. I also have DS25, DD20 & DD16 who were all bright but had anarchic moments - they all did well on paper and were all different. I always tried to show a united front between school and home even when (rarely) I wildly disagreed but parents are a mixed bunch and school always has been and always will be only suited to certain personality types.

I support the strikes btw 👍

Can I ask OP, and all you teachers on this thread. Would you like to be able to properly clamp down on behaviour? Genuine question, I'm interested. If you could actually bring your classes into line, kinda zero tolerance like the old days, do you think things would be better?

Yes. I think a lot of kids have literally no idea what it's even like to be in lessons that aren't persistently disrupted. The amount and quality of learning list week-in week-out across the country would be staggering if you could actually calculate it. Zero tolerance of disruption doesn't have to equal a lack of compassion towards students who have genuine reasons for being disruptive. But you need more money to employ more staff to supervise and deal with students who need to be removed from class. And SLT who actually support their staff. I'm lucky - I work in an excellent school with few behaviour problems and very supportive SLT.

Absolutely no way!
but I would like to see parents take responsibility for their dcs behaviour and teach their children to respect their teachers and follow the school rules.
it’s a lot to ask I know

What do you seek from this thread? If you hate parents so much, why are you a teacher? Because kids come with parents more often than not.

I always tried to show a united front between school and home even when (rarely) I wildly disagreed

definitely this! If my child comes home with a complaint that, tbh, I agree with - I still tell them tough, suck it up and do as your teacher says, and then contact the school quietly to question it.