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Pedants' corner
Original poster

Teacher at school sent a message saying "should of". WWYD?

37 replies

QueenThora · 26/01/2014 14:01

It's hard for me to be subjective because this teacher (not my own DC teacher) is initiating a new activity for the whole school that seems to be badly organised and is causing a hassle.

So I was already kind of annoyed with them already, but getting a parentmail with a correction to their previous mailing, saying "In my last letter x should of been y" has pushed me over the edge.

I get on well with the school, have a good relationship with them, and am not known for kicking up a fuss. Do I say anything? Although I am a pedant, I'm not a total stickler. I realise mistakes with punctuation etc. can happen and I generally let them go – but "should of" suggests ongoing ignorance, not a slip-up.

OP posts:
Original poster
QueenThora · 26/01/2014 14:02

I have just spotted my obligatory pedant post mistake - always has to happen. Two alreadys. Blush

OP posts:
MuttonCadet · 26/01/2014 14:04

I think you should send a message back to the teacher pointing out the error, but don't mention it to anyone else.

ShatnersBassoon · 26/01/2014 14:04

It could have been someone other than the teacher who typed up the letter for sending out and accidentally changed the original wording, and it slipped through without being checked.

I wouldn't bother saying anything unless I was trying to embarrass the teacher.

HamletsSister · 26/01/2014 14:04

I think she / he should be shot, lose their job and die disgraced and alone. And I am not being sarcastic. I am a total pedant. However, I think you have to focus on what matters to your child. Is this teacher teaching them a English / Writing? Is this the PE teacher? Was the letter addressed to you, in which case, annoying but not damaging.

I would write to the HT and suggest that letters to parents are checked with care as they let the school down by creating the impression that language does NOT matter when they are teaching lessons where, presumably, it does.

I feel your pain.

RightRoyalPainInTheArse · 26/01/2014 14:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Enb76 · 26/01/2014 14:06

Could've, would've, should've.

MomentForLife · 26/01/2014 14:11

Well, I know how you feel. I've read several comments in DD's reading record such as 'needs to read non fiction to' and the corker of 'check it makes sence'.

I don't think I'd correct them though, too much of a wimp.

Sunflower49 · 26/01/2014 14:19

That would drive me absolutely NUTS!!! I would have to say something!!

knickernicker · 26/01/2014 14:23

Momentforlife - that's shocking. I would complain.

VivienStanshall · 26/01/2014 14:24

I explained to somebody at length (politely) after repeated "of"s in texts. I think she didn't believe me as she continued texting the same way.

It was harder than you'd think to answer the question why it wasn't "of".

zestypears · 26/01/2014 14:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MomentForLife · 26/01/2014 14:34

I know knicker. To be fair I've probably made it sound worse than it is, it has been various students or helpers that have done it, not the actual teachers.

I noticed when I was on fb that a vast majority of people use 'should of' etc.

ToffeeOwnsTheSausage · 26/01/2014 14:41

Should of seems to be replacing should have. Dumbing down and it needs stopping.

MotherIsTheBestBet · 26/01/2014 14:41

I've given up with this sort of thing. Dd's headmistress used the word "terrible" as an adverb the other day. And it was in the context of a discussion about pupils' spelling and grammar.

Original poster
QueenThora · 26/01/2014 18:33

Thanks everyone! "Should of" is taking over in some contexts, and as my DP helpfully points out Hmm it will probably become standard and therefore correct usage eventually. However, I don't see it a lot on MN, where writing standards are really good, and I don't think it's acceptable for a primary school teacher to use it in school communications.

It's not a PE teacher, it's a class teacher (of a different class) who seems to have come up with this pet project that everyone is required to take part in. My DC's year is P4 but it affects the whole school and the mailing went to all parents.

I'm pretty sure even if I don't say something, 200 other parents will (it's that kind of school! - not private but a lot of academic/lawyer/teacher parents). I'm so irritated though!

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Theimpossiblegirl · 26/01/2014 18:49

Be thankful it wasn't shoulda.
:)

jamtoast12 · 26/01/2014 18:59

Really you would all talk the the school about this?! Clearly just a mistake - reactions a bit ott I think!

LibraryBook · 26/01/2014 19:02

Change schools.

ToffeeOwnsTheSausage · 26/01/2014 19:08

How is it a mistake jamtoast12? It is wrong.

TheReluctantCountess · 26/01/2014 19:12

Could it have been a member of admin staff that sent it?

Sthlonmum · 26/01/2014 19:16

Tell the school. Any letters going out reflect the whole school and all schools should be teaching children that punctuation, spelling and grammar are important. It infuriates me when we get newsletters home from my DC's school with errors. How difficult is it to proof read them?

joanofarchitrave · 26/01/2014 19:19

I don't think I would be able to bring myself to raise it with the school. However, I might find a specious excuse to write to that particular teacher with a lot of 'could have' phraseology.

rockybalboa · 26/01/2014 19:27

Our recent school newsletter had a lovely bold heading at the top of the covering letter from the head about the sister school's excellent academic performance in some league table or other. Except it said "preformance". I had to virtually sit on my hands to resist firing off a corrective email. But as I was mid email exchange with the school ranting about something else I just let it go. Preformance can't even be put down to a spell check mishap. I appreciate the head probably didn't type it herself but I would have thought things like that would be checking before sending via Parentmail.

Original poster
QueenThora · 27/01/2014 10:14

That's the thing, I don't think it's just a mistake. I can deal with a typo, anyone can mistype something – it should really be checked but I understand that they're busy.

But "should of" isn't something you accidentally type - you type it because you think that's what the right usage really is - you think the phrase that is generally pronounced "should uv" is written "should of" when it is in fact "should have" - completely different (or as someone said you can write "should've"). That worries me because it suggests that teacher will be teaching their class that.

Also it very much seemed to come directly from the teacher, saying "in my previous email" - though it's possible they gave a handwritten note to office staff who typed it up wrong.

Therefore I will not be storming into the school to complain, but maybe the calm private letter is a possibility.

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prism · 27/01/2014 15:05

I'm feeling really guilty now. Years ago I had a girlfriend who wrote "could of", etc, and had quite bad spelling and grammar. And... she was a primary school teacher; a very good one in other respects. I wonder if I should have said something? Since the relationship was doomed anyway I might as well have incurred her wrath for the sake of education. Mind you, how she got through all that teacher training saying "should of" does make the mind boggle a bit.