New teacher - apparently ' a bit weird'?

[fluffyhamster]

Not quite sure what to make about this.

The DC are at juniors and they have various teachers. There is a new male teacher whom they both get, at different times, for a couple of lessons. He is new this term.

They have both, separately, described him as a 'bit weird' but haven't really been able to explain why/what they mean.

Today DS2 was off sick. Apparently this teacher asked where he was, was told DS wasn't in, then said, "Perhaps he's dead?"
This was to a bunch of 10 year olds.

One of DSs friends was a bit shocked and told DS1, and asked him is DS2 was really OK.

AS I say, I don't quite know what to make of this. I feel slightly uneasy - especially as the kids seem to both have a sense of something they don't like?

I'm with pixie

its suprising how many people look like someone has just streaked when gecko mentions daddy is dead and in the stars

so much shock because they feel that noone should mention it

I was accused of traumatising a "cold caller" who asked if she could speak to my husband to which I replied are you planning a seance?

guess I'm weird too

I think a lot of my teachers at school were weird. Now I know parents, who are teachers and a lot of them are weird. My best friend is a teacher and she is a bit odd. I'm not sure if the pressure of the job makes them weird or the slightly unusual are drawn to teaching - either way I wouldn't be too worried!

I'm weird

But I'm a woman though, so I think that's probably better

Oh dear. I am laughing like a lunatic at "perhaps he's died" and the idea that kids might dissolve in the rain.

Does this make me weird? Do I need reporting to someone?

slinks off under stone to continue appalling weirdness out of sight of civilised people

I am wierd, I prefer eccentric and most of the colleagues who are known as excellent teachers tend to have their odd moments. I have often wondered if it is the job that does it or were we all that way to begin with. I suspect it is a bit of both.

activate I was eye rolling too

and my three girls lost their dad last year, they would have got the joke

Sorry Pixie I'm female I'm afraid

just wondering how you got on fluffyhamster. did you meet him?
(really I just want to hear his latest joke!)

My 11 year old would have found that really funny.

I would ask to meet the teacher so you can gauge him for yourself.

I've been known to go in to "introduce my self" to teachers.

Hello - OP back here.....

Well... it seems that my kids have sound judgement... he IS weird...

Met him after a football match and he was doing the 'being funny' thing with all the kids - cracking jokes, being chummy, pulling mock-punches..... acting like the 'favourite uncle' who turns up at Xmas!

All the kids were rolling their eyes, and looking at him pityingly...

He just seemed a bit of a goofball really - trying too hard to be 'friendly'.

I expect he'll settle down....

Harmless otherwise....

"All the kids were rolling their eyes, and looking at him pityingly..."

Blimey, how do primary age kids get so jaded?? I find that quite sad.

But I bet they'll love him by half term.

We had a weird teacher like that at 2ndary school - he thought he was blindingly funny, unfortunately his 'jokes' invariably fell totally flat. I think (though of course they never said so as such) that the other staff members found him rather hard work too.

He was a perfectly competent teacher, btw - just, well, a bit weird, and you wouldn't have wanted to sit next to him in the pub - but perfectly harmless .

I like him even more now! Glad to hear your worst fears have been assuaged.

The kids sound quite rude

My daughters think that every single one of their teachers is 'weird' - it goes with the job. I am a teacher and am deffo 'a bit weird' - am sure my pupils would agree: in fact, I know they do!!!

If I saw my child rolling his eyes and looking pityingly at a teacher, he would be grounded for a weeki!

Exactly Seeker - that's what parents are for!

...except when the parent agrees the teacher is weird.

Op I really think instead if confirming their unkind labelling of this man you should use the opportunity to teach them that we're all different and someone behaving in a way that is different to you does not make them weird.

The eye-rolling wasn't AT him - it was to parents, as if to say, "there you go - that's what we meant.."

10-11 year old boys are quite savvy - they spot when someone is being 'false'.

I did say that that they need to cut him some slack and give him a chance to settle in.

He's a bit of a black-slapper/hair-ruffler, which my sone doesn't like though....

"The eye-rolling wasn't AT him - it was to parents, as if to say, "there you go - that's what we meant.."

Hmmm - my ds would be grounded for a week for that too.