How many Mums are dissatisfied with their DCs primary school?

[CrosswordAddict]

There seem to be a lot of dissatisfied Mums on MN and primary schools seem to be particularly disappointing. Any strong views? And if so, how can Mnetters become a force for change/improvement?

I'm not too worried about dd in terms of reading as it is easy for me to support her at home in this - it's some of the other children I am more concerned about.

As to the happiness, I'm not sure yet. The classroom atmosphere doesn't seem great, and the kids do seem surprisingly critical of each other for 4 & 5 year olds.

jenandberry - erm....no. you clearly have no opinion and wanted to take a potshot. Yes, lessons are planned before lunch, but resources need to be found, work marked etc.. and no, other teachers will not help change books. They are far too busy sorting out their own problems.

Personally, I think its the parents that have the awful attitude. Some think that we have to be perfect at all times....we are not alowed an off day and forget to mark the homework...or god forbid miss place little johnnies jumper (I hate when parents expect me to keep tabs on 30 childrens jumpers...)

I do feel for you re the jumpers etc. It is amazing how few parents label their kids' clothes in dd's class - a complete nightmre at PE time.

Zephirine - I have actually been yelled at for not being able to find a jumper....

Of course she's planned the lesson jenandberry. She has to find and sort out resources for the sfternoon. If I'm doing an afternoon of history and need photographs photocopied and put onto tables, learning targets stuck into books and glue sticks putting out, I have to do it myself. They don't just fly magically into the classroom you know. This is on top of the marking I also have to do. (You do realise by the way that teachers are not paid to work in their lunch breaks and T.A.s mostly finish at 12.30?)
Which other teacher would have time to help with this? They are sorting out their own class. What an awful attitude you have towards the people who are trying to nurture your children!

I teach myself and have never found that parents expect me to be perfect , or anyone else for that matter. I do however get all my resources ready at the start of the day because we work with children and something will always happen at lunch.

There can be a one off when children do not receive their reading books - although surely it would only be a delay of a day. But it should not be a regular occurence.

I think the way that you talk about parents is unnaceptable and gives us all a bad name.

Thanks Major for that!!
My TA does lunch duty as well...so i have even less time with her!!

I teach myself so I do know that we are not paid to work breaks and lunchtimes, but we are a profession that is not paid by the hour.

Are you seriously teling me jenandberry - you get all of your resources - for 5 lessons sorted at the start of the day? Your lessons can't be that heavily resourced....

Are you telling me that all the parents of the children you teach are perfect, supportive and non-judgemental? wow!!

What do you teach jen? How do you manage to get paint/paper ready and on the table at the start of the day when you have to teach numeracy/literacy and do a guided reading session too?
Also I am sick of the way there are at least ten threads a day telling teachers how shit they are, but when we try to defend ourselves, we are accused of being the very lowest of the low!

Just to explain jenandberry
"Surely your lesson is already planned before your lunch."
Yes it is planned, but it can take ages clearing up from the previous session and getting the resources out.

"Surely another teacher or TA would help you sort out the books."
If only! They all have their own work to do. Most of us eat our lunch while working already, so asking them to skip doing something for their class to help me with my workload is just not on. We don't eactly have many TAs and they are not paid over lunchtime so most go home.

Add to that I'm "on call" all lunchtime and reguarly get called to a child that is upset, is struggling to eat their lunch, wet themselves, etc. my feet don't seem to touch the ground at the best of times, so when I'm a TA down it gets very stressful.

Are people who complain about primary schools really complaining about the teachers do you think? Or has been said here, the fact that because the teachers are so busy teaching classes that are too big, it impacts on their ability to perhaps spend time giving more individual attention that parents would like for their children?

My dd is in reception and I have no complaints. Her teacher seems like a very nice, highly skilled and professional woman.

I'm not going to start a thread about it, am I?

I'm very supportive of teachers as a profession, but I think some on this thread are perhaps taking it a little too personally. Presumably you also know of colleagues who are crap at their jobs - there's bound to be some - and any criticism of them shouldn't be taken as a criticism of you.

I don't think MN as a whole is over-critical of teachers. Health visitors - now, they get slaughtered

Yes I do, as do most of the teachers I work with. I am now on SLT so have a less busy timetable in terms of contact time. But even when I had a full timetable I came in early to get everything ready. It makes the day flow and it would be an absolute miracle if I was not needed somewhere at lunch.

Most of our staff are running coaching sessions, revision classes, extra curricular clubs or on duty at lunch so they tend to either get everything ready at the end of the day or first thing in the morning.

No the parents are nor perfect they are on the whole supportive though. Even when I have taught in schools with less supportive c

Ha, yes v true re HVs.

Evolucy: the latter, absolutely

Well yes it obviously impacts evolucy. I would love a smaller class so that I could actually get to grips with the needed learning of the 12 children on IEPs in my class, but other parents don't see this, they are focused solely on the needs of their child.
Don't get me wrong I do understand this, I have kids myself, but rather than being frankly terribly judgemental, disrepectful and downright rude to teachers, maybe it would be helpful to start a thread asking for teacher's opinions rather than one saying 'how can we all get together to complain'!

I acually don't know any colleagues crap at ther jobs...I have a lot of teacher friends both primary and secondary and all are very dedicated members of the profession.

I did take it personally - your right hester!

sorry the cat made me jump and I pressed post. I meant to say even when I taught in schools with less supportive catchments I never felt the need to make sweeping judgements about the parents.

The sweeping judgements are my major issue tbh. We all have odd days where we do not manage to get things done.

Of course I rush in at 8.55am each morning jen

I think jenandberry teaches secondary...

That is not how I read the OP at all.

Liby, As a TA I understand how hard and demanding your job is but you ate coming across very aggressively. There are some shit parents but their are many good ones too. Do you have school aged children yourself?

Liby, I think it's a shame that you sound fed up with your job as I can't see how that doesn't rub off on parents and children alike. I can see what you're getting at with 30 reading books that might need changing (it's one reason I pay for my children to be in classes of 12, where they get books as and when they need them). I imagine you also come across some rotten parents. But still.

Are you sure it's inadequate parenting that means that children start school unable to talk properly? I'd think too much time in nursery might well have that effect.

I have not called anyone shit, I have said that I do not thinnk teachers should be making sweeping judgements about parents on a parenting site.

Do you not think OP came across aggressively - "Lets gang up and complain" start to this?

No - I haven't any children. I lurk on the primary formum to see what parents are saying. It helps to give me an insite into what parents think.