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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Should the teacher have done this?

40 replies

ChelKie · 18/03/2011 15:47

I wanted to get some second opinions on this.

An 8 yr old boy had forgot that it was the class photo day. So most/all of his classmates were all dressed up and polished up and he wasn't. As his teacher told the class to line up to go to the gym where the photo was being taken she called him over to her desk and took out a brush and started to brush his hair which was looking a bit unkempt and telling him how he needed to look more presentable. Then, struggling to tame some hair that was sticking up at the back of his head she took several hair grips and pinned those bits down. After the photograph had been taken it was a lunch break and the boy forgot for a moment about the grips in his hair. When he realized he went back to find her and she had already gone. He ended up having to ask some girls in his class to help him take them out as she had criss crossed some of them which caused him no end of embarrassment as no one had really noticed until that point what the teacher had done.

Should she have taken it on herself to smarten him up a bit? Used the hair grips? Remembered that she should have taken them out after the photo? Or is this much ado about nothing?

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PixieOnaLeaf · 18/03/2011 18:10

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Acanthus · 18/03/2011 18:11

It was kind of her. I can't imagine why you are wound up about this.

Goblinchild · 18/03/2011 18:14

She should have phoned his parents first thing and told them that they ahd two options
A Have their darling's photo taken with him in all his unkempt glory
B Come in and tidy him up.
She shoukd have taped the call as evidence, and given him a 15 minute detention for the inconvenience.

PS Delighted to read so many sensible responses.

Goblinchild · 18/03/2011 18:15

I'm going to turn the lights on, I can't see my keyboard properly, hence spelling errors.

JaneS · 18/03/2011 18:15

Agree it was kind of her. Incidentally, long-haired men have been known to use kirby grips. Of course, it gives the The Gay, but that can't be helped ...

Sorry OP, couldn't resist but I'm only teasing. I think you are overreacting a bit.

Feenie · 18/03/2011 18:19

OP - ask yourself what possible motive the teacher could have had here? And it could only be to make sure you had a photo worth buying.

Get a hair grip, woman!

cory · 18/03/2011 19:38

why would an 8yo need his mum to come in and tidy him up? can't he use a hairbrush? when my 8yo forgot to tidy himself up before the school photo (as he invariably did), I grumbled at him, not at the teacher.

Original poster

ChelKie · 18/03/2011 19:58

Thanks for the input everyone. I can see that it's an overwhelming thumbs up to the teacher. For the record this isn't my son. I know the boy b/c I know the family and I have babysat for him before. I also know the teacher b/c I had her as my teacher too. Honestly, my reaction was much the same as most people here, but I wanted to keep an open mind and see if I was wrong and so I put it like it was put to me.

If others have any more to say I'd still like to hear it because it's nice to know that I'm not alone too.

OP posts:

Goblinchild · 18/03/2011 20:18

So, if it was just curiosity on your aprt, waas his mother bothered?
Or are you just wandering around with your big wooden spoon?
Because if she did get her knickers in a twist and complained, he'll probably look like Worzel Gummidge in his next photo. And no one will give a stuff.

Original poster

ChelKie · 18/03/2011 20:25

@Goblinchild. His mother told me, although it was the dad that was bothered and so she asked me what I thought. She was feeling guilty and a little brow beaten when she asked me, although I think deep down she thought it was all much ado about nothing too but she couldn't tell the dad that. That was the feeling I had anyway.

OP posts:

missmehalia · 18/03/2011 20:28

Teacher went too far with the hair touching thing. A clean jumper lent/send him for a face wash, yes. But if a parent/pupil doesn't remember it's photo day, then they have to accept the way it turns out. It's not a teacher's responsibility.

It's just a bloody photo.

Goblinchild · 18/03/2011 20:33

'Teacher went too far with the hair touching thing.'

I agree, there will always be some freak parent who will object, so it's really far safer and less trouble to stay hands off.
I mean, why should the teacher care what he looks like? She's not going to be buying the photo.

Greenwing · 18/03/2011 20:50

I think it was really kind of the teacher to do it and is an example of how teachers care for their pupils. They have so much to think of, it's not surprising she forgot about the hair clips. I can appreciate he may have felt a bit daft though, poor thing.

missmehalia · 18/03/2011 21:02

But the whole point is, surely, she's a teacher, not a parent. Goblinchild, I don't assume any teacher is weird for touching my child (used to "be" a teacher, fgs), I just think it's excessive. As I said, it's just a photo. The parent will likely have other photos of their child this year...

asdx2 · 18/03/2011 21:57

I think the teacher was being kind and then just forgot the grips (no big deal) I thanked the teacher for tidying dd up on photo day as I knew the photo I got wasn't the image dd would have presented having done PE that morning

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