DD2's teacher STILL can't spell her name??!!

[RiaMelia]

Hi, I'm new here, this is my first post :) Sorry it's so long, but wanted to expain properly.

To start at the beginning, DD2 has just started year 1 at the same school she was at for reception. DD2 has a fairly uncommon but not unheard of name, and although it is not spelled the 'usual way', it is still a perfectly legitimate spelling. We went for the less usual spelling partly because DH and I felt there was room for teasing with the usual spelling, and partly because my mum is from Honduras and the less usual spelling is Spanish. Last year in reception we had no problems at all, her name was always spelled correctly, etc.

This year, DD2 came home from first day of reception very upset and told me that her new teacher could not spell her name. I told DD2 not to be silly, was probably just a handwriting thing. But sure enough, when I took DD2's reading diary out of her bag, the teacher has written her name on the front with the wrong spelling. Apparently it was the same story with her peg, tray, etc. But last year DD2's name was always spelled correctly, and the data collection form we had sent home at the end of reception definitely had the correct spelling of her name (DH and I have dug out the photocopy we have at home to check, definitely the correct spelling). So we figured it must be the teacher spelling her name wrong.

So the next day I had a word with DD2's teacher, explained calmly that DD2's name is spelled X way not Y way. Teacher gave me a funny look, so I explained that DD2's name is a perfectly legitimate spelling, just less common. Teacher was very apologetic and changed name tags etc in the classroom so DD2's name was spelled correctly. Problem solved.

Expect that in DD2's reading/homework diary, teacher continued spelling DD2's name wrong, the same way as before . And according to DD2, when she marked her work she still spelled her name wrong, eg, well done 'wrong spelling'. I didn't want to get off to a bad start with the teacher so early on in the year so told DD2 (who is normally really rubbish about speaking up) to put up her hand and tell the teacher gently that she is still spelling her name wrong when she gets her book back and notices this, and if by the end of the second week this mistake was still happening then DH and I would go in to speak to the teacher.

Well, halfway through the second week the teacher went off on sick leave (personal reasons) and still wasn't back by half term. So DD2 has had a supply teacher, who has had no trouble at all spelling her name correctly, therefore there was no issue.

This week, teacher was back, and like before, is STILL spelling DD2's name wrong despite it now being spelled correctly on the front of all her books (DD2 has verified this and is usually very reliable, so am inclined to believe her). Now we don't know exactly why the teacher has been off although there is rumour about the playground that she had a miscarriage, in which case my heart goes out to her and I accept that allowances may have to be made for her for a little while. But surely it's not too much to expect her to spell DD2's name correctly?

DD2 was very upset about this again during the week and quite frankly I don't blame her, so I promised her I would go and speak to the teacher again today after school if we didn't have her name written correctly in her reading diary by then. Well, the TA who wrote a comment about something unconnected this week seems to have managed the right spelling, but when the teacher listened to her read yesterday and wrote in her diary once again she spelled DD2's name wrong. So as promised, when I collected DD2 today I went in for a chat, explained once again (perfectly polite and calm!) that she was spelling DD2's name wrong. At which the teacher promptly burst into tears, said she is fed up of parents like me hassling her over such petty things, particularly when she is having such a difficult time at the moment and that I don't understand how hard her job is, before running from the classroom and leaving a baffled TA to escort DD2 and I out. No, really

So what on earth do I do now?

Sometimes, (and I'm not condoning it ) misspelling happens when you are doing things really quickly,like trying to get through a classfull of readers in a short space of time. I have a horrible problem with two similarly named girls in the class I am TA in. We have Tegan and Teagan. Trying to get the right spelling with the right girl seems to elude me. I am improving, but sometimes,when you've got stuff happening all around you and you're multi-multi-tasking....

Incidentally, my DS2's name is Euan. It has been spelled Ewan and Ewen whilst he is at school. He goes ballistic!! People usually know one spelling and someone by that name. It is hard to get out of the habit. My DD1 is Kirsten. We have had Kristen,Kirstin and Kurston for hers!

Annoying? Yes, most definitely. Is it worth getting in a lather over?...not really.

I really don't understand why you/your daughter are so upset.

Maybe the teacher should avoid writing your DD's name in future.

BTW I was called by my surname instead of my Christian name until I got married and changed it.

Other issues we are having with the same teacher:
So far DD2 has only had this teacher for 3 weeks (supply teacher for the other 5) and each week DD2 has been given a simple maths homework sheet to complete. EVERY WEEK DD2 hasn't really had a clue how to tackle the questions and has sworn blind that the sheet is nothing like what they did in the lesson, so DH and I have taken her through it, once she understood what she was supposed to be doing she was fine, did it by herself. And each of those weeks without fail we have had a note in her reading diary from the teacher saying sorry, she gave the class the wrong homework sheet, so won't be collecting them in to mark! No such problems with the supply teacher.

Then we've had reading book issues- in the past when DD1 moved up to a new class her reading record went with her, they use the same scheme throughout the school so they just continue where they left off the year before and get adjusted from there where necessary. This year DD2's teacher announced that she was going to put the whole class on the same level to acess where they are- for DD2, this was 3 levels down from where she was at the end of reception and so she was reading the book to herself during register, then telling me the entire plot, rewording parts, etc on the walk home! And getting it right too, I have checked! Did put a note in the diary about that and mention it when discussing the Leticia/Laetitia thing but teacher was adament that this was how she is going to do it, so DH and I are just giving DD2 seperate, more challenging books to read at home, and she's progressing fine that way.

There are other issues, though I think we might need a seperate thread for those! [deep sigh]

Yes, I do get the point about how DD2 is going to have to put up with this as an adult, but at the end of the day, at the moment she's 5, and someone who told me at the start of term that there will be a particular emphesis on good spelling and punctuation this year is repeatedly getting her name wrong. Just seems a bit hypocritical

No, not an NQT- has been at the school since DD1 started- she is now year 3.

Dh and I are going to go and speak to the HT on Monday to express general concern for the teacher rather than going in all gund blazing- thanks everyone :)

How did you get on, RiaMelia?