Teacher that I like but no one else does!

[peppajay]

Am I missing something?? My DD is having a teacher next year for yr 4 who nearly (it seems?) every parent in the school seems to have a problem with but I like her and get on well with her she previously taught my DD when she was in yr 2 . My DD is little miss average she loves school she loves the work and she loves the social side and I have never had to speak to any of her teachers with any issues. Apparently this teacher is offish unwilling to help and extremely unmaternal. I have worked with her as a parent helper and I find her warm, caring and a good teacher, I admit I wouldn't say she is a excellent teacher and admittedly if you have a child with issues she probably isn't great, but all those moaning mums are parents of ordinary children. They have set up a petition to get her out and are really annoyed that I will not sign it. It does seem strange that I seem to be the only parent who doesn't have a problem with it. Am I failing my child by not kicking up a fuss but I honestly don't have a problem with her. I rarely complain about anyone or anything at school and it does seem to be sometimes that some mothers are just never happy. The kids all love her just not the parents and everyone who has ever had her says their kids have had a terrible year but my DD did fine with her hence why I don't have a problem. I don't want to get involved with the constant slagging off of this particular teacher but now I am worried I am failing my daughter because why is there such a high proportion of parents who don't like her!!

This is the problem when one or two people don't like a teacher and try to influence others. Surely they haven't all had dealings with her before so can't have personal experience? I remember when DD1 was in year 2 and had an unpopular teacher. All the parents had an opinion, she was rude, unhelpful etc. I didn't know her so didn't comment. She turned out to be a really good teacher, strict but fair. Not terribly approachable (you had to book an appointment to see her, she hated being accosted in the morning but who does?!) She very directly told me that DD1 was "not gifted and talented!" She was right! I liked her, she was honest.

Long winded way of saying don't listen to other people (and you have experience of her) and good luck to them getting a petition to sack someone. You're not failing your daughter, you're just not following the herd.

Have any of them said why they don't like her?

I don't think being unmaternal is a good enough reason either.

DS had a Yr2 teacher that suited him down to the ground - and other people with children in the same class said the opposite and were really unhappy with her. Not every teacher suits every child. If you're happy, don't doubt yourself.

Okay it could be a) that you only hear the opinion of the loud Mums. My Ds had a teacher like that, fortunately I and a more alpha Mum both stepped in at one point and pointed out that for our children she was the best teacher they had. (I was very sad she retired before she could have DC3.)
Or b) it could be she is fine/good with some children, but not so much with others. (Or even she is better with children than adults.) We had one who was a nightmare with my DS, it nearly got to the point that we pulled him out of school. He though thinks she was a good teacher. Another mother was amazed that I wasn't complaining when DC2 got her, but I knew they already got on and had a good working relationship. I did complain when DC3 was likely to get her, as DC3 from brief encounters had already labeled her as "that awful woman".

They say she is unapproachable and like a previous poster said she doesn't like being accosted and if you have a problem she is willing to book an appointment to see you. I also think a lot of parents approach her for such little tiny things that she gets fed up with people wanting to see her for such irrelevant things. Apparently she doesn't push the more able children and like someone else said she was very off with a couple of mums who thought their children were geniuses. I think she is caring when she has to be but she doesn't console every child with a cuddle when they hurt their finger!!! This yrs teacher is so maternal and treats every child like her own which is lovely but at school I don't honestly think that is necessary. I think the reason I get on with her is because I let her do her job and don't keep bothering her for petty things. I could have a different view of her if there were issues concerning my child but I just think some people must have just got on the 'I hate her' bandwagon due to the way people talk about her and not from personal experience.

I can't imagine I would ever complain about a teacher we were getting. What would I expect by doing so, for my DC to be put in another class? Sometimes you just don't get teachers that work for your child, but that is also how life operates. Once in the class if there were specific issues that is different.

OP I think you are right to stay out of it. It is not right to sign the petition if you don't agree.

Yes, you can have massively different experiences of the same teacher.

Two teachers spring to mind. One planned amazingly complex lessons and was great with most of the children, but she was almost scared of adults. She had no idea how to speak to the parents of those DCs who found are lessons confusing.

The second was simply an unthinking jobs worth. She came to school taught and went home. Woe betide any child who lost anything, got bullied or wanted help beyond the minimum. Any parent asking her to spend a few moments thinking how things could be improved got ignored.

Had I only had my conventionally clever, socially aware and totally model pupil DD2 neither of these teachers failings would ever have been noticed.

However, I also have my quirky, social inept and *dyslexic DD1.

• these teachers failure to spot DD1 is dyslexic compounded things 1000%

You are not in west London are you?

The parents have got a petition up to sack a teacher for being unapproachable and unmaternal? .

Have they also got some valid complaints like professional misconduct?

Christ, mob mentality.