DS overheard teacher talking about new boy

[HeisenbergsHat]

DS (7) is in Y2, there's a new boy in his class, I'll call him Bob. I was talking to DS about Bob asking the usual questions, what's he like, have you played with him, etc. DS says Bob doesn't speak English (except for swearwords!) and spits at people. I try to explain how hard it must be for Bob not speaking the language and encourage DS to be kind to him. DS then says that none of the other KS1 teachers will have the non-English speakers in their class and they all get dumped in his class. It's not the kind of thing I'd expect to hear from DS at all, so I asked him why on earth he'd say that. It turns out he overheard his teacher saying this to the class TA, during carpet time, while the rest of the class were getting to their carpet spots.

I feel like I should say something to the teacher but she's been, in all other ways, a really fantastic teacher; it's obvious how much effort she puts into the job and kids all adore her. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining, but at the same time I think that what she said, within earshot of pupils, is definitely not ok. I'd hate for DS to pick up on that sort of negativity about non-English speakers and if I was Bob's parent I'd be very upset. Should I say something to her? What's the best way to approach it?

Whether or not the teacher has a say in who joins the class is completely irrelevant.

The point is that a teacher should not say this in front of the children. A child sitting where they are supposed to during lesson time is not eavesdropping

OP, if I were you, I'd have a quiet word with the teacher along the lines of "Could you have a chat with miniHeisen- he seems to think that new children who can't speak English are dumped in his class "

"I'd have a quiet word with the teacher along the lines of..."

Why? What is the point?

Let it go.

Well, as a teacher, I'd want to know that a parent was aware that I'd been discussing another child negatively.

As a parent, I'd want the teacher to think twice before sounding off in front of the children.

I'm don't see how it could be classed as eavesdropping - the class were asked to come and sit on the carpet, DS went and sat on the carpet, the teacher and TA had a conversation about the boy, within a few feet of DS, and he heard. There was no sneaking up on private conversations, he wasn't in the staffroom, he was in his classroom doing as he was told.

I don't doubt that DS repeats things he's heard at home to his teacher. He has no filter (he's 7!) and he has an extremely good memory. Some of those things may well be embarrassing to me, I'd have thought that was part and parcel of teaching small kids - you get to hear daft things repeated from home. I certainly do in the class where I volunteer and it all seems quite good fun, and I think no less of the parents for the silly things their kids repeat.

But what DS has repeated from his teacher isn't silly or fun. It's potentially hurtful; it could be something that gets repeated in the playground especially if other children heard it too. I thought it would be worth mentioning to the teacher that DS had said this so that she's a bit more careful about what she says within earshot of the kids in her class. I wasn't quite sure how to do that, or indeed if I should just say nothing. I like meditrina's approach; that way I'm not demanding any sort of reply or explanation, or accusing her of saying it, but she will hopefully realise what's happened and be more careful about what she says.

It doesn't matter whether it was eavesdropping or accidentally overhearing. I still think you are on shaky ground taking the teacher to task (effectively) for a conversation she thought was private (even if it turned out it wasn't).

I agree with Revised. I've worked in schools and have heard teachers talking like this kind of thing infront of children- normally about children with behavioural problems. I think it's extremely unprofessional. To suggest the child has "misheard" is ridiculous and naive.

clam it doesn't matter if the teacher "thought" her conversation was private. She shouldn't be saying things like that infront of children or parents. She's unprofessional.

I've said several times that I don't want to complain. I don't want to raise it with the head. I certainly don't want to take anybody to task. I just wanted to give her a little nudge that little kids have big ears and big mouths, and as a professional she should bear that in mind in the workplace. I was hoping someone could give me the right words to do that without it sounding like I was accusing or criticising or complaining. I think meditrina's approach is something I can do and I'll see if an opportunity presents itself tomorrow at school, if not I imagine I'll leave it and she'll hopefully work it out for herself sooner or later.

I think it's entirely possible that it's true. A teacher might not be able to refuse as such but it's quite possible that the other teachers have persuaded the head that it's better that the child isn't in their class and that to DS's teacher that feels that she has all the more challenging pupils "dumped" on her

I agree with revised. I have seen this kind of thing too. I have even been on the receiving end of the "dumping". Its all too common.

My ds overheard a teacher discussing and laughing at him in the corridor - he was incredibly hurt by the comments made - I spoke to the HT, who later confirmed that the teacher had been out of line and apologised. Teachers really should be more guarded about discussing pupils in public areas, it really isn't on.

Sorry clam, but if the teacher thinks a conversation in the middle of a class of 30 or so 7 year olds is private then that's exactly why it does need bringing up. Apart from being hugely unprofessional it does indicate a huge gap in her understanding of information governance whoch needs addressing.

Fortunately no real harm seems to have been done. Next time she and the child involved might not be so lucky.

You are wrong clam it is unprofessional to discuss confidential matters in the presence of other people, be they 7 years old or 70. You think it's ok for a doctor to discuss you and your health issues in the corridor in front of other patients? Or your financial advisor chatting to another member of staff In the banking hall. It's shoddy and unacceptable.

Suggesting this is a child eaves dropping is a poor defence.

I am 39 and can still remember feeling hurt when my primary teacher was laughing about the present I hsd got her-she didn't know I could hear.
Teachers need to be guarded.
I would just have a quick non judgey word.

abbiefield it was on the receiving end too! When I was the very junior teacher in the year group my opposite teacher used to sift out the siblings of children she knew to be bright and take them all! I got everyone else - SEN, new arrivals, mid-year allocations, appeals - as an NQT I had 32 in my class and she had 25. She had 2 x TAs, I had no TA.

Oh defineme that's so sad :(
10 years later I'm looking at a lumpy jar on my windowsill made by one of my first class and drinking tea from a teacher mug given to me by someone in my second class.

I have an eavesdropper and repeater. She's just 4 and not at school yet so heaven knows what she'll be like at 7. Whenever I pick her up from nursery I get reports on what we have been up to as a family and I know everything about nursery.

A friend of mine has a similar age child and she talks openly in front of him (the other day about him and how bad his behaviour has been recently) but he has no interest. Dd likes to know everything! She's currently determined to read as she's realised that occasionally dh and I spell out words to each other and she is very cross about it.

I think if you don't have a child like that you have no idea how determined they are to find out Every Little Thing.

So how will you approach this?

DS says that you said that you thought that you had been dumped on by management with Bob?

I think you should just leave well alone.

I would suggest to the teacher that her "private" conversations in front of the dcs were a little too loud to be private, I'm not sure I'd go into detail.

The problem is that the Op likes the teacher and thinks she is good. If the Op does nothing then sooner or later the teacher will say the wrong thing about the wrong child and she will find herself on the receiving end of a complaint.

Far better for the Op to say:-

"Um - this really awkward but I thought I'd better tell you that ds listens to and repeats everything you say in front of him when talking to the TA."

It's gossiping though - it didn't need to be discussed, referring to a child in negative terms in front of another child does cause damage to Bob. Op may like the teacher but the teacher needs to learn to keep her mouth shut and address her concerns to the appropriate person and not indulge in a bitching session with other members of staff.

On the issue of talking in front of children or in spaces where one might be heard.

Again this is something that I have found (just my experience again) increasingly common over the last few years. I do agree it is rude and it is unprofessional but the new breed of teachers and managers seem to think its OK.

I dont do it. I have had quiet staffroom discussions with other colleagues who also dont do it but comment on how it can be disruptive when SMT and other staff do it. Its part of a parcel of things which are equally dsiruptive and rude , like walking in and out of a classroom when someone else is teaching in there (OK it may be "your" classroom but not when someone else is using it to teach) or chatting to another teacher in the corner or just outside whilst a third teacher is trying to teach a class. It happens a lot where I work these days.

These have both happened to me. In the instance of a teacher who kept walking in and out I made my point by making the children stand up every time she came in (the school rule says they must do so when any adult enters the classroom). Teacher concerned tried to tell me off for that! I had to stop her and say I would speak later in the staffroom. I had to explain to her that I kept the rules in my class and she was disrupting my lesson. She hasnt done it to me since, although I hear she does it to others.

Finally, Indeed children will repeat all they hear and how they are all "ears". Which is why I was having the conversation because its not only parents who children repeat the conversations to. Other teachers and staff get to find out too.

Conversations of a confidential nature should never happen in front of any children, or where they are likely to overhear, but it's also possible that you have misinterpreted the actual nature of the conversation. Many teachers have specialties that will be reflected in classroom placement at times. For example, I have a masters degree specialising in a certain aspect of students with additional needs. This means that I will generally get students with those needs placed with me (where appropriate classroom balance can be maintained). A colleague in the same year level has additional training in working with students who have English as a second language, and will often have new students who have recently arrived in the country in her classroom. It's not about being 'dumped' at all, it's about placing the student with the teacher best qualified to meet their needs.