Working as a volunteer in school - challenging the teacher

[Jules2]

Here's a pithy subject for other parents and teachers - I really would like to hear from teachers. I've been volunteering in a Yr 6 class at my daughter's school and every week the teacher has made some kind of mistake - be it a grammatical error, spelling mistake or a mistake in Maths. One example was where she asked pupils to put 4 fractions in ascending order and she gave them the wrong answer. I'm not so quick at Maths myself but thought it was incorrect and worked it out after I left. English is my strong suit - I was a book editor and English graduate - so I do know my stuff. But what should I do? I don't want to embarrass a teacher (and she's not the only one) and this particular teacher can be quite defensive. Should I let these errors go? Or raise them discreetly after class - but when it may be too late? Teachers/parents - have you experienced this situation and what would you advise?

Some are finding it very hard indeed. But maybe that is a discussion for another place.

^dissolusionment. Typo.

Doesn't bode well for our children, though, does it? They could get taught the wrong stuff.

Personally I tend to find a way of speaking up, if I think it is important enough. I have challenged, successfully, before. Unfortunately for the teacher, if they are not approachable, I might go 'over their heads'.

I tend to just grit my teeth and say nothing. I've made sure my own child knows exactly how to use possessive apostrophes.....

What about the ones that don't? With parents that can't help them either? This is part of the messed up reason there is such inequality in education. Defensiveness and pride has no place in any profession.

I am part of a system that is very far from ideal. Ideally teachers would all know enough in the way of spelling, grammar and punctuation to pass it on successfully to their class. Not all of them do, but pointing this out isn't going to help. Maybe the issue is with teacher training.

Learning can, and does, continue use beyond teacher training..if a person is willing. Otherwise a teacher would never get beyond NQT level.

Why is pointing out an error not going to help the pupils?

ppolly

So you just sit there and say nothing while 30 kids are taught the wrong thing? Because the feelings of a "sensitive" teacher are more important . I thought the point of school was for pupils to learn...

I agree with you though that the long-term issue here is teacher training.

I am not sure there. Could be enough training to ensure a teacher would never make any mistake ever again.

Personally I think the real issue goes deeper than training, this is about attitude. If a person believes being in authority means they should be above correction they are greatly mistaken because each and every one of us is fallible. True authority is adaptable and responsive, which means that advice can be received, processed and learnt from.

Er. Did someone mean 'disillusionment' earlier?

I'm with the 'correctors'. No-one is above correction and it is ridiculous to allow perpetuation of blatant errors. Especially when poor spelling, punctuation & grammar can be a deciding factor in job applications.

capsium I am talking about consistent mistakes (as said up thread) when the person just doesn't know how to spell that word or doesn't get a maths concept. That should be tackled in teacher training (or, rather, in school when you're being taught...).

I think you are talking about the occasional mistake / oversight which everyone makes ("of course I understand fractions, I just got my figures the wrong way round" sort of thing). As you say with the right attitude there shouldn't be a problem pointing these out.

I wonder if this is included in teacher training? What to do when you make a mistake in the classroom. How to accept and benefit from constructive criticism. Does anyone know?

^Yes. You spotted it Maisie. I do struggle with my words sometimes, much to DH's amusement . English graduate too, although I can get a bit overly creative with language. My maths went completely to pot because I kept inventing rules....hey ho.

I think teacher training would be very lengthy to be able to tackle everything we are talking about Miss. If anything, a lot of what we are talking about should have been tackled before a person does a teaching degree. I know when I was doing the language side of my English degree there were many who needed to go right back to primary level for the grammar module. Our education in the 70s and 80s left us with gaps, even though we had enough qualifications to get us on the course.

Yes. You spotted it Maisie.

I expect it's because you didn't have good phonics teaching at primary (big )

As a teacher I would want my mistakes pointed out to me, and respect those who do. I'm not perfect and frankly would not want a child to be taught incorrectly, so feel free to tell me that I've done it wrong.

I would want it done in a nice way, though, a quiet word after the end of the lesson or day and not in front of other adults or children. Depends on whether or not a teacher is humble enough to realise they are not all-powerful beings and can admit their mistakes - there are surprisingly few adults who are willing to do so these days and not just teachers.

Maisie school did not teach me to read. I could read pretty fluently on school entry. School did flash cards, from what I can remember. I think my spelling worsened at university, I had a penchant for reading untranslated Middle English texts....my rebellious self, at the time, rebelled against standardised spelling...(oh how clever I was!). It took spell check and a brief stint at working for a newspaper to humble me....

I am also terrible for skim reading. I have just realised you spell your user name with a 'z' maizie! Sooooo easy to make mistakes.

I cannot understand any of the purported justifications for not pointing out errors. The fundamental purpose of school is to teach not flatter/protect the teacher's ego! In the case of the OP and many other examples on here we're talking primary school age - so not the most complex of teachings.

I cannot bear the 'oh well we all make mistakes never mind' approach. I don't want my children educated in a school striving for mediocrity via publicly displayed errors and 'hushed up' teaching mistakes. The errors, compounded by that attitude, will come back to bite eventually when exams have a spelling/grammar mark element and when applying for jobs.

One of the key reasons for me not choosing 2 primary schools for DD was the glaring spelling mistakes (of the teachers, not the pupils) 'proudly' heading up displays and notice boards. You cannot pretend to offer rigour and high standards when no-one notices or cares about such fundamentals.

One of the key reasons for me not choosing 2 primary schools for DD was the glaring spelling mistakes (of the teachers, not the pupils) 'proudly' heading up displays and notice boards. You cannot pretend to offer rigour and high standards when no-one notices or cares about such fundamentals.

Yes, it all gets rather ironic really. There is no choice but to accept correction, really, in the face of your own fallibility. Added to this, I think it is always far easier to recognise other people's mistakes, than your own. Oh, for the want of a good proof reader!

Cosset the correctors, I say, they are like gold dust!

Though people obviously do notice but are too afraid of offending, for good reason, it would seem, to say anything.

I find ReallyTried and The Trouble..'s attitude appalling. I do not hesitate to question a teacher that has got something wrong and I encourage others to do so. It smacks as bad state of the profession when (a) teachers make basic mistakes in English and maths, (b) take exception to being corrected. If someone is in a class for whatever reason they have a duty to point out mistakes. If the official class teacher has a problem with it report them to the head. Being popular with the teacher is not a concern - having my kids taught well is. CharlesRyder is making a rather different and welcome point, that some people have areas of weakness and the trick is to find ways of working around them

Do teachers not need 360 degree feedback as part of professional development? because if not it sounds like many might need it and it would be an eye opener to their supposed professionalism.

I am a hospital consultant and if a porter wants to alert me to a mistake I will listen! If a junior picks up on something then they are congratulated on their good spot. If I am not sure they are right I look it up or ask them to. I think it is important that nobody assumes I know everything. What is wrong with a teacher checking the dictionary in front of the class if a mistake is pointed out surely this teaches good practice and sets a good example to the children.

I would also like to say that I use voice recognition dictation in the NHS and it is becoming more popular (costs less than secretaries) so expect grammatical errors to increase in the NHS. Sorry.

I really wish it were liked that Lucked. The school I am at is very hierarchical. I used to point out errors in a polite way but found myself being talked about behind my back as 'not knowing my place'. So I don't do it anymore. I know that not all schools are like that.