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Primary education

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What to do about an irresponsible teacher

144 replies

sammyjayneex · 13/05/2015 16:58

So my child's teacher came to me after school and told me my child got hit with a ball during a game of dodge ball which made her fall over and bang her chin on the floor. The teacher said to me my daughter is fine and didn't cry. So we get home and my daughter told me that it was actually the class teacher who threw the ball at my daughter to 'try and get her out of the game' and she said that she did cry coz she got grass and stuff in her mouth. I'm so fuming that a teacher could do this as to be honest a teachers strength is bigger than a child and must have hit hard enough to make her fall. Apparently as the ball hit her side it bounced off her leg and she tripped up and banged her chin and then she went onto tell me the teacher locked her in the power cabin the outer day ( school classrooms are having work done so they are in porter cabins outside locked with a code) my daughter couldn't get out coz there is no way of her opening it herself the teacher has to do it and apparently my daughter was getting her coat and teacher didn't know she was in there but surely she should know how many kids have come out of the Cabin for play time and noticed my daughter hadn't?? Just seems my daughter is always the one who's caught up in this teachers irresponsibility. After she spoke to me about the incident she looked at the PE teacher as I was walking off and said something to him and started laughing. Do you think I should report her?

OP posts:
BitOutOfPractice · 14/05/2015 12:17

When you speak to the HT, mention that the portacabin lock should feature what's known as a "classroom function" ie it is always free egress from the inside. That's to stop situations like this and also to stop students being able to barricade themselves in classrooms

The situation you describe would be against fire regulations

(that's the short answer from a door hardware geek!)

BitOutOfPractice · 14/05/2015 12:18

And remember to take most things a child says about their teacher witha large pinch of salt!

soapboxqueen · 14/05/2015 12:20

Okay, you don't like the teacher. That's fine not everyone does. However when you grasp at straws over some issues, it makes it harder to unpick the really serious issues.

Make an appointment with the head. Write down all of the issues you wish to address. You may need to allow the head time to investigate and then plan a way forward. You might want to ask for a copy of their complaints policy.

MythicalKings · 14/05/2015 12:25

The more you froth the more I wonder if maybe your DD is exaggerating. Maybe the "golden child" didn't do anything, it's pretty nasty of you to be so horrible about her.

sammyjayneex · 14/05/2015 12:30

I don't see any reason for my child to lie about being hit by another child
Apparently this other child doesn't like my child going to play with other girls and so on anyways it's not the child I'm mad at its the teacher for dismissing my child

OP posts:
Primaryteach87 · 14/05/2015 12:32

To be honest, it all sounds like something of nothing. The ball was clearly thrown as part of a well known game. If it hurt her, it was accidental. The teacher told you but didn't want to make a big deal of it, which it wasn't. The portacabin thing is even less a big deal. It could happen so easily, was probably seconds or minutes and could even have happened as a result of your child not following instructions (or just miscommunication).

BitOutOfPractice · 14/05/2015 12:34

N but the bit about being left alone and nbody caring and and and... I'd be sceptical

You know all kids embroider the truth don't you? Or do you think your child is unique

PurpleDaisies · 14/05/2015 12:44

How much is your obvious dislike for the teacher influencing your view of what happened during games? Kids fall over and get minor cuts and grazes all the time.

A calm and reasonable discussion with the teacher about why you aren't happy with her and give her a chance to explain. Then consider seeing the head if this doesn't resolve things.

At least it isn't too long until your daughter gets a new teacher.

MarvellousMarbles · 14/05/2015 13:07

If I was in your place, I would do the following things.

  1. Drop in tomorrow morning and speak to the teacher before school starts (our school has an open door policy, if it didn't, I'd ring the office and make an appointment to see her). I wouldn't jump in with accusations, instead I'd say that DD seemed more injured than was at first apparent, and that her version of events was a bit different. Then I'd listen to what the teacher said.

2.If that discussion didn't satisfy me, I'd make an appointment to speak to the HT. Again, I wouldn't jump in with accusations, i'd just explain what had happened and listen to what the HT said. I'd expect the HT to say she'd talk to the teacher concerned, and come back to me.

For what it's worth, on what you've said, I think
a) Dodgeball is a very acceptable game for 8 year olds. Not played with a cricket ball, obviously, but a football or a sponge ball or a beanbag type ball. When your DD says it was 'hard', that is her perception, it may have been a basketball or similar, which is fine. So I'd get the facts about that.

b) They were obviously playing on grass, since she got grass in her mouth when she fell. That too seems fine.

c) I'd question myself about DD's pain threshold. I have one DC who takes everything very personally, so tends to see every bump or jostle or accident as intentionally directed against them. I'm well aware of that (from everyday life at home) so I don't jump to the conclusion that a teacher/fellow schoolchild is harassing them at the first complaint. That said, of course it doesn't rule out the possibility. I'd also be aware that if you are getting very worked up about this incident, it will encourage your DD to 'please you' by piling on extra details that may not be entirely accurate. That's how children work.

SoupDragon · 14/05/2015 13:09

Apparently this other child doesn't like my child going to play with other girls and so on anyways it's not the child I'm mad at its the teacher for dismissing my child

"Apparently" according to who exactly? If the teacher didn't see and no one else saw them what do you expect the teacher to have done?

SoupDragon · 14/05/2015 13:11

If any of my children had been locked in a porta cabin at play time it would have been the first thing they told me when I picked them up at the end of the day.

00100001 · 14/05/2015 13:14

Is the 'golden girl' always hitting your child and the teacher not believing? or did it happen just the once?

SoupDragon · 14/05/2015 13:14

I think it was on MN I read the teacher comment "if you promise to take everything your child says about me with a pinch of salt, I promise to do the same with everything they tell me about you"

Blazing88 · 14/05/2015 13:19

Might have to take her to A and E because he head hurts she said.

For goodness sake, don't waste time at A&E. Go to a Walk In centre or phone the GP for an emergency appt if you're concerned.

People like you who risked my daughter's life the other week! A&E is for LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCIES!!!

rabbitstew · 14/05/2015 13:23

Things worth asking about:

  1. what sort of ball the school uses for dodgeball, as your dd claims it's a hard one, not a sponge ball, and that it therefore hurt her when she was hit/hit her with enough force to knock her over (if this is what you really believe - from what you describe yourself, she just tripped over the ball because it got tangled with her feet!!...);
  2. whether the locks on the portacabins comply with health & safety regulations, as it is concerning that it appears to be the case that it is not only possible to lock people out, but also possible to lock people in, which could be dangerous - it certainly wouldn't comply with health & safety standards for a door within the school itself!!

Things it would be confrontational and would, frankly, come across as histrionic or vindictive, to raise: that you think the teacher lied about the incident. I'm afraid I fail utterly to see the relevance of WHO threw the ball that hit your dd, given that the incident was a result of following the rules of the game of dodgeball, which most people find a perfectly acceptable sport for children to learn. Why is it remotely relevant that the teacher threw the ball? Are you trying to imply that the teacher broke the rules of dodgeball and threw the ball deliberately at your dd because she wanted to hurt her???!!!!

Clearly you don't like this teacher. It may well be that she is unsympathetic towards your dd and that your dd would be happier in a class with another teacher. However, you will do yourself and your dd no favours by coming across as the one who is unreasonable! As for being upset that the teacher promised your dd a reward for being brave... sorry, but I fail to see why encouraging a child to be brave and rewarding them for it (rather than telling them off for being a whiney little brat) is a bad thing to do.

You really need to spend time separating how you feel about the teacher in general from what actually happened in this instance.

wanttosqueezeyou · 14/05/2015 13:23

The throwing thing could have been totally innocent.

What is puzzling is why the teacher didn't explain they threw the ball. Makes it seem like they're trying to deceive you. Which is concerning.

Not sure A&E is in order though... What for exactly?

rabbitstew · 14/05/2015 13:25

wanttosqueezeyou - why is it relevant that the teacher threw the ball?

Mrsfrumble · 14/05/2015 13:41

Two kids fall over during PE and its a "health and safety issue"?

You might have to take your daughter to A&E?

It does sound rather melodramatic.

Floggingmolly · 14/05/2015 13:51

It's completely irrelevant who threw the ball, which is probably why the teacher didn't bother to mention it. The notion of being hit with a sponge causing that amount of damage is unbelievable. But it didn't, did it?
Op says "the ball bounced off her leg and she tripped up and banged her chin".
So, child trips over own feet, get facefull of grass. What health and safety measure could have prevented that?

MmeMorrible · 14/05/2015 14:08

This is ludicrous - your child tripped over playing Dodgeball and suffered a minor graze/bruise. The teacher reported this to you in a factually accurate way.

You are conflating your (incorrectly) perceived issue with the teacher with an unconfirmed and unreliable report that your child went back in a porta-cabin classroom when she should not have been there and was locked in. I find it hard to believe that these designated temporary classrooms would not have been designed with doors that require passcode to enter but allow free exit. Fire regulations would not permit a situation where a child could be locked in like this.

Stop blamestorming - you are creating an issue with your daughters teacher that isn't there.

wheresthebeach · 14/05/2015 15:02

blamestorming - love this! Will use it.

Sorry OP but it does sound like you just don't like the teacher and are seeing things in the worst possible light.

hiccupgirl · 14/05/2015 18:31

I'm sorry but really does sound like a major over reaction to a quite standard accident that can happen in an active game during PE with a whole class. And a graze in the mouth is difficult to spot if your DD doesn't point it out to anyone and you, yourself said it was hard to see.

The getting locked in a porta cabin classroom is more worrying but again was the teacher expecting anyone to be in there at that point or did your DD go in when she was supposed to be outside? I got locked in a classroom by a teacher by accident when I was 13. It was completely my own fault because I was faffing around when everyone else had gone out. Unfortunate but hardly traumatised me for life.

In your situation as it's clearly really bothered you, I would ask to speak to the HT and raise a concern about the safety of the game and the porta cabin incident but I would try very hard to stop your clear dislike of the teacher coming across - the HT is not likely to take you seriously if this is obvious.

Doowrah · 14/05/2015 18:53

I am a teacher who played dodgeball with my class this week. They beg me to play it. I also played a bit and got some of my kids out...they love it when I play it with them.

sammyjayneex · 14/05/2015 19:44

I am actually worried sending my child to actually tomorrow because I know my child isn't happy in that school but local authority will not move her!!!

OP posts:
RiskManagement · 14/05/2015 19:52

Ah now this is nonsense. The LA don't move her, you do, if you see fit.

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