Would you point out a spelling mistake in a handout from the teacher?

[emkana]

We had a note in the book bag today -

"We will be making Christingle's next week."

Aaaargh!!!!!
It really bugs me - but should I let it go?

but perhaps it was the secretary!

Surely secretaries should be able to spell and punctuate properly too?

Since someone asked, I'm a writer and editor so of course I'm picky - but I do also have a life.

I did actually say yes people make mistakes and that's fine - but mistakes should be acknowledged and put right where possible. I do agree with ghosty that if a teacher is a self-confessed bad speller but a brilliant teacher, that's more important in the long run. But I do find the generally very poor standards of literacy (and general knowledge for that matter) among teachers - especially primary teachers who are supposed to be teaching children literacy! - pretty shocking. (I have met a lot of teachers too.) They may have to pass a literacy test but I'd imagine the pass mark isn't that high. It will check they can actually read and write, but if it only let you through if you knew what to do with an apostrophe in every circumstance, there would be very few teachers.

BTW DS's nursery staff can barely string a sentence together (on his daily record sheet) and I have never mentioned it - they are great in all important respects. But I would mention it to the person who was supposed to be teaching my child to read and write, fgs.

Every year, for ten years now, our primary school has supplied a booklist for next year, with stationary requirements at the bottom. In two years time my final child will finish there -maybe I'll be brave enough to point it out! I'd ban apostrophes totally and completely though.

The only time I have pointed out a mistake was when DS1 was given a wrongly hyphenated word to learn on a spelling list - the word was "non-descript" rather than "nondescript" (which particularly bugged me since there isn't even a word "descript"). I didn't want him - or anyone else- to learn a word wrongly, or learn to spell it correctly and then get it marked wrong.

But I can't help it. Spelling mistakes do bother me (though of course, in the grand scheme of things, not that much). We keep getting letters home from school about the "dinning" room, and, while I know they're not written by a teacher, I think a teacher should check them.

This reminds me of when I arrived to study English at Oxford - all wide-eyed and awestruck - went into my room for the first time and was confronted with a note from the housekeepers which said things like "It is forbiden to move the furnitcher" and "Wet teabags are not to be throwne agenst the walls". Of course I understand it's not their job to be good at spelling and I certainly didn't say anything. But it was a great introduction to the grand seat of learning.

Actually I agree about banning apostrophes completely. That would save me a hell of a lot of irritation.

singersgirl, I had to complain about "anti-clockwise" and "teenyweenie". The teacher's story was that she got the spellings from an official list.

By the way, I think schools actually do have "dinning rooms". Very noisy business, all those children eating lunch .

i am confused. did she spell 'christingle' incorrectly? or did she use a possessive apostrophe incorrectly, as in your OP?

i must be a crap teacher, as i do not know what a christingle is, or how to spell it.

i do, however, know how to use apostrophes.

christingle in the note was a plural not a possessive hence no apostrophe needed.

good grief snowleopard, you mean you went to oxford and still don't know how to use an apostrophe? then i should think that we mere plebs don't stand a chance!

exactly, kis.

was confused about why enkama had said she'd made a spelling mistake!

We went to a Christingle service last night. It was a lovely children's service, involving the giving out of a Christingle to each child there and explaining what it meant. The donations given in the service by the congregation went to The Children's Society.

Christingle

The Christingle itself is made up of a lighted candle (symbolising Jesus, the Light of the World), mounted on an orange (representing the world), and a red ribbon or tape around the middle of the orange (indicating the blood/ love of Christ). Four cocktail sticks bearing dried fruit or sweets are also stuck into the orange to signify the four seasons and the fruits of the earth.

Now I know what a christingle is, thanks to emkana and thank's to the teacher!

me too. which is why i got involved. all this about correcting someone else then being wrong in the opening title/OP.

for me it is also the larger issue of teaching being a profession where parents feel it is perfectly acceptable to speak of the foibles of teachers but would not dream about correcting civil engineers, solicitors and doctors in the same way even though the mistakes these professionals make is a lot more life changing, shall we say.

the other thing i was pondering was the workload agreement for teachers where they are to be released from administrative tasks like letter writing. If it meant that teachers had to wait for a secretary to type up daft little circulars like this sort, things like christingle would never happen. Many teachers would just stick to the curriculum. That would just lead to criticism of teachers having no imagination, creativity, blah, blah, blah.

now where yet have i heard praise for this teacher's larger motive which seems to me to be to communicate with and inform the parents.

must go. got better things to do.

No, I know how to use apostrophes (being an editor); I just mean the irritation I get from seeing them used wrongly all the time - as in "Carrot's 50p a pound".

The trouble with threads like this though is I'm sure I've made a typo somewhere and will look like a right twunt.

poor teachers

I once put a word on the board - can't remember what it was, not important, but teaching assistant whispered that I hadn't spelled it correctly ( I had) and went to change it on the board.
what to do?
I was bit embarrased for her, and left it......then after the break informed her that I had looked it up and proper spelling was on the board. was of course pleased that she felt she could question me, but I was right in the first place!

and as for those parents who would let the teachers know about mistakes etc etc - I think not in every instance. lots of people have pointed out that handouts don't necesarily come from the teacher ( and of course should be checked before they go out!) in an ideal world and all of that.
but isn't life too short?

Oh dear Moomin "compulsary"

Sorry just couldn't resist

Oh FFS

Okay I didn't realize that using an apostrophe wrongly should not be called a spelling mistake.
My apologies.

I definitely wish I hadn't started this thread now as I really could do without the aggro.

Can you not start a thread pondering things, just because you want to?

Yes my dd's teachers are lovely and wonderful and I'm forever grateful to them for giving my dd such a wonderful education. I appreciate all the effort they put into making her educational experience a well-rounded one with lots of special ideas and events.

I still don't like it that they can't spell/use apostrophes correctly!

But, as I said before, I do have a life and have far more important things to worry about, like my ds being very ill for example, so just forget it.

And kiskidee, if you think this is so trivial and not worth talking about, then I have an idea for you...

STOP CLICKING ON THE THREAD!!!

Go emkana!

Thanks snowleopard.

I used to be a teacher myself, so can hardly be accused of disliking teachers in general.

Emkana ~ please don't take offence but you did ask our opinions.
Absolutely no way would I pull a teacher up for that! I think it is a minute thing and not worth the hassle.
I would find it hard to approach the teacher and say it tbh

i click wherever i please. your mistake is trivial. the wider issues it raises for me is not. you don't like it, then don't ask for ahem, advice on a public message forum.

it was never personal btw. your defensiveness has made it seem so.

snowleopard, being a copy editor well it is your job to always get it right. i suggest you volunteer for some hard luck teacher who can't spell to brush up?

DS once brought home a card he made at nursery which said (written by one of the carers, DS was 2 at the time) "Mummy your yummy". I didn't say anything - they were nursery carers, not teachers, which is an important distinction IMO, but I did change it because I couldn't stand having it on my (home) office wall as it was - does that make me sad and obsessed? Probably, but it does bother me. As for the private vs. state school debate, I know it shouldn't be the case, but I somehow feel that paying fees gives me more right to comment. Saying that, I haven't had any cause to do so yet, and don't know if I would be brave enough to raise my head above the parapet - especially given some of the comments on this thread!

Yes I will happily go into schools and teach teachers how to spell. They need only ask. And pay me. So it's not going to happen I suspect.

agree with Snowleopard, no-one expects teachers to be perfect, for heaven's sake, and no-one on this thread has said they should be. But if I make a mistake, I wouldn't be offended by someone else pointing it out. Comparisons with civil engineers don't really make sense as very few of us know enough to question what a civil engineer says. The issue here is about people who are teaching our children to read and write being able to write correctly themselves. Sometimes they will make mistakes, they are only human, but it ain't necessarily the end of the world if someone points it out.

Btw, I'm an editor as well as a writer, so sometimes I make errors and sometimes I correct them. Freely admit sometimes I haven't spotted something before it goes into print, and have the letters from readers to prove it...

Okay kisdidee, whatever.

I'm feeling really vulnerable and upset today, so I'll stay away from this thread.