Year 6 teacher - public shaming

[Bez6]

My DS's (Year 6) teacher regularly calls him lazy in front of the class, when he seems to have an issue with time management, and often tells the whole class they have no common sense.
DS is frustrated and demoralized.
Want to complain - am I being too precious?

Does the teacher have a point?

I think this is poor teaching. I still remember my Year 6 teacher shaming another child for their handwriting, in front of the whole class, and I cringe. It is bullying.

I would expect positive reinforcement rather than negativity. This is best practice when it comes to teaching tbh.

This is very random, but I was disorganised and had "problems with time management". Nobody actually called me lazy but I am sure they were thinking it. It turns out that I have ADHD (more inattentive than hyperactive, which is why it wasn't spotted earlier). Children with combined-type ADHD sometimes fly under the radar because they are coping and aren't actively disruptive. But although I was academically a reasonably high achiever, I know I would have achieved more if I had been diagnosed sooner.

I think it's disgraceful that a teacher should publicly shame a child in front of anyone else. It's unprofessional and downright rude. As long as you have reasonable belief that your DS's version of events is accurate, I think you need to book in a phone call with the teacher (assuming they won't do a face-to-face meeting due to Covid) and seek the teacher's side of the story. If you don't get an acceptable response or you feel you're getting fobbed off, then I would submit a complaint to the headteacher. I don't think you're acting unreasonably at all. Your DC are the most precious things in your life and no one, especially not their teacher, should make them feel small, upset, frustrated or demoralised. I wouldn't leave it unresolved as it is clearly a matter affecting both him and you.

When a teacher singles out a child in front of everyone it sets the child up for ridicule by others and it is demoralising. However DS needs help to become more organised. So I think it’s a case of everyone working together to help him.

I would email the teacher and express your concerns. I suppose the teacher finds him frustrating but shaming him won’t help. As your DS is y6 he’s old enough to be able to follow suggestions about how he can improve and obviously you cannot keep making excuses for him for the next 5 years plus. So try and establish what he needs to do to improve and work on a plan with the teacher.

There is no excuse for calling a child lazy (if that's what she said) If he's disorganised her criticism should be constructive. You can be constructive and stern. Name calling is unprofessional and would be considered bullying if it was between two adults at work!

I'd certainly have a word with the teacher to better understand.

It might be justified if he is lazy but if he's frustrated and demoralised that suggests that there are other factors at play and he needs support.

Thank you all for your helpful responses.

I wholeheartedly agree !
Speak to the school.

speak to the line manager straight away.
poor teaching and appalling human skill !!!!

Speak to the teacher first. See what the conversation was and their version.
If you are not happy with their response follow the complaints policy on the website.

If your son has an issue, I don't think his teacher broadcasting it to the class is the appropriate course of action. Doing so is intended to be shaming, so that he'll buck his ideas up and it won't happen again. In reality it can chip at a child's confidence and is a cruel (and lazy) method of making them comply. I'd definitely flag it.

My DS had this with a teacher in y3 and it totally destroyed his confidence and he ended up electing to be mute for several months. Nightmare. It’s personal abd unkind and you should speak to the school ASAP.

Once again, thanks.
I spoke to the teacher and line manager.