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Original poster

Teacher getting involved in whstsapp

55 replies

bettycat81 · 22/12/2020 09:18

My DS (yr6) came to me last night and showed me a conversation in a WhatsApp group that he had been added into. He was not involved in the conversation.

Basically child A and B were being awful to each other and using some very horrid language. Both as bad as each other. Child A's non household relative, who is also a teacher at the school, left a voice note, via Child A's phone, announcing themselves as teacher X and telling child B to apologise.

Should they have got involved outside of school? It stinks of nepotism to me. Also the teacher has unwittingly revealed themselves to be breaking tier 4 rules which my Son picked up on.

OP posts:
Original poster
bettycat81 · 22/12/2020 09:20

Apologies for the spelling in the title.

OP posts:
Plonque · 22/12/2020 09:22

Depending on what the messages actually contained, teacher probably not needed but certainly should not ever do so through a child's whatsapp account. They at least should have been neutral.

Carpetflowers · 22/12/2020 09:23

They shouldn’t have got involved via WhatsApp,and certainly not used the child’s phone to do so. If there were concerns over bullying in it should have been dealt with in school or the parents should have been called.

xmasfairybuns · 22/12/2020 09:23

That's entirely inappropriate on the part of the teacher.

Littlescottiedog · 22/12/2020 09:23

As a teacher, I wouldn't get involved with any social media issues like this, even for a relative, so this teacher is out of order.

Any issues I would do my best to deal with in school, if asked by the parents, and I'd do some lessons on cyber-bullying. But I would do my best not to get involved at all if one of the parties was related to me.

PheasantPlucker1 · 22/12/2020 09:25

Very wrong for a teacher to get involved in that way! Im not usually a fan of reporting to the head but I think in this case its needed.

Theres nothing to say it was recorded on the childs phone though, teacher could have recorded it and its been forwarded on so they may not have broke tier 4 rules.

cansu · 22/12/2020 09:26

You have absolutely no idea whether they have broken any regulations and I have no idea why you are concerned that an adult intervened in a nasty whatsapp conversation between two children. Given that whatsapp has an age restriction of 16, what is your ds in year 6 doing on it or is that an irrelevant and nosey question?

Original poster
bettycat81 · 22/12/2020 09:29

@PheasantPlucker1 I hadn't considered that it may have been forwarded. Thank you - but that would make it even more premeditated.

OP posts:
ChloeCrocodile · 22/12/2020 09:31

Ignore the COVID stuff because they may well be acting within the rules. Childcare is allowed and I often provide holiday childcare for nieces and nephews (occasionally cousins) whose parents are working.

However, I would contact the head because the teacher has been contacting children outside of school time, via social media. Whilst there is nothing untoward in this case, it is incredibly concerning that she doesn’t seem to see there is a problem with this.

Original poster
bettycat81 · 22/12/2020 09:35

@cansu My DS has had an account for a few years, firstly to stay in touch with his Dad. I allowed him to add friends during lockdown (as an only child this was a lifeline for him) and he has been very mature in showing me messages and dealing with conflict. We have had lots of good conversations which, I hope will stand him in good for the future.

OP posts:
AccidentallyOnSanta · 22/12/2020 09:36

Completely inappropriate. If there's an issue then parents and school need to be informed, and the situation dealt with through the appropriate channels and in a professional way.

Even if she reacted /acted as a family member of a child being bullied, identifying herself as a teacher and using that authority to ask the other child to stop was wrong.

She should know better.

ChloeDeckTheHalls · 22/12/2020 09:38

OP, the majority of issues (bullying for example) any teacher has to deal with, between pupils, come from children with Smartphones chatting through WhatsApp or Snapchat or similar and have not taken place on school site or during school hours.

Yes, it is dealt with and majority of parents usually contact school to deal with it specifically and it’s not a favourite part of the job that’s for sure!

ChloeDeckTheHalls · 22/12/2020 09:40

And yes, it would all be a lot easier if parents stuck to these platforms/apps’ age restrictions, regardless of supervision.

Solidaritea · 22/12/2020 09:42

The teacher should have avoided getting involved. But what if the teacher had been the child's caregiver at the time? Do children whose parents work in their schools have no right to ask them for help? They probably believed they were acting in the best interests of the child. It's not an easy balance.

AccidentallyOnSanta · 22/12/2020 09:49

@Solidaritea

The teacher should have avoided getting involved. But what if the teacher had been the child's caregiver at the time? Do children whose parents work in their schools have no right to ask them for help? They probably believed they were acting in the best interests of the child. It's not an easy balance.
Then she should've replied as x's aunt/sister/grandma/whatever not as Miss X . She can't have it both ways. Act as a carer but use her teacher authority to do so.
NeonSparkle · 22/12/2020 10:02

Very inappropriate from my perspective

Dominicwestsscooter · 22/12/2020 10:10

I’d be more concerned with why a year 6 child needs a mobile phone.

EduCated · 22/12/2020 10:17

A teacher contacting a pupil directly outside of school smacks as deeply inappropriate.

I can see the lines might be slightly blurred if the teacher is the parent, but even then I’d expect them to have the sense not to contact children directly.

AccidentallyOnSanta · 22/12/2020 10:21

@Dominicwestsscooter

I’d be more concerned with why a year 6 child needs a mobile phone.
A lot of y6's start going to school and coming back on their own. Parents like them to have phones for that so they can text they've arrived or if they have any issues.

Also due to lockdown a lot of children got phones for online learning and to keep in touch with their friends.

CovidCarol · 22/12/2020 10:27

Then she should've replied as x's aunt/sister/grandma/whatever not as Miss X

^ this. Plus she should have told them both to pack it in and not taken sides.

CovidCarol · 22/12/2020 10:28

@Dominicwestsscooter

I’d be more concerned with why a year 6 child needs a mobile phone.

Really? Hmm

mummax3 · 22/12/2020 11:21

Yeah not appropriate of her really xx

NotOfThisWorld · 22/12/2020 11:45

Are they actually sure it really was the teacher? (Not an oder sister or someone impersonating). If it was then yes it was inappropriate to be involved at all, especially outside of school and using the child's phone.

Original poster
bettycat81 · 22/12/2020 12:08

@NotOfThisWorld

Yes, I'm sure.

OP posts:
NotOfThisWorld · 22/12/2020 12:12

If it was a forwarded message it's even more strange that means instead of getting the adult they live with to intervene if they were upset they sought out their aunt specifically because she's a teacher and has more authority. The teachers I know would have absolutely refsued to involve themselves in this.

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