Would this worry you?

[ginnedupumpkin]

I don't know if I'm overreacting here but ds1 has just started Y3. His teacher has a plastic axe above her desk and apparently if any children are naughty she threatens to cut their heads off with it.
Now I know she wouldn't do it (obviously) and all the other Mum's laugh about it, but ds1 is quite sensitive. Also its not just this, she is quite harsh and abrupt with them and generally a bit of a dragon. He seems anxious about going to school and from what I can gather she has told him off for what I think are minor things (ie not being able to spell his surname properly, reading too quietly, taking too long to get started on his work etc).
Would you make something of this? I'm a bit reluctant to go and see the head as I don't want my son victimised, or seen as a cissy.
What would you do?

I think not being able to spell your surname in Yr 3 deserves comment. I wouldn't say anything as it wouldn't be doing your son any favours.

I would go and talk to the teacher, don't go straight to the head (ooooh that annoys me, why do parents do that, you wouldn't go to M&S to return something and ask straight away for the manager without even letting the person at the desk help you...). Explain your son is anxious, ask if there is anything you can do at home to help, you will be getting your message across but not complaining in a way that will get the teacher's back up. I'm sure the axe is a long standing joke (I bet a child gave it to her!)

Oh yes, I meant to say also, taking too long to get started is something your son needs to address otherwise he will find he's always being kept in to finish things which is not going to help his confidence either.

not being able to spell your surname or start your work promptly in year 3, I would say, are problems that need to be sorted.
I woulod go and have a quiet word with the teacher if you must but not sure you need to
just encourage your son to not do the things that are getting him into trouble.

It is a long surname and he transposes the last 2 letters sometimes.
I agree he should be chivvied along in the morning, etc but he doesn't need to be shouted at.
I know the axe is a long standing joke, and I did mention it to her at parents evening, but she just laughed and said "its not very politically correct is it!". If it was just that I'd laugh too, but surely teachers should be aware that not all children are the same - some don't respond to being yelled at, especially the more timid ones?

you didn't mention in your op that she was shouting at him
you said he was being told off(which doesn't have to mean shouting at all)

I would have a word with her if I were you

I agree she shouldn't be yelling. I would speak to her about yelling at him but not about being told off in a loud firm voice.

I used to tell my pupils that if they didn't hand in their homework I would dissect them to show year 9 just how long a small intestine really is.

You'd better hope he doesn't get me for Science in Secondary school.

On a practical note, my ds is also very slow to start his work and it is always something that his teachers have picked up on. They have little strategies in place to help him. You could ask the teacher how she is helping him to organise himself.

Well he tells me she shouts and a child in the classroom next door said to his mum that he's glad he's not in her class because all she does is shout at them.
I haven't actually heard the volume of it for myself though!
The thing is that the infant teachers were very softly spoken and did 'mother' the kids a bit, so it is a real shock to his system to get a teacher like this.
I'll leave it for now and maybe have a word later in the term.
Thanks

Sorry but chuckling at "..now I know she wouldn't do it..." No shit Sherlock!

Glad to have made you laugh.

Thinking back to school, some of my best teachers were 'characters' who we were all a bit scared of.

Sorry Pumpkin. V. rude of me. I know what it's like to have an overly sensitive child. (He is now 15 and "afraid of nothing" (!) if that helps!)

Could you not just have a chat to him and explain about it being a special little joke she has with her class? And that toy axes wouldn't cut of heads anyway?

No worries. It did sound a bit daft when I read it back.
He's just a bit of a worrier really and he broods on things which other kids don't even think about.