Should I just let this go, or write to the head about it?

[saltire]

2 things. First off, I wrote DS2's teacher a letter on Friday to say could he get out at 12.00 clock as he had a dentist appt. This is when the class get their lunch, so he wouldn't have to leave class early. Anyway, DH wnet up for him at 12, and it was 12.15 when Ds2 appeared, they were all kept in as one child had been crying becasue he got told off, and they were kept in until he stopped. So Ds2 was late for his appointment

Secondly, Ds2 has been struggling with his amths, so Dh ahd been giving him ones ot do at home in this format

12
+36
and then the answer written underneath. Ds2 was doing it this way at school, but the teacher (a different one from the one mnetioned above) said it was wrong and marked them all wrong even though the answers were right, and told Ds2 to tell his dad that "I'm the teacher, not him"

Both these have really annoyed both of us, but wonder would I be overreacting if I wrote tot eh head/or class teacher

My XH is a maths teacher (upper school)...he says that in maths they get marked for the working out as well as the answer. Now I know that he has told our daughter that the methods in her y6 book are stupid and he would talk to her teacher.

Remember primary teachers are generalists not specialist. This can be really hard. This teacher's subject may not be maths and she may try to stick to the letter of the rules because she doesn't know any better. I would go in and talk to her, state that your son has these difficulties and that the method your DH showed him was obviously how he learned it. Ask her what the aim of the excercise was. Perhaps they were learning about digits and had to do it in a certain way to show they understood the stuff. She was rather spiteful though to be so nasty to your child. If the answer was correct it should be acknowledged!!! Not all pupils are able to follow the sequences etc. Some would much rather work it all out in their heads. (I teach too.. Geog)

The reason I asked which school year is because the Primary Framework (which sets out how maths is taught in primary schools) lays out at what stage different methods of calculating are introduced so for example young children are taught to add 11+ 12 = whereas older children will be introduced to column methods 11 +12

you may find www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/numbers/wholenumbers/addsubtract/written/factsheet.shtml useful.

It has nothing to do with being specialist subject teachers or not.

My mistake.... I have friends in the primary school who have said they find maths a bit tricky to teach. No slight (sp?) was intended. I have great admiration for people who teach so many subjects with enthusiasm and at such high standards.

www.mathsisfun.com/
is a good site for information and fun ideas
sorry fireflytoo I didn't intend to sound critical just wanted to point out that to some extent primary teachers are constrained in how they teach by government policy whereas once children are in upper school they should have some knowledge of a range of methods and be able to use as appropriate.