FGS sake, why are the teachers at my ds's school so bloody arsey sometimes?

[DrNortherner]

"Just to let you know. ds has broiught home 3 books recently that he has alraedy read" says I this morning.

she replied:

"Well that's his fault not mine"

what "arduous programme" MI
ORT? is that too arduous
which one are you talking about

How are they going to explore the infinite potential of the written word if they can't read?

By magic maybe?

It's the teacher's job Twiglett if the child is getting it wrong. It's the teacher's job to teach at least how to choose. It's the teachers job to check.

Yes: fluffy bunny thinking.

I just think presenting reading as a slog is maybe a touch counter-productive. It's fun. That's the really important thing about reading. I happen to think.

no it is the teacher's job to teach and fill out bureaucratic forms

Bluesky sounds like one of those parents who forgets that as well as her little darling the teacher has 29 other children to wipe the arses of 'check' every day.

Well I have been a teacher for 8 years so I think I do know what I am talking about. Also I am NOT inclined to 'fuck off'. Nice arguing technique though

I should say, helped. I never taught. Listening to them read, reading if they didn't want to read themselves, talking about the story if they didn't want to do that, looking at the pictures if they didn't want to do that. Encouraging them to try longer words when they were too shy to try in case of getting it wrong, never making them feel like a failure if they did. Children who lacked confidence often chose easier books, but were delighted to successfully read harder ones. Giving them smiley faces and god knows what. So I put my money where my mouth is. Far from putting my child first I often had a squawker in a pushchair beside me while doing this.

Children who lack confidence will always chose an easier book. Do you think that helps address the problem of reading confidence?

A teacher needs to be involved.

i lurve these threads!. I taught secondary so not familiar with reading programme described here. But I am 33 and still pick the same books up again and again . My little girl reads books below her "reading age" at home so that she finds it easy and is confident in her "reading" to herself.
Maybe that's what the op's son is doing also? Of course, I'm with the teacher on this one. I could cheerfully strangle parents who wanted me to design an IEP for each of their (able) darlings, these were the parents who headed off on hols during term! Anyhoo, I digress...
muses maybe it is good that I left teaching

I cross posted. Up to you if you don't want to be involved in your pupils' reading. Glad mine wasn't in your class.

Sorry -- automatic reaction to wanky sarcasm.

This just confirms my view that teachers have a shockingly low opinion of parents who take any interest in their child's progress.

I've lost my temper, I shouldn't have done that. Ridiculous on mn.

Oh, I don't think my children's teachers feel that way. But they do tolerate my utter hopelessness on the parental involvement front as well. Occasionally I mutter something about A Book We Read At Home, trying to make this sound like a convincing on-going project.

when this happened with DS, I suspect the teacher thought what yours said out loud. She then suggested I choose another book for DS. problem solved! The teacher can't be expected to know the contents of your DS's home library, there's only a limited amount she can do in this situation.

OMG at how this has kicked off.

Twiglett, I don;t think I was the 15th parent to speak to her that day - it was 8.50am and the doors had just opened.

And Sofiaames ds and I go to the library every Friday after school, thanks for your ever so helpful comment

I KNOW THE TEACHER CAN NOT BE EXPECTED TO KNOW THE CONTENTS OF DS'S HOME LIBRARY. I AM TALKING ABOUT A READING SCHEME.

She was very defensive and quite rude, I understand she needed to convey a point to me but she could have done it using a different tone and manner.

bluesky - thank you again for the attack on my professionalism I believe the parents of the children who are in my class to be very happy with my teaching.
I do think the OP's teacher was rude btw but I get fed up of the 'the teacher should be....brigade' it's farking annoying. We do the best we can. Try doing the job we do rather than just helping out (very commendable by the way and if we had time to do all the things you say you do then we would but is NOT possible when you are trying to cover the enormous curriculum content/paperwork/meetings/assessment that we are also trying to contend with) then you can judge.

Also I think your view that 'teachers have a shockingly low opinion of parents who take any interest in their child's progress' is utterly incorrect. It is quite the opposite, it is the ones who just don't care that have us with our head in our hands. Even worse though is the ones that expect teachers to be infallible and have a detailed knowledge of every book their child has ever read. Ridiculous.

Only read op

In the beginning stages of Yr 2, I think that the teacher should be managing the exchange of books more carefully. The fact that she was so immediately cross would make me think that she felt a bit caught out.

Do you have a reading record book? Sorry if you've already answered this one.

Did Dr N say she expects her child's teacher to have a detailed knowledge of every book her child has ever read?

I thought she just commented on how rude the teacher was to her.

Jenja -- you made nasty assumptions about me without knowing me. So don't complain now.

I know I never did the paperwork or taught the ABC or had to identify dyslexics. I don't claim to be Mother Teresa. But at least the teachers kept track of level their kids were on and did so weekly. Now they seem to have delegated that responsibilty to the five and six year olds themselves and any parents who are interested enough. And what happens when the poor kids don't have anybody interested or literate at home? They get forgotten under this fabulous self-starting system.

No wonder standards are falling.

Yes, the teacher was arsey and that was unnecessary.

Children should be able to choose their own books- the classroom set up should enable this.

Sometimes children WANT to re read books. This is good. Parents however sometimes fail to see this. No one has intimated that DrN falls into this category.

Teachers do, occasionally , even the most patient, get a little worn by the amount of input that parents expect to have. Again, no intimation that the OP falls into this category.

Every single teacher I have met works with children becasue they genuinely enjoy it and WANT them to succeed. We are all fallible human beings who make mistakes and have moments when we instantly feel that we could have handled a situation better.

Scroll through the education threads and find the ones which rave about the teachers... if they aren't buried under the enormous volume of those complaining about teachers in some way. That imbalance mirrors real life; parents are very quick to complain, but far slower to take the time to say the positive things.

So, perhaps the teacher was a little quick, but perhaps all it needed was a little word with ds to point out that 1 familiar book and 1 new book would be a better combination.

As for those who have such strong views about how simple it all is.. feel free to walk the walk and try it yourself

LittleB - not Dr N, blue thingy.

Blue - you really are bossy aren't you 'f*ck off, don't complain' lol!

Anyway this is a rather pointless waste of my time so I shall stop fighting with you now.

OP - as I said earlier (when not scrapping with Blue) she was rude and it was unnecessary. I would never speak to a parent like that. Don't know how your tone was when you mentioned the books, it's the only thing I can imagine would caused a curt response but as I have said I still wouldn't speak to a parent like that.

Jenja, you're not reading but hey. Do what you want. I'm sure you never listened to a parent yet so why start now.

FWIW my tone was SO not curt, and I did start my sentance with a cheery Good Morning Mrs XXXXX

Apart from the arseiness {grin] I agree with blue sky.
IMO that is exactly what the teacher should be doing, it's their job to teach the dc's to read and that includes making sure they have a suitable book to continue with at home.
I'm sorry but I've just got no time for teachers saying dc's should be choosing their own book repeatedly and unaided, once in a while yes, all the time no. That's like a doctor telling a patient to choose their own drugs fgs!

I have three children who have been through the primary system and learnt to read,I don't think any of them have chosen their reading book themselves ,in all cases the teachers have issued the reading book which is most appropriate to their reading level,this may be to consolidate the childs skills or to extend them or in some cases to have some fun .They do however have a free choice of their school library book (ds hasd now had the same book at least 4 times this term!!)

I am baffled by the idea that in year 2the teacher does not control the reading book,how des she know then what klevel the childs reading is at ,how does she know where the child that the child is extending teir range and vocab.

well if she's generally not arsey I think you can forgive her for having a pre-coffee moment

teachers are human too and don't always phrase things the right way

I'm a bit surprised that in Y2 she's allowed to choose her own books. I was imaginging your DD much older Dr N. Even DS isn't allowed to yet, and he's in Y5.

I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with htem being allowed to choose their own books, as long as it's emphasised that they're reading for pleasure and not to get through some wretched programme. DD gets a free choice book once a week.