Yr 6 teacher has has a personality transplant

[OrmIrian]

and gone from strict but fair to screaming harridan in the last few months.

The reason appears to be that she is pregant and having a bad time

Gawd knows I am sympathetic. Pregnancy whilst working is bad enough - but being a teacher of 30 kids must be very hard indeed. Problem is she had reduced children to tears, and made my otherwise enthusiastic DD reluctant to go to school.

Isn't just DD that saying this btw. One of the TAs was saying that she was heard screaming at her class from the other side of the playground recently. An other mothers has mentioned it too.

What can be done? I don't want to complain and make her life any harder but she is making DD's life at school quite miserable atm.

Go and talk to her maybe? If you're reasonable about it and say you think she's a great teacher, but recently your daughter's stopped wanting to come to school, so what can she/ you do about that. It might make her stop and think about how she's behaving.

As smee says, although TBH I doubt it would do a lot of good. Does she have a TA to shoulder some of the work?

Just seen the age of the class so doubtful that there is a TA. I doubt her behaviour has gone unoticed by the senior staff. I think I'd probably ask if I could do anything to help because being pregnant, 30 children blah blah blah and if nothing improves I'd speak to her HOD or the head.

Yes, there's a TA.

I guess I will have to speak to her. I was sort of hoping that someone else would have....being a total wimp.

I will try the sympathetic approach. Not sure what I could do to help but maybe making the right noises will help.

Give it a try to start the ball rolling. Better that than going over her head as that could just get her back up.

Could you prime dd to both believe and say loudly to all and sundry "My mum says we should be as sympathetic as possible to Ms X even though she is losing her temper all the time and making kids cry and turning into a screamer because it is very hard being pregnant and teaching all of us at the same time. We really mustn't take her shennanigans to heart because she can't help it."

Just explain to your DD about how the teacher is feeling and that is the reason for her outbursts.
I am more shocked at the TA tbh who seems to be totally unprofessional

Are you really madame? DOn't you find it at all shocking that a teacher behaves so unpleasantly to her class and upsets all her pupils? It shouldn't really be up to the children to make allowances like that should it?

BTW DD does understand why she is like this. Doesn't stop it being horrible for them all. DD tells me she was much calmer today. I hope she has been told to take it easy - the stress can't be good for her never mind the children.

ormiron-i meant the ta should bringing it up with the head not discussing it with parents.
perhaps then the head could persuade her to go odd sick rather than upset the children.

When does she go on maternity leave? Before I went on maternity leave (primary school teacher), my replacement took a lesson or two a week, as well as the odd story time etc, to ensure a smooth handover, and it was absolutely wonderful. Something like that would probably chill out the teacher. Not that you're in a position to suggest it, but you never know, it could happen!