Y7 Eng: Teacher's remark in book...

[ampere]

'Great discription. Try not to say to much at the beggining'

This is at the 'top performing comp in the county'. Not that that should really make any difference, I grant you, except the school's 'reputation' should allow them to be fairly selective regarding the standard of their teaching staff!

Frankly, I am aghast. AM I a billion years behind the time assuming that a secondary school ENGLISH teacher should be able to spell such basic words?

Argghhh. That would make me seethe.

really?!?!?!?

that's fucking atrocious. Not good enough.

!

That's three spelling mistakes in two short sentences, and as you say, they're basic words. I would be horrified.

take it to the HT. or the governing body. seriously.

i am appalled.

are you sure she wasn't dictating in a hurry to a TA? (i know, i know, there are literate TAs and everything, but some of them aren't.)

I think the 'eye-rolling' teachers tend to agree on this kind of thing, don't they? They only feel picked on when people come in saying stuff about how they have an easy ride with the holidays, etc.

It's no surprise that a lot of teachers can't spell. The GCSE generation is now old enough to be in HoD level positions. One of DW's younger colleagues allegedly holds a B in English and can't spell. She freely admits she got her dad to spellcheck all her coursework.

I work with someone who doesn't know to from too.

Drives me mad, and I feel the need to correct their notes on the computer.

Kids need to learn this stuff in order not to annoy colleagues in later life.

oh blimey that's bad - I tend not to get too worked up about these things, not being a great speller myself, but being able to correct mistakes in my work, and having technology at hand to help me the rest of the time - but that is shocking!

although - having said that my secondary school English teacher (he was the headteacher as well - a private school at that - couldn't spell for toffee either - I always found it highly amusing that an English graduate couldn't spell - and he would have been at university 40 odd years ago!)

Shocking. Possibly not an English specialist bit really, I would be inclined to have a low-key chat with the Head of Dept.

(English teacher here - and a pedant)

I admit I am rather disappointed. Or perhaps I'm dissapointed?!

I am wondering whether (weather?!) there's (their's? they're's?) any point in bringing this to the attention of the Head of English. SURELY I can't be the only parent who feels that, despite this being the era of spell-checkers, there needs still to be a bastion of 'English: Correct usage of' within a secondary school setting and that surely should be the English teacher!

Or maybe they're studying Molesworth....

Agree, that is awful. And before the "So what? s/he may still be a brilliant teacher" brigade come in, let us remember this is from someone who is supposed to be developing children's literacy skills.

I would definitely take it up with the head of department (hope it isn't that teacher!)

It really is the teacher is it? Have you checked with your child that it isn't a piece of work that is a peer-marked first draft? If it really is the teacher then it is a shocker but it seems fairer to me to chat with the teacher first before going to management perhaps?

Ah yes, peermarking. Good point,jem. Better check that 1st before you make the call.

Well it isn't just the spelling is it? " Great Description. Try not to write too much at the beginning" sounds like an 11 year old, not an adult.

Absolutely, I'm certainly not going in guns blazing yet! And actually, upon reflection, I'd approach the teacher, not the Head of English in the first instance. In fact, I was going to take a 'wait and see' approach as I seriously cannot believe that a school that gets a 90% A-C pass rate in English at GCSE permits this level of teaching in the rather crucial 'identify the DCs with weaknesses' Y7 stage!

English teacher here, and I agree with gherkin and Jem. It sounds as though it's been peer marked as, apart from the spelling errors, the comment is so vague.

greensleeves "

Ridiculous comment Greensleeves. Do you write for the Daily Mail? You should apologise to teachers immediately for your nonsense.
I am a teacher and think it is disgraceful for a teacher not to be able to spell basic words properly. I cringe when teachers confuse your/you're and the like. Sadly it does happen that some teachers do not spell well, but I am in disbelief that an English teacher could have written the comment the OP quotes. a) for the spelling mistakes and b) for how totally useless a comment it is about how the child can move forwards. Agree, it must be peer marked.
You could either:
-Ask your child if it was peer marked
If yes, that is a valid way for work to be marked but it sounds like the teacher needs to work on getting the kids to write more useful comments- they need teaching how to peer assess well, with the mark scheme.
If no, aargh!
-Ring the HoD (if this teacher is not the HoD) and/or the head on Monday morning and compain vociferously.
Then photocopy the book and sell it to Greensleeve's mates at the Daily Hate Mail !!

Another English teacher here, agreeing with Feenie. Why on earth would we think this is acceptable?!

You CAN be a great English teacher even if you have a spelling problem, but you have to address it and check everything you send out!

I've caught like that before. I moaned to my daughter, luckily, and she told me her friend had marked it. They did have a helpful tick sheet to do as well, so the peer feedbackws quite good, even if the comments were vague and badly spelt!

Hwever, about 20 years ago, my Mum paid for extra lessons for English for my brother. He picked a school teacher he liked and Mum asked her if she did such a thing and she did. The first week she sent home 10 spellings...and 2 were spelt wrong!

And another English teacher who would be appalled to see this written by any teacher. And as you say, English teachers need to be above reproach with their accuracy.

Greensleeves - any issues with teachers you need to get off your chest?

And while we're naming names, I'm one of the 'GCSE generation' to whom you patronisingly refer, UnquietDad, and on behalf of myself and my professional colleagues of a similar age, I would like to say...

bite me!

I'm a teacher and I think that is appalling! Especially from an English teacher, but to be honest, a bit rubbish for any teacher no matter what their subject. We all had to pass the Literacy QTS test which included a spelling test of such words.
Did you find out if it is peer marked or not? Even if the words were spelt correctly it wouldn't be the greatest example of marking in the world ever, but this is coming from me who writes "tres bien" a hundred times a day and doesn't have time to write a huge amount more!

no issues with teachers

many teachers on MN however resond to any criticism of teachers with patronising eye-rolls and swipes about people's "little darlings"

I've lost count of the number of times p0eople have posted on here upset about something that has happened at school, only to be told that the teachers will be pissing themselves laughing in the staff room if they raise it at school

it was an observation on the way threads about teachers tend to go on MN, rather than teachers at large

and no, I don't write for the Daily Mail, I work in a children's centre and earn bugger all

Evidence please!