Is this inappropriate for a teacher talking to a year 7 class or am I an old fud?

[sandyballs]

Bunch of 11 year olds, just started obv. Teacher introduces herself and says if anyone messes about in her lesson she will make the girls tongue the boys and the boys tongue the girls . Am I alone in thinking this is so inappropriate.

If it was just my DDs passing on this info I would have perhaps thought they misunderstood but they had friends here tonight who said the same and couldn't believe it!

Another teacher here, also slack jawed in horror at that one.

You do need to say something to the HoD- the teacher has no idea of the children's background and history WRT abuse, and comments like that, apart from being REALLY inappropriate, can do a lot of damage.

I would guess there's a misunderstanding or something has got lost in translation. I remember when I some Y7 girls were having a fit of vapours because a science teacher had been 'rude' and 'inappropriate' and they couldn't possibly repeat what he said. Turned out he said if they didn't complete a piece of work he'd penalise them.......

Penalise? That's brilliant. They do get clucky sometimes, don't they??

Sandyballs, I'm sniggering like a teenager here. Did you mean fud as in fuddy-duddy? Because here in Glasgow it means female genitalia, and is used to describe someone acting like a idiot, in an affectionate but v rude way! ie, you'd call your best friend a fud, but not your boss.

Could she have said that she would ask the children to 'tell on' each other?

Agree about the word in the title!

It certainly doesn't sound right, whether correct or misunderstood. Might be worth trying to get to the bottom of this, was the word tongue definitely used, what does your son understand by it, was it said in a fun way?

My daughter started comp this week and everything has gone okay, but a friends' daughter and class have been told if they are late again or the teacher has messing around in class they will get a warning on their detention card - a bit harse for the first week to my mind, but at least it's punishment they understand and the sort used in school.

Surely something lost in translation here? I would give the teacher the benefit of the doubt on that one, tbh, as I can't see how a teacher would say that ever.

Madmog - as a teacher with a new class need to set behaviour expectations right from the start so I don't think your DD's friend's teacher was being harsh at all - just realistic. I would do the same. However the teacher who gave a boy in my DD's very first Y7 class a detention for accidentally dropping a pencil was being a bit harsh IMO.

I agree, threatening to give a warning 'next time' they are late= totally reasonable, if not downright accommodating.

'tongue' each other... Presumably they misheard... Or else the teacher needs -sacking-- retraining. Speak to the HoD ASAP. Don't encourage more gossiping about it amongst the kids, it won't help anything!

They must have misheard, surely? It doesn't even make any sense.

Yes inappropriate.
Am also pmsl at you calling yourself a fud. Means fanny here.

Inappropriate!! That doesn't even come close!! I would be up to the school immediately and ask to see the teacher concerned or go to the head!! I would then ensure that my child did not have this teacher pronto!! No excuse what so ever!! We had a problem with my middle DD at the start of year 7 and we sorted it out no problem - teachers concerned were told my the head to sort themselves out - and they did!!

That should read 'by the head'!

Is english her fast language? Sounds like she may have meant poke their tongues out at eachother, or give eachother a tongue lashing I.e. have a verbal "go", and it just got lost in translation?

I had a teacher once who used to use the term "fingering" for choosing/bagsying something. Used to make us snurk!

I don't believe for a millisecond that she said 'tongue' with all the sexual connotations it implies over here. But I'd be very curious in a fun kind of way as to what she did say - I'm sat here trying to shoe horn all sorts of threats into a word sounding like 'tongue', also in a bad spanish accent! There's also the issue that the teacher is putting herself in a very vulnerable position if there's a possible language/translation issue. I'd try and speak to her or the Head very informally on Monday, there's no way she should have these sort of rumours & tales going round about her if it's not true (and I don't believe it is for a second, as I said).

If she said that then it is highly inappropriate.

I hopethat the teacher didn't say that!

Update us when you find out!

Turns out she's a new teacher, I'll email the head of dept tom. I'm worried that it's going to be the sort of school where the teachers are trying to be all chummy and 'down with the kids'.

at fud, I havent heard that meaning before, meant fuddy duddy.

Sandy Even if that is the case I still find it impossible to believe that the teacher was telling the pupils to give each other oral sex if they did not behave.
I think it is excellent that they have native speakers to teach languages and it is inevitable that there will be some translation issues.

bossboggle you sound like an absolute nightmare. Ever heard the phrase 'innocent until proven guilty?'

I would let it go.What's the point? Can you really, truly and honestly believe she said/meant what your DC are suggesting? you will just look like an idiot and needlessly stir up trouble.

Can't believe there are people who believe that's what the teacher meant. Ok, so that's what the students thought she meant but I'm sure they'll understand the real meaning when they start misbehaving. No biggie.

Try ringing the teacher directly, explain what the children think they heard but you're sure she didn't mean tongue, it must be a translation or accent misunderstanding ; and could she please just clarify to yourself and the class what the actual punishment is.

If she meant tongue, then you'd needto go to HoD.

It could well be a translation mistake. My Spanish friend (whose English is excellent - she's read Chaucer, got A-Level English Lit etc. etc.) spent a long, long time labouring under the misapprehension that 'taking the piss' was in fact 'taking the piece' and akin to 'pulling one's leg' i.e. taking a piece of the person's brain/body.

When she said it at dinner with the family she au-paired for, there was substantial tumbleweed.

Also think it's a bit ridiculous that everyone assumes it is a reference to oral sex! There are plenty of phrases that use the word "tongue" that have absolutely nothing to do with sex!

tongue lashing for instance. But of course it is far funnier for kids to assume the rude explanation!

Our French teacher used to call as impudent. It is not really a word used frequently by modern English speakers is it, but she obviously learnt it while learning English and liked using it. Of course we just though she was saying impotent and would snigger!

There's phrases like tongue-lashing, sure, but 'to tongue someone' by itself I only know to mean one thing.

I remember a teacher telling my A-level form about the 'really thick' kids at her previous school, including one who got her into trouble when he said she'd called him a pervert. She moaned that he was so stupid Jr didn't know the word perverse.

Total tumbleweed as until then all of us had assumed perverse was the full version of 'pervy' and didn't appreciate being called thick!