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Secondary education

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Original poster

French Teacher

60 replies

lottysmum · 26/05/2017 20:54

Just looking for a little bit of advice please....

My dd had her French Oral exam today (Yr10), in previous years she has done great - last year was 100%. The presentation element of the Oral went well - but a couple of sections of the questions werent great - one probably down to DD being TOO laid back because she felt secure in this area so probably didnt revise and another section was weak because they havent fully covered this topic - so dd struggled to improvise ....

However the main issue DD and the other girls are finding is that their French teacher is not very personable and rather than give them encouragement - "slags them off" - including pulling faces during the Oral showing annoyance - when the girls have not answered a question well, so allot of the girls are really lacking in confidence and demoralised (she's not very well liked and has a habit of saying derogatory/inappropriate comments This term she stated in front of all the class that she thought my daughter must be on illegal drugs because she was so lively in class (my DD is a chatterbox).

This morning I did try and say to my DD to try and not look at the teacher during the oral because having met the teacher I know she is very animated - therefore I felt that if DD went wrong in her oral at the start she would know this from the teachers face and just fall apart (other teachers have done the oral in the past). A number of the girls came out the oral demoralised and in tears because the teacher had said in very harsh words they had not done very well - not in an encouraging manner....

My big concern is that I think DD is OK overall with her French oral - learnt a few lessons from this morning BUT DD did state that the same teacher will take them for the GCSE Oral - I personally think she is unsuitable to do Oral Exams because of her negative traits ...

I dont think she's a bad teacher - just lacks interpersonal skills ...Have I justification to ask for her not to do the Oral exams with this class next year?

OP posts:
Lapinlapin · 28/05/2017 00:05

To answer your original question, no I don't think you should ask for a different teacher to conduct the exam.

  1. School is highly unlikely to agree to this
  2. This was just a year 10 exam. In the real thing your daughter may find the teacher is more encouraging. At this stage teachers can be annoyed that students haven't revised properly. In the real thing, it's too late to be anything other than encouraging.
  3. By the real exam your dd will know the teacher better. This is often considered helpful in an exam.
  4. Facial expressions can be helpful too! If the teacher winced slightly, some sharp pupils will realise they have just used the wrong word/tense and quickly self-correct, thus gaining more marks!
Original poster
lottysmum · 28/05/2017 00:18

She hasnt been described by the teachers has lively - her last report stated -great enthusiasm, confidence and energy ...does this mean she is a pain in the BUTT ? Does a pleasure to teach mean she is a pain in the BUTT....Understated a pain in the BUTT - I'm not going to comment anymore because you are all making assumptions perhaps in most cases trying to defend one of your profession -

My synopsis of teacher is Grumpy - moody condescending, demoralising teacher (I could go further) - saying she wasnt personable was being VERY kind.

OP posts:
Original poster
lottysmum · 28/05/2017 00:20

Lapinlapin

Thank you for answering my question and being constructive - I really appreciate that !

OP posts:
Original poster
lottysmum · 28/05/2017 00:46

Thank you too MVlipwig
I think my DD was demoralised because she did try to think on her feet - I cant remember the exact topic - Your location....This was topic that was rushed just before the exams - they should have been revising and they were still learning the topic - I know my DD couldnt believe the amount of homework coming out (outside set guidelines and ran into the NO homework policy during run up to exams)

My daughter doesnt want to be a parrot that learns answers to questions to pass an exam which I get the impression is what the teacher is trying to do ...that's why I think she frowns because she feels that there is an easy way to pass the French exam !

I do take your point on expressions could be helpful but I think some children respond to encouragement ...well tried - NOT that was CRAP - and perhaps asking why they had maybe not answered questions so well and understanding that the student felt that they needed to revise more in one area than another - Pro active encouragement and a little understanding - especially when they are able children - It wasnt that my DD hadnt revised she had just put too much effort into the presentation because she felt she could handle the questions...Mocks are learning curb

OP posts:
swingofthings · 28/05/2017 07:45

my DD is projected to get A's A's in most subjects*
I expect this is what it comes down to. You are anxious that your DD might not get her predicted grade is French and you are looking at external factor that might push her down.

This teacher's way is clearly not exhibit great teaching skills, but it's no different to many teachers. You will find the same with markers.

Your DD is actually in a fortunate situation where she knows what to expect AND can prepare for it. That's a lot more than what my DD got at her oral English exam. Through an accumulation of events, she ended up in tears, which is totally unlike her and left the exam very upset. She blamed herself though, not the teacher. In the end, she never found out what grade she got for it, but she got an overall A in English Language. She can now look back and say that she is almost pleased that it happened because she is naturally a very confident at speaking in public and strangers, and this made her realise that you can never take for granted that you will do well in an exam even when you are highly confident.

I too was a chatterbox when I was a kid and got told off all the time for it. Teachers still loved me. I'm now still a chatterbox at work, but it hasn't stopped me make it to the top! Your daughter will be fine, but the best way you can help her is to learn to focus on what she can control to succeed, not trying to remove blockages she can do nothing about.

Original poster
lottysmum · 28/05/2017 12:57

Thank you Swingofthings...

OP posts:
titchy · 28/05/2017 13:09

My daughter doesnt want to be a parrot that learns answers to questions to pass an exam which I get the impression is what the teacher is trying to do .

Except is the very basis of the syllabus and unless she does exactly that she won't get decent grades.

Language GCSEs are not about learning the language unfortunately. They are about parroting some learned phrases.

gandalf456 · 28/05/2017 13:18

Op. Your dd's teacher os a bitch. Her approach is v discouraging and unlikely to bring out the best in teems who tend to be under confident anywaydespite the bravado they sometimes show. You are right to flag it up to the head before the real thing. I had a French teacher like this. I was reasonable at French but it put me off. I did a lot worse than predicted and went onto do other languages which i did better at

Cinderford · 28/05/2017 18:48

And that attitude, Gandalf, is exactly why one third of NQTs leave the profession within the first five years.

gandalf456 · 28/05/2017 19:10

Good. She is clearly in the wrong job if she's going to undermine her students ' confidence like that. That's not how they learn.

My father taught MFL so I fully respect the profession. My dad got v high up in his career and was v well respected. He ended up mentoring teachers across the country.

Why was he so successful? I saw him in action. He was passionate about teaching and loved his students. I did not hear anything negative about it except for when the government got involved!

Sadly, I have met teachers like the above in my own school years and those of my children. They did not perform well in their classes either. Those who inspired me and my children were the ones who oozed enthusiasm, were positive. It really showed they loved their jobs and the children

nicp123 · 28/05/2017 20:37

'Chatting' in class can be very annoying and distracting for the rest of the class.
The French teacher seems to be described by your DD as being childish and unprofessional. Why don't you tell your DD you will check if her story is accurate and don't take her side before making the enquires. If I were you I wouldn't hesitate finding out what is going on from the teacher herself.

BoneyBackJefferson · 28/05/2017 20:38

gandalf456

And yet from the hearsay of one person on an internet forum you have concluded that she must be a bitch.

gandalf456 · 28/05/2017 20:43

By the same logic, you must be assuming the contrary - that she's not but I disagree, which is ok on an Internet forum. So, if you want to pick holes, she 'sounds' like one because, to me, she 'sounds' like some of the other uninspiring teachers I have met so op's post 'sounds' very plausible to me if I follow the logic of my personal experience, of which Ihave a fair amount

BoneyBackJefferson · 28/05/2017 20:53

gandalf456
By the same logic, you must be assuming the contrary

I'm not assuming anything about her.

All I can really tell from the posts are that the OP and her daughter don't like her.

I know of many teachers that if you listened to various students (and parents) they would be "uninspiring", yet when you talk to other pupils they love them.

Fink · 28/05/2017 21:07

No, because oral exams are time consuming, stressful, and massively mess up your whole week since you either have to take them when you would have been teaching, in which case you have to set and then mark cover work while your students make little progress, or during your PPA time, in which case you don't get your normal PPA done and have to take home even more than usual. Oral exams are the least favourite part of most MFL teachers' contact time and there is no way in hell any other teacher in the department would be willing to do another few sets to cover for a colleague just because pupils didn't like her attitude.

Being smiley and encouraging in class is one thing, in an exam situation it doesn't matter at all. The teacher needs to fulfil all the rubrics for the exam board, make sure her own questions & responses will best help the pupil, ensure the pupil isn't cheating a and won't sound like she is even when she actually isn't etc. The last thing she needs to be worrying about is whether her facial expression is off-putting.

It sounds like the pupils at this school need to toughen up.

gandalf456 · 28/05/2017 21:37

I know of many the other way round, Boney. I know many teachers I hated that many other children did too and, since I've had children, nothing much has changed. You get good and bad ones. They are not all good just because they are teachers. Same as in any other job, really. I don't understand why we expect to put teachers on a pedestal. Lots of jobs can be difficult and stressful and time-consuming.

As for pupils needing to toughen up, the teacher performing the exam doesn't need to have any expression. A neutral one is fine. Would anyone expect someone to pull a face in a work meeting? You do not attend school or work to be tough. You go there to do your work and do your best.

BoneyBackJefferson · 28/05/2017 23:04

gandalf456

I did say that it went both ways. The main difference is that I am not prepared to slight a teacher (anyone) because someone says that they don't like them on the internet.

And just because you and your friends hated various teachers didn't and doesn't mean that they are bad teachers. It just means that you don't like them.

gandalf456 · 28/05/2017 23:56

Objectively, you do get bad teachers and some you don't like (subjective ) but I do believe what she said the teacher did is v poor and it should be followed up . I could tell you some stories which qould make your hair curl

And when you look at it, the whole of Mumsnet is hearsay but we still comment. We base our opinions on the facts we do have, sometimes reading between the lines, if we need to though I don't think it should be excessive

Redsrule · 29/05/2017 08:14

Gandalf, I agree that there is not a job in the world that is filled by excellent/good practitioners and I certainly work with a variety of abilities. However the OP is assuming her DD is faultless and I would also state that that is unlikely, I certainly never believed any of my three darlings comments on their teachers without a healthy pinch of salt! And they have all grown up to be upstanding, law abiding members of society. The truth is teenagers have a 'interesting' view of the world/people in it and as adults we need to accept that. Also some parents are pretty hellish to teachers, every staff room has some names that causes eyes to be rolled. Not all parents are perfect either.

gandalf456 · 29/05/2017 08:17

Oh i agree. You have that parent but you also have that teacher too

Redsrule · 29/05/2017 08:20

Yes and you have that pupil!

gandalf456 · 29/05/2017 08:55

Yeah right. That's logical. I'm not really posting about me anyway.

Look, if the whole class is crying because of how a teacher behaved in an exam it needs taking seriously and following up. You would if it were yours.

I find it quite shocking that people are automatically blaming the students when there is glaring evidence from multiple students to the contrary

BoneyBackJefferson · 29/05/2017 09:48

I find it quite shocking that people are automatically blaming the students when there is glaring evidence from multiple students to the contrary

but there is no "glaring evidence" of anything here. Yes it needs reporting , but it also needs investigating properly.

gandalf456 · 29/05/2017 09:57

Half a class of children in tears is indicative of something, yes, and needs following up

BarbarianMum · 29/05/2017 10:55

Where does it say "half the class was in tears"? The OP's daughter refers to "a number" being demoralised and in tears after the oral. That could be 3. And from what i remember from o levels, having at least 3 people in tears after any given exam was normal.