Year 8 Teacher swearing at the class

[mammasmadhouse]

My daughter has mentioned that a teacher has on more than one occasion swore at her class and in some instances gone to swear and corrected herself. She is a new teacher this year, and seems to not want to follow the school procedures preferring to go rogue and do her own thing. Not quite sure how to deal with this as I have flagged concerns regarding this teacher to the school but it doesn't appear that anything has been done, although I appreciated that a lot of things go on behind the scenes but meanwhile the class are losing interest in the subject and for some affecting confidence and mental health. Any advice would be appreciated.

When you say she is swearing at them, do you mean uttering a swear word like "bloody" or "bugger" as part of normal speech? Or is she full-on screaming "shut the fuck up you little cunts!" at them? There's a huge spectrum of possibilities here, and it's difficult to take a position without more information.

She shouldn’t be using any bad language. But it also sounds like she is struggling generally. I would raise it again with the deputy Headteacher initially.

Which words was she allegedly using?

Would need to know the words really. For God’s sake or what the fuck?

What age is year 8? Obviously teachers should not swear. I’m surprised at some of your descriptions though - affecting confidence and mental health? How could you possibly know this, other than about your own child?

Year 8 is age 12-13

Oh thanks. Would love to know more about this “rogue” teacher.

I'm amazed you know so much about the mental health of your dd's class, mammasmadhouse. What does this teacher teach and, other than apparently swearing, in what ways has she "gone rogue?" Have other parents complained?

This seems a little like someone has decided there is an issue and is using some hyperbole to go after a member of staff to be honest.

I'm not defending the member of staff if they have been swearing (it is unprofessional) but everything about the post with claims about the class views of the subject and how the teacher is damaging their mental health is textbook trying to fan flames in my experience.

More information would be needed before being able to give appropriate advice to move forward.

To be fair the kids probably know and use more swear words than the teacher.

It depends entirely on what she is saying, how and to whom. If it’s ‘you little fuckers’ then obviously that’s one thing if it’s ‘shit’ if she drops something then that wouldn’t bother me. I am not naive enough to think my own year 8 little darling doesn’t know the odd naughty word

Plopper

How would swearing at the class a couple of times affect the children's mental health?

Depends entirely on the circumstances.

When I was in 'Year 8' - in those days it was 2nd year at secondary - we had a newly qualified teacher, who actually was lovely if a little terrified by us, a tough class of girls, who were quick to pick up on any shortcomings. We made her swear one day just by being very nasty and unruly, poor lady. We almost made her cry too, after which we felt bad so let her off the torment and were super nice to her from then on. Once we'd warmed to her she actually was a very good teacher, and as her confidence improved her teaching improved too.
I do still feel bad as to how obnoxious we were though.

Not sweary words!! Gosh and sugar lumps!! How traumatic!
Absolutely what's the context 'oh bloody hell' v v v v different from ' you fucking bunch of cunts!'

If it's year 8 then presumable she's one of about 12+ different teachers they have over the course of the week, so how would you pick that she's the one causing MH issues?

Also it does depend on how she's doing it. I had a number of teachers at school that swore a lot. Ex-army were worst. On average they were considered to be good teachers as they knew their stuff and taught it in an interesting way.
I don't swear in general, nor did my friends particularly so it didn't have huge effect on what we used.

Also to add that a some of the very best teachers are the ones who ‘go rouge’ and ‘do their own thing’. You sound like you are stuck in the 1980s. Let’s also not forget the enormous pressure teachers are under, over worked, under paid in schools that are under funded. I really fail to see how the odd rude word could cause MH issues. You sound like you have your own agenda with this teacher to be honest

I have never heard a teacher swear (while working!) and never done it myself. I would assume I’d be in a lot of trouble for it. OP is not coming back.

I'm foreign, but a native English speaker. I once told a class I was 'bloody impressed' thinking it meant 'very' and all h**l broke loose. I learned my lesson and never did it again.

Surely all it takes is a quiet word. There are very few (new) teachers who wouldn't be mortified to have been spoken to by slt and quickly changed their behaviour.

All you can do is complain, but then you have to let it go.

And what snowflakes are we raising if hearing a couple of swearwords affects their mental health?!?!! I get what you're saying, but stick with the complaint being about professionalism, and possibly turning kids off the subject.

What is it that you have already "flagged" up about this "rogue" teacher because it is coming across as you may have your own agenda?

physicskate
I've told y11 and a level classes that they've produced some bloody awesome pieces of work. I wouldn't at ks3 but it's not exactly swearing.

The year 9 class I said it too made out like I'd killed the Queen. My HoD was more understanding and just said, 'now you know.' This was a few years back, and not exactly with the easiest of classes in a rather deprived area... I think the class were trying to make me feel unnecessarily bad - but they weren't a very nice class and were not there to make me feel better whenever I made mistakes (which I did from time to time because I am... shock... human!).

That sounds like the textbook 'try to see if we can get the teacher on the back foot' technique.

One year I told a (nice) ks4 student that his repeated lack of work was getting on my last nerve so he should stop acting like a fool and get on. His reply was 'is it because I'm black?' The class went silent. I laughed and said 'no it's because you're you... And getting on my nerves'. He laughed, said fair enough and got on. Months later he joked about how it was purely because he was interested in what my respond would be.

Oh it totally was!! It was during my gtp. I do not miss anything about that place!! Some really horror stories about that place...