Very scary maths teacher

[CathyCampbell]

My DD has just started at secondary school. It felt like it was going well for the first few days. However, she is getting upset in the mornings and came home upset tonight about her maths teacher. It sounds like the teacher she has for maths is extremely strict. Strict to the point of being terrifying! My DD doesnt like maths much but managed it ok in primary school and did ok in the SATs. But she's absoultely distraught at the idea of having to take maths with this woman. She said that she 'had never met anyone like her before' and felt so frightened in the class that she couldnt move. I feel so frustrated by this, everything else was going fine and she was excited about starting secondary. It feels morally wrong to be making year 7 children this terrified in their first week! My question is, do you think the school would consider moving her to another class? I feel like they will just say no, but it feels unjust and counterproductive to be so terrified of one of the teachers that you dont want to go to school. I have never seen my kind and happy-go-lucky child so upset before.

What is the teacher doing that is terrifying your DD? I don't think the school is going to change classes for your DD because of this, as it stands.

What has the teacher done ?

This is high school. Not primary school.

Unless you have an actual complaint, there's not a chance of changing class. And even if you do have a complaint it's unlikely too.

You need to work out what your daughter's issue is and deal with her lack of resilience because she needs to grow up a little.

Mum can't swoop in and sort everything she doesn't like out.

I’d argue that children should never feel terrified of any adult, especially in school.
Try to find out what exactly this teacher did that scared your DD so much, then speak to the teacher directly. As a teacher, I’d be very concerned if a child felt this way about me - and I’m a ‘strict’ teacher!

What is the teacher doing?

I'd suggest moving classes isn't going to happen. (You or) school working with your daughter to give her strategies to overcome her anxieties about the teachers classroom management may be more likely. And it's worth dealing with - because even if you get away from her this year, what about the next 4 years worth of teachers.

Hi OP, transition to secondary can be tough. Secondary schools have to be strict, we are facing a behaviour crisis in current years 10 and 9, we think it is to do with weak socialisation during covid.
I would say your instinct is spot on, I doubt school will consider a move of class this early and for this reason. Usually maths is set by assessment data which means class movements depend on how well students do in maths.
I would also say it is likely that her fear will wear away in the next few weeks. The children will get used to the teacher and everyone will settle down. If not I expect there will be a timetable or group change at half term. That would be the time to make the request but I would not mention the teacher being too strict.
In the meantime I guess try to reassure her and tell her we all have to deal with very difficult people at times. I know I do!

I work in a secondary school. No new pupil (or and other pupil for that matter) should be too scared to move in class. What are they going to learn in that environment?
The more accurate info you can give the better, so confirm as many details of the teacher's actions as possible then absolutely contact the school. It would be taken seriously where I work.

Some teachers go in hard in the first lessons to set expectations - and tbh some of the new Y7s this year will have needed it. I would at least give it another few lessons and she should get used to her style.

Are they going to be set in a few weeks? She might not have her for long.

@RedToothBrush I know it's not primary school but its the just the first week of secondary school. Teachers should be trying to create an effective learning environment not terrifying the children. My daughter is a resilient child that is why this has been so shocking and upsetting. I have never had to 'swoop in' before. The teacher is question calls them all child, pulls sneering faces and rolls her eyes if anyone asks a question. Its not the 1970s, I thought teaching had moved on a bit from then. I wasn't expecting Miss Honey but a human being might have been a nice start. The school website has all the usual 'we care about mental health' downloads but they clearly don't.

Behaviour at high school is different to primary. Some teachers will want to set up a 'doesn't take shit' first impression so the kinds don't think they are a soft target.

Now you can argue about whether this is right or wrong, but behaviour is a big deal so I understand why they are doing it.

These teachers will be nice to those which stick to the programme and don't act up in my experience.

Perhaps make that point to her and reassure her, that it's possibly not as bad as she thinks and may be better longer term.

I'm not going to defend the teacher but I'm a little surprised that those things are terrifying your resilient child so much that she can't move. Is there more to it than that?

Maths teachers are hard to recruit

What kind of teacher behaviour Is your resilient child scared of ?
Is the class behaving or are there one or two kids pushing the teacher’s buttons so the teacher is being Ms Trunchbull to everyone ?

It can take a few weeks for the kids to get used to new teachers, especially In the move to senior school. I’d try to reassure your Dd and encourage her to give the teacher a chance, it may settle down in a week or two.

It must be upsetting and if it doesn’t settle down I’d definitely follow it up.

Is every single other child also terrified?

Eye rolling ? She wouldn’t want to be in my class

I think you need to take a step back.
Teachers in secondary are less fluffy and more straight forward. You haven't given any clear reason for her fear and it may simply be a case if getting used to a different style.

It really doesn’t sound like she’s that bad and you are accepting what your child has said about sneering and eye rolling which may or may not be an exaggeration. I think you need to give it a few weeks and see how it goes .

I think its the atmosphere the teacher is creating that is so stifling and making her nervous. Apparently everyone sits in silence waiting for the next person to be told off for getting something wrong or sent out for having their tie on wonky. I understand that they have to lay the law down in the first few weeks but this is simply too much. My husband used to be a maths teacher (at uni), my ex was an English teacher at a massive comprehensive school: they would both agree that a good teacher shouldnt have to behave like this to keep a grip on a class of 11 year olds. Anyway, looks like we're stuck with her. Poor children, if they didnt hate maths before they sure will now.

How many lessons have they had ?

The teacher will, I'm sure soften slightly but she's setting out her stall and I can't blame her. She has to control and teach 30 11 year olds. That is hard work.

This will help with your DD building resilience. Secondary is not primary and neither should we want it to be.

I find it difficult to believe this teacher is sending repeated numbers of pupils out of class for having a wonky tie! If this is the case, they will be sent somewhere for a member of SLT to deal with which it seems unlikely.

Eye rolling, she needs to just ignore.

I would suggest that you tell your daughter to give it a few classes. Two of the best teachers I ever had terrified us in our first classes but actually turned out to be two of the most excellent teachers I ever had.

They basically showed that they would take no nonsense in class.

No child or teenager should feel terrified at school. Or an adult at work for that matter.

This approach is a very dated way of looked at teaching. There can be mutual respect in the classroom:

DD had a French teacher she was TERRIFIED of in year 7. I was not as sympathetic as I should have been until the parents evening when I was also left feeling pretty shaken. she really was a formidable character... but no one ever messed about in her class and she got tremendous results.

DD found that after the first few weeks though she did get used to her methods and actually grew to like her over time although she did once say she got quite good at French because she was too frightened not to be

But I could absolutely understand DD's initial reaction after the parents evening

Are they just sitting in silence or are they supposed to be doing work? The teacher is actually sending children out of the class for getting a question wrong? Is that what's happening?