Shouted at by a parent for something I didn't do. Now feel traumatised.

[Bumbalaya]

I don't know how to shake the feeling off. I feel really disturbed by a grown man shouting at me continuously.
In any other job you'd have supervision or someone would ask how you are (it was witnessed by a colleague)
Has anyone got any experience of this? How did you move past it?

This is terrible. Can you go to the head? I’m not in the same profession but at my work we can access three sessions of counselling that work pays for.

Have you made your Head aware of what happened? Where I work, the parent would receive a strongly worded letter from the Head. Also, in future, The Head or my line manager would be present during any meetings with that family.

Do you have a School Well being lead? Can you talk to your HT if not? I suppose it depends on what your relationship with them is like.

I know you can access counselling via the local authority, but your union may also be able to help.

Some men are such dicks. They have no idea how scary they are being. I agree with talking to the head and looking for support if necessary. If I had it my way, the man would be called in for a meeting and hauled over the coals, maybe banned from the playground depending on what was said.

It is verbal abuse. It is reportable to both your SLT and (weirdly!) to your Health and Safety coordinator.

The parent can be sanctioned, requested to stay away from school premises etc if deemed serious enough.

Do NOT let it lie!

That sounds awful. No direct advice, as not a teacher, but a chair of governors.

I would be expecting the SLT to support the staff in this, which would happen in 'my' school.

You need support. I too would escalate this today. I would expect a phone call to be made to said parent to remind them of school policy and harassment of any kind will not be tolerated.

You are just doing your job, you deserve to be able to do that without being abused.

Thank you. The colleague who was present was the head and I had opportunity to talk her today about how upset I was.

I just can't move past it and feel like everyone at work is minimising it.
I think I'll ring the union to see what they say.
Thank you.

I've been there. It's horrible. You know you're right but it puts you on such a back foot you feel unable to defend yourself. In my case it was a mother and father at a parents evening. The next day the student came to apologise for their behaviour.

Take some time to think it through. Acknowledge what happened and how it is making you feel. If you have taken steps to deal with it proactively at work and with your union there is nothing more you can do. Don't allow it to ruin your weekend.

I agree with Bladtandbollocks above, as an ex chair of governors, I think it is entirely unacceptable for any member of staff to be shouted at by parents.. I would be looking at taking measures to keep you and others safe eg warning letter, banning from site, only meeting parent in twos etc.

If the head witnessed the incident why didn’t she intervene? I would never have stood by and seen one of my staff abused in any way.

You poor thing I'm shocked that the head didn't intervene there and then tbh!

This sort of thing should not be seen as acceptable!

I had a parent being really awful to me on the phone last week - really rude and telling me that it's basically my fault that her son for no work! Apparently he doesn't learn anything in my lessons - well he won't if he never picks his pen up will he! !

Thankfully, my HoD was very supportive and I don't have to see the parent alone at parents eve.

Jesus, if the HT saw it and didn't intervene, then it's a very poor show, and not good for you. Write it all down, dates, times, verbatim speech.
Get on to your union.

The last time this happened to me, was at my last UK school. A parent shouted at me down the phone. I was so taken aback, I didn't tell her to stop or I'd put down the phone. I wasn't shaken by it, just pissed off with myself for not being more on the ball. I've never made this mistake again.

I don't say this in the spirit of you need to grow some, just to say that even someone like me with, ahem, high levels of assertiveness, can be wrong-footed.

Never see that person alone again.