Heavy Handed Teacher of Seven Year Olds.

Absolutely speak to the head teacher. This is so unacceptable. Could certainly affect the confidence etc in your grandchild. It’s bad on so many levels...

My DD came home from senior school on her first week saying she couldn't understand the maths homework. I wrote a note explaining this. Next lesson anyone without a note was shouted at and made to stand against a wall at the back of the class for the lesson. About half the class were stood there.
DD was terrified so I put in a long letter of complaint stating that public humiliation ceremonies had no place in today's classrooms. It never happened again and teacher left after 1 term.
But the damage was done and she struggled with maths after and needed private tutors to keep up.
This was in 2004 so not the 50s.
Put in a formal complaint as school phobia can be triggered by bullying teachers

I’m with my husband (who lives in France) for a few weeks so in less regular contact with DD at present. It is very humbling to read so many thoughtful and insightful responses, for which I thank you. My daughter has been a governor at the school for a while and has a good relationship with the HT, so I expect she will have a confidential conversation with her about this at an appropriate time. Interestingly, the male teacher concerned had taught Y6 for many years and has just been moved to Y3. My DGS has just begun Y6 and was initially disappointed to be having a different teacher and envied his sister; now he’s quite relieved!

Maybe he could apologise?
It would mean a lot, and pupils can realise that teachers are human too.
It is not acceptable to tear out pages.

Without being there when this happened it's difficult to say if the page was ripped aggressively or was part of this teachers behaviour strategy. Was your DGD upset because she realised she had made a mistake? The teacher might have said ( as I would have done ) ' Would you like to start again? and if she said yes I would have given her the option of me tearing out the page or just putting a line through it and starting a new page. If the teacher had 'ripped' out the page then she might have gone home and the 'ripping' word may have been misinterpreted. HOWEVER you mention that your DD is a governor at the school so might know the teacher and their approach to children. It is very early on in the term and I would expect all teachers to be very sympathetic to creating a positive learning environment I know that is what my DGS's school is doing. Just getting some in through the door I know has been tricky and my DGS had an extremely emotional first week. They also know that these little year3s aren't really year 3s apart from in age. They are actually still year2s both academically and probably emotionally. I have always said that children will not learn until they are happy, feel settled and their needs met. ( Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs) I do hope that your DGD settles into her new class.

I always found it worked better to keep the offending work to display to the parent, with comments; if it is such a heinous offence, (may well be) the teacher may be in a school where only positive comments are allowed, and certainly no comments in red ink: threatening.

My friend still blames the Reception teacher for her grandson's dyslexia because she wrote comments in his work book in red ink, twenty years ago.

Not writing but spelling! Having been bombed out again during the war I attended a different, much larger, school. During a vocal spelling test I was asked to spell 'sure'or 'shore'. It was not made clear which word I had to spell but I obviously chose the wrong one - even though I was correct. I received 6 strikes of a ruler across the back of my hand!! Bullying!!

If I'd been your daughter I would have queried this incident with the teacher to get the other side of the story as it had distressed the child. Children do have their own take on things. If it then appears the teacher was being unnecessarily aggressive he would have realised you are aware. But it's best to work together for the welfare of the child.

In his second day of secondary school, literally the second day my very conscientious son forgot his homework. Mum and dad were going through a divorce at the time. The school tried to keep him for detention. I immediately went to see the headteacher with a governor of the school and told him in no uncertain terms this was completely out of order. I felt a lot better.

When my DD was in Primary school she did tell me her teacher was picking on her, I knew her teacher and asked him about it. He told me she knew what he expected of the children, which is what she did. He knew she could do better. When I told my DD, a crafty smile appeared on her face - caught!!

Was it done aggressively or more like, “now that’s not the way we do it, so let’s start again with a new page shall we.”

That was uncalled for. Poor teaching by the sound of it. Children don't forget injustice. I was humiliated at the age of 5 by a teacher who held up my needlework to ridicule in front of the class.

Shaming a child is not good practice.
I would certainly be having a word.The teacher is a bully.

I agree with craftyone. Your granddaughter is protected in the future because he is scared of your daughter....but what about the others?

Oh! This teacher really needs to ‘go’
Please talk to Head - this could be happening to others too!

Mmm I sense some resentment for being moved down from Year 6 and a lack of proper training and skills for coping with year 3. If I were your DD I would be asking about that as well as about that teacher in particular. If your DGS was looking forward to him he must have a good reputation in the school. It's very difficult to adjust downwards in expectations sometimes.

Lucca

Off topic a tiny bit. The granddaughter of a friend was in the school playground with her friends practising their cartwheels etc. Aged 5-6. She was told that now she was in year 1 she shouldn’t show her knickers...........
Really shocking attitude.

Just a warning to those who know male primary school teachers.
Very briefly, and without going into too many details, a close friend is currently in prison. His crime? Being on duty while year 3 pupils were doing handstands against a wall and showing their knickers over 40 years ago. Apparently that was abuse by him. A dodgy area, but in his case I know there was no crime committed. Unfortunately, the jury thought otherwise, and over 40 years later, how can he prove his innocence, because in a case of child abuse, that's what you have to do!

For a minor ‘offence’ such as this, surely just a note in the margin would have sufficed. At least he wasn’t picking on your granddaughter as he did the same to others, but to me it is a teacher who cannot control his actions. He should be reprimanded for his action.

Did he 'rip' the page out or 'tear' the page out? There is a big difference. Had he warned the class that this would happen if presentation wasn't good enough? There are two sides to most accounts of what happens in the classroom. I'd speak to the teacher in the first instance.

Having worked in the education sector I'm appalled. First, your child is being taught that it's OK to deface books - which it most certainly is not, Second - it's totally unacceptable behaviour from a qualified teacher and should be reported. No need to be angry - just take the book to the Head and ask why this has happened. I'm rather hoping that it was a supply teacher or teaching assistant - not that excuses it, but it's unbelievable that a member of the teaching staff would do that.
Yes - SMT check books, but a missing space is not going to worry them. They are assessing the quality and appropriateness of the work set, and whether it's consonant with the child's ability

if there are further incidents and you don't get a satisfactory response from the head, then considering writing/talking to the Chair of governors. This is quite a serious step, so be sure you have your facts absolutely straight.

Beastly teacher !!! I truly hope he/he is reported to the Head and the ancient recorded as very not OK. Poor little mite - do tell her that even grown ups have bad days.

Dowsabella

Lucca

Off topic a tiny bit. The granddaughter of a friend was in the school playground with her friends practising their cartwheels etc. Aged 5-6. She was told that now she was in year 1 she shouldn’t show her knickers...........
Really shocking attitude.

Just a warning to those who know male primary school teachers.
Very briefly, and without going into too many details, a close friend is currently in prison. His crime? Being on duty while year 3 pupils were doing handstands against a wall and showing their knickers over 40 years ago. Apparently that was abuse by him. A dodgy area, but in his case I know there was no crime committed. Unfortunately, the jury thought otherwise, and over 40 years later, how can he prove his innocence, because in a case of child abuse, that's what you have to do!

I never mentioned the gender of the teacher! My point was what a silly old fashioned attitude.

Can I please ask Blacksheep and other posters to consider (as mentioned by quite a few on here). Whether the page was “ripped” out or just possibly teacher suggested removing the page and starting again so that the book looked good for the child ?? Just a thought !

I’m a retired year 6 teacher too. This is unacceptable at any age. See the headteacher.

I would have a face to face with that teacher. Nip that UNACCEPTABLE behaviour right in the bud.