Heavy Handed Teacher of Seven Year Olds.

Don’t think there were any remarks from boys, just the adult in charge !

Learning objective: Today we are working on presentation.

Two stars and a wish:

?Lovely handwriting (child's name)!
?Well done for remembering capital letters and full stops.
?Try to remember to leave a line between your title and the beginning of your story.

What's wrong with that?

Magrithea is right - this is the sort of thing people got away with sixty years ago - but it is totally unacceptable now. I had a teacher who tore up my arithmetic book into tiny pieces because one day I got several sums wrong . She shouted at me and threw all the pieces into all corners of the room. I was eight and terrified - and although I had been coping well with the 3 'R's up until then, I lost it with anything to do with figures after that. Such loss of control can cause real damage.
Make a formal complaint to the head in writing, and send copies to the governors.

“. Make a formal complaint to the head in writing, and send copies to the governors.“. Would that be immediately without investigating the incident further . May I just ask you to read my post of 12:21 today ?

My only relief with this appalling behaviour is that some others were treated silimarly. At least she wasn't singled out.

I'm a secondary school teacher and I would never do this. Nor would my colleagues I hope. This is unprofessional and harming behaviour. Didn't leave a line? Really? If it's that much of a bother, just ask her to try and get it right next time! This teacher needs to attend a behaviour management course - to put his own behaviour right!

Reading this I'm shocked, firstly at the teacher who should I'm my opinion apologise to this little girl (it would a) reinstate her confidence, & b) teach her that even people in authority make mistakes), but I'm totally gobsmacked that head teachers instill such fear into their staff, surely the way to manage staff should be through leadership and guidance, in other words support!

Daftbag1 wouldn't that be lovely! Sadly I've known too many heads who have chosen to make their staff's lives a misery. Sometimes it's them all, sometimes a few and sometimes just individuals. It drives people to breakdowns, makes them doubt their abilities and sometimes even to leave the profession (and it happens to some excellent teachers).

It happened to me, trisher...

My boss is a good sort... head screwed on/has young children himself. Its a refreshing change after working with a complete dick in the past!!

After half a dozen pages I'm afraid I can't sit on my hands any longer without putting in a good word for a large number of headteachers. It is a very lonely and unenviable position in many ways, the responsibly is huge and the buck always stops with the person in charge. The majority of heads want the best for their school and their pupils, but having to juggle the demands of the curriculum, the staff, the parents, the governors, the budgets etc. etc. is enough to cause many a breakdown in heads too.
I am saddened to hear some comments here, and I cannot understand any head wanting to make their teachers' lives a misery.

I would definately have a word with the head teacher. That was uncalled for and cruel.

lizzypopbottle

Learning objective: Today we are working on presentation.

Two stars and a wish:

?Lovely handwriting (child's name)!
?Well done for remembering capital letters and full stops.
?Try to remember to leave a line between your title and the beginning of your story.

What's wrong with that?

Tearing the page out is unacceptable whatever the cause. He should have asked them to turn over and start again.
The quote at the top from Lizziepopbottle made me laugh.
Lots of marking schemes have come and gone whilst my DC and DGC have been at school including 2 stars and a wish, but let’s all sit down and write those lovely comments above 30 times.
Sore wrist?
Now repeat those phrases with slightly different words for the maths books and the topic books -or whatever the school calls them-that’s 90 sets of 2* and a wish per day. He should have asked those three to start again.

You don't have to write something for every piece of work in every child's book every day, Mollygo. That would definitely be an unacceptable work load.

How depressing - teachers terrified of head teachers and apparently so powerless that they resort to behaving in ways that could damage a child's confidence and make school a fearful place.

I thought the modern teacher and head teacher had a more holistic and nurturing approach to teaching but apparently I was wrong.

There were a few bullying teachers when I was young but, on the whole, school wasn't frightening. In fact, despite traditional methods such as rows of desks and learning tables by rote, I feel I and most of the children in the class left junior school with a very good basic grounding in English and, with help from a kindly teacher, a vast improvement in maths.

We seem to be falling behind and going backwards in this country in so many areas of public life - a veneer of modernity lightly covering some very retrograde practices and practitioners.

I would complain or at least find out if my child had misunderstood the actions and motivation of the teacher.

a veneer of modernity lightly covering some very retrograde practices and practitioners.
That is a very perceptive observation. Progress in the modern world isn't always about improvement and advancement, very often the steps we take aren't necessarily for the better. Particularly in schools where moving forward often centres around results and unrealistic expectations.

Lizzy-p-b they appeared in my GS English and Maths books with amazing regularity. You’re right it’s an unacceptable workload but most here wouldn’t have tried it. I’ll ask my GD what she gets now.

I would be waiting for the day that this teacher made a spelling mistake in anything which was sent home!!

It' good to read your granddaughter responded by gaining the 'Star Of The Week' award - regardless of the teacher's motivation it shows a steely determination to do well whatever the obstacles - please tell her even strangers are proud of her I Hope she regains any lost confidence or finds the bravado to cover it.

I also hope the teacher finds more constructive ways to achieve the results he wants. It is a little worrying that if he reacts so strongly and somewhat aggressively to minor infractions how would he deal with more serious issues (e.g. disruptive behaviour in class, untidy work, incomplete homework, kids dealing with difficult home lives etc?) I would like to think the teacher may have learned something important here and will be become a better provider of education because of it.

I wish your granddaughter all the best for the rest of her schooling, hope she fills a big chart with those awards (and many more types) and goes on to be happy in her chosen career etc - the little lady has already shown some true spirit.

Whether or not the teacher was right [and I think not,, that's not how things work in the adult world that children are working towards] the important thing is how this teacher made the child feel. So many on here have recounted how a teacher pounced on their work that they thought was good, that they'd put a lot of work into and torn it up or otherwise humiliated them. Do adults learn from being humiliated and feeling unlistened to ? If any of us does something wrong at work how would we feel if we were treated that way? Would we not want to be kindly and gently put right, our effort acknowledged, the good things praised, and discussion as to how to do differently, as there had obviously been a misunderstanding? Maybe the person is actually not right, maybe they have not been clear as to what is needed and you have followed what they said rather than what they meant. Why should children be treated worse than that
someone mentioned a horrible teacher whose behaviour affected the whole of her econdary education. 'Some sixty years later I can remember the hurt and humiliation she caused me' sorry, can't remember who that was but hugs, would any teacher want to be remembered like that and would any teacher want her legacy to be that of blighting a child's life. At very best the teacher should work on her deskside manner
I'll briefly mention the time when my son had problems with his maths and got into trouble about it, his Dad worked out that he had not understood something that underlay the topic and the teacher had not picked up on it, which obviously she should have done. We got a grudging apology but what about the child that didn't have a former maths teacher as a father, they'd have probably floundered and given up as too hard when in fact it was a failure on the part of the teacher to ensure that he had understood it, before moving on. He cannot have been the only child not to have understood, he went on to get a Maths A level so he was quite mathematically minded, Had he not he'd not have got into Uni to do his chosen subject. Other children might have just given up had the problem not been unpicked and solved

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202009/medium-457508-7c7f8388-7733-434b-ad5a-eb85e242b0ee.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202009/medium-902735-5afec12f-ebdf-4232-82bf-6eb269d7347c.jpeg

Lorelei

Thank you for your warm response, as are so many of the replies! The detailed assumptions you’ve made about my DGD make me think you must know her! She is spirited and determined - we wonder what teenage years will bring! I appreciate your kind and supportive comments.

My DGD is bright and confident and I hope she can put this incident behind her. She would be a most conscientious pupil for an adult whom she respects (eg she’s a gifted dancer and adores her talented dance teacher who is firm but fair) I hope this man will prove himself worthy of respect from all his pupils.

The photos show DGD at a dance festival and on a recent holiday, sitting twixt DD and me.

I would not ge so reactive until you have all the facts- from the teacher himself. Go to him directly first and politely ask for an explanation. You do not know what really happened- onky the child’s perspective. Perhaps the teacher spent a good 10/15 minutes prior to the task clearly outlining what was required and she wasn’t listening. So- get BOTH sides before you react.

Sandrahill

My second post on the first page of this thread discloses that my DD did exactly that by email to the teacher. This is the recommended method of making contact at the moment. It would appear that the incident unfolded as described by my DGD.
Since I live over 200 miles away, I am in no position - nor would I presume - to become directly involved. .

She looks a very happy child and it is good she has her dancing to enjoy and at which to excel out of school.
Call me over cautious, but I am a bit concerned some of this discussion is focusing too heavily on the child, and now that a photo of her has been posted in public, she could all too easily be identified.
I am sure GN will consider a request by the OP to remove it.

I agree Ellianne.