Is it time to log off?

I taught a girl in year 7 over ten years ago who wanted us to call her 'Fluffy' but I refused to do so. She was vulnerable though - a young carer with a sick mum and younger siblings. I guess now we'd all be made to comply with her request!

In my current school where I do invigilation there is a student who I think identifies as non binary. If they need the toilet in an exam they have to be escorted to the pastoral department at the other end of the school thus missing a significant amount of time as they do not use the boy's or girl's toilets immediately outside the hall! Their name is that of a small inanimate object though they look like a girl!

Here's the scenario: Three girls, Lily, Ruby and Chloe (top three most popular girls' names 2009) of about fourteen or so are in a huddle during breaktime at school...

Lily: Right Chloe, you're good at tongue rolling and fake crying so you're the cat. Remember, only meow or purr. Wash your face with your paws now and then but no scratching! Which would you rather be, a Manx cat, or we can make a tail to tie round. It'll look good hanging down under your skirt. Ruby are you ready to video this?

Chloe: I'll be a Manx cat so no joker can pull my tail.

Lily: Of course,yes, I didn't think of that...

Ruby: OK Lily, I thought I'd use the voice recorder app so Miss won't realise we're recording. What about a script for us two?

Lily: Good thinking, Ruby. We just have to keep repeating that people can't be cats and that Chloe is a girl. We've got to get in the line, "If you have a vagina, you're a girl. If you have a penis, you're a boy." Ruby, is your phone app ready? There's the bell. Let's go!

if they are allowed to get away with it shows just how lax both parents and teachers are

My ASD grandaughter will go into "cat mode" when she is stressed. Her parents aren't bothered by it but as she gets older, her father just says he doesn't understand cat language so encourages her to become human again! One thing that I notice is that she only does it with her parents. She didn't do it in the classroom when she was schooled within the system, only at home. That said, she just wanted to die when she was in school and that disappeared once she was home schooled.
For me, her identifying as a cat is her "safe space".
As a parent I wouldn't encourage it but neither would I make a big deal of it. In the classroom as a teacher I would probably just say words to the effect of "Identify however you like but in this classroom, you are here to learn and follow school rules." I think children quickly identify who they can wind up or take liberties with and if you show a chink in your armour, they will make the most of it.

Callistemon21

I have a photo of my DDs dressed up for Hallowe'en - one is a witch, the other is her little black cat

Even Dame Judi Dench and Elaine Paige thought they were cats.
😁

It's fashionable.

No they didn't. They worked very hard to represent as a cat on stage as convincingly as possible. They were very well aware that they were NOT cats!

I would point out to them that animals are not allowed inside the school so send them home.

Because nobody identified as a cat, and the DofE carried on as if someone had.

Siope
If, It. Didn’t. Happen. Why is this statement in this article.
We have now met with the Dfe to share an update on the events which took place before,during, and after the recording
Full article here.

schoolsweek.co.uk/gender-row-school-none-of-our-pupils-identify-as-a-cat/

It. Didn’t. Happen.

Schools ( all adults in fact) need to stop pandering to children. All of these antics are done for effect, ignore them and they will soon be pack it in or tell them they have to use a litter box in the corner instead of the toilet.

I still cant understand how the pupil was recording the teacher without her permission. Most schools have policies on this .It could well have been a wind up .Pupils do do this , you know to try to get their teacher in trouble.I presume we are talking about senior school children.

Both my boys morphed into Batman around the age of 4, I'd deliver them to nursery as a boy child and 3 hours later, out they'd march declaring "I'm Batman!" although so were all the other little boys too, absolutely none of them identified as Robin which I imagine would give Robin the 2nd best complex. I hope dogs aren't getting that sinking second best feeling now the favoured animal to identify as, is clearly a cat well they are the best although dogs come a very close second before anyone steps in with "a whatever gave you that idea!"

Lovely carton by Matt. Boy saying to teacher “Sorry Sir I identify as a dog and I ate my homework.”

Foxygloves

Anybody would think nobody had heard of The Emperor’s New Clothes.
(I’d like to identify as a retired racing greyhound, with legs up to here.
Eat, sleep, cuddles, repeat.)

look at all those naughty spots!

It never happened

If any child says they identify as a cat, I think we should indulge it. Let them have Whiskas for lunch, and a litter tray to use. I reckon by teatime, the kid would want to be known as a child.

Well

There is the truth

It always comes out

VioletSky

theconversation.com/what-are-furries-debunking-myths-about-kids-identifying-as-animals-and-litter-boxes-in-schools-193908

Some info and myth debunking

Lots of untrue rumours about

These 'furries' seem positively creepy to me - with their 'cute' Walt Disney Cartoon-style costumes. Smacks of these sad fat blokes who like to dress up in nappies and pretend to be babies... Sad people.

Only proves there's more out than in

Oh…

bylinetimes.com/2023/06/22/dead-cats-and-transphobic-lies/

Ho him

schoolsweek.co.uk/gender-row-school-none-of-our-pupils-identify-as-a-cat/

I think the child recorded the conversation. I must admit I, as a retired teacher, was quite shocked at the language used to the child by the teacher. In my view, a child should never be humiliated in this way. It is the teacher's job to give an alternative way of looking at an issue without the child losing their dignity.
My husband was saying he had read that this issue arose in America because of lockdowns in schools when students were confined to classrooms for long periods. I gather a tray of cat litter was positioned in a corner to allow pupils to go to the loo. Pupils would have been reticent to use the tray so perhaps a well meaning teacher tried to put the pupils at ease by encouraging them to pretend they were a cat.
Students like to wind teachers up and I suspect this is yet another way to do it. A smart teacher will play along but subtly point out the disadvantages of being a cat or any other animal. I would have taken great pleasure in pointing out that students identifying as an animal would have to forgo the annual trip to the adventure park as 'animals aren't allowed on the rides' and 'have to be on a leash'. I can hear the wails of anguish from here.

I dont see many comments about the recordingI'm sure there would have been complaints a plenty had she recorded members of the class without their consent.

My eldest son went through a phase of wanting to be a dog. He didn't actually think he was a dog, just thought a dog was something nice to be. Just to show him that being a little boy was a good thing too Mr A once got him up at 6 am on a cold, damp Saturday morning to take him for a walk. He did take him to the loo before they went though. Within two days DS1 wanted to be an astronaut.

They'll grow up.

But what will they grow into????