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It it would appear you missed the lesson where it was explained that there is never a need for more than one question mark.
...but there is often a need for two its?
I guess some peope just like to raise little robots, never question anything, know your place etc etc.
I was joking, but that’s interesting to read. Strange how the two most formal places are also quite archaic in other practices.
@dazh - I am in full agreement with you and I’m bringing my kids up in exactly the same way you describe. Each to their own though. One of the reasons I keep hanging around here is to see differences of opinion and this thread has been great in that respect.
…but there is often a need for two its?
Bloody tiny iPhone keypad 😃
I guess some peope just like to raise little robots
No, I'm raising mine to see which issues are important, and which are worth letting ride. And if something is important enough to stand up against, how to approach it in a constructive way.
I guess some peope just like to raise little robots, never question anything
That's quite pejorative. There's a big difference between "never question anything" and "always question everything". Some things are important, other things aren't; recognising the difference is a useful skill.
EDIT: *high fives* @theotherjonv
The most formal places where everyone stands to greet would be the US and ME.
The USA and the Middle East.
What fantastic cultures to aspire to.
Strange how the two most formal places are also quite archaic in other practices.
Imo culturally we are closer to France and Germany than most of the old colonies... could be the last 30 years of integration has moved us to a different place.
the US especially the south is full of politeness and tradition. Much of Africa, ME, Asia you do what you are told and respect authority.
for the establishment if you give some pointless rule about how a tie should be worn for the kids to rebel against it’s really not the worst thing for anyone....
mind you we seem to aspire to be more American than European so who can say what will happen in schools. Maybe we will all have to start pledging loyalty at the start of the day
Maybe we will all have to start pledging loyalty at the start of the day
That’s when I’d consider home schooling.
Use the standard reply to "fummin" facebookers....
U OK Hun?
Surprised you're are allowed to post as a teacher?
In another environment, would a company let random employees post on FB about their business ?... All be it for good.
You never know the repercussions of you posting.
Are there no parents at all on there backing the school? Let them get on with it.
Good luck
Edit ... Sorry ... back to school for me.... "Read the text Rose".... thought the OP was a teacher.... OP... yes make your point but only in a "if it was MY child etc etc".
I had a FB running in with poor parking outside our primary (zig-zag parkers)... had loads of people thanking in person in the playground for speaking out, because they were genuinely worried about posting on FB.
Good luck
Are there no parents at all on there backing the school? Let them get on with it.
When the pitchforks are out out and the mob has formed no rational argument can overcome indignation
I very much doubt that teachers are sitting about trying to think of crappy rules so that they can punish kids and work late supervising detention. I will admit that once labelled as disruptive or a problem that kid has a much harder time of it.
@Richie, what you mean like somebody not losing their driving licence due to the 'hardship' it would cause them when somebody else with the same offence loses theirs as they cant use the 'hardship' loophole?
I have to disagree. If I knew I would have to pay more bus money/walk instead (consequence) due to my own misbehavior (action) then I wouldn't do the action! If this eventually gets through to the school kids perhaps they may think about their actions a little more.
@Funk, thanks for that, got me good there! 🙂
@Daz, while I understand, and actually agree with what you are saying to a point, in this case I think this needs to be worked towards. Yes it is a good thing to question authority where reasonable (I am a union rep after all!), but at this point a base line has to be set where the set rules are obeyed by everyone to begin to fix the issues that are present. I also don't think in this case you could argue there is any misuse of authority as what is happening is to bring the school back on the right track, not simply to punish for punishments sake.
Detentions should kept to lunch times and breaks to level the effect it has on the pupils.
Given the disparity in distances and methods used to get to school I would say that this is a fair solution.
My daughter has just moved up to year 7 - new secondary school, new teachers, new environment...and new rules! They have a very strict "positive discipline" system in place and, as parents, we were given a pamphlet explaining exactly how it works. Broadly speaking:
- Kids get stamps in their planner for good behaviour. This is all they should ever get. But of course, it doesn't always work like this. Should correction be required, then they'll get...
- Verbal Feedback - A note is made in the planner. Two of these and you'll get...
- "A comment" - this is a written telling off in your planner for which the parent has to acknowledge receipt. You can always get one of these for a more serious infraction. Get a few of these in a term and...
- Detention. Initially, after school for 60 minutes. This is pre-booked so the parents know it's happening. If this isn't working...
- Isolation. Effectively, removed from normal classes and you'll work on your own all day.
Beyond this, it's various levels of suspension. The school are keen to point out that detentions are rare and isolations almost unheard of, but the threat is there. As to be expected, at the start of a new year with a new bunch of kids, they've been exceptionally strict and my daughter was given an immediate "comment" for reading a library book in her maths class. The teacher had told them that once they had finished working they could read quietly, but my daughter didn't realise this meant "read the maths book" so was head down in her latest novel! She was devastated (she's a good kid), and it was a genuine misunderstanding, but lessons were learned and she knows now that she has to keep her nose clean.
This led to her backing down quickly when asking the Design and Technology teacher why this had been marked wrong and the teacher told her that the "only correct answer is 0.5" and told her to stop arguing.
She told me when she got home and we went through the paper, I complemented her on her overall mark (82%) and we laughed at this answer. We agreed that sometimes it was enough to know that you are right in your own mind and that you don't need to win every battle. Still, it must be said that I will now refer to this teacher as "The Woodwork Teacher" from now on 😉
I don't blame the staff for being strict - you need the kids to understand quickly that these are the rules for their new school - and while I might disagree with both actions, I will continue to support the school as, frankly, that's what I should be doing as a parent. In fact, the maths teacher has since become a favourite, so no grudges have been held and I think this is how it should be.
1/2 litre is 500ml but 500g isn't allowed to be 1/2 kg
I'd be fummin' all over facebook for that! As said above, know what battles are worth shedding blood over 😉
"Schools aren’t the judicial system or a democracy."
Agreed, they are for more of a dictatorship set-up.
"I guess some peope just like to raise little robots, never question anything, know your place etc etc."
I'd say that's pretty accurate in a lot of cases. "BE SUBSERVANT"
what you mean like somebody not losing their driving licence due to the ‘hardship’ it would cause them when somebody else with the same offence loses theirs as they cant use the ‘hardship’ loophole?
I have to disagree. If I knew I would have to pay more bus money/walk instead (consequence) due to my own misbehavior (action) then I wouldn’t do the action! If this eventually gets through to the school kids perhaps they may think about their actions a little more.
What you are arguing is that because one system is a joke (The hardship defence tends to suit those with best solicitors), that it is perfectly all right to set or perpetuate a system that discriminates against a significant proportion of those it is intended to govern (Sorry I’m working under the misapprehension that schools are supposed to be enlightened places). The schools in our area have created fairer alternative systems largely because the local catchment areas are so big and public transport is so inadequate. Behaviour hasn’t deteriorated and as far as I can tell the world hasn’t ended.
Was the change in policy made public to parents before this new harderline was introduced ....
Was the change in policy made public to parents before this new harderline was introduced
What difference would it make? The state of school provision in this country is so poor that parents would still have to send their kids to a school even if they don't agree with it's discipline policies (as I did). And seeing as this zero-tolerance hardline discipline approach is widely used then in many cases the only alternative is home schooling which is clearly not an option for 99.9% of parents.
Was the change in policy made public to parents before this new harderline was introduced ….
Yes, absolutely, in letters home (FB complaint, my kid never gives me the letters he's given, FB answer - well get them to then!) and in any case all letters are posted on the school website (FB complaint, I don't have time to search for that stuff, FB answer "GGGGAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!")
The head teacher also set up a series of drop in surgeries for parents to go and discuss the changes face to face..... during and after school hours. Of course if you didn't bother to check your kids bag for the letter or look on the website you wouldn't have known, but that was the school's fault too.
So then when the changes come into effect there was concerted FB wailing of 'why weren't we told?' and 'I didn't agree to this!' and the likes of what we see now.
the local catchment areas are so big and public transport is so inadequate
FWIW the catchment area is pretty small; using the 'as the crow flies' measurement from our house to school gate is about 750m and my eldest was only admitted 4 years ago on appeal, we didn't get inside the first cut by proximity. Sure there are some that for various reasons opt to travel (eg: moved house since) but the majority of kids are easy walking distance.
What difference would it make?
see above, would at least stop the 'I didn't agree to this' because at least you could have discussed with the head first before 'agreeing to it' (grudgingly or otherwise)
I think I'd have words about the 1/2 kg thing as well - even the teacher ticked it initially then changed his mind. Unless there's a specific answer format that's been instructed earlier in the paper.
Convention is that metric measurements are not denoted in fractions so teacher is right. Question paper is bad in that it previously gives a metric value as a fraction!
As for concept of questioning everything - yes, it's healthy to have a questioning attitude. It's also a good life skill to know how to pick your battles!
Convention is that metric measurements are not denoted in fractions so teacher is right. Question paper is bad in that it previously gives a metric value as a fraction!
As for concept of questioning everything – yes, it’s healthy to have a questioning attitude. It’s also a good life skill to know how to pick your battles!
Exactly, and this was the conversation we had. No, I'm not going to raise a fuss over something so silly (it was initially marked correct by one of the kids, and the teacher overruled it) but would prefer my daughter understand it in her own mind so she has the confidence of her own convictions - not to stand up and argue every time she thinks she's right, but to be able to be confident enough in her own skills that she can ignore wrong information being delivered to her, even if from a position of authority. I think this is an important thing for kids to learn.
@Richie, that sounds great and if it works then there's no reason to keep it up. What I don't agree on is the fact that it is discrimination. "For this action, this is the consequence" nice easy message, easy to understand and if you don't want the consequence, don't do the action.
If anything you could almost argue that the alternative system you are talking about could be classed as positive discrimination, due to the punishment for the same offence being different. that being said, if it works then so be it, that's the required outcome at the end of the day!
While you are correct, the fact that those with the best lawyers tend to be the ones who make use of the defense usually don't need to, the fact that the defense even exists, IMHO, is totally wrong. Which is exactly the same viewpoint I am using on this issue.
<p>
</p><p>I agree with everything except this. Never ignore wrong info, that should always be challenged though how you choose to challenge it is again, picking your battle. Those in a position of authority should be able to accept challenge (when carried out correctly).</p><p>I would have quietly raised the issue afterwards as just telling someone that something is wrong without explaining why is as bad as blindly folling anything you are told. It's a two way street and not a battle as some seem to think it is.</p>confident enough in her own skills that she can ignore wrong information being delivered to her, even if from a position of authority
I agree with everything except this. Never ignore wrong info, that should always be challenged though how you choose to challenge it is again, picking your battle.
It's a really difficult situation for kids. Let's not kid ourselves that school is like a democracy - it's not, especially when it's a new school and you're only 11! And much as we parents would like to defend injustices for our kids, we can't - at least, not always. The point I was trying to make is that you can teach your kids independent thought - this doesn't mean that they will be an argumentative PITA in class, but it does mean that they will intelligently challenge what they are told and, even when told to "sit down and shut up", they will still hold fast to their convictions.
In this particular case, my daughter had just come off the back of a written comment for reading in another class and she was absolutely petrified of getting another, so this made her restrain her naturally argumentative nature. TBH, this makes a change as she will usually argue about anything way beyond the point of reason! I suspect that, given a level playing field, she may well have gone to see the teacher afterwards, but it was first lesson in a new class, with a new teacher in the first week of a new school. I think she probably did what any new year 7 would do and come home to moan at her dad about it 🙂
I think I’d have words about the 1/2 kg thing as well
You must have too much time on your hands!
You must have too much time on your hands!
Perhaps a spare 1/2 hour?
Perhaps a spare 1/2 hour?
30mins 0/10 please see me after school for 1/2 an hour 😉
You must have too much time on your hands!
God forbid anyone wants their child taught properly.
God forbid anyone wants their child taught properly.
Make your mind up!!
Convention is that metric measurements are not denoted in fractions so teacher is right
<p>Good selective quoting there.</p><p>
</p><p>Proper teaching isn't just telling someone they are wrong with absolutely no context as to why, furthermore if the fact the previous example was stated as a fraction was pointed out the teacher could then correct the question so as to avoid further confusion.</p><p>It's called a latent error, just one of the things I had to learn after joining the workforce (as well as challenging and acceptiong challenge). If only they taught these things in school...</p>Convention is that metric measurements are not denoted in fractions so teacher is right. Question paper is bad in that it previously gives a metric value as a fraction!
Proper teaching isn’t just telling someone they are wrong with absolutely no context as to why,
Thanks for that tips, whats next the squirrelking guide on how to make tea?
Detentions should kept to lunch times and breaks to level the effect it has on the pupils.
Given the disparity in distances and methods used to get to school I would say that this is a fair solution.
The evidence says that a break in the school day, to get active, outdoors, social and play is one of the biggest improvements we can make in education. Taking away break and lunch has a measureable negative impact on behaviour, engagement and attainment. Your suggestion means the 'naughty kid' is now more disruptive and lower achieving, requiring more teacher time and support so reducing other pupils attainment.
If only this teaching and school leadership lark was as easy as some parents seem to think it is.
I would love to see some parents put thier time where their mouth is and get into school for a week to see how things really are from behind both sides of the desk.
Pah, evidence, experts we dont need them!!
I would love to see some parents put thier time where their mouth is and get into school for a week to see how things really are from behind both sides of the desk.
Already did that back when I was at school 😉
By the same token, you're qualified to advise surgeons how to do their jobs because you had your tonsils out when you were younger 😉
Thanks for that tips, whats next the squirrelking guide on how to make tea?
Do you have anything to actually contribute to this discussion or are you just going to make snide remarks?
Do you have anything to actually contribute to this discussion
To a thread moaning about teachers from a bunch of people who have no idea what tgey are talking about? Not really no. I answered the op's valid original question, other than that I'm quite happy to laugh at the ignorance and entitlement displayed!!
To a thread moaning about teachers from a bunch of people who have no idea what tgey are talking about? Not really no. I answered the op’s valid original question, other than that I’m quite happy to laugh at the ignorance and entitlement displayed!!
I hope you're not including me in that sweeping statement!
I made it clear that my general point of view is to support the teaching staff, even when I disagree with them because that's my job as a parent. I'm not a teacher (although if they ever have a crashed 50TB database cluster, I'm their man!) so I know to keep my nose largely out of their job. That doesn't mean I can't discuss their work with my kids or agree certain approaches for them in class, but I'm not going to start stirring up trouble unless it's really needed - one written comment and one incorrectly marked question certainly do not justify this IMHO.
I hope you’re not including me in that sweeping statement!
Nope, teacher made an error I expect under the stress of 30 year 7's asking to go to the toilet, where their PE kits gone, can I borrow a ruler, I lost my lunch money etc etc. Talk to kid move on as you said. It was the poster who said they'd be contacting the school that made me giggle.
Heres a thought
https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/teacher-makes-1500-decisions-a-day/
By the same token, you’re qualified to advise surgeons how to do their jobs because you had your tonsils out when you were younger
I still have my tonsils 😀 but I’m going to take your advice at face value and set up my own surgery.
great idea. Just don't allow anyone to set up a Facebook 'Patients of Funkmasterp' page because that way lies frustration 😉
To a thread moaning about teachers from a bunch of people who have no idea what tgey are talking about?
I'm very supportive of teachers. Many of my mates, and some of my family are teachers. They mostly agree with me. They'd rather be teaching than enforcing stupid rules and then receiving the blowback from disgruntled parents. This seems to be a Secondary school problem. Both my kids loved school at primary, they'd complain if they had to miss a day due to illness or other reasons. Now they've both moved up to secondary and they're completely bored and resentful of it, and that's mostly a result of the authoritarian discipline culture which just didn't exist in primary. The end result of this is they put less effort into their work than they did previously, and are less interested in learning. That's not the fault of the teachers, but the culture that exists.
And don't get me started on the sexist PE policy! Bollywood dancing is not a sport.
Shikhar Dhawan begs to differ....
Bollywood dancing is not a sport.
No, but it is Physical, and you need Educating in how to do it...
Fitness training isn't a sport, but it's usually a module in core PE classes.
I think that highlights the issues. No Bollywood is not a sport. But someone has looked at the issues with teenage girls and difficulty in getting them to do exercise and seen that an initiative was shown to work and so has employed that method to engage a section of the school population with exercise.
Initiatives like this are rife and the issues they try to tackle multifaceted and need to take in a wide cross section of a school population. So saying it doesn't work for my son may be true but it might be working for 30girls for whom no other pe activity works.
Please note I'm latching onto this as a possible example, that from the outside seems daft but is a reasoned approach for the school.
Now they’ve both moved up to secondary and they’re completely bored and resentful of it, and that’s mostly a result of the authoritarian discipline culture which just didn’t exist in primary.
Or is it due to the narrow, time pressured curriculum which has no space for deeper investigation or thought?
Most public school or state grammars seem to have very strict rigid authoritarian rules but the kids seem keener to learn, wonder why?
Most public school or state grammars seem to have very strict rigid authoritarian rules but the kids seem keener to learn, wonder why?
Correlation does not imply causation. I suspect keener to learn has at least as much to do with demographic differences in this particular case. (Though I broadly agree with most of what you say otherwise)
Better teachers
Thanks to Daern's daughter's Woodwork teacher neither I, nor Daern's Daughter not half the people reading this thread will *ever* forget that metric measurements should not be denoted in fractions.
If that's not good teaching I don't know what is.
Better teachers
which in itself (rightly or wrongly) is also self fulfilling; according to A_A's link a teacher spends 15% of their time on behaviour and discipline, which will clearly be worse in some schools than in others. Yes, there will always be those that great teachers that will go to the most challenging schools because of a 'calling' but I understand completely why most want to go to a school where behaviour and discipline is good and as a result they can spend their time teaching and achieving good results for them and their pupils. And if as in the rest of life the 'best' get first pick of where to work, there will be a skewing of good teachers going to work in good schools and as a result those schools getting better, and v/v
Correlation does not imply causation. I suspect keener to learn has at least as much to do with demographic differences in this particular case
That was my point
Better teachers
Maybe although seeing many who cannot hack behaviour in the state sector leave and be successful I'm not sure how you can define better to cover both situations. Mote settled is certainley the case from what I've seen
Or is it due to the narrow, time pressured curriculum which has no space for deeper investigation or thought?
That too probably, but from talking to my daughters it's mostly the culture. As for Bollywood dancing, I'm not against that per se, what I am livid about though is that the boys play football and cricket and don't have to do Bollywood dancing, and the girls aren't allowed to play football and cricket. My oldest was a very keen cricketer and footballer, and was the captain of the team in primary (she's a sporty type), but now she's not allowed and has to do bloody bollywood dancing which she despises (too girly apparently!). The end result being that she now hates PE.
My oldest was a very keen cricketer and footballer
No extra curricular clubs available?
Dazh that is ridiculous to you and I but the points I made still stand. Unfortunately in mainstream education it's the mainstream not the outliers that inevitably dictate policy.
Unfortunately in mainstream education it’s the mainstream not the outliers that inevitably dictate policy.
Its a sad day when sporty kids are considered to be outliers.
No extra curricular clubs available?
Not for girls as far as I'm aware. It's ok, outside of school I take her climbing and mountain biking, and she does lots of running on her own so she's still very sporty, it's just a shame that she can't do it in school. It also doesn't exactly help in breaking down gender stereotypes. That may be a pinko liberal viewpoint but really in this day and age is it too much to ask that girls be allowed to play football with the boys?
To a thread moaning about teachers from a bunch of people who have no idea what tgey are talking about? Not really no. I answered the op’s valid original question, other than that I’m quite happy to laugh at the ignorance and entitlement displayed!!
Good for you.
Could you explain exactly why I'm getting it in the neck then? If anyone is acting with ignorance and entitlement it's yourself, I simply suggested a reasonable approach that may be applicable in later life to the problem being discussed. And your response was what again? Disagree by all means but sniping from the sidelines just makes you look like a ****.
That may be a pinko liberal viewpoint but really in this day and age is it too much to ask that girls be allowed to play football with the boys?
FA rules are mixed teams until age 12 wherever practical. It might just be that the PE teachers are offering a limited experience, or it might be that your daughter is getting the wrong end of the stick. Worth a quick call / email to clarify.
FWIW, at Mrs Dubs school, at least 10% of the kids don't specify an activity/sport preference for their core PE at the beginning of term, so those kids get put in whatever group makes the classes fit.
Most PE teachers love their sport and want kids to be the same...
Could you explain exactly why I’m getting it in the neck then?
Because you suggested that contacting the school about an incorrect cross in a book was a worthwhile use of time after having explained why the cross was correct..I thought that was quite funny.
As is this
Disagree by all means but sniping from the sidelines just makes you look like a ****.
the girls aren’t allowed to play football and cricket. My oldest was a very keen cricketer and footballer, and was the captain of the team in primary (she’s a sporty type), but now she’s not allowed and has to do bloody bollywood dancing which she despises
I'd be very surprised if the school didnt have a girls football team in each year or didnt do football in PE. It maybe the case that they'll rotate round to other sports in time. Worth asking the school. Cricket always seems to be a tough one with girls its not an easy sport to learn from scratch. My school is always trying to get girls rugby off the ground but struggles to get enough numbers.
I’d be very surprised if the school didnt have a girls football team in each year or didnt do football in PE.
Well then you should be surprised because I'm telling you they don't*. We've asked. The response back from the school was that they don't have the resources to support girls doing the same sports as the boys, so they're stuck with rounders, netball, gymnastics, and bollywood dancing (FFS, every time I think about this it annoys me!). The only sport they do for both is athletics in the summer.
*Interesting you think you know more about my kids school than me when I've never mentioned which school it is but I'll ignore that.
Interesting you think you know more about my kids school than me when I’ve never mentioned which school it is but I’ll ignore that.
What makes you say that?
I am surprised, sounds like a shit PE department, from your post I thought it sounded like a new year 7 who had just started off with Dance lessons and who might go onto something else later.
As an aside I had a group of year 10 today all the girls and most of the boys thought any girl who rode a bike was weird....where do they get these ideas??!!!?? Last 10 mins of the lesson (on redox reactions and extracting iron from its ore) was spent watch Rachel Atherton videos on youtube!
Dazh, yes a sad indictment of society as a wholebut sporty girls are outliers. The school obviously has limited resources and so, possibly in a drive to hit an engagement target, Bollywood dancing has been seen as a way to engage more girls than cricket. Is it fair 1 suffers for the many or the many suffer for 1? In an ideal world everyone would be catered for equally but austerity.
a_a concerned about classes now. My S3 class (year10?) Has had a great chat about mountain biking helped by having a 14yo U19 Scottish DH champion in it. That lass can really ride a bike.
Sorry that should have been to Richie b but yes for girls
Squirrelking - from where I sit ( teachers in the family) AA is not the arrogant tosspot here.
Try not being an arrogant tosspot, listen to what people are telling you and you might find them more receptive to you.
Advice I know Mrs Pondo would love to give to a number of parents of her students. I know times change and all that, but when I was at school, I'd be quaking if I got a detention - no doubt many still are, but there are also a growing number whose parents will try and get them out of it. The kid done wrong and there are consequences - teachers don't cough up their time for fun, take the punishment and move on.
perhaps that YOU are the problem rather than the parents.
I dont have a problem with parents thanks.
Okay.
So can any of you explain why what I said was wrong, arrogant, entitled or whatever? Because I'm struggling to understand how giving feedback to a teacher is any of those things. I'm finding it hard to understand why anyone would think AAs response was in any way counter indicative of any of those traits as well.
You talk a good game about respect and arrogance but don't seem to be practicing what you preach. I've already asked for clarification once and got nothing in return.
You talk a good game about respect and arrogance but don’t seem to be practicing what you preach.
You are welcome to come and observe a lesson if you like. Luckily for me I can differentiate between my professional self and whilst talking to "tosspots" on a chat bored!!
So you're not going to answer the question then? Thought as much, about right for this place.
Says a lot about you that you are quite happy to speak to people like that in the safety of an anonymous chat "bored" but not in real life. At least you can admit it though.
Squirrelking
Its the way you seem to say you know better than education professionals what is happening and what is best.
You see it from a laypersons perspective and disregard the professionals views. Thats very arrogant in my book.
Amen TJ.
So can any of you explain why what I said was wrong, arrogant, entitled or whatever? Because I’m struggling to understand how giving feedback to a teacher is any of those things.
Things like this, for me -
Proper teaching isn’t just telling someone they are wrong with absolutely no context as to why, furthermore if the fact the previous example was stated as a fraction was pointed out the teacher could then correct the question so as to avoid further confusion.
I think there's truth in what you say but it shows a massive lack of understanding and is pretty arrogant. Of course, it would be great if the teacher could make notes on each answer to explain why, but maybe they didn't have time, maybe they went through the answers in class, maybe... who knows, lots of things. But one thing that seems to be becoming increasingly prevelant is the man in the street having what they think is an informed opinion on so many things - I'm not a teacher, I wouldn't presume to know better than them how to do their job any more than I would a pilot, or a barrister, a welder or whoever. To state that you can correct a teacher on their work seems pretty entitled to me (husband to a teaching wife who occasionally comes home in tears because of the crap entitled parents sling at her, who's head of the department that gets the best results in the school, who's too worried to apply for a promotion because she's concerned that it will impact said department, who regularly gets kids pulled from detention at the parents' request, totally undermining the school's ability to actually maintain any semblance of discipline. So yeah - entitled parents, not a fan).
Okay thank you. If that's how it came across then I apologise as that was never the way it was intended. As I said in the first instance there is a way to raise issues like these and it's certainly not going in all guns blazing and telling the teacher how to do their job. Or anyone for that matter.
My point, lost though that cause would seem to be, was that children should be taught to challenge where they see something wrong, how to challenge effectively and how to accept that same challenge themselves. It's not about telling anyone how to do their job or thinking you know better, it's about having the confidence to question something and not just blindly following someone with authority.
This is something that gets drilled into you when you enter industry and it is a hard slog trying to undo years of conditioning that you just do what you are told without question. If more people were used to that sort of mentality then maybe we wouldn't have as many issues in our society.
And that’s why the country is become a s£)(t hole with useless parents who did bugger all with their lives and hate schools. They then let their kids screw up their lives.
Do us a favour, keep your poor behaved kids at home and let the rest of the kids learn and do well with their lives.
Kids should not have mobiles in schools.
Schools should have more power to expel unruly kids permanently. Let the parents deal with them.
My point, lost though that cause would seem to be, was that children should be taught to challenge where they see something wrong, how to challenge effectively and how to accept that same challenge themselves. It’s not about telling anyone how to do their job or thinking you know better, it’s about having the confidence to question something and not just blindly following someone with authority.
I totally endorse that, and I think, if I'd been in that circumstance (the 1/2 vs 0.5 thing) when I was at school, I would have queried it and it would have been clarified. But as time goes on, it seems (and , of course, this is all anecdotal) that there is less and less time to actually deliver that kind of collaborative, almost heuristic approach - the pressures teachers are under seem immense; the course material itself seems to change yearly, so there are annual pressures for teachers not only to have to learn new content but also prep how to teach it to others. On top of that, the landscape seems ever-changing (that collaborative approach becomes less valued because putting that time into one child is to the detriment of the rest, and you are now seemingly judged almost solely on the difference you can make from your classes' predicted grades to what they actually achieve - but those predicted grades are based on a primary that feels similarly pressured to produce predictions as high (some may say unrealistically high) as they can get away with), with an emphasis almost on identifying which pupils you are likely to get the required grade for and focusing on that to the detriment of pupils who are less likely to get the grades they need. It's stupid (it seems to me from the outside) and not one teacher went into it to do that, but it seems that's how the industry is going. There's just no time to do anything but maximise the results you can get out of the class - the results are all that matter, there's no space for owt else.
Caveat - the ramblings of a half-cut teacher's husband, not a teacher himself.