When teacher makes mistakes. All the time

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teachers in our highly-rated FCPS (elementary) routinely make errors in spelling, to say nothing of apostrophe errors. It makes me crazy.

This is easy to fix -- you just have to care about it and have an administration that expects teachers to be a good example. We're not talking about high-level language skills here, just basic stuff, like spelling and punctuation. It's easy to get into bad habits, if no one is pointing out errors. Also, now with grammar and spell check, it's easier to find errors.

I understand that teachers often use longhand, but if they typed into a computer first, and then checked it, they could avoid a lot of errors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not understand hating on the teachers. My sister is a severely dyslexic, but very enthusiastic English teacher. When I see threads like this, making fun of errors in teacher communications, I think it is just petty, and again competitive. I guess it's what some people need to feel good about themselves.

Teachers are supposed to teach the next generation. In their job, spelling and accuracy count. If that's not something that a teacher is good at they need to work on that skill. Would it be acceptable to you if your accountant consistently made mathematical errors?

Teachers can't whine that they aren't paid a salary commensurate with their collective professionalism when they lack basic communication skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not understand hating on the teachers. My sister is a severely dyslexic, but very enthusiastic English teacher. When I see threads like this, making fun of errors in teacher communications, I think it is just petty, and again competitive. I guess it's what some people need to feel good about themselves.

But then it's your sister's responsibility to figure out ways to accommodate her disability: get someone to proofread, use dictation or word prediction software, etc. Sending out stuff full of multiple typos/mistakes just isn't professional.

And this is about a foreign language, presumably not taught by a native speaker, which to me to start with is a big problem. I would try to do it anonymously, but if your kid wants to learn the language, much less take the AP, maybe Rosetta Stone and AP prep books would be more useful than school.

[Anonymous]

To the typo obsessed, replace foreign language with math in OP's question. The issue is one of content in High School.

OP, next time an error comes up, encourage your student to ask the teacher to explain it. Don't think of it as the teacher being wrong. Approach it as an opportunity to clarify why the student has a different understanding of the concept.

For example, if it's a worksheet, have student write on it, "Mr. Teacher, I'm a little confused. I was taught previously to translate (or conjugate) this term as xyz. You have it as PDQ. Could you explain it to me?" It could be something as simple as a typo that never got corrected on the worksheet and nobody has noticed.

If they don't explain it to your child, then you send a request asking them to explain it you.

Approach it like math, give the teacher a chance, if they can't, send it to the head of the language department asking how best to address these types of situations moving forward.

Dyslexia is completely irrelevant to this situation.

[Anonymous]

OP here: I don't have a problem with a non native speaker teaching a foreign language. In fact, it could be a very good thing because a non-native speaker is more acutely aware of what is difficult in learning the language. I don't even have a problem with an occasional typo or error. I do, however, have a problem with errors in every single assignment/worksheet that comes home. The errors, moreover, are of a very basic nature (for example, the language in question is a Romance language and the teacher often uses the wrong gender with nouns; or wrong verb endings. I am just not sure if she is careless and does not proofread, or simply does not speak/write it very well. Ugh. My question is, is there a gentle way to approach her about this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here: I don't have a problem with a non native speaker teaching a foreign language. In fact, it could be a very good thing because a non-native speaker is more acutely aware of what is difficult in learning the language. I don't even have a problem with an occasional typo or error. I do, however, have a problem with errors in every single assignment/worksheet that comes home. The errors, moreover, are of a very basic nature (for example, the language in question is a Romance language and the teacher often uses the wrong gender with nouns; or wrong verb endings. I am just not sure if she is careless and does not proofread, or simply does not speak/write it very well. Ugh. My question is, is there a gentle way to approach her about this?

These are serious issues. I would schedule a meeting with the teacher so that I would have an opportunity to learn, in-person, about why these mistakes are occurring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: I don't have a problem with a non native speaker teaching a foreign language. In fact, it could be a very good thing because a non-native speaker is more acutely aware of what is difficult in learning the language. I don't even have a problem with an occasional typo or error. I do, however, have a problem with errors in every single assignment/worksheet that comes home. The errors, moreover, are of a very basic nature (for example, the language in question is a Romance language and the teacher often uses the wrong gender with nouns; or wrong verb endings. I am just not sure if she is careless and does not proofread, or simply does not speak/write it very well. Ugh. My question is, is there a gentle way to approach her about this?

These are serious issues. I would schedule a meeting with the teacher so that I would have an opportunity to learn, in-person, about why these mistakes are occurring.

As for gentle approach, just contact the teacher and ask for a meeting to discuss some concerns you have with the material you have been reviewing with your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child's third grade teacher in a top-rated FCPS consistently made spelling errors in every form of written communication, to include spelling lists (!) and printed labels on classroom materials (Tresure Box).

I systematically returned spelling lists back to the teacher with a Post It note attached pointing out the errors. No response, no improvement. I gathered a few of the most egregious examples, left them in an envelope in the principal's mailbox with my own note that this was a FYI and a concern.

Unsure what exactly happened, but the classroom labels in question were removed and corrected and the teacher sent a form letter note apologizing for typographical errors. Teacher also began using mass-produced worksheets.

Even mass produced worksheets have typos/mistakes. But bully for you....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC's HS foreign language teacher constantly makes pretty serious errors in the language s/he teaches. As someone fluent in the said language, but not a naive speaker, I know that occasional mistakes/typos happen (I am sure there will be some in this posting!). However, this particular teacher makes many, many mistakes in pretty much every prompt/assignment s/he provides. The latest was in the mid-term assignment -- to the point that my DC actually pointed it out to me. What would you do? I am reluctant to complain to the administration (which has not been not very responsive at this articular school), but nor can I figure out how to bring it up gently with the teacher directly? Or should I just let it go and not worry about it?

I'd think if you were fluent you would not be a naive speaker. Even if you weren't a native speaker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here: I don't have a problem with a non native speaker teaching a foreign language. In fact, it could be a very good thing because a non-native speaker is more acutely aware of what is difficult in learning the language. I don't even have a problem with an occasional typo or error. I do, however, have a problem with errors in every single assignment/worksheet that comes home. The errors, moreover, are of a very basic nature (for example, the language in question is a Romance language and the teacher often uses the wrong gender with nouns; or wrong verb endings. I am just not sure if she is careless and does not proofread, or simply does not speak/write it very well. Ugh. My question is, is there a gentle way to approach her about this?

OP, you know what's going on: the teacher does not know the language s/he is teaching. All the nonsense about type-os and dyslexia is just noise. If you speak a Romance language, you know gender and verb endings. Period. This is incompetence, and this teacher needs to be doing a different job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not understand hating on the teachers. My sister is a severely dyslexic, but very enthusiastic English teacher. When I see threads like this, making fun of errors in teacher communications, I think it is just petty, and again competitive. I guess it's what some people need to feel good about themselves.

But then it's your sister's responsibility to figure out ways to accommodate her disability: get someone to proofread, use dictation or word prediction software, etc. Sending out stuff full of multiple typos/mistakes just isn't professional.

+1. So your sister gets a pass on teaching kids incorrect things just bc she has a disability? Someone should have told her in college to pick another field. I would absolutely shame a teacher for handing out incorrect spelling lists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here: I don't have a problem with a non native speaker teaching a foreign language. In fact, it could be a very good thing because a non-native speaker is more acutely aware of what is difficult in learning the language. I don't even have a problem with an occasional typo or error. I do, however, have a problem with errors in every single assignment/worksheet that comes home. The errors, moreover, are of a very basic nature (for example, the language in question is a Romance language and the teacher often uses the wrong gender with nouns; or wrong verb endings. I am just not sure if she is careless and does not proofread, or simply does not speak/write it very well. Ugh. My question is, is there a gentle way to approach her about this?

Next error you see, contact teacher by email asking for clarification. It's perfectly fine to say that you took Italian in high school and you thought the plural of ragazza was ragazee. Or whatever the mistake seems to be. If you make it clear that you just want to be on the same page, there shouldn't be a problem. Being specific is more important than being "gentle".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: I don't have a problem with a non native speaker teaching a foreign language. In fact, it could be a very good thing because a non-native speaker is more acutely aware of what is difficult in learning the language. I don't even have a problem with an occasional typo or error. I do, however, have a problem with errors in every single assignment/worksheet that comes home. The errors, moreover, are of a very basic nature (for example, the language in question is a Romance language and the teacher often uses the wrong gender with nouns; or wrong verb endings. I am just not sure if she is careless and does not proofread, or simply does not speak/write it very well. Ugh. My question is, is there a gentle way to approach her about this?

OP, you know what's going on: the teacher does not know the language s/he is teaching. All the nonsense about type-os and dyslexia is just noise. If you speak a Romance language, you know gender and verb endings. Period. This is incompetence, and this teacher needs to be doing a different job.

I think this PP is right. It sounds as if the teacher is in over his or her head and is making errors out of incompetence. I would avoid confronting the teacher directly, because it seems unlikely they would admit to not knowing what they're doing and it could be very awkward. It's a really awkward situation! I can't think of a way to put it delicately, to be honest.

I myself teach, and sometimes have found myself in situations where my students know more than I do. In every case, over 6+ years and even more subjects, I've had one relatively bad error that was fairly easily correctable the next class (a student caught it). And in other situations, because I think I'm a good teacher, I've been able to craft lessons that are solid and learn if I need to. This teacher sounds like she's not aware of her mistakes and/or not studying up on the lessons she is conducting (which you'd think could be possible...to be a few steps ahead of high school students).

[Anonymous]

It is all in the tone...first you use the word complain. Why just say that you would like to share some observations. Now the obvious questions if the work is being done through all the mistakes then wouldn't one say the nit-picking is just a ploy to distract you inability to complete assignments.

[Anonymous]

Go straight to the administration, if they dont respond, then look for another school.

In his freshman year of high school at a fairly reputable DCPS school, my DS had a teacher who had a strong accent teaching English. How are you supposed to learn anything when you have to struggle to understand your teacher's every word? We went to the administration, and they refused to take any action, so we left and found a good private school that actually vetted its teaching staff.