language quality of teacher emails/speech ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know, sometimes I make grammatical errors as a teacher. Sometimes I see them but I’m in a hurry and I choose to ignore it.
Sometimes my work is overwhelming and I let these little things slide but this is good to know, I will just take more time responding to parents, instead of getting back to them ASAP.

DCPS teacher here. This is weak. I know how much pressure we are under. Even so, don’t let it slide while still replying ASAP. You don’t need to hire a proofreader, but take a moment to fix your errors. We have a responsibility to set a good example and set the bar high for our students. We all make the occasional mistake, just try not to!!

Nah, I have 48 hours to respond but usually I respond within 30 minutes. Now I will take a day. Also I teach PK, not upper elementary or on. Chill, you have no idea what pressure I am personally under or my life story.

I generally don’t make mistakes in emails but in texts I sometimes do. If parents don’t like that email me and I won’t give you my personal number and answer your questions at 9pm.

How old are you? I’m the teacher who thought your approach was weak. You are under no obligation to answer emails at 9:00 pm. Answer them at 8:00 am, the next morning without knowingly leaving errors.

Teachers cannot win during Covid, always some whiny complaint. If you do not like how the teacher presents their emails just tell them instead of whining about it on here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know, sometimes I make grammatical errors as a teacher. Sometimes I see them but I’m in a hurry and I choose to ignore it.
Sometimes my work is overwhelming and I let these little things slide but this is good to know, I will just take more time responding to parents, instead of getting back to them ASAP.

DCPS teacher here. This is weak. I know how much pressure we are under. Even so, don’t let it slide while still replying ASAP. You don’t need to hire a proofreader, but take a moment to fix your errors. We have a responsibility to set a good example and set the bar high for our students. We all make the occasional mistake, just try not to!!

Nah, I have 48 hours to respond but usually I respond within 30 minutes. Now I will take a day. Also I teach PK, not upper elementary or on. Chill, you have no idea what pressure I am personally under or my life story.

I generally don’t make mistakes in emails but in texts I sometimes do. If parents don’t like that email me and I won’t give you my personal number and answer your questions at 9pm.

I’m the teacher who thought your approach was weak. May I ask how old you are? You are under no obligation to give out your phone number or answer parents at 9:00 pm. Answer at 8:00 am the next morning, when you are rested enough to do it without knowingly including errors. I’m sorry if you are under other pressures in your life. That would make teaching extra difficult.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know, sometimes I make grammatical errors as a teacher. Sometimes I see them but I’m in a hurry and I choose to ignore it.
Sometimes my work is overwhelming and I let these little things slide but this is good to know, I will just take more time responding to parents, instead of getting back to them ASAP.

DCPS teacher here. This is weak. I know how much pressure we are under. Even so, don’t let it slide while still replying ASAP. You don’t need to hire a proofreader, but take a moment to fix your errors. We have a responsibility to set a good example and set the bar high for our students. We all make the occasional mistake, just try not to!!

Nah, I have 48 hours to respond but usually I respond within 30 minutes. Now I will take a day. Also I teach PK, not upper elementary or on. Chill, you have no idea what pressure I am personally under or my life story.

I generally don’t make mistakes in emails but in texts I sometimes do. If parents don’t like that email me and I won’t give you my personal number and answer your questions at 9pm.

I’m the teacher who thought your approach was weak. May I ask how old you are? You are under no obligation to give out your phone number or answer parents at 9:00 pm. Answer at 8:00 am the next morning, when you are rested enough to do it without knowingly including errors. I’m sorry if you are under other pressures in your life. That would make teaching extra difficult.

Hello, I’m 24. I’m sure the next reply will be, ‘ oh you’re young.’ However it’s a personal choice to answer a text at 9pm, I am not complaining about that.

I am complaining that I’m going out of my way to answer your late text and you’re going to cry that I forgot to put periods at the end of my sentences or didn’t capitalize letters?
I’ve never had a parent like that and my approach would be for them to just email me from now on, emails I do not answer late and I’m less likely to make a mistake.

I understand professionalism but a text is a text. If you want a nice tidy reply, text early or just email me.

[Anonymous]

The Teacher from Hell DS had in 4th grade, who kept refusing his IEP accommodations re: writing (like, the IEP said he could dictate homework, but when he did she accused him of having me do his homework for him) wrote on an assignment that "I can't read it and some words are mispelled."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:English isn’t my first language. If I sent an email with multiple grammar mistakes, it would be immediately brought up to my supervisor as a sign of incompetence. I’m assuming these teachers are native English speakers. This is totally unacceptable in my opinion.

Good thing no one cares.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:English isn’t my first language. If I sent an email with multiple grammar mistakes, it would be immediately brought up to my supervisor as a sign of incompetence. I’m assuming these teachers are native English speakers. This is totally unacceptable in my opinion.

Good thing no one cares.

Clearly you do, since you were sad enough to post a response.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Teacher from Hell DS had in 4th grade, who kept refusing his IEP accommodations re: writing (like, the IEP said he could dictate homework, but when he did she accused him of having me do his homework for him) wrote on an assignment that "I can't read it and some words are mispelled."

I would have been at the principals office THAT DAY if I were you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:English isn’t my first language. If I sent an email with multiple grammar mistakes, it would be immediately brought up to my supervisor as a sign of incompetence. I’m assuming these teachers are native English speakers. This is totally unacceptable in my opinion.

Good thing no one cares.

Clearly you do, since you were sad enough to post a response.

Peace be with you.

[Anonymous]

If I am writing an email to a parent or a student, I absolutely use proper grammar. However, if I'm posting to the Teams chat thread with my middle schoolers, I have found that I've been treating it like a text chain and use informal English to engender a connection with kids. Parents, what do you think of this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I am writing an email to a parent or a student, I absolutely use proper grammar. However, if I'm posting to the Teams chat thread with my middle schoolers, I have found that I've been treating it like a text chain and use informal English to engender a connection with kids. Parents, what do you think of this?

Our problem is with teachers who don't know and/or don't value proper grammar and proper English usage in their emails to parents and students. It's particularly grating when you see an ELA teacher make the same grammar mistake in several emails, or use the absolute wrong word for a statement, that would make an adult cringe, the way a high-schooler young college student would switch a simple word for a completely wrong "bigger" word, to sound more sophisticated.

Of course, a great teacher would model writing that is "practically perfect in every way" no matter the medium - emails, texts, chats. But no public school parent would start a thread to complain about the latter. We're OK with shortcuts in texts and chats. Bringing those up are almost a distraction. What we care about is that our children's teachers, especially ELA teachers, be effortlessly capable of a polished 4 paragraph mass email without grammar mistakes, awkward turns of phrase or unmastered vocabulary. It should absolutely be a requisite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I am writing an email to a parent or a student, I absolutely use proper grammar. However, if I'm posting to the Teams chat thread with my middle schoolers, I have found that I've been treating it like a text chain and use informal English to engender a connection with kids. Parents, what do you think of this?

Our problem is with teachers who don't know and/or don't value proper grammar and proper English usage in their emails to parents and students. It's particularly grating when you see an ELA teacher make the same grammar mistake in several emails, or use the absolute wrong word for a statement, that would make an adult cringe, the way a high-schooler young college student would switch a simple word for a completely wrong "bigger" word, to sound more sophisticated.

Of course, a great teacher would model writing that is "practically perfect in every way" no matter the medium - emails, texts, chats. But no public school parent would start a thread to complain about the latter. We're OK with shortcuts in texts and chats. Bringing those up are almost a distraction. What we care about is that our children's teachers, especially ELA teachers, be effortlessly capable of a polished 4 paragraph mass email without grammar mistakes, awkward turns of phrase or unmastered vocabulary. It should absolutely be a requisite.

I'm not sure that I agree that a great teacher should model perfect writing in every medium. (Assignments and emails should be grammatically flawless). His or her job depends on a connection with kids. If formal writing in a text chain puts off the kids, they're less likely to take academic risks with that person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I am writing an email to a parent or a student, I absolutely use proper grammar. However, if I'm posting to the Teams chat thread with my middle schoolers, I have found that I've been treating it like a text chain and use informal English to engender a connection with kids. Parents, what do you think of this?

Our problem is with teachers who don't know and/or don't value proper grammar and proper English usage in their emails to parents and students. It's particularly grating when you see an ELA teacher make the same grammar mistake in several emails, or use the absolute wrong word for a statement, that would make an adult cringe, the way a high-schooler young college student would switch a simple word for a completely wrong "bigger" word, to sound more sophisticated.

Of course, a great teacher would model writing that is "practically perfect in every way" no matter the medium - emails, texts, chats. But no public school parent would start a thread to complain about the latter. We're OK with shortcuts in texts and chats. Bringing those up are almost a distraction. What we care about is that our children's teachers, especially ELA teachers, be effortlessly capable of a polished 4 paragraph mass email without grammar mistakes, awkward turns of phrase or unmastered vocabulary. It should absolutely be a requisite.

Without calling out the person directly, can you quote what you find to be awkward turns of phrase or unmastered vocabulary?

[Anonymous]

Psh. If it’s a formal email yes you want to be grammatically correct, or an assignment.

A text not so much. Class dojo though, yes.

At the end of the day it doesn’t change my day if a parent looks at an email and I made a small error.

I assure you as a highly effective teacher my admin will say all the niceties to you to get you to shut up. And laugh about it with me later.

Now if your teacher is on thin ice, you may get the desired result.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I am writing an email to a parent or a student, I absolutely use proper grammar. However, if I'm posting to the Teams chat thread with my middle schoolers, I have found that I've been treating it like a text chain and use informal English to engender a connection with kids. Parents, what do you think of this?

I think that’s generally fine. Informal language in an informal format seems appropriate. I think it’s actually valuable to teach kids that writing styles can sand should change depending on the context and the audience. It’s a good skill to learn. I wouldn’t use completely incorrect grammar, though. I think there’s a difference between informal and just incorrect if that makes sense. Of course, typos and things like that on occasion aren’t a big deal. I don’t think anyone expects teachers to be perfect because no one is. I think we just want to know that the people teaching our kids are competent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op, you scare me. I have studied 7 languages, but I still make grammar mistakes in English, and probably in my mother tongue. Never mind the languages, I'm very good at making math concepts easy for elementary kids.
I just entered MA program in ECE and at times I think about parent like you. Is you child's teacher a good teacher?
My English teacher was an historian and a linguist who spoke 8 languages. I see his writing on Facebook sometimes and wonder if there is something wrong with him based on the way he writes. He was just voted the best teacher in the country (back in the old country). When I heard it, I wondered, what took them so long!

This can definitely be an issue with non-native english speakers. I speak 3 languages (english is not my native language) and I find myself making errors sometimes that I only catch after re-reading several days later. I don't teach english so it's not an issue professionally but I can see how some people might view an email or a social media comment and wonder if I have learning difficulties!