Teacher issues: sarcasm etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've heard an earful too from parents. Swearing, screaming, you name it. So get off your high horses.


-a teacher

LOL, and you're on DCUM on a weekday! Bravo.

[Anonymous]

I'm another teacher (HS). I don't think it's appropriate to use sarcasm with students (unless you are an English teacher teaching a lesson on sarcasm). It never sounds nice, it can easily be misinterpreted, and young children won't get it at all.

I don't love the idea that the teacher is saying it's making her "sad" that students don't follow directions, I think there are more effective ways of classroom management, - but I don't think this is the worst thing either.

I do think the bathroom thing is somewhat appropriate. It's hard to maintain a classroom when students are constantly trying to leave to use the restroom and such. At that age, many students are taken to the bathroom as a group on the way back from recess or between transitions, to encourage them to go during break and not during class. This is probably the teacher's way of trying to recreate that structure.

From your other comments, I think maybe the teacher doesn't understand how to manage an online class (and most of us are still figuring it out). Her style is not one I'd use, but you can't really control the personality of others, and she's probably trying to figure out how to get compliance and structure in her online class.

[Anonymous]

Any parent got in trouble with a teacher? I did. He said I told the whole class the answer. Apparently, I wasn't on mute. Well, at least all got it right, not just my kid.
Not attending the coming parent-teacher conference, because I'm the one who is in trouble.
I love it how he said that I just told the whole class the answer. Good I didn't say any bad words.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've heard an earful too from parents. Swearing, screaming, you name it. So get off your high horses.


-a teacher

You’re a smug piece of trash. I thank the heavens my first-grader has a great teacher who is far too together to act like you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any parent got in trouble with a teacher? I did. He said I told the whole class the answer. Apparently, I wasn't on mute. Well, at least all got it right, not just my kid.
Not attending the coming parent-teacher conference, because I'm the one who is in trouble.
I love it how he said that I just told the whole class the answer. Good I didn't say any bad words.

My daughter's teacher always asks the kids who do really well on an assignment "if Mommy helped". It's a very weird dynamic.

[Anonymous]

Sarcasm is not professional. It's not valuable as a teaching tool. It's a slippery slope.

[Anonymous]

it is our job to help our kids adjust to whatever situation they find themselves in (as long as it is not unsafe).

it is not our job to police teachers, other children, other parents etc. whenever we do things that we may not like.

[Anonymous]

My kids are in middle and high, so older. Our position is that our kids can turn off the video. The teacher is a guest in your home. They don't have a right to be there.

[Anonymous]

Teachers are adults who are supposed to act professionally and respectfully. If a child was sarcastic with you, would you be sarcastic back. Hopefully not. As an adult you know better. I was a preschool teacher in a past life before children and I would never talk to my friends in the classroom in a disrespectful way. How can we expect them to grow into emotionally mature adults if the people they spend the most time with besides us are jerks? My friend blames shows on the Disney Channel for her daughter's sassy behavior. Maybe it's the grown up in her classroom??

[Anonymous]

I am a retired teacher. This teacher sounds like a poor teacher and I would move to another one, and I would also put my concerns in writing with specific examples. The principal can watch the recordings of the class in our county. If you don’t speak up, the principal can’t do anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids are in middle and high, so older. Our position is that our kids can turn off the video. The teacher is a guest in your home. They don't have a right to be there.

LOL. Amazing what parents think of teachers. A guest? So are students guests in school?

[Anonymous]

We taught our kid what is sarcasm when she was young mostly cause I'm really sarcastic. Yeah my bad now I'm stuck with a sarcastic 7 year old. However, I wouldn't expect a teacher of young elementary school kids to use it. I would try to speak to the teacher about it. Often sarcastic people have trouble switching it off or sometimes don't realize they are being too sarcastic for their audience. But I definitely wouldn't tolerate a teacher of K-2 to be sarcastic to kids. Middle school and up is a totally different story though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“I don’t think children should be responsible for the emotions for adults” Really? The teacher is communicating to her students in words that children understand. Children need to understand that their actions have consequences. Newsflash, OP, people’s actions do have consequences and do affect how how others feel. You are a piece of work. Please, please, please bring this example to your Principal and ask for a new teacher....

The feeling of another adult is not a consequence that should be meaningful to the child. I've taught my children early on to respond to things like that with "I'm not responsible for what you feel." And they aren't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“I don’t think children should be responsible for the emotions for adults” Really? The teacher is communicating to her students in words that children understand. Children need to understand that their actions have consequences. Newsflash, OP, people’s actions do have consequences and do affect how how others feel. You are a piece of work. Please, please, please bring this example to your Principal and ask for a new teacher....

The feeling of another adult is not a consequence that should be meaningful to the child. I've taught my children early on to respond to things like that with "I'm not responsible for what you feel." And they aren't.

This is being blown out of proportion, in my opinion. Preschoolers and kindergarteners are taught to say “I feel _____ when you _____.” I think she is trying to model that. Kids also need to know how to identify feelings and that starts with modeling as well. Stating a feeling that you have doesn’t make another person responsible for it. Kids do need to learn that their actions affect others. This position is bizarre. Are you going to teach your kid to dismiss other people’s feelings because he/she isn’t responsible for them? This will backfire in social relationships.

All that said, I think the teacher would have been better off saying “I am concerned that ____.”But honestly, I would want my kid to consider how she makes others feel, children and adults. And I hope she will make amends when it’s appropriate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“I don’t think children should be responsible for the emotions for adults” Really? The teacher is communicating to her students in words that children understand. Children need to understand that their actions have consequences. Newsflash, OP, people’s actions do have consequences and do affect how how others feel. You are a piece of work. Please, please, please bring this example to your Principal and ask for a new teacher....

The feeling of another adult is not a consequence that should be meaningful to the child. I've taught my children early on to respond to things like that with "I'm not responsible for what you feel." And they aren't.

This is being blown out of proportion, in my opinion. Preschoolers and kindergarteners are taught to say “I feel _____ when you _____.” I think she is trying to model that. Kids also need to know how to identify feelings and that starts with modeling as well. Stating a feeling that you have doesn’t make another person responsible for it. Kids do need to learn that their actions affect others. This position is bizarre. Are you going to teach your kid to dismiss other people’s feelings because he/she isn’t responsible for them? This will backfire in social relationships.

All that said, I think the teacher would have been better off saying “I am concerned that ____.”But honestly, I would want my kid to consider how she makes others feel, children and adults. And I hope she will make amends when it’s appropriate.

PP here. The sarcasm is not appropriate. You should address it with the teacher. Going over her head seems adversarial. Surely you can think of a way to handle this with another adult.