Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Advice needed on very difficult teacher

Perhaps I am a bit pessimistic, but I don't think that you can change an experienced teacher who is so set in her ways. I would focus on insulating your DD from emotional harm so she takes the situation in stride. Help DD to focus on the math but learn to follow the teacher's requirements to the extent possible without undue stress. Give her permission to get a bad grade if she should inadverdently violate one of these requirements. The fact that this teacher will be teaching her for several years is a cause for concern if your DD is unable to adjust this year so a change in school may be necessary next year.

My children has had rigid teachers over the years but your teacher sounds a bit further out there. On the positive side, some of these rigid teachers have been instrumental/helpful in my kids learning to follow directions, showing their work and otherwise acquiring those skills/practices required in middle school and beyond.

Update.

I wrote to the school principal last night to request that DD be removed from Miss T.'s class. Her rigidity hasn't abated (if anything, it's worse), and DD wants out.

The latest problems are more of the same stuff I wrote about before, but examples include a note on DD's homework telling her she would throw it away if DD makes another mistake on the date (she wrote 10-2-13 instead of 10-3-13). Two nights ago, she was marked wrong for writing the wrong worksheet code (Miss T. has worksheet codes; sometimes she changes them in midstream). DD wrote something like W2A instead of W3A, but correctly identified the problem number, copied the problem correctly and got it right. I can sort-of understand being slightly unhappy with incorrectly identifying the worksheet. HOWEVER, they hadn't been assigned anything from W2A that night, and TBH, I'm not sure that W2A even exists.

DH told DD to erase the 2 and replace it with a 3...and it came back last night for a complete rewrite of the entire problem.

Apparently, Miss T. told DD a week or two ago that "Your mother is thinking of pulling you out of my class; I don't know what you're saying to her about me." This kind of thing, IMO, is really, really not acceptable.

And on and on.

It's 2 pm here and I haven't heard from the principal yet. He usually answers messages very quickly, so something is obviously going on. Ugh.

Wow. This teacher has serious issues. I hope the principal calls you soon to let you know the new teacher assignment.

Below is the worst, though. Really? Completely inappropriate for a teacher. If the principal balks, mention this incident if you haven't already.

I am really sorry to read that your DD is still being put through the wringer over completely assinIne stuff and it has had to go so far along

Wow Val, I hope you get a positive outcome from this, it sounds just terrible.

Fuming more about this. I think your DD is 9, like my son. I can only imagine how terrified my kid would be of the teacher saying something like this to him, insinuating that he was lying to his parents about the teacher. What a horrible bully of a teacher.

Thanks for the support, everyone.

Yes, I agree that she's a bit bully-ish. Especially that remark about what DD was saying about her to me.

I told DD, "It's not what she may have said; it's what she's written on your homework that's driving me."

Yes, she sounds extremely petty and like she has an agenda. Is she like this with all the kids?

Absolutely unacceptable. Particularly what she said to your dd. I hope the principal contacts you right away. Please give us an update.

Is she pretty old? She really sounds like some nuns I had in my catholic grade school... One was exactly like this and worse... she would also hit us, pull my hair, etc. I think back about her all of the time and how I would absolutely hit the roof if a teacher treated my son the way she treated her students. She was at my elementary school for ten years after I had her in 1st grade. Anyway, not only should your DD get out of there but I think she should (be made to ) leave the teaching profession.