Are you guilty of any of these things that give one teacher ‘the ick’.
A teacher and assistant principal has shared eight things that parents do or say that give her ‘the ick’ and some of them may be familiar to you.
If you have been involved in the school community for some time, then you will know that the parents can be a mixed bag. Some are pushy, some are annoying, and lots are, of course, lovely.
But from a teacher’s perspective, there are certainly lots of annoying things that parents do or say and one is dishing the details.
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8 things that give this teacher ‘the ick’
Tam Milledge, a teacher and assistant principal who shares learning resources for primary teachers on Instagram under the handle Mrs Learning Bee, has revealed the things that annoy her about parents, and they may be a bit controversial.
Admitting that her opinion ‘might ruffle a few feathers’, Tam said that ‘the vast majority’ of parents she deals with are ‘genuinely so lovely, so supportive and so respectful’.
However, she has met ‘some doozies’ throughout her career too.
Here are the things parents do that give Tam ‘the ick’
- Saying ‘my child would never’ – she says that defending your child sometimes involves holding them accountable.
- Emailing at 9pm and expecting a reply by 9.06 – this is outside working hours and while Tam says that the email gets answered, it certainly won’t at that hour.
- Bypassing the teacher with a complaint and going straight to the principal – the teacher says that some issues can be resolved with a ‘five minute meeting’ and don’t need a formal meeting which can result in a ‘teacher second guessing themselves’.
- Questioning every professional call a teacher makes – teachers are well educated so when they suggest something such as a reading assesment or seating change, it is never a ‘personal attack’. ‘It’s our professional judgement, trust it, or at least hear it out’.
- The toxic class WhatsApp group – ‘the speculation, the pile-ons, the misinformation about kids and teachers. Most parents in the group never see the harm being done.’
- Assuming the teacher is the enemy by default – Tam says that parents don’t need to walk into every meeting ‘bracing for a fight’. Teachers are working as hard as they can to ensure your child has the best possible outcome.
- Treating drop off like a social event – Tam urges parents to keep things moving at the school gate and not use it as a catch-up opportunity. ‘The teacher on duty is trying to keep a hundred kids safe’.
- Saying ‘back in my day’ – things have changed since parents were at school (for the better) and saying ‘I turned out fine’ isn’t the bar.
Are you guilty of any of these?
