Complaining about a teacher - what's the best way forward?
Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators
-
muffinmonster
- Posts: 239
- Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 2:33 pm
- Location: London
Re: Complaining about a teacher - what's the best way forwar
Has taken me a while to report back on this, but here goes:
After I posted initially, things went from bad to worse. As a result, a group of Y10 girls, including my DD, went to the Head of Science to make a complaint. He was quite receptive and told them he would see what he could do. I decided this would be a good time to add my voice so phoned him a couple of days later, armed with a list of bullet points put together after re-reading this thread.
He listened, but didn't listen, if that makes sense - that is, he was quite ready to acknowledge that there is a problem, but didn't really give me a chance to say all I wanted to. He did promise that he would observe a class and then get back to me.
DD came home from school a couple of days later to say they'd had the best biology lesson in ages, as Head of Science had sat in on the class. She was worried he would think there was no problem because the class had been so well-behaved.
HoS then got back to me promptly and said he is going to take DD's biology class from now until they sit their biology module in January and try to help them catch up. His own unfortunate class will be getting Mr Useless - how long before their parents start to complain?
So I'm reassured that our complaints have been listened to and taken seriously, and I feel that the HoS can't really do more than he is doing - but they still have a problem science teacher and I don't know what will happen after the biology exam in January. We'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it.
After I posted initially, things went from bad to worse. As a result, a group of Y10 girls, including my DD, went to the Head of Science to make a complaint. He was quite receptive and told them he would see what he could do. I decided this would be a good time to add my voice so phoned him a couple of days later, armed with a list of bullet points put together after re-reading this thread.
He listened, but didn't listen, if that makes sense - that is, he was quite ready to acknowledge that there is a problem, but didn't really give me a chance to say all I wanted to. He did promise that he would observe a class and then get back to me.
DD came home from school a couple of days later to say they'd had the best biology lesson in ages, as Head of Science had sat in on the class. She was worried he would think there was no problem because the class had been so well-behaved.
HoS then got back to me promptly and said he is going to take DD's biology class from now until they sit their biology module in January and try to help them catch up. His own unfortunate class will be getting Mr Useless - how long before their parents start to complain?
So I'm reassured that our complaints have been listened to and taken seriously, and I feel that the HoS can't really do more than he is doing - but they still have a problem science teacher and I don't know what will happen after the biology exam in January. We'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it.
Re: Complaining about a teacher - what's the best way forwar
Sounds like problem teacher must have known he was going to be observed that lesson.
Re: Complaining about a teacher - what's the best way forwar
Yes usually you would have to inform the teacher - however the Subject Leader was not fooled by the behaviour of the class. There were clearly some 'issues' with the content of the lesson that has caused this action.
Re: Complaining about a teacher - what's the best way forwar
Sounds good. Maybe the problem teacher will use the H of Science lesson plans in the H of Science's lessons. Behaviour of course could still be a problem in the newly dumped on group - but they might be worried H of S can walk in any moment. Big schools can very quickly come up with arrangements were a misbehaving child is ejected into someone else's lesson, so problem teacher might be given this as an option. After he's stuck to some method like that for a few lessons he might well gain control of the new group.
You know there is a chance he could turn out to be a very good teacher; he might still be learning. It's a hard job. But great that the problem is at least temporarily sorted for your daughter.
It's one of those little warnings though that can be very useful. In the better managed, more engaging lessons, the pupils might not be covering the syllabus. It has become apparent in this lesson that the syllabus is not being covered, but that is because it is so obviously bad.
This is where the GCSE revision guides come in so handy these days. It really is very easy covering the syllabus properly and filling in gaps that might not have been covered or understood at school.
You know there is a chance he could turn out to be a very good teacher; he might still be learning. It's a hard job. But great that the problem is at least temporarily sorted for your daughter.
It's one of those little warnings though that can be very useful. In the better managed, more engaging lessons, the pupils might not be covering the syllabus. It has become apparent in this lesson that the syllabus is not being covered, but that is because it is so obviously bad.
This is where the GCSE revision guides come in so handy these days. It really is very easy covering the syllabus properly and filling in gaps that might not have been covered or understood at school.
Re: Complaining about a teacher - what's the best way forwar
Make sure that you buy the correct exam book and syllabus - many on the shelves are out of date!This is where the GCSE revision guides come in so handy these days.
Re: Complaining about a teacher - what's the best way forwar
As well as not being comprehensive, and being very specifically tied to a particular exam board and a specific exam within that - and these change every year it seems. Caveat emptor.Guest55 wrote:Make sure that you buy the correct exam book and syllabus - many on the shelves are out of date!This is where the GCSE revision guides come in so handy these days.