Bad Teachers

[Cockroach]

My girl met an English teacher when she was P5. This teacher is terrible to an Indian child. For the worst cases, he told him to stare into the mirror and look at himself and recognize how ugly he is when what he did was merely forgot to bring hwk. He also embarrassed the child by asking him to do pumping and when he did as told, the teacher laughed at him and whilst pointing to him, he said to us," this is what i call my dog" and some of her friends laughed. That boy went to another school in the end and the teacher went to another school as the class wrote complain letters to the principal. Now, they are having a much better teacher and i am glad:)

[coolit]

I am surprised that the teacher can still go to another school! Teachers truly have

thankless jobs but sometimes I find that they can go a bit ‘xiao’ after a while and start
to take out their anger on the kids. Not that I totally blame them but when my child
was under one such teacher, every day she would go to school trembling because she
never knew what would set off the teacher on one of her moods.

[GoopPwr]

I hope to get some advise and words from you so as to clear my head, and think rationally from this posts.


This has been bothering me for months now, and it has given me lots of frustration. I have nothing agaisnt teachers, in fact I think a good one can change and guide many young lives for the better. So. if you have no constructive comments, please, do not reponse.

My son can be difficult and disobediant, I will be the first to acknowledge this. But not any more than the next boy.

My child’s middle age female chinese teacher have been picking on him since the start of this school year. Other than the usual favourtism which I can turn a deaf ear to, she has been targeting my son, and a few other boys in class.

Claimed that work was not handed up, and demanded that my son redo and hand up work, has been late for class many times over the year, at times for 20 to 30 minutes. Criticise and mock at certain students, had spoken under her breath that my son was stupid, and my son over-heard it, refused to answer questions relating to school work, on the contrary shouts and critises student who asked those questions. Had been known to teach little, or no teaching at all at times. I over-heard this from another parent during the meet the teacher sessions. And I heard this from my son as well.

Because of the poor results after SA1, she conducted extra lessons for the class, and from what I gethered, she was kind of put in a situation where she is not able to get out of conducting these extra lesson. When she decided to
extend the lessons from one to two hours, my son told her that I am waiting for him to bring him for his tuition whihc is anout 45 minutes away, and he has to leave, she forbid him from leaving the class and said that I can wait till I cannot wait any longer.

She had reportedly man handled a few of the boys in the class, including my son, using a ruler, not quite hitting but not a tap either to "touch" his head on several spots. She had also said to have very gentally "kick"or use her foot to "touch"another boy. A Vietnam boy, he is made to stand at the back of the class almost everyday, and from what I heard, sometimes this boy did not even do anything and he will be asked to stand at the back of the class nonetheless

She has also been said to mock certain students by making them do certain things to make them look silly.

When my son came to me again today, about what she has done, I felt very much to want to confront her, together with the schol principal. I stop only because my son was afriad of that she may take it out on him in class. She had told the class that she can bad-mouth about students to other teachers and even the discipline master.

The only reason I am not going straight to the MOE to complain against her , yet, is because I feel it may break her decades of career. But I feel that she is getting bolder and thinks that she have the right to do these.

[corneyAmber]

GoopPwr, before you do anything, it would be good to investigate info from more sources. It is not sufficient to hear mainly from your child only if you want to make a case. I believe my child too but I will check with a few sources to confirm my suspicions, then I make my case.


Teachers are definitely under stress to perform in many ways. I do not envy them at all. If the situation is getting your child not to be motivated in learning, then you definitely have to take some action. Perhaps the teacher needs someone to give her some help as well, to break away from her routine way of doing things and try other methods to help the children to learn. What can be constructive is when both parents and teachers are willing to be open with one another and work towards the same goal.

[GoopPwr]

thank you ksi for offering your view, it is indeed wise to get more info from other sources. My son have been complaining to me, sometimes with tears in his eyes, for months, and have been asking me what are we going to do.


I am thinking of speaking directly to the parents of a few of the boys

He is not one to tear easily. And is usually cheerful and happy, but for the last few months everytime he talks about this chinese teacher, he is unhapy for the next few hours, once or twice even for the next day or two.

My point is , I am more convinced than otherwise.

[corneyAmber]

GoopPwr:

thank you ksi for offering your view, it is indeed wise to get more info from other sources. My son have been complaining to me, sometimes with tears in his eyes for months, and have been asking me what are we going to do.


He is not one to tear easily. And is usually cheerful and happy, but for the last few months everytime he talks about this chinese teacher, he is unhapy for the next few hours, once or twice even for the next day or two.

My point is , I am more convinced than otherwise.

Then you certainly have to do something if it is causing him so much duress. Get the info from a few sources to validate what you hear to strengthen your case.

[GoopPwr]

yes, I’m thinking of speaking to the parents of a few of the students

[Mdm Koh]

I think that the teacher is wrong to use such negative methods to discipline her class. However, apart from speaking to the parents of the other students, I think you should also check with your son if what the teacher claimed was true.


Did he really not do his work? Was he really late for class for 20 to 30 minutes? As a parent, I think you should find out from him why the teacher said that. I feel that even though it’s natural that you would empathise with your son and feel protective of him, if he has been behaving badly in class, he ought to be responsible for his actions.

Your son is very distressed by the punishment and harsh words from his teacher. The fastest way to improve matters is actually not to find "proof" of the teacher’s mishandling of her class, but to work on your son’s discipline, so that the teacher will have no excuse for punishing him.

After that, you can investigate at your own time and consider approaching the principal.

[GoopPwr]

I did the homework with him, completed it and put them all in the bag. I do so for this particular subject becos of past experiances with this teacher. My best guess is that the teacher did not get them some how, or, have lost it, knowingly, or unknowingly.


But it is the attitude : I am the teacher, and therefore I am always right, you are the student, I say you do.

For those who are in their high horses, and holier than thou, I firmly believe in discipline, I believe even that there is a time, and place for - I say you do and not question my authority .

But I also believe we shd teach the child to believes in himself, even if others do not share the same, provided what he believes in is right and appropriate, and to deliver that in a repectful and polite manner.

Often times it is not what we say, but the manner we say it.

And I also believe that we all have to pick our battles, not all battles are worth our attention. And there are times you dont have a choice becos the battles keep coming at you.

It was the teacher who is late for 20-30 mins, many times throughout the year. Not my son.

Every time my son is being disciplined in school and I know of it, my first response is to find out what and if he has done wrong. This is the typical thing to do isn’t it ?

If any parents have taken noticed, our kids now are no longer as we were, their age. They know what is right and what is wrong and they reason better at a much younger age. They know at a much younger age that there is injustice .

They know at a much younger age, what and who is respectable, and who is not.

If they have bee unjustly punished, and they do not know of it, or are not bordered, then it is a lot more easier to let it go. But, if they know so, and feel that there is not justice and fairness, and it is all one way, and are troubled by it., now this is somethng we shd address.

Do you not accord your child dignity that they deserve?

There are some back ground to this which make me suspect that she is taking it out on my son becos I had gone to the HOD to clarify some questions, and I have to do so becos, she refused to answer questions, time and again, especialy questions by some students, whom she dislike for various reasons, rightly so or not.

Doesn’t the action of the teacher say something ?

An adult and a child, a person put in authority and a student in a school environment. When does it cross the line when discipline becomes bullying. When does it become personal.

[Mdm Koh]

GoopPwr:

If they have bee unjustly punished, and they do not know of it, or are not bordered, then it is a lot more easier to let it go. But, if they know so, and feel that there is not justice and fairness, and it is all one way, now this is somethng we shd address.

True, it may explain why your son is feeling so bothered by it. If you are very sure that the teacher has been lying and punishing him unfairly, you should ask the HOD or principal to speak with her.