Teacher not returning calls/email

hello007007
hello007007 Posts: 149
First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post Combo Breaker
Forumite
Hello all,

There is a teacher at my girls new school who has been very helpful. However, she doesnt return my emails or calls. I have sent her 2 emails and left 3 odd message over 3 school weeks however it was only when reception pressed her, she returned my calls on Tuesday, she then promised to email me by the end of the week however I havent got anything. (I know she hasn't been off sick)

When I do get through to her, she is very nice and really helpful. I dont want to complain about her in case I ruin our relationship.

What should I do? Am I overracting? how long do your teachers take to get back to you?
The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer - I was in my late 20s when I figured out what this meant.

I neither take or enter agreements which deal with interest. I dont want to profit from someone's misery.
«13456

Comments

  • onlyroz
    onlyroz Posts: 17,661
    First Post Combo Breaker First Anniversary
    Forumite
    Maybe give your child a hand-written note to pass on?
  • thorsoak
    thorsoak Posts: 7,166
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    Forumite
    Relationship? Parent/teacher, I hope!

    You are one parent, she has - probably - another 30 parents who are also sending emails/telephone calls. She also had to teach your girls - so please cut her some slack.
  • rach_k
    rach_k Posts: 2,234
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Forumite
    edited 14 January 2017 at 5:15PM
    Is this primary or secondary school and, if secondary, is she somebody you would normally be expected to contact e.g. Head of year or one of your kids' form tutors, or is it just a random/subject teacher?
  • May I ask why you need to have so much contact with her?

    And as another poster said, give your child a note.

    Anything pressing, mark as urgent.
    Hope this helps, good luck!
  • Mr.Generous
    Mr.Generous Posts: 3,333
    Name Dropper First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    Forumite
    What you are complaining about? Have you have been into school? How many times have you contacted teachers before? What times are you ringing? Have you in the past behaved differently face to face than on the phone?

    Lots of questions I know, but my daughter is a teacher and this is what she has asked immediately. Teachers are quite busy, although your child is important to you, your contact is but one demand on a teachers time. She also said she won't bother with any parent than rings up angry when its the parent of a badly behaved kid who is getting dealt with.

    I'm just the messenger!

    Thankfully my parents didn't contact teachers apart from parents evening, I'd have died of shame or embarrassment if they had been helicopter parents hovering around.
  • She is my daughter english teacher.

    My daughter moved schools and in December was moved down from set 2 to set 4 (she was in set 2 in her old school aswell). I was shocked and I want to work with the teacher and the school to get my daughter into set 3 by the end of the year (and set 2 by the end of next year etc...)

    The teacher said they were doing assessments just before Xmas and I want to know the results and what my daughter needs the most help with etc...

    If feel if I accept the teacher lack of comuncation, then this is what it will be like always? but I also fear complaining.
    The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer - I was in my late 20s when I figured out what this meant.

    I neither take or enter agreements which deal with interest. I dont want to profit from someone's misery.
  • I think that a lot depends on the reason you are contacting the teacher so frequently. If it is a problem that needs resolving (such as bullying) then obviously it is more important than a more general 'how is my daughter coping?' type of enquiry. When my son was bullied, I went into the school and saw someone even though it meant I had to wait. As time went on, and I was going in frequently because things were not improving, I went higher up the chain. With the same son, when he had computer based homework that wasn't adapted to his needs (he is colour blind), the teacher ignored messages for two weeks. Again, I escalated it to a more senior staff member (Head of Maths) as my son was struggling because of his inability to differentiate between colours - I sat with him each night, telling him the colours over and over again for upto an hour, whilst he worked out the answer. I explained this to the HofM, and told him that it was difficult because my other son is disabled and needs a high level of care, but also that I was concerned that a known need was being ignored. It was sorted the next day, and I received an apology via phone from the teacher concerned. (I should note that my son, then Year 8, had spoken to his teacher several times, and she kept saying she would sort it - it was only when it continued that I intervened).

    If your child has special needs and does not or cannot communicate with you, have you thought about a home/school book? A TA could fill in any relevant details each day - it's common in my area, whether the child is in mainstream or special school. The book isn't necessarily filled in every day, but it is reasonably regular (for infant aged children and some children with complex needs, it is daily).

    Teachers have numerous children under their care, and try to do their best fo all of them (I know that there is always an exception, but basically most teachers are decent people who want the best for their pupils). OP, consider what you are contacting the teacher about and be honest with yourself - is it necessary and relevant, or is it because you want to know more than your child tells you? Do you have a genuine concern, or are you a wee bit over-protective?
  • Bogalot
    Bogalot Posts: 1,102 Forumite
    Drop her a message if you don't receive anything on Monday, it has probably slipped her mind under a stack of marking/ lesson planning/ pastoral care and everything else teachers have to deal with.

    Keep in mind that, whilst your daughter is (quite rightly) your first priority, your queries are one of a thousand things the teacher will be doing. I'm sure she will get back to you when she has time.
  • She is my daughter english teacher.

    My daughter moved schools and in December was moved down from set 2 to set 4 (she was in set 2 in her old school aswell). I was shocked and I want to work with the teacher and the school to get my daughter into set 3 by the end of the year (and set 2 by the end of next year etc...)

    The teacher said they were doing assessments just before Xmas and I want to know the results and what my daughter needs the most help with etc...

    If feel if I accept the teacher lack of comuncation, then this is what it will be like always? but I also fear complaining.

    Sorry, crossed posts. It seems as though your daughter is secondary age. The move might have unsettled your child, resulting in her moving down in sets. If that is the case, presumably she will work her way back up, but at a pace that suits her (your daughter), not you.

    The assessment results will probably be communicated to you at a set time (Report? Parent's evening?). Schools have been back for less than two weeks - give the teacher a chance. The teacher may well be communicating with the pupils regarding improvement in their work. They are likely to be going over things that the children have not learned properly or misunderstood. Maybe your daughter doesn't realise that the work will be covered again.

    You say that you have emailed twice and left three messages over three school weeks. As the schools have only been back about ten days (and that has included a weekend!), then presumably you started leaving messages before Christmas. The assessments may not have been marked until the holidays - winter term is especially busy in the last few weeks. Realistically, you are contacting the teacher too soon and too frequently in my opinion. You come across as a fussy mum (sorry!)

    Perhaps your daughter could give in a note asking the teacher to recommend any work or reading that she could do to improve, and wait a week or two for an answer. It may also depend on your daughter's attitude to learning. If she doesn't seem interested in class, the teacher may think it unlikely that she will be interested in extra work or in aspiring to move to a higher set. Just because you want it, it doesn't mean that your daughter does.
  • To be fair, they could still be marking the assessments.. they would have had mock GCSEs and maybe a levels to mark too which would have been the priority.
    :rotfl:
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 342.5K Banking & Borrowing
  • 249.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 234.6K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 607.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 172.8K Life & Family
  • 247.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.8K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards