Help how to deal with a difficult teacher

FBaby

I'm afraid I'm with the teacher on this one. It is not for you to question her decisions in regards to the effect it has on other pupils. I get from your OP that she was ok you discussing your concern about your DD but started getting defensive when you started discussing her responsibilities towards all the children in her class. This is not something you should have been discussing with her. If you have an issue with either a policy not in place, or that a policy is not being followed, this should be taken with the headteacher.

I, as a parent, would have no issue with my children not showering after swimming unless they themselves were bothered by it, in which case I would indeed have asked if MY child could shower, not decide what is best for all the children. As it is, I really don't think being able to shower will help in any way with red eyes.

I get the feeling that you could be coming across as patronising and this is what gets up the teacher's nose. Why did you have to mention that the note was badly worded, which is quite a rude comment?

I think you should have let the matter go the moment she made it clear your daughter would be able to shower from now on, let the other parents raise their own concern about their children if they so wish to do so.

Ada_Doom

My year 3 daughter has started swimming last week and I had not even thought about showering, but have just asked her and she said they do not shower as there are thirty of them swimming and to shower would take too long. Just from your Op I think you might be overreacting a bit to this, and not appreatiating how difficult it is to get 20-30 children to the pool, undressed and taught to swim, then out again and back to school.

Are her eyes very red and itchy? Could she not just splash her face with cold water after swimming? Perhaps after your snarky comment on the reply slip, and telephoning the head teacher over a fairly small issue you DD's teacher has you pegged as a slightly difficult woman. I think teachers do a very difficult job, and over anxious parents must make it so much harder.

JC9297

When we take the children from our school swimming they all have to shower before going in the pool but do not shower afterwards. I presume the main reason is they would hang around in there for ages and they take long enough to change as it is

We do occasionally have a child with severe eczema who needs to shower afterwards but that's it. I have never had a child complain about sore eyes afterwards. I agree with other posters that have suggested your daughter could rinse her face in the wash basin if necessary.


Regarding goggles, until recent years our children had to have a doctor's letter to wear them but now they just have to bring a letter from their parents. I think goggles are seen as a health and safety issue. When I was a child I don't think anyone wore goggles when learning to swim, they were something you got when you were a more competent swimmer (which a lot of children are by the time they go with the school), now they nearly all wear them.

poet123

I too am with the teacher. You can only insist that your own child showers, if no other child has a parent who has asked for this why should the teacher change the routine of the whole class? If the concern is medical it is child specific and up to each parent to bring that to the attention of the teacher. It is not for you to dictate policy so that your child does not feel different. If it is just her eyes, she could easily rinse them in the toilets after swimming.

Mountain and mole hill comes to mind here, and yes, teachers do have far more serious issues to contend with than this.

tiff

My children are 14 and 11 and now at secondary but had school swimming lessons at primary. I have no idea whether they showered afterwards or not, it never occurred to me till now which is maybe why other parents havent mentioned it. To most children it wont be an issue, only those with skin conditions or sensitive to chlorine maybe.

mrcow

I'm not surprised the teacher got fed up with you once you started started trying to inform her of her legal responsibilities. It sounds extremely patronising.

She is right, you have no right to speak on behalf of any other parent. If your daughter wants a shower, then she needs to ask for one. If no-one else does, that's their business. To suggest that it's going to negaitvely impact on her education is quite frankly making a mountain out of a (very small) molehill.

Do you seriously not think teachers have better things to do than take out petty grudges against small people because of things their parents have said?

Dunroamin

Person_one wrote: »

If she has eczema she will definitely need to. I had terrible childhood eczema and had to have cold showers after swimming, if I didn't the results an hour or so later were not pretty.

Does she have eczema? I must have missed that.

Person_one

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

So its the non rinsing thats the irritant. Plus I have asthma and she had bits of excema as a child so I really feel she needs to rinse off.

Ali x

Dunroamin wrote: »

Does she have eczema? I must have missed that.

I knew I hadn't imagined it! It doesn't sound serious, but still, she should be rinsing off after swimming with the history.

poet123

Lots of children have babyhood Eczema, it doesn't mean they actually have the full blown condition. If she has not had it since babyhood and she is now in Secondary school then it is likely she has grown out of it.

cottonhead

This seems like a small issue that has blown into something much bigger than it needs to. Forget what the school / council/ leisure centre policy is. It doenst matter. If your daughters health and wellbeing is impacted by not showering then regardless of policy she must either shower / rinse her eyes with water or not going swimming with the school. But that doenst mean that the whole class need to follow suit. Your child is different from most if she is troubled by the chemicals in the water so a different approach is needed. Thats not singling her out and shouldnt make her feel uncomfortable. She needs to learn that sometimes she will be treated differently and her friends must learn this too. I am sure she has class mates who wear glasses or have asthma etc. Its the same. Everyone has different needs.
I can imagine with time being an issue its probably not possible for the whole class to have a shower, Most leisure centres only have a few showers after all. If it were me or my child I would just dry off and have a shower at home. But clearly with your daughter there needs to be another arrangement to help her but not impact on the class.
I would not phone the school again but write a short , polite letter to the class teacher explaining the cause the water has on your child and ask that your child needs to have a quick shower and that she knows to be very quick. Tell your daughter she must remind the teacher if she forgets - easily done with a class full of kids, and leave it at that. Then if it doenst happen take it further.
I doubt very much that any of the teachers have it in for your child or you for that matter, they just have to make plans that suit the majority and then its up to you to ask for help as and when you need it. Dont take it personally.