General Chat

"should of" is a particular hatred of mine - along with various others that fall into the illiteracy basket.

My experience - and I do have some - is that a lot of NQTs and in particular TAs are actually pretty simple when it comes to the basics of the English language.

It was a NQT who wrote it, and a LSA who pointed it out!!

So if, in your experience, Errol, 'a lot of NQTs and in particular TAs are actually pretty simple when it comes to the basics of the English language'.
How does this enhance the school experience of a pupil?
What about the child who is rather good at English, and points out the teacher's mistakes?
Would that child not be considered a nuisance, rude and undermining the teacher?
A 'problem' child, as they knew too much?

"It was a NQT who wrote it, and a LSA who pointed it out!!" hmmmm

I was in a primary class where the teacher was trying to explain the tense difference between 'lead' and 'led', as in 'He will lead us to the hideout' and 'He led us to the hideout'
Unfortunately, she wrote 'lead' and 'lead'. :-(

Of course 'lead' as in the soft metal is pronounced 'led', but is not the past tense of 'lead' pronounced 'leed'

..and she was a teacher reaching retirement....

Oh dea, her spell check didn't pick it up.

So some teachers aren't perfect. Who is?

Neither are some children!!
BUT in both cases, it's the minority.
Programmes like the one quoted will show the worst to skew the argument.

I see so many people out with their children who are paying them no attention at all, often talking on a mobile phone while the child either sits in their buggy having no idea what he or she is looking at or tags along behind, there being completely ignored.

No doubt they have more important things to do at home as well.

I don't have good memories of my comprehensive education, looking back it was wasted time. There was so much bad behaviour in the classroom, pupils taking particular advantage of any teacher who was weak with no authority. It mattered not if homework were done. It has made me despair of the future for our grandchildren.

For that reason I was thrilled when my son achieved a place at a good private school, fees paid. He received a wonderful education, I believe, and subsequently two degrees and a good job. My daughter was not academic, hers was also the comprehensive system, maybe a similar experience to myself? However, she has been very hardworking and never out of work since leaving school and has a good job with responsibility. My own parents didn't have any expectation for their daughters and considered educating them to be a waste of time.

I also see that parents are slow to potty train nowadays. My own were trained at 18 months and 22 months. I have put this down to the convenience of disposable nappies, it's easier to pop a nappy on than take the time, particularly when mothers are out at work all day and the children experience various caretakers. I've been successfully potty training our 23 month old this week. On the second day he asked for the potty for a no. 2 and was thrilled with himself. I know all children are different but I would have thought the majority needn't be in nappies beyond two and a half years. I notice that young mothers often are surprised that it is possible for children to be out of nappies during the day before the age of two years.

Our twin granddaughters are five and a half years. They attend a village primary school. They are already writing in sentences with punctuation but have been fortunate to have a lot of input at home although their mother works part-time. They were much read to from an early age.

I didn't see the tv programme mentioned above.

'Praising children excessively can do more harm than good, especially to those with low self-esteem'. (Times 03.01.14).

Plenty of praise but not so much that leads them to believe that they are better than others.

Praise for a job well done.