Parent Problems
If a parent has a problem with me, or with how I am doing my job, I see it as reasonable that they come and talk to me about the problem before taking it any further. I don’t think that is too much to expect. However, it doesn’t seem to be the way things work where I teach. Two parents decided to get together and go to talk to the head about me and the other teachers I work with in the mixed-age classes we teach. Apparently we are not sending differentiated homework home across the two year groups. If you had a problem with the homework your child/children was getting, wouldn’t your first port of call be the child’s class teacher? Anyway, I say apparently because it’s not actually true. Granted on a couple of occasions the children in both year groups have been given the same homework, but only because it has been appropriate for them. For example, if I am teaching about Rocks and Soils in Science, then I am likely to send the whole class with one Rocks and Soils worksheet. They are covering and learning the same things and therefore as long as I feel that the sheet is relevant to both ages then as far as I am concerned that is wholly appropriate. Both year groups have had different spellings from week one with this last week as the exception. We are finding that the majority of children across both the age groups can still not spell the KS1 High Frequency words correctly in their writing so as spellings we sent home all 145 HF words and asked the parent to check over the course of the week which ones their child knew, and to help them to learn the ones they didn’t. Again, this was an appropriate and relevant piece of homework for all the children, regardless of age. We have sent the same passage home for reading comprehension, but with differentiated questions, they have had differentiated times tables homework, in fact those were differentiated not just to the age group but to each individual child! Anyhow, it wasn’t the accusation that bothered me because I know I have been doing my job properly, it was the fact that neither of these parents thought to come and talk it over with one of us before going to the Head. It is honestly like they’re looking to make trouble.
This whole mixed-age class thing is hard enough already without feeling like you’ve got to watch your back all the time because someone is out to get you.