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QUESTION: I Feel Like My Daughter’s Teacher Is a Bully Towards Her: Advice?
“I just need to vent. So the last two days of school before Christmas break, I kept my kids home from school cause all they had planned was movies. My son is in kindergarten, and my daughter is in 7th grade.
Apparently, my daughter has a science teacher who isn’t the nicest to her. My daughter is very smart and has always loved school; she’s even got her future university picked out; she wishes to attend Harvard University. Well, this teacher is always on her, and on the last day of school, she told another student who happens to be my daughter’s best friend, told this young girl, ‘I don’t think Jocelyn is going to pass 7th grade.’
Umm, excuse me? I’m sorry not only is that rude, but very unprofessional! This isn’t the first time she’s said something snide to her either; it’s come to the point where my daughter broke down in tears last night saying she doesn’t want to go back to school.
So I’ve decided to remove her and switch to an online school till we move. I’m going to be calling the school board tomorrow to make a complaint. I don’t tolerate bullying from other children, and I sure won’t tolerate it from a grown adult.”
Community Answers
The following top answers have been selected by a moderator from hundreds of responses to the original question.
“Coming from a teacher and I’m a parent of a middle school girl, and I’m not excusing any behaviors. But, there are always two sides. My daughter has told me things her teachers say as well. I have to take some of them with a grain of salt. Have you talked to the teacher? Maybe email her and cc the principal on the email. The school board is not the correct way to go.”
“Coming from a teacher: There’s always two sides to every story.”
“Never trust third hand info and not from kids. Gotta verify before taking extreme measures like this.”
“Not saying it didn’t happen but I wouldn’t go to the school board before talking to that teacher and the principal at the same time. Maybe the friend lied or stretched the truth on what was says because she knows her friend doesn’t like the teacher. I would never go for someone’s job without at least getting their side of the story.”
“I have incorrectly overreacted to a teacher by only basing the situation on that of what one of my kids told me happened. As much as the mama bear in you wants to come out, I would acknowledge what your daughter is telling you but also talk to the teacher to make sure everyone is on the same page. It will save you any embarrassment and back-pedaling and maybe even improve your daughter and her teacher’s relationship. Most teachers applaud parents advocating for their child and taking an interest. That is excellent of you to be doing that.”
“I was a victim of a teacher bullying me. She gave detention if my pencil lead broke. She would make me take tests while others played games. I tolerated it for a long time because i thought she is my teacher i should respect her. It finally became too much; I was failing math and couldn’t do anything to make this woman happy. I finally turned to my mom and she confronted the teacher and the principal and then went to school board. She lost her job and within a month i was passing math with a B.”
“Some years ago a female 2nd grade teacher told my granddaughter she was so stupid that even God couldn’t love her. Granddaughter ended up being almost a straight A student who went on to college.”
“When i was in 6th grade I had a teacher bully me too my mom got tired of me crying and went to the principle had a meeting with him and the teacher and chewed them the hell out said if it happened again she would take action. . . it never happened again. I had a great mom.”
“First and foremost. Go straight to the teacher. Confront them head on. If that does not help, go to the principal. And if nothing is done and it is still happening, then you go to the school board.”
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