Teacher sent parents a handwritten note criticizing their child’s writing — but the feedback quickly backfired in the most ironic way
Receiving feedback and notes on progress can be essential for getting better at anything. However, some aspects of a piece of feedback might make one question its credibility. A mom also thought the same about a teacher's feedback on her son's writing. The teacher had sent a note home with the kid, in which they pointed out that the kid needed to work on his writing. However, the number of errors in the note made the mom question the validity of the feedback, according to her Reddit post, where she goes by u/jjjjjamie.
"This note from my kid's teacher," the mom wrote as she shared a picture of the note with the internet. She was a little annoyed by the note because of the irony between the advice and the way the note was written. The teacher began by praising the child for becoming a "fluent reader." They added, "Enjoys to read from his book bag." The educator then went on to share the next steps the child needed to focus on. "Focusing and participating during the lessons and writing. Expressing is thought in writing is difficult for him," the note continued. The mom could see a number of errors in the sentences. She was surprised to see them in a note talking about improving "writing."
According to a Facebook post by a teacher in a group called Classroom Management, certain errors from teachers are common while marking and grading a student's work. Making mistakes while being tired or rushed was common. Errors while typing and writing happened often as well. It was highlighted that these things can happen because teachers are human and might make mistakes. However, willingness to cross-check, verify and correct any errors fast and with transparency was essential in such cases. People shared their thoughts on the teacher's note in the comments section of the post.
u/Oldhouse42 wrote, "I’m a teacher and mistakes do happen. But … BUT this many mistakes in a short note is ridiculous. Also, did the teacher not proofread after writing?" u/OhWhatATravisty commented, "The fact that people don't see a problem with poor spelling and grammar coming from a teacher is always mildly infuriating. Particularly when that teacher appears to be teaching those topics." u/vorrhin remarked, "I once had a teacher tell me a parent was being crazy-- they wouldn't sign their child's IEP (educational plan for a kid with disabilities) until the teacher got rid of the typos. Later, I gave the parent a high five."
u/No_Barracuda8791 shared, "As a former educator, this genuinely makes me sad. If I were a parent, I’d be very worried about someone who cannot spell or use proper grammar teaching my child." u/Nica-sauce-rex highlighted, "After ten years working as a teacher in the southern US, I was so excited to hit a $50k salary…I left teaching a decade ago and almost immediately walked into another career, making double that. Really hate to say this, but all of the competent, intellectual young teachers I worked with no longer teach. If you can hack it elsewhere, it’s just too demanding a career for so little pay. Some people do stay in teaching because they are totally selfless, but for many, they are just unmotivated or unable to do anything else."