Should you correct a teacher?

[Luv Bunnies]

This has been bugging me and I don't know if I should say something about it or not. I volunteer in my 4th grader's classroom on Friday mornings. I noticed something written on the board that has been there for a few weeks. It says, "Please stop. You're teasing is making me feel bad." That's exactly how it's written. Obviously, "you're" should be spelled "your." It doesn't look like a kid's handwriting so I thought maybe a parent wrote it. I asked my son and he said no, the teacher wrote it. Someone wrote in the classroom journal that they were being teased. The teacher addressed it with the class and told them to use that phrase when they're in that situation. She keeps it on the board as a reminder.

This is a seasoned teacher who has been at our school for many years. If she knows she made a mistake, I assume she would have noticed it by now. I'm wondering why one of the kids hasn't pointed it out to her. Should I say something? I've thought about just sneaking up there and changing it but I never have the opportunity. Will the teacher be offended if I tell her she made an error? I don't want to come across as a know-it-all but I don't want the kids learning incorrect word usage either.

 

[Liberty Belle]

She probably just hasn't noticed. I'd smile and tell her you found a "typo" on the board. You might want to mention you've noticed how hard it is sometimes to spell correctly when you're writing on a chalkboard (that's the truth, it really is) and that it's easy to make mistakes.

 

[emma'smom]

Yes...I would want to know and words do look differently when writing on the board. I would just pull her aside and tell her.

 

[pfishgirl]

Correct it when she isn't looking

 

[NCDisneyMom]

Perhaps she wrote it exactly as the child wrote it in his/her journal, to show that it was written by one of their fellow classmates, and not by her?

 

[Uncle Remus]

Could be a "test" to see if anyone is payin' attention?

 

[hegsag]

Perhaps she wrote it exactly as the child wrote it in his/her journal, to show that it was written by one of their fellow classmates, and not by her?

This is what I was thinking too...

 

[FSUDisneyGirl]

I was also going to say that she copied it exactly as the child wrote it. You could mention it to her, I don't think it would hurt anything. You could even say something like, "My son mentioned that a child wrote that in the classroom journal. I think it's great that you put it on the board, so hopefully the kids will stop and think before they say something hurtful. Oh, and I was wondering, were you trying to copy it word for word, and that's why you used 'you're' instead of 'your'? I'm just asking because my son is having some difficulty distinguishing between the 2."

If she says yes, then let her know that you understand her purpose in putting it up there. If she says no, say "Would you mind if I changed the spelling? I still get confused, LOL, and I think it would make things clearer for my son. Thanks so much! "

...or something like that....

 

[SomedayI'llBe]

Typos happen! I'd just suggest it, couldn't really hurt. Unless you get the feeling she'd be offended, just try it!

OT alert!: Liberty Belle- Are you an Alpha Chi Omega? I noticed the lyre in your signature, and I couldn't resist asking...

 

[SDFgirl]

I'm a teacher and I'd want to know. Then again, you're/your confusion is one of my biggest pet peeves. I accidentally mis-typed it on an IM to my husband a few weeks ago. I felt so...*dirty*!

I would say, "DS still gets confused about the distinction - mind if I correct it so he knows the proper usage?"

 

[Kath2003]

Absolutely! Teachers have so much going on that occasionally we get muddled too!

 

[cruisnfamily]

I'll be the lone dissenter and say leave it alone and let it go. I would not mention it. I can see the teacher being uncomfortable being called on a mistake and I wouldn't want to put her in that position.

 

[BoyLovesBuzz]

I would say it's a quote. Odd way to phrase the sentiment otherwise.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I will join your lone dissent. I wouldn't say anything either, esp. since you volunteer every Friday.

However if some kid wrote that, I do not see how embarrassing the kid who wrote that is helpful? It is like shaming the kid who is uncomfortable further? This is 4th not 1st.

Seems weird to me....maybe I don't get it?

 

[MushyMushy]

If she has a good sense of humor and "your" comfortable with her, then let her know. I'd want to know.

Side note, when I was teaching I told the kids they'd get a piece of candy for catching me in a misspelling. Big mistake. Every time I wrote on the board I got challenged. Live and learn.

 

[Kies99]

It's a mistake. We all make them and teachers are not immune. I wouldn't mention the mistake in front of all the kids or make a big deal of it. Just tell the teacher that there's a mistake.

 

[daisax]

There's a good chance that the class already noticed and is waiting for her to realize it, and possibly enjoying the heck out of her error. I'd tell her.

It's no different from telling somebody their slip is showing or their zipper's down -- it's easily fixable and will save them from future embarrassment.

Better she hear from you than the Principal.

 

[NY Disney fan]

This thread reminds me of a time I corrected a teacher in front of the class. I regret doing this. When I was in 5th grade a teacher was showing us about life in Africa and how they had many of the same things we had here in the US. She said a friend of hers took a picture while visiting somehwere in Africa and when I saw the picture it was a picture of the street my grandmother lived on and the church I went too. I reocgnized it because the street sign was in the picture. I feel sooo bad that I did that! But I was 10 and didn't know anything about tact.

 

[horseshowmom]

I'm in education too, and I think you need to discreetly mention to her. Quite honestly, the mistake doesn't need to be on the board for the children to look at each day and get wired into their brains. I know that I'd want to know I'd made the mistake (and, yes, all of us make mistakes - that kind is particularly easy to make when you're very busy as most teachers are). Ultimately, the education of the students is the most important issue.

 

[mvazul]

I would definitely say something to her. That would bug the heck out of me. I, too, am surprised one of the kids hasn't spoken up.

Last year, my son corrected his Language Arts teacher. He was in 8th grade and they were taking a test. Apparently, she had phrased a question wrong - or something to that extent. My son didn't know how to answer the question, so he took the test to his teacher. She said no one else caught the mistake - including herself. She was glad he said something.

Michelle