Should you correct a teacher?

[englishteacha]

I occasionally spell things wrong on the board. Usually it's when I'm distracted. I often notice it after a moment, but when I don't, I reward the first student to point it out to me! Please politely tell her about the mistake.

 

[kinntj]

I did correct dd's 1st grade teacher, but felt a little odd doing it. I wouldn't do it in front of the kids, but I usually talk to her when the kids are in their specials classes. I usually state something like, "if Jake didn't require so much of your attention today, you would have noticed...". I recently told her she needs to change the year on her calendar, since it was still showing 2008 and she was doing next years calendars for volunteering. She was greatful that I noticed it before she printed out many copies for the parents.

You could always use the trick that the teachers use on us parents. Say something positive and then bring up the mistake. It works for them.

 

[*Fantasia*]

Correct it when she isn't looking

 

[Serena]

I would mention it. In private. Just a casual, hey, there's a typo on the board.

 

[SplshMtn99]

Can you write it in the classroom journal without her knowing who wrote it? I'm not sure what a classroom journal is or how it works. Or maybe write it / computer print it & secretly leave it on her desk.

 

[MM27]

Maybe your child can say something. My class is always on the lookout for my mistakes. If I spell a word wrong when writing something on the board and they can prove to me it's wrong, they get a small treat. Some of them watch like hawks.

 

[Talking Hands]

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.

I am a substitute teacher and frequently will see vocabulary words misspelled on the board. I have yet to have a teacher upset if I bring it to their attention. Teachers are not perfect and most know it.
Some will change it, others will leave it and use it as a game for the kids. Find the incorrect spelling and tell me and you get a bonus A or extra points.

 

[emer95]

I would HAVE to say something. In fact, I may drive to wherever you live and (nicely) tell the teacher myself. Your/you're is one of my biggest pet peeves. Just today I told my 3rd graders that many adults even get that wrong, but by golly, MY students will learn the difference! We were making invitations for another class to come to our Polar Express party, and we wrote on the front of the cards, "You're Invited." I have received many, many invitations that say "Your Invited."
For shame!!

 

[arielsleepingbeauty]

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.

I think it is definately an awkward situation. I woud try to somehow inform the teacher.This is your child's teacher. I would have to wonder what other mistake's the teacher has been making. You could just correct the word when the teacher wasn't looking and see what happens. Maybe the teacher will realize the mistake and just pretend like nothing happened. It would save embarassment.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

I would HAVE to say something. In fact, I may drive to wherever you live and (nicely) tell the teacher myself.

Please be my new best friend.

 

[luvsJack]

I misspelled a word in an e-mail that I sent to some co-workers for their ok on a meeting time; one of them replied back "your e and i changed places when you weren't looking, don't you hate it when they do that?" I was so glad she did that because the same e-mail would have went out campus wide after their ok on the time, but she didn't make me feel like she was judging my spelling abilities.

Maybe you could come up with a cute little way of putting it like my co-worker did. Everybody makes mistakes and I am sure her attention was on the purpose of what she was writing not how correct the spelling and grammar was in the sentence.

 

[JessicaR]

Correct it when she isn't looking

That was my first thought and my OCD would make me do it!

 

[Imzadi]

I would stop in front of the board, when you know she'll look over at you wondering what you are doing, and **** my head to one side, looking confused, then say in a pondering, confused voice, "Hmmm, isn't that supposed to be 'your' instead of 'you're' with an e? That's the first I've noticed it. Mind if I change it?"

 

[JessicaR]

I would stop in front of the board, when you know she'll look over at you wondering what you are doing, and **** my head to one side, looking confused, then say in a pondering, confused voice, "Hmmm, isn't that supposed to be 'your' instead of 'you're' with an e? That's the first I've noticed it. Mind if I change it?"

I'm sorry that word has been edited you'll have to tilt your head instead.

 

[Imzadi]

I'm sorry that word has been edited you'll have to tilt your head instead.

ACK!!!

A censored typo on correcting a typo!