Woman responded that she didn’t much like “these modern names”…

…

All the more amazing because this conversation took place in a church immediately after a service. I promise I am not making this up.

Obviously it was meant to have some humour value. I do know what RE teachers do: they make kids colour in pictures of festivals.

“As a teacher in an averagely dificult school I would respond as follows”

Don’t claim to be in a difficult school and then say things like:

“I dont have classes that sit there and do nothing. If I were SMT and a eacher came to me and said the kids sit and do nothing I wouldn’t believe them either.”

You clearly don’t work in a difficult school. I think most teachers could quickly find a class in their school doing nothing without searching too hard. (The cover list is usually a good place to look.)

“What sort of teacher is this?”

It was a teacher who had taught for several decades in several different countries, who has been a year head and a head of department, but who had the misfortune to have an appalling class and no support from senior management.

1 People in the UK are free to name their children whatever they wish. The idea that Cain means murderer seems a bit daft.

2 I dont have classes that sit there and do nothing. If I were SMT and a eacher came to me and said the kids sit and do nothing I wouldn’t believe them either. What sort of teacher is this?

3 Up and down the county kids sit in pairs and do excellent work. Sit a nuisance kid on their own. If they are all nuisance kids when s1t in pairs, see 2 above.

4 Maybe because they are educating them.

5 Why do you set a different standard for pupils than you set for yourself?

If you can make stupid statements then why can’t they?

6 Teach RE.

I believe you suggest you are a practising teacher.Why do you think it acceptable to make comments such as these on a public forum.

Cayne made a valid point and you simply posted another daft answer.

I know there is pressure to put “something” on a blog, but maybe there are times when you just need to say “gone for lunch” and wait until you have something worth blogging.

All the Cains and Kanes I have met are White British and I’m fairly certain they weren’t followers of any “other religion” unless you count Chavs as a faith group.

It is misguided to give your child the name Cain without finding out who Cain was. But this is a criticism of ignorance not a complaint that people aren’t Christians. In the same way I would argue that it would be wrong to call your child “Dracula” regardless of whether you have read the novels of Bram Stoker or watched the films of Christopher Lee.

I found the best responses to be

+ I heard you.

+I saw you.

+ I don’t argue w/ kids.

or, in a particularly hard case, ask the runt (one on one) “On a scale of One to 10, what would it take for us to co-exist in this classroom this year (or similar wording, dependent on age of runt.)

The kid will usu respond fairly low (a three is usu a high number) So whatever # the kid gives you, “respond w/, “What can I do to make that a 9 or 10?”

Kid will say, ‘You pick on me.’ or “You give too much work.”

To which you respond w/ something like, “Okay, I won’t pick on you. I will try extra hard this week. Why not sit on the front row center so I remember our promise?”

“Oh? Too much work? OK, why don’t you Just do the odd numbers until we feel you are ready to keep up w/ yr peers?”

egggggcetera

Anyhoo, those responses worked well for me in over three decades, all garade levels/subjects eggggcept 1st grade.

Good Luck. Let me know if you ever try it- the outcome

Syb

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