Mentor teacher mean to the kids
I just finished my first week of student teaching and I’m about to begin my second. I have spent 3 days with my teacher so far and there are a lot of concerning things I’ve noticed.
Here are a list of all the things that have thrown me off but I’m not too sure if I’m being overdramatic about it or making a big deal out of nothing.
For context the teachers & staff in this school seem to absolutely ADORE my mentor teacher and every time I mention I’m placed with him they always have good things to say.
I am placed in 2nd grade by the way! & I am doing a full school year of student teaching with him as my mentor and this is what I’ve seen in just 3 days!
On the first day of school right after he did students introductions (asked for full name and favorite subject) he then called on students and asked them to name and point at the worst kids in the class. Some kids did his task and he would simply laugh. Then he called on a girl and asked her the same question and then once she refused to answer he said “I’m surprised the girls aren’t answering this, usually they’re the ones to love the drama and gossip”
On the first day of school there is a little girl who cries very easily, will scream, and is very very sensitive. I understand that she shouldn’t be coddled and rewarded for her misbehaviors. However he got in a full on screaming match with her at recess, yelled at her to go to the office. She refused to go so he just simply walked away and took the whole class back inside. Thankfully she ended up following. A couple moments later the little girl hits her shoulder on the brick wall in the hallway and she begins to cry. He once again begins to scream at her saying “I don’t care” “I’m not dealing with this” “go to the office” Things of that sort over and over but mainly repeating “I don’t care.”
On the first day of school we have a student in the class who has autism. He likes to speak when he’s not called on, he talks to the students next to him, and he plays around with things a lot. My mentor teacher is aware of this student and his home life from past teachers and this students siblings he’s had in the past. Soon after introductions he then proceeds to tell the entire class with the student sitting there, “class we’re going to play a game all year and it’s called ‘let’s ignore ___(students name).’” He has since said multiple times throughout the 3 days “remember our game students” “remember we’re playing our game, ‘ignore __ (students name)”
On the first day of school a student went to ask him to tie her shoe and he refused. He said you are in 2nd grade you should know how to tie your shoe. Then proceeded to tell her to get back and line and told her go home and learn how to do it or get her parents to help her. The little girl looked very upset about the way he reacted and instead came to ask me for help.
He simply flats out tells the students to “shut up”. He told a kid he had no brain, told a girl who said her neck hurt “I don’t care go sit down” he told the students in his 3rd class that “the last class is much smarter than you guys. I’m not comparing the smartest kid to the smartest kid I’m comparing you guys as a whole” (For context for this comment in this school they just started departmentalizing.) It also just seems he has obvious favorite. A boy was upset because the classmate next to him kept saying mean things to him. My mentor teacher just told him he has to learn to ignore it and just told the student to listen to stop getting distracted. Then a couple hours later another student had a very similar complaint and he hugs the little girl and allows her to move seats and gives her a piece of candy.
He has done nothing rude or mean to me as a student teacher. He rarely speaks with me and leaves me alone most of the time throughout lunch, specials, dismissal, etc. But it’s just really really effecting me the way he kind of dismisses and diminishes the children in the classroom. The area I’m teaching in is very low income. And from what I’ve gathered from staff and the students themselves majority of them come from broken homes. So it breaks me heart seeing some of the things he does. He has been teaching for 10 years in this school so I’m absolutely not undermining his teaching ability or thinking I know more than he does. But I don’t know I’m having a hard time feeling comfortable in this classroom.
And this is not my first time being placed in a classroom. In my past years in college I did 90 hours in a kindergarten classroom and about 115 in a 5th grade classroom. And neither of my coaching teachers acted in such ways. But I’m just not sure if im being overdramatic or making a big deal out of these things. Especially since all the adults in this school seem to see nothing wrong with his comments and actions.
My professor and director of my program have said to come to them with any concerns so should I talk to them about it? I’m very close with my professors so maybe I should talk to them just to get another teacher/ professional opinion? Because I really am confused on this school and teachers behavior.
What do you guys think?
(Please excuse all grammar mistakes & typos I am half asleep typing this)