Abusive email from Student

highly1111

Hi

I'm a supply teacher in a boarding school covering a fixed term year contract.

I've taught in this particular school before and I've been there since September again. It's a lovely school with lovely kids. I've been teaching a number of years now and I'm very confident in my own abilities. I've a proven track record and a great relationship with the kids - or so I thought!

This evening I got an email from an anonymous email account basically saying the following:

YOU ARE NOT A GOOD TEACHER WE ALL MISS MRS.X (teacher on leave)!!! YOU DONT EVEN KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN. Our exams have might kicked or is about to kick off and we still don't understand anything and no effort from you are being made.

I teach 5th and 6th year and the 6th year have just started their mocks and fifth year exams are starting next week - so by mentioning have started / is starting makes it more difficult to pin down.

I genuinely have no idea who this student might be. I've a good relationship with my students, have just had a parent teacher meeting and the principal has told me there may be hours for me next year.

I've done nothing so far - I would like to reply asking this student to come to me at lunchtime tomorrow so that we can talk about his / her grievance (assume it's a boy as email was [EMAIL="<snippysnip>@gmail.com"]<snippysnip>@gmail.com[/EMAIL] - but I don't teach any <snippysnip>.

What would you recommend? I'm reluctant to escalate to management as I want to secure more hours next week and I'm afraid this might be a poor reflection on me (silly I know!).

I'm annoyed that a 16/17 year old can hide behind an email address and send me this without giving me any opportunity to address his / her concerns.

Finally, it was sent to my school email account - not a personal address (which they wouldn't have anyway).

Any advice would be much appreciated.

zAbbo

Ignore it (or check for any student with a phone number ending in 87)

SligoRoversFTW

Hi. I wouldn't read in to it too much or let it question your own ability. I bet it's just a student playing up for the sake of playing up but I don't know why you submitted the actual email address on here I would edit your post to change that. Perhaps go back to basics tomorrow and ask is there any area where you guys are struggling/don't understand and you can come and talk to me after class about it if you're too shy too ask during it. Good luck

spurious

I would ignore it. They only want a reaction and by ignoring it you will sicken them.

Keep it in case any further emails get more abusive and you need to involve management (or, depending on the nature of the email, the guards) but for the moment pretend you never saw it. That would how I would deal with it.

highly1111

Thanks so much. Appreciate the advice. I'll ignore it and reiterate my availability if anyone wants to go through anything again either in class or over a lunch period etc.

Just wanted to point out that wasn't the email address is came from - but it was a boys name, my subject then a few numbers.

If anyone has anything further to add or has experienced something like this before, please let me know.

Thanks again

highly1111

zAbbo wrote: »

Ignore it (or check for any student with a phone number ending in 87)

Sorry, am I missing something? Why 87?

Thanks

zAbbo

highly1111 wrote: »

Sorry, am I missing something? Why 87?

Thanks

That's the phone number used on the recovery process for that email address.

There are a few other methods to recover more information, but seriously I'd ignore it completely. No good can come from it.

Kettleson

I've seen this sort of behaviour quite a few times recently, and its usually from students who have several "issues" themselves, mostly attitude, motivation, behaviour, and are well know to other staff and students alike and known as sh1t stirring trouble makers.

Ignore it. And don't make a big thing out it. Do your thing as normal. Stay cool, calm, collected and focussed...there will always be this sort of student....best not engaged with in any other process other than that which is routine and professional.

implausible

It's the same as scribbling it on a desk really, except it's not public. I wouldn't take any heed, the student is probably stressed and the easiest thing to do is blame the teacher.

You could work more checks for understanding into your class, if you think that the student has a point or even to counteract his/her point.