Well, I got feedback from the principal of the after-care facility and the teacher concerned was mortified! And damn fucking straight for her being mortified too.
Firstly, here’s the email I wrote the principal:
I would like to bring the following incident to your attention which concerned me enormously.
Megan attended homework class with Mrs X on 7 June 2011 (I believe that she is a Grade 2 Teacher at x Primary) and approximately half way through the homework class, Megan put her hand up to request to be excused in order to go to the bathroom. Not only she was refused, but Megan reported that she shouted a very loud “No!” back at her.
Megan said she then proceeded to finish her homework and lay down on her arms, while wiggling around in order to keep her urine in but unfortunately, she wet herself. She did not empty her entire bladder but Megan said her underwear and her tracksuit pants were wet!
Megan said that she then again asked Mrs X if she could go to the bathroom and this time she yelled at Megan “Just Go!”.
I feel that this kind of attitude and behavior is totally unacceptable!
When I questioned Megan about this, in order to get all the details, she said that she had not been misbehaving, that she was listening and doing her homework in silence just as Mrs X had request. Megan has an impeccable behavior record (as I am sure you are aware, if not, speak to her regular Teacher).
Why should my child be denied the use of a body function that we all need to perform? Why should she be put through the humiliation and embarrassment of wetting herself in class and in front of her peers? Even if she was misbehaving, which she wasn’t, a child should never be refused the right to go to relieve themselves. Not being allowed to go to the bathroom should NOT be used as a punishment!
I realise that some children may take chances in order to get out of class or get out of doing homework, but this was obviously a legitimate request in this instance.
In my opinion, I feel this teacher needs to be seriously reprimanded and reminded that she is dealing with our 7 and 8 year old children. She should be reminded that under no circumstances should she use denying the use of the bathroom as punishment!
I understand we all have bad days and dealing with a variety of different levels of undisciplined children all day cannot be an easy task. However, this is Mrs Xs choice to be a teacher. She should behave or at least pretend that she at least wants to be there for the children.
I look forward to hearing from you promptly.
So, I got a call that evening from the principal to personally apologize to ME. I reminded her that I am not the one that she should be apologizing to. I wasn’t the one who was embarrassed in front of an entire class of children!
The Principal scheduled a meeting with the teacher concerned and said she’d call me for a follow up meeting with me once she’d met with the teacher and got her side of the story.
After The principals meeting with the Teacher, the Principal called me into a meeting. I took the opportunity to tell her again that her teachers shouldn’t run a fucking concentration camp. I was not impressed at all!
The teacher in question formally apologized and said it would not happen again. Sure as fuck it won’t happen again. I once again said that the Teacher should apologize to Megan face-to-face - not to me. I actually didn’t want to see her otherwise I would’ve slapped her Bitchy face for her.
I stated that if ANY incident happens with this teacher again, I want her disciplined!
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