# don't know what to do



## yasmallani (Jun 11, 2010)

We are quite new to Dubai and my children go to Regent School.Yesterday my daughter was upset because she heard other kids talk about teacher who was saying bad stuff about Iranian kids.I asked her and she said that teacher( think she teaches English) thinks Iranian kids are not good at English.I was shocked that this could be said and nothing has happend. I don't know what to do. Some one said go to the Headmistress and ask if true and my other friend said I should write to ministry of education and ask to invistigate How can teachers do this. I lived in UK for 20 years (from Iran) and this would be treated seriously. Do you think there is a point in complaining as I don't want my daughter to get in trouble or picked on by this teacher.


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## Felixtoo2 (Jan 16, 2009)

So she heard Chinese whispers? Why try to get a teacher into trouble for such a minor reason, maybe they are not that good at english?


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

Talk to the teacher concerned. Give her a chance to explain in case it is a mis-understanding, and will put your mind at ease.


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## |James| (Dec 23, 2009)

Maybe that teacher is right! I mean, you have lived for 20 years in UK yet 'English' isn't your forte. Besides the teacher might have a lot of experience with Iranian kids. I would think it would be best not to be defiant and direct that energy and effort towards gaining proficiency of the language and proving that teacher wrong!


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## yasmallani (Jun 11, 2010)

Felixtoo2 said:


> So she heard Chinese whispers? Why try to get a teacher into trouble for such a minor reason, maybe they are not that good at english?


don't think this is minor. my daughter heard from someone she trusts and the girls were upset. Should you be saying that about one nationality and generalise. are all people with blue eyes bad singers?Or do all brunettes find it difficult to ride a bike? Of course not.


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## |James| (Dec 23, 2009)

so she heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend who heard it from the janitor (who apparently is miffed at her).

I'd ignore it unless the teacher told her it directly.


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## |James| (Dec 23, 2009)

yasmallani said:


> ...... all brunettes find it difficult to ride a bike?


Jynxy seems to have some riding problems but I could have sworn she was blonde....not brunette


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

yasmallani said:


> We are quite new to Dubai and my children go to Regent School.Yesterday my daughter was upset because she heard other kids talk about teacher who was saying bad stuff about Iranian kids.I asked her and she said that teacher( think she teaches English) thinks Iranian kids are not good at English.I was shocked that this could be said and nothing has happend. I don't know what to do. Some one said go to the Headmistress and ask if true and my other friend said I should write to ministry of education and ask to invistigate How can teachers do this. I lived in UK for 20 years (from Iran) and this would be treated seriously. Do you think there is a point in complaining as I don't want my daughter to get in trouble or picked on by this teacher.



Can I get this straight. You're upset because your daughter is upset because she heard some children saying that one of the teachers saying that iranian children are not good at English??? 

If I've got this right, can I ask; Who did this teacher say that to??? Was she being serious? And why is this upsetting to anyone?

Jo xxx


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Low dig. I was staying out of this... I have no riding problems except these crazy people think woman shouldnt ride motorcycles. 

Maybe your taking this the wrong way. Even after 20 years, your english isnt the best. As a teacher, if I was grading equally, you would have to be failed. But in reality, your english is great for being a second language so should a teacher fail a student? I would be very frustrated with trying to grade equally but knowing that isnt exactly possible in this instance. Maybe a child was eaves dropping in a conversation that a child had no business hearing. Maybe the teacher was just frustrated. I would suggest going to speak to the teacher and finding out if she said anything as such, then trying to figure how it was said and meant. There is always two sides to every story.


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## yasmallani (Jun 11, 2010)

wandabug said:


> Talk to the teacher concerned. Give her a chance to explain in case it is a mis-understanding, and will put your mind at ease.


Thanks.Maybe I should do that.


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## yasmallani (Jun 11, 2010)

jojo said:


> Can I get this straight. You're upset because your daughter is upset because she heard some children saying that one of the teachers saying that iranian children are not good at English???
> 
> If I've got this right, can I ask; Who did this teacher say that to??? Was she being serious? And why is this upsetting to anyone?
> 
> Jo xxx


It's upsetting because the girls felt that a teacher should not say this about anyone really especilly targeting one nationality. Teacher should be constructive not destructive and not put all people under the same umberella.My daughter's source is very reliable and was embaressed to talk about it.


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## |James| (Dec 23, 2009)

How young is your daughter and her source if I may ask?


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## yasmallani (Jun 11, 2010)

|James| said:


> Maybe that teacher is right! I mean, you have lived for 20 years in UK yet 'English' isn't your forte. Besides the teacher might have a lot of experience with Iranian kids. I would think it would be best not to be defiant and direct that energy and effort towards gaining proficiency of the language and proving that teacher wrong!


The debate is not about me and yes English (written is not my forte) I do speak fluent English and 3 other languages but unfortunately didnt get writing that much and was not so good.
To stand up against statments that generalise is not defiant just the right thing to do and what we should all do.Try and write in another language that you speak and see how good you are-it's difficult.


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## yasmallani (Jun 11, 2010)

Jynxgirl said:


> Low dig. I was staying out of this... I have no riding problems except these crazy people think woman shouldnt ride motorcycles.
> 
> Maybe your taking this the wrong way. Even after 20 years, your english isnt the best. As a teacher, if I was grading equally, you would have to be failed. But in reality, your english is great for being a second language so should a teacher fail a student? I would be very frustrated with trying to grade equally but knowing that isnt exactly possible in this instance. Maybe a child was eaves dropping in a conversation that a child had no business hearing. Maybe the teacher was just frustrated. I would suggest going to speak to the teacher and finding out if she said anything as such, then trying to figure how it was said and meant. There is always two sides to every story.


My spoken English is excellent but yes my written isnt good(didn't go to school in UK)so missed all that.It's not about my English but what was said. I know there is gossip and kids dont always say truth or add bits on but this is not like her and she is upset. Her friend was very shocked and did not want her to tell others.
Maybe its best to go and ask teacher.


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## yasmallani (Jun 11, 2010)

|James| said:


> How young is your daughter and her source if I may ask?


They are above 10yrs let just say!!


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

yasmallani said:


> Try and write in another language that you speak and see how good you are-it's difficult.


Agreed. My hat off to you for having all those languages under your belt. 


Seems your mind is kind of set on what avenue you are going to take.


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## LiverpoolMan (Jun 2, 2010)

Some very weird undertones to this discussion! the man is looking for help and seems to be getting attacked.

Anyhow mate, the best option in my pov is to take wandabugs advice and

'Talk to the teacher concerned. Give her a chance to explain in case it is a mis-understanding, and will put your mind at ease'


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

I would suggest that you start with reassuring your daughter about her level and master of the English language. 

This issue could be approached in 2 ways - you could turn up at the school and speak to the teacher. Bear in mind though that, when eavesdropping on a conversation, likelihood, is that you end up getting the wrong end of the stick. I was involved in a similar situation when we were joking about something, someone put 2 and 2 together and ended up with five - result was that he ended up looking like a fool & in regards to that particular person, to say that it served him right, would be a bit of an understatement!
The second way to deal with this is to take it as constructive criticism and prove the teacher wrong. If someone claims that I am not good at something, then I make it a point to prove them wrong.

I know that as a child, I would get offended at the smallest of things. That is just how children are and at times (well, that's the way my mum dealt with it), it is best to draw the positive out of the negative comment and use it as an incentive to improve on our failings or shortcomings rather than head down the route of blame and potentially a big argument.
I don't think that the teacher meant to offend anyone but sometimes, it is easier to generalise as opposed to identify the individual specifically. It softens the blow a little and whilst it might end up upsetting others, in this life, it is unrealistic to think that we can please everyone at the same time.

My approach would be to reassure your daughter but as her mother, I think you have to make the final decision in regards to how you approach it. Bear in mind, that whichever way you decide to deal with this, your daughter will learn something from this and sometimes, the right approach does not necessarily teach the right lesson. The last thing you want is for your daughter to think that every time something happens, you're gonna run down to the school and have it out with the teacher. Hence, my point that it may be easier to just sit with your daughter and reassure her. If it means that much, maybe wait until parents evening and have a chat with the said teacher in regards to what she is doing to make sure that all children in her class master the English language correctly.

Good luck!


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## thedevil007 (Jun 6, 2010)

Before u take the matter ahead and do make it real serious, visit the school, talk to teachers, without bringing up this matter of what ur child has said.


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## jamin (Jan 6, 2010)

I agree with jynxy and others who say talk directly to the teacher with your concerns. I am a teacher and kids have a good knack of exaggerating and embelishing what they hear second hand. From personal experience I know that approaching the teacher directly would be very much appreciated rather than discrediting them or potentially yourself. 
Also children are very clever at digging at the weaknesses of their peers to big themselves up!
Good luck.
J xx


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

My sister in law came home one day from one of these big universities that she attended at Knowledge Village and told us that one of her professors feels that everyone should be given a gun in Dubai so they could each do their part in shooting an Indian or *ahem* a neighbouring nationality and reduce the population of Dubai. 

I would say, take it up with the teacher but make sure you approach the matter with diplomacy and not be accusatory. Instead, let the teacher know that the word on the playground is that he/she is generalising against Iranians and ask her if its the truth. Best to give her the benefit of the doubt. Innocent until proven guilty...or something like that!


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## becks81 (Jul 14, 2010)

I would agree you should speak to the teacher concered about it before escalating it further.

Becks


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## NAUAE (Jun 4, 2010)

You are in an environment where everything is equated to your nationality or ethnic origin - driving licence, pay packages etc etc. If you start crusades on every implied ethnic or nationality based slur; then you will always be in a state of needless tension. 

Sometimes these prejudices are taken to extremes e.g. I was renting a villa from an Iranian landlord for 200K and he didnt want to rent to Pakistani's or Indian's saying that they have large families so more pressure on infrastructure. Upon being told that I had a family grand total of 3 (including me), he asked me to show him my british passport instead of the Pakistani one if I wanted the villa. So, I told him that I didnt want to rent the villa from him because he didnt have a british passport; had a laugh at the expression on his face at this remark and his stupid prejudices in general and took my money elsewhere.

My advice is to turn the other cheek and move on. Some people will never understand........so why waste your time.


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