Teacher's comment causes dyslexic pupil's panic attack
A DYSLEXIC schoolgirl suffered a panic attack after a teacher laughed at her spelling mistake.
Sophie Smith, 16, was "reduced to a nervous wreck" following the incident at Sackville School, East Grinstead, on Tuesday, November 30.
-
LEFT IN TEARS: Sophie Smith outside her school
The teacher involved has apologised and the school has insisted that no offence was intended.
But the sixth form pupil, who "couldn't stop crying" after the incident, says she was "made to feel stupid" by the insensitive reaction.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Sunday, May 26 2013
Sophie told how she had gained more confidence since being at Sackville, after not receiving all the help she needed with her dyslexia in the past.
But her mother Jacky believes this incident has had a hugely detrimental impact on her daughter.
She said: "This teacher laughed in my daughter's face for spelling a word incorrectly and reduced her to a nervous wreck.
"It resulted in her having a panic attack.
"This behaviour from a school that is meant to help children and not degrade them is disgusting.
"My daughter's plight might help children in the future to receive better treatment from the education system.
"Dyslexic children already feel inadequate without being made to feel like complete and total idiots, especially in front of their classmates."
Head teacher Maggie Robson wrote to Jacky after the incident and insisted the teacher was laughing at the correction suggested by a computer spell checker and not at Sophie's spelling.
She wrote: "The teacher did not mean to offend Sophie when she laughed at and commented on the word produced by the spell checker.
"She did apologise to Sophie for having caused any offence."
When she later spoke to the Courier & Observer, Mrs Robson said the incident had been "taken out of context".
She added: "Sophie had used the spell checker on the computer and it brought down another word, correctly spelt, but which in the context of the piece of work Sophie was writing, was inappropriate.
"The teacher did laugh and explained to Sophie what the word meant.
"She was not laughing at Sophie's spelling but at the spell checker.
"When we realised how upset Sophie was, the teacher apologised for causing her any offence."
Comments
by Richard Whitehead, Malvern
Monday, January 03 2011, 2:41PM
“Apologies - I incorrectly referred to Mrs Robson in my previous posting, thinking that she was the teacher in question. On closer inspection of the article, I now see that she is the Headteacher.”
by Richard Whitehead, Malvern
Monday, January 03 2011, 2:28PM
“Mike, I don't know whether your own misspelling of "paliament" [sic], and the unorthodox comma placing in your salutation to Claire, were intentional. If not, perhaps you would let the readers of this column know how much 'mocking' by other bloggers it will take to teach you correct spelling and punctuation.
The issue that occurred at Sackville does sound complex, and it is unwise to draw hasty conclusions about either Sophie or Mrs Robson without knowing the context.
As a general point, though, it saddens me to see how little understanding the non-dyslexic community still shows for the needs of dyslexic learners. Dyslexic learners can master challenging skills, but not through cruel treatment, endless drill and repetition, or simply "trying harder".
Imagine that when you were learning to drive you had a choice between an instructor who laughed at your mistakes and called you lazy and stupid, and a gentle instructor who gave you clear explanations, calmly and neutrally pointed out your mistakes, praised what you did well and gradually built up your confidence.
Your goal as a customer is to become a confident and safe driver on the smallest number of lessons possible. Which of these instructors would you choose?”
by Claire Thomas, Sussex
Wednesday, December 15 2010, 4:18PM
“The whole point is that as a dyslexic person I can't spell parliment, I have tried to spell it for years but I just can't! Every year I have to re-learn to spell January and February, it will just not stick in my brain. I have struggled through education for years and am now doing a course which will hopefully end up in working to help other people with disabilities to gain confidence and have a better deal than they have had and not be mocked for something that is a disability and therefore is not their fault. The only reason I have been able to get to university is because of the help and support that I have been given by my family, teachers only ruined the confidence that they tried to build up.”
by Mike, Crawley
Tuesday, December 14 2010, 1:00PM
“My dear, Claire.
You would have thought that having been 'mocked' for not being able to spell parliament at school, you would by now have learned to spell paliament in your final year of university?”
by Claire Thomas, Sussex
Sunday, December 12 2010, 9:44AM
“Im dyslexic too and had no help at school. I had bascially the same happen to me at Imberhorne school, a teacher told me off in front of my class for not chosing the correct word when spell checking. Another teacher told me I would never pass my A levels let alone get into university if I couldn't spell parliment, and then that teacher and a student started mocking me in front of my class asking me 'how i got to 6th form if i couldn't spell parliment'. I always thought sackville was better for dyslexia support, apparently not. It really nocks your confidence when a teacher laughs at you or mocks you of something you can't help. I hope sophie does well in the furture, don't let teachers or students get to you (they dont know everything) as I am in my final year of uni now, that teacher didn't know anything!”
by Marcia, Crowborough
Friday, December 10 2010, 11:40PM
“I have a physical disability, but if I had burst into tears every time I could not reach the top shelf or someone had pulled my leg, I would have spent my working life in tears. At 16 she should be getting over herself.”
by Mike, Crawley
Friday, December 10 2010, 4:34PM
“That's told you, G.”
by Sue, Leicestershire
Friday, December 10 2010, 10:22AM
“G. You are the one that is 'pathetic' and 'needs to grow up'. I can only assume that Dyslexia friendly schools are non existent in Sussex. I sincerely hope you, G. are not an employer because the Disability Discrimination Act applies to Dyslexia both IN school and in the workplace. I wish Sophie every success in her chosen career path and hope that she will meet with more understanding adults in future.”
by G, Sussex
Friday, December 10 2010, 9:28AM
“How pathetic.Perhaps this young lady should grow up a bit and realise the world is not going to change because she cant operate spell checker correctly.
Is she going to burst into tears if a future employer takes her to task for spelling mistakes.I hope she never gets a job on a Trident submarine because lunch and launch are very similar .”