Standing children in the corner in class for minor issues?

liney

I'm in the "Give em an inch and they'll take a yard" camp as far as kids go. When the teachers have 30 kids to deal with, nipping minor issues in the bud stops the disruption spreading immediately. The children obviously know this is the punishment as it's common practise and i doubt there are many repeat offenders.

KellyWelly

Alicediamond wrote: »

It's a technique this teacher tends to use for the generally well behaved boys who get chatty sometimes. The boys in the class who swear or hit out at her get a softly softly approach. I know it sounds unbelievable and I wouldnt believe it myself if it weren't for several parents of children in the class raising it (same story every time) clincher was a parent helper who was in for reading and heard/saw it happen.

The parent helper who has told you about that shouldn't be allowed to help in the school at all. I am sure when she was invited to come into the school she was made aware that anything and everything she saw or heard was to be kept confidential. What you and the parent helper have to remember is that each and every child has a certain set of circumstances that you (rightly) know nothing about. The children hitting and swearing may very well come from a very difficult disfunctional life or they may have a diagnosed medical condition that is being managed in a particular way. As an unqualified parent helper your friend is not in a position to make judgements about the professionalism and behavior management decisions made by the school staff.

My greatest concern at reading that is the big old gossip who is running about telling other parents confidential private information about children in the school. How would you or she (I assume it's a mum) feel if a teacher or helper in the school went around telling others about YOUR child and their particular difficulties. Shameful.

Alicediamond

KellyWelly wrote: »

The parent helper who has told you about that shouldn't be allowed to help in the school at all. I am sure when she was invited to come into the school she was made aware that anything and everything she saw or heard was to be kept confidential. What you and the parent helper have to remember is that each and every child has a certain set of circumstances that you (rightly) know nothing about. The children hitting and swearing may very well come from a very difficult disfunctional life or they may have a diagnosed medical condition that is being managed in a particular way. As an unqualified parent helper your friend is not in a position to make judgements about the professionalism and behavior management decisions made by the school staff.

My greatest concern at reading that is the big old gossip who is running about telling other parents confidential private information about children in the school. How would you or she (I assume it's a mum) feel if a teacher or helper in the school went around telling others about YOUR child and their particular difficulties. Shameful.

With the greatest of respect kelly welly, you have no idea of the extended circumstances of this situation (clearly because I haven't provided them, for good reason). You also have no understanding of who I am, what i know , what is going on in the school, the classroom and who the helper is, how they are qualified etc.

I have deliberately kept to one bare fact of this case, and am even posting under a different user name because I am going to great lengths to ensure that no one could link this case to the school/teacher/pupil concerned.

I appreciate that you cannot know anymore than I have told you but I was asking only for opinions on the practice which was used, I would have appreciated yours on this matter as I know you are a teacher from your many previous posts.

If you were aware of the full situation you would appreciate why your concerns are misguided. I can assure you that there is no one trying to slander teachers unfairly or gossip idly about classroom practice or children.

Thanks for your comment. I really would appreciate your opinion on the standing in the corner issue.

Barneysmom

Boundaries.
Kids need boundaries, and I feel it's in short supply these days, that's why so many kids go off the rails.

Valli

KellyWelly wrote: »

The parent helper who has told you about that shouldn't be allowed to help in the school at all. I am sure when she was invited to come into the school she was made aware that anything and everything she saw or heard was to be kept confidential. What you and the parent helper have to remember is that each and every child has a certain set of circumstances that you (rightly) know nothing about. The children hitting and swearing may very well come from a very difficult disfunctional life or they may have a diagnosed medical condition that is being managed in a particular way. As an unqualified parent helper your friend is not in a position to make judgements about the professionalism and behavior management decisions made by the school staff.

My greatest concern at reading that is the big old gossip who is running about telling other parents confidential private information about children in the school. How would you or she (I assume it's a mum) feel if a teacher or helper in the school went around telling others about YOUR child and their particular difficulties. Shameful.

Well said! :T:T:T:T

Alicediamond wrote: »

clincher was a parent helper who was in for reading and heard/saw it happen.

your words Alice...

Alicediamond wrote: »

With the greatest of respect kelly welly, you have no idea of the extended circumstances of this situation (clearly because I haven't provided them, for good reason). You also have no understanding of who I am, what i know , what is going on in the school, the classroom and who the helper is, how they are qualified etc.

I have deliberately kept to one bare fact of this case, and am even posting under a different user name because I am going to great lengths to ensure that no one could link this case to the school/teacher/pupil concerned.

I appreciate that you cannot know anymore than I have told you but I was asking only for opinions on the practice which was used, I would have appreciated yours on this matter as I know you are a teacher from your many previous posts.

If you were aware of the full situation you would appreciate why your concerns are misguided. I can assure you that there is no one trying to slander teachers unfairly or gossip idly about classroom practice or children.

Thanks for your comment. I really would appreciate your opinion on the standing in the corner issue.

The point Kelly made is that no-one should be passing on what has been heard in the classroom - qualified or otherwise. It's precisely because some parent helpers DO gossip that some schools actively discourage them...

KellyWelly

Well, the basic facts were that a parent helper has disclosed to you that she saw a child hit and swear at a teacher who then dealt with the child in a 'softly softly' manner when other children were sent to the corner for humming. That parent helper, in my opinion, has behaved in an inappropriate manner and if the school were made aware of her disclosure I would imagine she would not be invited back into the school.

To answer your question - some children respond to some punishments and other children don't. My son for example wouldn't be all that bothered about being kept in from break and made to clean up the classroom because he likes it. He would howver hate to be excluded from the lesson by being made to sit or stand facing the wall. I know his teacher uses this method to punish him. However other children in the class would hate to miss break and they are kept in (usually with my daft boy who has asked if he can clean up instead of going outside). Some children will also have recognised difficulties and there will be measures and plans in place for managing their behaviour. Sometimes they are dealt with more softly than other children. For example have some children for whom it is a HUGE accomplishment to get through the day without kicking off and they will be rewarded for doing so, even though their overall behaviour might not be as fantastic as another child in the class. BUT the child who has overall behaved better is capable of more and we expect more, whereas the child with difficulties might be on two or three different prescribed drugs, have a dad who beats the !!!!!! out of mum if and when he comes home, and no expectation of behaviour at home.

Teachers use a wide variety of methods to manage behaviour and the most successful teachers are the ones who manage to keep their pupils under the thumb without making those children hate them - this is a really hard thing to do.

Alicediamond

KellyWelly wrote: »

Well, the basic facts were that a parent helper has disclosed to you that she saw a child hit and swear at a teacher who then dealt with the child in a 'softly softly' manner when other children were sent to the corner for humming. That parent helper, in my opinion, has behaved in an inappropriate manner and if the school were made aware of her disclosure I would imagine she would not be invited back into the school.

To answer your question - some children respond to some punishments and other children don't. My son for example wouldn't be all that bothered about being kept in from break and made to clean up the classroom because he likes it. He would howver hate to be excluded from the lesson by being made to sit or stand facing the wall. I know his teacher uses this method to punish him. However other children in the class would hate to miss break and they are kept in (usually with my daft boy who has asked if he can clean up instead of going outside). Some children will also have recognised difficulties and there will be measures and plans in place for managing their behaviour. Sometimes they are dealt with more softly than other children. For example have some children for whom it is a HUGE accomplishment to get through the day without kicking off and they will be rewarded for doing so, even though their overall behaviour might not be as fantastic as another child in the class. BUT the child who has overall behaved better is capable of more and we expect more, whereas the child with difficulties might be on two or three different prescribed drugs, have a dad who beats the !!!!!! out of mum if and when he comes home, and no expectation of behaviour at home.

Teachers use a wide variety of methods to manage behaviour and the most successful teachers are the ones who manage to keep their pupils under the thumb without making those children hate them - this is a really hard thing to do.

Thanks for your comments, really useful to hear.

Just to clarify, even without the extra circumstances that I haven't mentioned, the adult witnessed the standing in corner incident (and it was passed on for a specific reason) not the children who swear/hit being treated "softly softly".

Many thanks.

Valli

But IT SHOULD NOT have been 'passed on'. End of.

KellyWelly

Alicediamond wrote: »

Thanks for your comments, really useful to hear.

Just to clarify, even without the extra circumstances that I haven't mentioned, the adult witnessed the standing in corner incident (and it was passed on for a specific reason) not the children who swear/hit being treated "softly softly".

Many thanks.

It doesn't matter why it was passed on, it's a huge breech of confidentiality and makes the adult involved completely unsuitable to be helping in school. What she should have done is talked to the head in confidence and passed on her concerns, not disclosed anything to a 3rd party. If she were a teacher or otherwise employed by the school and she had done this it would have been a disciplinary matter.

Alicediamond

KellyWelly wrote: »

It doesn't matter why it was passed on, it's a huge breech of confidentiality and makes the adult involved completely unsuitable to be helping in school. What she should have done is talked to the head in confidence and passed on her concerns, not disclosed anything to a 3rd party. If she were a teacher or otherwise employed by the school and she had done this it would have been a disciplinary matter.

OK OK!! Look, im the adult! Hence I haven't passed it on to anyone. I wanted to anonymously come on here and get opinions because i am involved with the school in several spheres and mine and my dh occupations are also heavily child/ed based so i didnt want to react without stepping back to see if my professional judgement is pushing me in a certain way. I wanted grounded viewpoints. Hence I am changing bits and being as anonymous as poss primarily because i know that the only place to take this (if i felt it was necessary) is through the proper channels.

Sorry for the confusion but you do need to know that things are not being passed anywhere inappropriately.