school playtime problem

jamespir

mumofkevinandperry wrote: »

Hi, Sorry if I have posted in the wrong place.

DD has just returned from school to say that she didn't get 2 of her playtimes today. The first was due to the boys in her class (23 boys 10 girls eek, I know!) misbehaving, so the whole class was kept in (regular occurrence). The next playtime she was kept in because she didn't put capital letters and full stops in her work and she had to re-write it.

Am I being a bit over the top, do you think I should go and speak to the head teacher about this, or should I leave it as this is the way that schools deals with things? BTW it was the head teacher who was covering the lesson where she had to re-write her work.

If I did go and see the head teacher how should I tackle it?

good happened to us a lot
nice to see some discipline used in schools

i wouldnt bother complaining the head was in the right

jamespir

Gingham_R wrote: »

As this is not an isolated incident, I would ask to speak to the head and raise my concerns.

I don't like children being kept behind to repeat work, especially in primary school, and I find whole class punishments to be extremely unfair. They teach children that they can obey all the rules and get punished for what other people do. That's just wrong.

no offence but its attitudes like that is the reason theres so many unruley kids

life is like that you have to work as a team so you need to get you classmates to toe the line too

Gingham_R

jamespir wrote: »

no offence but its attitudes like that is the reason theres so many unruley kids

life is like that you have to work as a team so you need to get you classmates to toe the line too

Utter rubbish.

Actually, I didn't have many discipline problems in my classes, and I don't have them with my kids, because I treat them with respect, don't expect them to take the blame for things other people have done and don't punish them for making mistakes.

As for expecting other children to sort out the naughty kids?! That's the TEACHER's job - not the other children in class.

I'd rather see a teacher set clear, high expectations and provide instant consequences, both positive and negative. So the children who behaved well get an instant positive consequence of being allowed to go straight out to break and get their stickers/reward points/whatever. The children who didn't do what was required get the consequence of losing some of their break, not getting reward points and possibly further action.

Forgetting punctuation? If that is really all that happened, I'm sorry but the fact of the matter is that punishment doesn't teach children how to write. And losing break time makes it far more likely that she will be unable to concentrate on her work for the next lesson too.

milliebear00001

Hmm, as a teacher myself, I can see there might be a case for some of what's happened here.

I also dislike whole class punishments, and avoid them whenever possible. However, while it is rare that a whole class plays up, it does sometimes happen that the entire class is badly behaved and in those situations it may be appropriate to dole out a whole class punishment. I give whole class rewards as well - it emphasises the classroom as a community of people who need to work together to achieve things. Children rarely look favourably on children who lose them privileges and so I find whole class punishment is a major sanction for those children who are 'to blame'. I do though, recognise that it isn't an entirely 'fair' situation.

The repeated work issue is an interesting one. I wholeheartedly agree that making a child stay in to repeat a piece of work that they have done poorly, with no reason for that poor work other than sheer laziness, works! Rarely do children routinely 'forget' to put in their full stops and capitals when they have missed a playtime or two because of it! I use this sort of sanction fairly regularly and the childrne in my classes know that either they use lesson time wisely, or they will need to give up their time to do the work properly.

mumps

milliebear00001 wrote: »

Hmm, as a teacher myself, I can see there might be a case for some of what's happened here.

I also dislike whole class punishments, and avoid them whenever possible. However, while it is rare that a whole class plays up, it does sometimes happen that the entire class is badly behaved and in those situations it may be appropriate to dole out a whole class punishment. I give whole class rewards as well - it emphasises the classroom as a community of people who need to work together to achieve things. Children rarely look favourably on children who lose them privileges and so I find whole class punishment is a major sanction for those children who are 'to blame'. I do though, recognise that it isn't an entirely 'fair' situation.

The repeated work issue is an interesting one. I wholeheartedly agree that making a child stay in to repeat a piece of work that they have done poorly, with no reason for that poor work other than sheer laziness, works! Rarely do children routinely 'forget' to put in their full stops and capitals when they have missed a playtime or two because of it! I use this sort of sanction fairly regularly and the childrne in my classes know that either they use lesson time wisely, or they will need to give up their time to do the work properly.

I respect your experience but look at it from a different point of view: One of my children was quiet, timid even, well behaved and hard working, she had the misfortune to be in a difficult class. She was bullied by other girls, quite serious bullying that the school was reluctant to deal with until the children hit 10 and we involved police knowing that the children were now old enough to be dealt with by the police. As well as the misery at the hands of these kids she also shared the frequent punishments they brought down on her as well as themselves, missed playtime, missed treats at end of term and extra homework. How do you think it made her feel? She had no influence with these kids, if they were prepared to assault her in the street do you think they would suddenly stop misbehaving in class because she disapproved.

It is a difficult problem for teacher but it is their job not for other kids to solve.

WestonDave

To be fair mumps - whilst I get your point, in your particular situation singling your daughter out as being one of say a few that were allowed out to play, might have made the bullying situation worse if she became perceived as a "teachers pet".

Its also fairly early days yet and the point where teachers are still setting down their ground rules for a new class. The odd whole class punishment at this stage tells the class what is expected, most will learn quickly so that in another couple of weeks the teacher should be able to pick out the odd bad apple for individual sanctions.

I know that within the first week our year 2 son came home complaining that "Miss" had made him stay in at break to finish his writing work because he'd been messing about and hadn't finished it (he's less enthusiastic about writing and I fully agree with a bit of sanction here to make him concentrate - give him Maths and he'd almost volunteer to stay in!). Last night was parents evening, and clearly he has now found the level that this teacher is expecting as she was very happy with his work.

In the OP's instance it may be that if the head was covering a lesson (due to illness etc) their control methods are more attuned to an older age range depending on what age they last taught.

balletshoes

I agree its still very early into the new school year - it may just be that the kids and the teacher/Head are all still getting used to each other and the dynamic in the class. Not so much this year, but last year at this time my DD was really having trouble (along with most of her class) settling in, it took them a good 5 or 6 weeks (almost til half term in October) to sort themselves all out and get on with it.

Norah_G_2

I think you should talk to the teacher but not in a rude way, try to explain that you are worried but at the same time try to show your respect and who knows may be she will consider your opinion. The teachers don't like it when parents try to give orders at school but they don't mind if you try to give some good advice. my mom is a teacher so i know what i'm talking about;)

Gavin83

Isn't there some sort of legal requirement to provide children a break? It's a requirement at work, I'd have thought it was more strict in school.

martinthebandit

mumofkevinandperry wrote: »

Hi, Sorry if I have posted in the wrong place.

DD has just returned from school to say that she didn't get 2 of her playtimes today. The first was due to the boys in her class (23 boys 10 girls eek, I know!) misbehaving, so the whole class was kept in (regular occurrence). The next playtime she was kept in because she didn't put capital letters and full stops in her work and she had to re-write it.

Am I being a bit over the top, do you think I should go and speak to the head teacher about this, or should I leave it as this is the way that schools deals with things? BTW it was the head teacher who was covering the lesson where she had to re-write her work.

If I did go and see the head teacher how should I tackle it?

Seems like a good school to me.

I would tend to wait till parents evening and then compliment the teacher on the good job he/she is doing.

Oh and I would give the little darling a telling off for trying to get away with slipshod work and then whinging about having to redo it.