I'm so proud...

[lact8]

I have exhausted my supply of family and friends to tell about this so I'm turning to MN

When my DS1 started school he had an awful time with his teacher. The full extent of it didn't come to light until his final parents evening of that year, when she spent the whole time telling me how her children didn't sleep at night. While i was partly sypathetic towards her I also thought That's your problem, I'm hear to discuss my son. DS1 was with me at the time and she said 'I've given up on him, there's no point bothering, I've given up on him' My jaw almost hit the floor as I couldn't believe that she would say it in fromt of him and that if she felt like that why she hadn't raised her concerns with me earlier.

If his teacher would say that about him while I was there I dread to think what she was saying to him when I wasn't.

DS1 attitude to reading and writing became 'I can't do it' and would cry and cry when it was time to look at his reading books from school. DS1 has always been very articulate and has a vivid imagination. My mum was a librarian for 20 years and I have inherited her love of books and DS1 always enjoyed having stories read to him, so it was very distressing for me that something I hve always gained so much pleasure from was causing him such misery.

Due to moving house, DS1 also moved school. However a further 5 children from her class also moved their children at the same time.

DS1 is good at maths and we would have no problems with maths homework but the reading work coninued to be a nightmare.

By the tme he got to 1st year in the juniors his reading had barely improved even though he was having one to one tuition. His teacher said he would begin to fall behind in his maths and other subjects due to his inablility to read the problems. It was a very sad time for us as you could tell just by speaking to him that he was an intelligent boy.

My dp (ds's sd) started to read Harry Potter to him which he really enjoyed but when DP hours changed it became dificult for him to find the time to do it everyday. DS took to taking the book to bed with him and 'reading' it to himself. Over a period of months he read the whole book and asked for the 2nd one.

i gave it to him and asked him to read some of it to me, which he did haltingly and slowly. He persevered and finished that one too.

He has now read the whole series and devours just about anything that he can get his hands on.

In the last week of term, the teacher's assistant who helps with the reading in his class was ill and DS1's his teacher asked him would he help out. I am SO proud of him. In September 05 we were seriously concerned about his schoolwork and he has turned it around all by himself and I can't stop telling people about it!

And I would like to blow a big fat raspberry at the teacher who knocked all of his confidence out of him!!

TIA if you have taken the time to read this long post

[Ledodgy]

That is brilliant! A big well done to your ds you're right to be very proud.

[Littlefish]

This is such good news lact8 - you have every reason to be so proud of your ds. How awful about his first teacher - was anything ever done about her if so many children left her class?

[PrettyCandles]

Hooray for your ds, and hooray for your dp who gave him the impetus to achieve. How awful to have such a dreadful teacher inflicted upon a child, and how wonderful and lucky to have such a supportive family backing him up. No wonder you are proud - and rightly so!

[PrettyCandles]

BTW - please tell your son how proud you are of him, and how much you enjoy having him read to you.

[lact8]

Thanks ledodgy. I want to tell the whole world!! I'll never forget the look on his face when he burst through the door to tell me he'd been helping

[swedishmum]

That's fantastic. You are right to be so proud. Well done him!
Even though I teach myself, some members of the profession really do make my blood boil. I've seen a huge improvement in dd since I took her away from a poor teacher.
I'd be tempted to print off what you wrote and send it to the chair of governors at the old school.

[MagicGenie]

Lact8 - my M&FIL were greeted by my DH's first teacher with "-(sigh)- what are we going to do with him?"

She lost interest in trying with him. By the time he got to 2nd year infants, he couldn't read.

The next teacher took some time and encouraged him. Before long he was devouring books, just like your DS. Just shows you.

Big fat raspberry indeed! :)

[lact8]

Thanks everyone! The teacher is no longer at the school, neither is the head for allowing the whole situation to carry on for so long.

I tell DS1 everyday how proud I am of him. And its a joy when he sits and reads to DS2, something he couldn't do a year ago