10 min teacher chat - what to aim for

[umbrellasinthesun]

Year 1 DS, just turned 5 1/2, doesn't want to go to school, says it is boring. Asked to meet with teacher, but only given 10 min slot just before school starts.

Can anyone suggest how best to get something constructive out of the meeting / what to ask for.

I would like him to have to think a bit during the school day and not just do stuff he can already do. But not sure what is reasonable to ask for, nor know what is being done already to challenge him.
Where should i start/ what should I ask/ ask for?

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

[AnswersToAnything]

In 10 minutes? Not much!

I think you and the school need to know where things are at. You need to know what he is asked to do in school. School needs to know what you know he can do - and start from there.

Ten minutes really isn't long enough for that. Perhaps suggest that if time is that tight you both write a 'report' for each other to save time and have another meeting next week?

It's not at all unreasonable to expect a school to make your child think by the way. It's their raison d'être.

[simpson]

Is it possible you can look at his workbooks before the meeting?

This will give you a better idea of what he is doing in class.

Does your DS moan about school? I have learnt from DD who is also in yr1 that when she says numeracy is boring it actually means she has to get the old brain cells working however if she says literacy is boring then she usually comes out with specific examples and why (although luckily is having a fab year and has not said this since September).

[lljkk]

10 minutes right before school starts is utterly pants; teacher's mind will be on a million other things right then.
Are you both unavailable after 3pm?

If that's all you have, then have to be very to the point. What he says to you that you think is a problem. Do you have a parents' eve in Feb/March? How challenging is his homework?

[sallybenson]

Use it as a foot in the door to get more time another day. Be strong and slightly forceful. We have 10 min slots for parents eve and all the teacher seems to want is for you out so she can keep piling them through.

[ReallyTired]

I think that posters fail to understand the reality of how much time a teacher has. A teacher in a state school has 30 children in the class and some children may have substantial special needs. Does the school think your child is gifted? If your child is on the gifted and talented list then prehaps you can talk to the SENCO who may be able to give you more time.

Do you have parents' evening?

[ilikenoodles]

My son says most work in school is "easy" but he says it with pride and is chuffed at having things he is considered good at, and I enforce the idea in him that going over work he thinks he can already do will help it stick there forever. He is put in appropriate groups in the year ahead for phonics and maths and I believe the school is doing a great job at differentiating and (quite importantly for me) he does not claim to be bored (I would find this quite strange in a child with a love of learning who was quite young in his educational journey) and he does not think he is better than other children in his class or that the work some do is babyish...he is taught to believe the children in year 2 are there to help him be better at maths and this I am happy with.
I guess I have just had a better experience with my ds and I know it's horrible to have a child not want to go to school for any reason whatsoever.

[umbrellasinthesun]

Thank you for your help. From what teachers say and his level of conversation I think he is an able kid. Not sure what G and T definition is but he is an outlier ability wise out of 2 classes of year 1 children and so they are having to plan some work for him separately. Not quite sure what they are aiming at but v glad they are thinking of it. Feel we have to stand up for him more than if he was ave ability as don't want him to lose his love of learning more than he has.