DD Yr3 - 'punishment' for not being quick enough in whole class activity

[debs227]

Ok, opinions please....
DD is in Yr 3, for their literacy morning she goes up into the year 4 class to take part in an activity, along with a handful of her classmates. It is a dictionary challenge, where the whole class have to find a word as quickly as possible in a dictionary.
The quickest ones get a reward and the ones that are slowest to find the word have to perform a class 'punishment' (decided by the rest of the class) which is something like jumping around like frogs or turning around several times.
As DD is quite slow at this task, every week she has a 'punishment' and it has knocked her confidence. She doesn't like being laughed at.

Is this a normal school classroom technique?? I am going in to discuss with school tommorow.
The whole class has to find the same words, not differentiated by ability

[AcrylicPlexiglass]

Sounds crap. Complain!

[paulapantsdown]

thats horrible - a very mild version of bullying imho

[UniqueAndAmazing]

once or twice I can see it being fun.
but not every week.
the teacher needs to rethink their strategy.
anything that continually singles one or two children out is not fair.

[Amy106]

I wouldn't want to be laughed at either. What an embarrassing way to learn dictionary skills. I would definitely talk to the school and arrange for a different way to learn these skills. Good luck and I hope this all works out for you both.

[EduCated]

Not good when it's the same children, if it was a silly game where the forfeits rotated then maybe, but sounds like it's not working.

[BrokenBananaTantrum]

Terrible idea. How is this strategy encouraging learning? Does the teacher have any evidence that this is improving childrens performance? Its humiliating and wrong. Complain.

[Periwinkle007]

that is awful. I can't believe any school would do that, I am quite shocked

[debs227]

I was very shocked and hence why i am going to speak to them tommorrow. In fact i can't believe it myself but the teacher has confirmed that what DD has told me is correct and that if she doesn't want to take part she doesn't have to! How is she going to say that when it is a whole class activity and she is not one for speaking up for herself.

I am also very shocked at the use of the word 'punishment'!
DD was so worried about it last week she wouldn't go in on this particular day.

[wheresthebeach]

What's next? A fun, cheery dunces cap?
Complain...clearly and repeatedly if necessary.

[simpson]

My DS (yr3) would hate this.

He cried in class last week because he thought his whole class were laughing at him (they weren't, they were laughing at the teacher who had tried to include DS in a joke at her expense - the teacher came over to explain at pick up time in case DS said anything to me).

I agree with others, it is low level bullying and humiliating.