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DS moved off his table where he is very settled, very annoyed!

35 replies

hulahoopsilove · 04/11/2013 09:58

DS has been so settled of late on his table in class, really working well and happy. One child was moved next to him as a parent had complained that the child was distracting to her child so they move the kids around the table and said child was sat next to my DS - all last week the child has constantly talked and distracted him, I told him just to ignore and see what happens, then the child was taking his pencils and putting them in their pencil case etc... he told the teacher last thing on Fri and she said she would leave a note for the other teacher for Monday (job share) to move him!!!!

This morning he didnt want to go to school as he doesnt want to be moved onto another table he was so settled before with the others. I been in to school this morning and spoken with the teacher and expressed that I dont want him moving - she said she would have to look at the abilities around the class and see what she could do, she cant just move the said child which is NOT what Ive asked, I asked for my DS to be moved around the table and not to be moved.

I now feel that my very settled DS is now going to become very unsettled grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

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lljkk · 04/11/2013 10:09

They have to get used to moving around, tbh. It's normal part of school life.
I know it's challenging for you & him, but I suspect YABU.

How old is he?

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tiggytape · 04/11/2013 10:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 04/11/2013 10:43

How old is your ds? Junior age I'm guessing if they've got pencil cases in school.

Things change at school, they're not going to be able to always sit at the same table next to the same people and this is something that he'll have to get used to.

The disruptive child is a different matter and I would have a word with the teacher making sure that she is aware and can monitor the situation.

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SavoyCabbage · 04/11/2013 10:51

My dd moves every two weeks.

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BackforGood · 04/11/2013 11:06

My dds used to move every 2 weeks as well in Juniors - great system.
I'd hate to think that whatever system you were using though, there was no movement during the year.

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clam · 04/11/2013 14:00

The teacher needs to make the decision as to where to seat children, according to a whole range of factors affecting all the class. You can't really dictate where you want your child to be, just make her aware, as you have, of any issues.

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hulahoopsilove · 04/11/2013 14:06

I havent asked for anything hes been happy/great since Sept - now this one child has instigated him to be moved - why cant they move the said child?

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Morgause · 04/11/2013 14:07

Children are moved all the time. he would probably have been moved soon anyway.

It's up to teachers how they run their classrooms.

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clam · 04/11/2013 14:14

But you said, " I been in to school this morning and spoken with the teacher and expressed that I dont want him moving" and "she cant just move the said child which is NOT what Ive asked, I asked for my DS to be moved around the table and not to be moved."

Which sounds to me as though you've been asking/telling her what you would like to see. You don't even know yet that your child will be unsettled by changing tables. He might be fine.

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tinytalker · 04/11/2013 16:34

Children have to get used to change and coping with the distractions of others. It's a valuable lesson in life, those children who find these things difficult can often struggle throughout their schooling. I think you need to help him deal with this change, he may be picking up on your stressed reaction. I'm a teacher and if a parent came in requesting tables get changed because their child doesn't like it, I would be rather put out and wouldn't want to be seen to be bowing to demands which could open the floodgates for all sorts of parent requests!

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clam · 04/11/2013 18:32

What tinytalker said, although my class sit on different tables for different things, so they rarely get "stuck" with the same person next to them for long.

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teacherwith2kids · 04/11/2013 18:54

My class sit in different places for every lesson, and even in one lesson e.g. maths or english, may move between different groupings within the lesson. The idea of 'being on a table all the time since September' is just alien to me....

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2kidsintow · 04/11/2013 19:33

I move my children frequently. It does them good to work with different children. I have reading group seats/maths grouping seats/free choice partner work as well as a general 'normal' place.

I've had a parent make exactly the same complaint last year - that I'd moved the child being bothered by another child, not the child who was doing the bothering. They made their point clear, but I had to politely stick to my guns an explain that the best thing as far as the larger picture of where ALL the other children in the class were arranged was to move their child.

If nothing else, it stops the child being bothered by another child then being blamed by that child for being the cause of them being moved.

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Jinty64 · 04/11/2013 19:36

In ds3's class they seem to move round every few weeks.

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LIZS · 04/11/2013 19:39

If he doesn't get to experience moving desk regularly and perceive it as normal then he won't settle . Does he normally respond badly to change ? Has he responded ok to a jobshare ?

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hettienne · 04/11/2013 19:40

Sounds like you need to take a step back and let the teacher get on with organising her own classroom!

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Oblomov · 04/11/2013 19:49

They move ds1 all the time. Last time they had him sat next to the quietest girl, with the loveliest handwriting. To try and improve his handwriting. Teacher said. I was most impressed.

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lljkk · 04/11/2013 19:50

teacher has to juggle needs of many, OP.
It would be reasonable to explain your child is unsettled, but understand that he will move often in yrs to come. He will have to get used to it fairly soon.

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hulahoopsilove · 04/11/2013 21:28

They sit in the same table and group for each lesson, they are not moved....I don't have a problem with mixing them up in fact like many if you say its a good lesson. My gripe was, is, why should he be moved.

Job share teachers are great, no problems there at all, he was moved today to another table whilst the said child had stayed where they usually sit ... A note today from teacher said it was because her friends are in the table...will just have to go with the teachers judgement

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DalmationDots · 04/11/2013 22:01

Think it is a normal part of life, being moved isn't punishment. If he is in year 2/3 + it is definitely something he just needs to get used to and built a bit of resilience over.

I can imagine my own DD would have been similarly upset about this, but I think pandering to her (as I proabably did!) did her more harm than good and made her think she always has to get her own way and that every little thing was the end of the world. If I'd been a bit more chilled and nipped this kind of thing in a bud by putting a positive on it 'Oh, never mind, it is great you've got to move table your teacher obviously thinks you are really hard working and will do well on any table', then it would have been easier to stop my DDs wingey/dramatic behaviour later on in primary.

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MidniteScribbler · 05/11/2013 00:13

How would you feel if your child came home and said that they had been moved from their table because the parent of the child next to them said that your son was disruptive? You'd be at the teacher demanding to know why other parents get to make decisions about your child.

You don't get to decide how the teacher manages any other student in the classroom. You didn't want your child sitting next to that child, so therefore it is your child that gets moved.

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pusspusslet · 05/11/2013 19:35

Seems I'm the only one to disagree.

If one child has now disrupted two children who aren't themselves disruptive, I don't see why one of those two children should be moved off the table.

Yes, it's up to the teacher, but I think the expectation is that a teacher will make these decisions fairly and reasonably. How is moving the non-disruptive child off the table he is settled at fair or reasonable?

OP: I understand why you're upset about this.

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Periwinkle007 · 05/11/2013 20:07

I have to say I personally think if there is a disruptive child then THAT child needs to be dealt with. how they do this is up to them but one child shouldn't be allowed to disrupt the experience for everyone else and no the other children shouldn't be moved. IF that child is disruptive then they need to learn not to be.

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clam · 05/11/2013 20:30

If the children are sitting on the carpet, or lining up, and one is being disruptive or annoying those around him/her, then generally speaking it would be the instigator or trouble-maker who is moved. But their general working tables are different. There are more complex issues at play there, as has been described above.

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temporarilyjerry · 06/11/2013 18:15

will just have to go with the teachers judgement

OP, I love you!

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