Very negative class teacher

[FrameyMcFrame]

DS's new teacher is a barrel of laughs it seems.
She's not said a single nice thing, or encouraging word. It comes through in what she writes on homework and the reading diary too.
DS tries very hard at school but has struggled with some things. The teacher always manages to point out his handwriting or something without saying well done you got all the answers right!
I'm not sure if it's just my son or the whole class. DS says she is strict.
Not sure what I can do apart from accept he's got this teacher for this year and get on with it.?
It's parents evening next week so maybe she'll say something positive and my impressions will change.

[TeenAndTween]

Can you say something like
'DS is a bit downhearted as he feels that his work is never good enough for you. Do you think you could praise the things he does well as well as pointing out the areas for improvement?'

[MrsKCastle]

Try and talk to the teacher but focus on how your son is feeling, rather than the teacher's behaviour. E.g. 'DS has been getting a bit upset because he feels his work isn't good enough even when he tries his best.' If necessary, ask her for some specific examples of where he is doing well so that you can praise him and build up his confidence. Hopefully she will take the hint.

[Knackeredotcom]

Unfortunately, there is a massive emphasis on the moment on "meaningful feedback" when I mark books I have to write a target/ next step for the children to respond to. I do sometimes worry that the children will feel like their work is never good enough so I try to make sure I put a positive comment too! She may be overly focused on next step marking which is a shame if it's upsetting your child :( x

[FrameyMcFrame]

Thanks for the good ideas. I will prepare what I'm going to say for next week. I certainly don't want to make it worse.

[Bitlost]

At least you weren't told "she just doesn't get it" which is what happened to me in year 1!

Don't accept it. Have a word with her and tell her how it's making your son feel.

[Bumbleclat]

She probably does praise him throughout the day, some schools have strict marking policies where the teachers are made to just give succinct targets to the children.
I think if you go in saying that she doesn't praise him, it might not help as much as saying that he never feels good enough.
As for being strict, that's a good thing, you don't want his learning interrupted by the disruptive behaviour of others.
I'm sure she'll soften up next term, term 1 is about setting clear boundaries to ensure all children get the most from their learning environment throughout the year.

[IWasSpartacus]

What year is your DS? Are her comments/feedback fair? Maybe her expectations of him are high (not a bad thing if realistic) and he is not working to his ability?

I am a bit torn as I feel that sometimes there is so much "praise" going round that children do get deflated as soon as they get some constructive or less than positive feedback. This does not set them up well for future education and life!

If he is Yr1 or even Yr3 there still needs to be a balance. If he has just gone into Yr6 then yes, the teacher needs to be aware he is feeling deflated - but also maybe your DS needs to look at his work and think about does he need to pull his socks up (sorry to be blunt). Maybe the previous years teacher was too wishy-washy in her constructive feedback and the "very negative class teacher" is actually just realistic and what your son needs.

Yes say something - but maybe think about some of the above too (depending on his age).

[BertBert]

DS has just started Y6 & has a teacher he is scared of. He started off the year trying really hard to please her (doing extra homework without any prompting). This week she called him aside, showed him his book, and told him that his spelling was like a reception child's. DS is dyslexic & we have spent the last few years trying to build his confidence as he is very sensitive about his literacy issues. Apparently it was a joke .

Have asked for an appointment to see the head as this seems not to be the only issue. Will be approaching it from a 'DS perceives, DS feels' perspective as my main aim is to get her to change her behaviour towards DS. If that doesn't work, I will lodge a formal complaint to the chair of governors & local authority.

She has form for this - playing favourites with a group of the girls and singling a boy out to put down based on what previous parents have said. Thought they were exaggerating until now .

Will be watching this thread to see what advice comes up.