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AIBU?

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AIBU to think missing five lessons as a detention seems counterproductive?

256 replies

AroundTheWorldAround · 21/09/2026 22:57

DC (15) has been given a detention for messing around in class. Fair enough. I’ve told him it’s not acceptable. But, the detention is to miss five lessons. This feels counter intuitive to me. Surely it’s break time they should miss.

He said that one boy hasn’t had a single lesson all term because of his behaviour. GSCE years. If I was that parent I’d be changing schools.

I get that there have to be consequences for disruptive behaviour but won’t this just make the issues worse. For a child who messes about because they don’t understand or can’t keep up, it’s just going to confound the issue.

I don’t know. I’m not a teacher (no amount of money would persuade to me be - it’s such a difficult job) so may be I’m missing something. But this just seems counterintuitive to me and will just set difficult behaviour in stone. If there is a lad whose had no lessons since the start of term the it’s highly unlikely he’ll go back into lessons and participate fully - he won’t have a clue what’s going on, surely?

I’m interested to hear your thoughts.

AIBU or is this intervention likely to make the behaviour they are trying to reduce, worse, or they are sacrificing the education of the kids that struggle more to benefit the others?

OP posts:
clary · Yesterday 19:01

Ye @Spiderinhere is it a situation as described by @Justanotherteacher – where it does seem reasonable for the teacher to point out that the student should know the answer and as they didn't, had they really been listening and taking part?

Or is it: Teacher: “What is the German word for hot air balloon [a word we have never discussed nor come across]?” Student: [puts hand up and waits to be asked] “Is it Schadenfreude?” Teacher: “No of course not, it's Heißluftballon, that's a negative mark for you for not knowing.” ?

If the latter then I do find it a bit hard to believe. The other things you mention sound excessive too (tracking the speaker? wtaf is that?). Is there another school your DC could go to? What school is it they are at? I promise you (based on quite a lot of experience in a range of schools) that those rules are not the norm.

Phineyj · Yesterday 22:00

Tracking the speaker just means listening to the person talking (teacher, or student answering a question).

I wouldn't actually use that term but I do expect students to listen to me/not to talk while their peers are asking or answering a question or presenting. It's only polite!

clary · Yesterday 22:26

Ah I see @Phineyj yes I agree, the students should be listening. And if not (presumably evidenced by them talking over me) then yes a warning is in order.

Spiderinhere · Yesterday 23:36

Tracking the speaker
”Tracking the speaker means watching the speaker with your eyes, following the speaker as they move around the room. “

https://blog.kippnj.org/2014/04/02/three-easy-steps-to-teach-tracking-the-speaker/ this has info all about it, including classroom exercises to help children learn how to track the speaker.

Spiderinhere · Yesterday 23:58

@Justanotherteacher@clary
I thought exactly the same. I’d assumed the teacher deliberately asked a child who was messing around what the answer was to something she’d literally just told the class type of scenario. It was the first thing I asked DD, but she said she’d have understood why he’d been in trouble if that was the case. This teacher will be teaching top set….DD is half hoping she didn’t do well in the test this week.

The schools in this area have these zero tolerance behavioural systems. It seems abnormal as fuck to me, but it’s normal here.

BogRollBOGOF · Today 08:00

Spiderinhere · Yesterday 23:36

Tracking the speaker
”Tracking the speaker means watching the speaker with your eyes, following the speaker as they move around the room. “

https://blog.kippnj.org/2014/04/02/three-easy-steps-to-teach-tracking-the-speaker/ this has info all about it, including classroom exercises to help children learn how to track the speaker.

We have a cue word which involves tracking the teacher as well as a few other expectations.

I offer looking at the whiteboard as an optional alternative to looking at me for those who find making direct visual contact harder. If they're looking that way, I know they're still listening and reponding which is the ultimate point.

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