Is it normal for teachers to ring parents with praise?

Not always though HighNoon.

What about those kids who work hard and behave every lesson?

They turn out nice, do well and get the success they deserve! Be thankful. . When the school phone number comes up on my mobile I die a little more ...

The problem with the one up one down surprise is that you need to misbehave to get the call. What about those kids who work hard and behave every lesson?

I've done it (as a teacher) on several occasions. Mostly when it was a child who was particularly "difficult" in class and I wanted them to learn that I didn't just give bollockings and phone calls home for bad stuff, but I also did it when they'd done well. It often did the trick to get them to continue the good behaviour.

Dc's school do the postcards but not often.
A work colleague got a phone call today from her ds's school to tell he how well he had been doing in maths recently.

I run a sort of one-up, one down: for every bad phone call to one parent, I try to balance it with a good one to another: helps me think I not completely hopeless.

Can be very useful for making 3-corner deals with parents & offspring: Some DD wants to go to a concert with her "bezzie"; Mum says "Yes, if Mrs Lifeisa.... rings me to say you have had a good week". Provided you lay down some ground rules "No begging, & I need to be REALLY impressed" it works really well. A very difficult boy has improved hugely since I got him by the short & cur I mean football practice.

Unheard of at our school. They're not big on public praise. My two have had those superstar certificates a couple of times over 5 years, despite being well-behaved, hard-working boys. I'd love them to go to a school that was a bit more enthusiastic. Well done to your DD and to her teacher for being so lovely.

I get postcards, phone calls and text mesages from DD's teachers. It's mostly text messages, actually. Stuff like "worked hard in science today". It is mostly the same teachers that do it.
I really appreciate it. Especially when they ring about problems. The school is huge, around 1600 pupils, so it really does show that they
a) know who she is
b) recognise there is a problem and
c) the system works
The pastoral care at the school is fantastic too. They have been really supportive with DD recently.

I wish my DCs teachers would do this. Both are particularly bright especially DS. Or when I was at school. Most only hear from teachers for something negative.

I've never heard of it from friends (or other people at schools) before reading this thread. Positive comments at parents evenings, in reports, even at the school gate but never a phone call. At one primary school I visited children were sometimes praised at weekly community assemblies for being kind and thoughtful, they celebrated anything positive. The head there was a great man who tried to make each child feel valued but I don't think he made calls home.

We have had the positive phone calls. I think it is great. DC's school is gradually pulling itself out of a very deep mire (in and out of special measures, head fired as no one was better than him - literally). The school has made huge strides dealing with the negative. These phone calls attempt to address the positive as well. There is an immediacy about them which doesnt come across with the post cards.

I do the odd positive phone call, usually a follow up to a bad one to say they've met targets/improved etc. Tend to use letters and postcards more though.
I've had occasions when kids have asked me to ring home to say they've done well.

It is not unusual, but still something to be chuffed about.

Yellowstone - why so cynical? I phone parents when I have positive things to say. It might be because they've turned a corner, it might be because they got an A. It might be because they have gone out of their way to do something helpful.

No point in them phoning me, I'm at work. Plus you can put a card on the wall, or in your record of achievement or wave it at relatives.

My daughter ia a straight A student. She didn't get praise for achieving things that came easily to her. Her cards were about the times she'd stepped outside her comfort zone, or really challenged herself.
DS the same, and he is a child I've had a lot of phonecalls and emails about as he and the world adjusted to each other.

Well is it really only to parents of kids who have turned a corner then Evil ? Or do you not discriminate and phone all parents of anyone with an A?

I do. We send postcards, but they go through such a long-winded system of folk so that they can be logged on the "system" (from me to the logger (via pigeon hole) to the Yr head (via pigeon hole) to the tutor (via pigeon hole) and then to the student to take home) that it can take up to a week between me writing the card and the parent getting it, that I do phone calls too. It's lovely calling a parent to praise their child - especially if it's a child who would be more likely to get bad calls - parents are always very wary until you explain that you're phoning to say good stuff!

Secondary. In primary, you nobble the parent in the playground and chat.

Never, ever, ever had a single phone call about any of my DC. Ever. Or a postcard. Annual parents evening and reports, that's it.

Is this secondary or primary? (assume secondary).

We do get phone calls.