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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

thinking that schools really should TRY to put the best work up on display

106 replies

Whitebait · 13/02/2012 16:24

I know that for some best is still pretty poor, but as an outsider visiting a school it looks terrible to have semi illiterate work up on display. I was in a sec school today where almost NONE of the work was correct.

it's a condunrum - celebrate indivdual achievement (not necessarily knowing that the kids might have learning issues and therefore presuming the school has low standards) OR to insist all work up is the very best - therefor acting as a good role model for other kids.

OP posts:
my2centsis · 13/02/2012 21:00

Grin sue

mrsjay · 13/02/2012 21:12

Ok so the good and neat students should only have work displayed so the school looks AMAZING and we can hide all the others away so said school doesnt get a bad name , which is what you are really saying ,

blueemerald · 13/02/2012 21:16

I think if I went to a school where the majority of the work on display was incorrect or had mistakes in it would make me question the levels of support avaliable to the students or make me think the teachers were spread too thinly. I work in a special school and we never put work up with mistakes in but then we have an almost 1:1 ratio so have the time and resources to put in.
I think it reflects badly on the teachers/the school but not on the pupils.

Somersaults · 13/02/2012 21:17

I've worked in a school where anything to go on the wall had to be perfect - no spelling, punctuation, grammar mistakes, nothing. It had to be so perfect that in the end it wasn't the child's work anymore because it had been so heavily edited. Add to that that all the children from Y3 wrote in pen and you can imagine the heartache of being sent back repeatedly to start again. I witnessed another teacher using an eraser pen and correcting the mistakes herself after school before the work went on display to avoid asking children to redo the work.

At my current school children are told that work is for display and to try their best and every child's best effort is displayed.

I know which one of the two I'd rather send my DD to and it's not the one where the work on display is all perfect.

joanofarchitrave · 13/02/2012 21:21

I would assume that any work displayed represents some kind of 'best' for an individual.

Don't you think it is valuable to have an honest picture of how a class is doing on display? If you don't like the standard of work, well, perhaps it's not the right school for you your child.

TuftyFinch · 13/02/2012 21:43

Sue, yes, maybe a nice cat in a basket?

DS briefly went to the nursery of the school he would have gone to. Grade 1 outstanding in SE London. He used to love painting. They had them do painting in batches. They told them what to paint. They had to paint a picture of themself. Fine Only the head mind. Oh. You have to use black for the outline. Why? Take black paint away. Use blue for the eys. really? etc etc. All of the pictures looked exactly the same. I know there is a 'dp prescribed painting to give them the skills' theory but really. All the pictures went on the wall. It was a shit display because it didn't show how the children expressed themselves. DS didn't go to that school. We moved 60 miles away do he so he could paint pictures of what he wanted.

I digress

Dustinthewind · 13/02/2012 21:46

This is such an old song

Flowers are Red
by Harry Chapin

The little boy went first day of school
He got some crayons and started to draw
He put colors all over the paper
For colors was what he saw
And the teacher said.. What you doin' young man
I'm paintin' flowers he said
She said... It's not the time for art young man
And anyway flowers are green and red
There's a time for everything young man
And a way it should be done
You've got to show concern for everyone else
For you're not the only one

And she said...
Flowers are red young man
Green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than they way they always have been seen

But the little boy said...
There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in the flower and I see every one

Well the teacher said.. You're sassy
There's ways that things should be
And you'll paint flowers the way they are
So repeat after me.....

And she said...
Flowers are red young man
Green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than they way they always have been seen

But the little boy said...
There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in the flower and I see every one

The teacher put him in a corner
She said.. It's for your own good..
And you won't come out 'til you get it right
And are responding like you should
Well finally he got lonely
Frightened thoughts filled his head
And he went up to the teacher
And this is what he said.. and he said

Flowers are red, green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen

Time went by like it always does
And they moved to another town
And the little boy went to another school
And this is what he found
The teacher there was smilin'
She said...Painting should be fun
And there are so many colors in a flower
So let's use every one

But that little boy painted flowers
In neat rows of green and red
And when the teacher asked him why
This is what he said.. and he said

Flowers are red, green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen.

I'm glad you moved him to a different school.

SuePurblybilt · 13/02/2012 21:46

Also digress - I know a school locally that is much admired for having the preschoolers paint lovely neat pictures and letters. Course, they have no idea what they're painting and the nice keyworker is moving their hands for them, but the walls look impressive.

I thought a naice Monet, Tufty.

TuftyFinch · 13/02/2012 21:54

Dustinthewind that brought a tear to my eye. I was appalled. Honestly. Before that experience he would sit and paint happily. After, he kept asking me what to paint and what colours to use. We moved out of London because that is the school he and DD would have gone to. He now goes to a lovely village school. His first school painting, which was on display along with every other child in his class, is called 'Superman and the sunshine smile and a belly button'. It's called that because that's what he told the teacher it was. She wrote that and put it on. It's now on our wall. Smile

Sue, would Klimt be too avant guarde

SuePurblybilt · 13/02/2012 21:59

Him with the circles - Kanrinkydinkydoo. He'd do.

goinggetstough · 13/02/2012 22:05

I too think that there is some truth in what the OP has stated. School notice boards show outsiders the levels of work happening in a school. If a whole noticeboard shows numerous errors it wouldn't give a good impression. I don't think the OP was suggesting that all work should be perfect but that she would have expected more of a range of ability. Yet numbers of you decided that she was totally wrong and I believe have unfairly jumped down her throat. FYI I have a DC who finds literacy very difficult so I do know the problems that this can cause. If work with lots of mistakes is displayed, DCs can be picked on by other children helpfully pointing out their mistakes! So by all means display all work but even this can lead to problems.

Sevenfold · 13/02/2012 22:06

yabu op and should shut up

bradbourne · 13/02/2012 22:15

YANBU at all.

Lilithmoon · 13/02/2012 22:17

YABVU.

IUseTooMuchKitchenRoll · 13/02/2012 22:19

Tufty, I don't know how long ago that was, but we are not allowed to do things like that within the EYFS. We can't (and shouldn't, for good reason) give the children templates for anything, whether it be paintings, Christmas decorations, mothers day cards, some nurseries won't even give shape cutters for play dough.

It is all supposed to be 'child led', not 'get them to try and copy something a creative adult has made and set them up to fail because they have no chance of ever being able to get theirs to look the same'.

TuftyFinch · 13/02/2012 22:24

Yes but goinggetstough the work displayed shouldn't be there to 'give an impression' of how accurate children can be.It should be an expression of what they have been doing and work they are proud to be displayed. There's a difference between a rushed effort and best work but for some, one child's best work will look completely different to another child's. That doesn't mean the messier work shouldn't be displayed. Not all children can produce 'neat and perfect' work. They are children, if they've tried their best then put it on the wall. The world won't end.

Sue Kandinsky? Grin

SuePurblybilt · 13/02/2012 22:33

I did KNOW you muppet. I was Making Da Funny.
Now I feel all belittled and shit.

Somersaults · 13/02/2012 22:37

Sue I bet you feel about the same now as you would have done if your work had been left off the wall because it wasn't as good as some of the other posters' work...

SuePurblybilt · 13/02/2012 22:40

Yeah. Or worse maybe.

Tufty, why won't you display my work in a metaphorical sense? Why?

TuftyFinch · 13/02/2012 22:42

Sue you were funny. Ha aha hahhhaaaaa don't be feeling all belittled I was just being a twat.

IUseTooMuch it was last year. I've heard of it in Steiner schools but this was a state primary. I stayed for some sessions and it was awful to watch. Other than the very prescribed painting there was no work on the walls. I took him out after 2 weeks because he was miserable. He then went to a Playbus which was the complete antithesis of the school. I think not giving shape cutters is too far the other way though surely. Because that's just mad.

Sue do you forgive me for being an arse and not getting Da Funny?

TuftyFinch · 13/02/2012 22:45

Sue I've put all your work up.

Look < sweeps arm magnificantly>

Even the pictures where you've rubbed so hard you've worn the paper through and left holes and bits of rubber. They are all fantastic.

SuePurblybilt · 13/02/2012 22:45

No. I never forgive.

Yes, the shape cutters idea is over-thinking EYFS guidelines I think but I've never seen it so hopefully it's not widespread.

IUseTooMuchKitchenRoll · 13/02/2012 22:49

I agree that no shape cutters ever is taking things too far, but at my nursery we only had them out with the play dough some of the time. The children did get more creative if they are not trying to make a pre determined shape, it was quite interesting to see the difference in their play dough play on the days that we did and didn't have shape cutters out.

fortifiedwithtea · 13/02/2012 22:49

Wtf OP YABVU! My DD2 has SN including lax ligaments, makes writing really difficult. I'm fed up with her work being hidden behind the class door. Kids notice she has extra help and I've heard one boy gloat that DD is the worst in the class. I told the little shit someone has to come last. That shut him up. So its not doing her a kindness by not displaying her work. If kids are going to be nasty, they will be regardless.

topknob · 13/02/2012 22:50

OP fuck off, that is all !