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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think this is not an acceptable thing to make 6/7 year olds do?

106 replies

Levvylife · 12/06/2013 11:01

Quick canvassing of opinion: teachers making kids do star jumps and say "I'm a wally" when they have made a mistake, is not really on is it? Even if it's supposed to be "light-hearted" but is consistently used as a technique?

OP posts:
Mabelface · 12/06/2013 11:02

No, it's not. Humiliation is not an effective teaching tool.

ChippingInWiredOnCoffee · 12/06/2013 11:05

These days - probably not, no, However, it was when I grew up and we all seemed to survive it.

I think whether I said anything or not would depend on the types of things it was being done over... dropping rubbish - fine, getting maths wrong - not fine.

Original poster
Levvylife · 12/06/2013 11:07

I'm just really annoyed as my son has been having real confidence issues with his writing, and his teacher said a few months ago that he just needs to start getting things down on paper even if it's wrong. So we've put in lots of work encouraging him, and this morning he took in a book that he's been writing stories in (off his own back when he's gone to bed as it turns out!) and the first thing the teacher did was pick up on his incorrect use of a tense and made him do a star jump and say "I'm a wally." I was so bloody shocked I didn't say anything at the time but I came away seething and now think that I need to sort this out. My poor DS, I really hope this doesn't knock his confidence all over again. Sad

OP posts:
NoisyDay · 12/06/2013 11:09

Oh no,that's really not good.poor pet, I would have to speak to the teacher asap

burberryqueen · 12/06/2013 11:09

ffs why do these people go into teaching? beyond me it really is, no wonder children are refusing to go to school by the age of 14, then they blame the parents, sorry make that mother.

burberryqueen · 12/06/2013 11:10

I wouldnt talk to the teacher I would go to the head or the governers. where did they learn that teaching technique? at college?

Nanny0gg · 12/06/2013 11:11

Dreadful.

I'd go to the head too.

pudcat · 12/06/2013 11:11

That is dreadful. Please go in and sort it out. No teacher should do this. Your poor son must now be back to zero with his confidence.

MadameJosephine · 12/06/2013 11:11

That's dreadful! I'd be having a word with the teacher if I were you. Your DS has been writing for pleasure which is surely a great opportunity for the teacher to boost his confidence with praise and encouragement rather than crush his fragile self esteem by making a show of him. There's only one wally here and it's not your DS!

MolotovCocktail · 12/06/2013 11:11

That teacher sounds like a right fuckwit who's on a power trip.

Make an appointment with the he's and ask if this schtick is supported by the school. I'd wager it's not.

I'd be livid OP. YANBU.

MolotovCocktail · 12/06/2013 11:11

*Appointment with the head

Original poster
Levvylife · 12/06/2013 11:12

Yeah, I wasn't sure whether to broach it with her or go straight to the Head. I'm getting progressively more angry about this as I know what it took for him to write these stories. I might see if I can get an appointment first thing and see if DH will come too.

OP posts:
Buzzardbird · 12/06/2013 11:12

Jesus Levvy, I would be straight to the head of year or Head teacher. That is so not on. Your poor son Sad

5madthings · 12/06/2013 11:13

Omg so he took in stuff he has done at home, not even classwork and the teacher did that?!! I would be annoyed if it was happening in class but that would make me furious!!

Def complain to ht.

MummyOfSunbeam · 12/06/2013 11:21

100 per cent complain to head. I would be absolutely furious. Your poor ds- but how brilliant he is writing for pleasure! As a distraction while sorting out the fuckwit teacher, I would keep celebrating his story-writing and praising him relentlessly for it. Maybe using his stories as a jump off point for some crafts activity or something.

MidniteScribbler · 12/06/2013 11:24

Good lord, absolutely not on.

Complain. Loudly.

Original poster
Levvylife · 12/06/2013 11:26

A friend of mine has a son the same age as mine and has suggested they be pen friends which I think is a really lovely idea - it should encourage him to keep writing and I still find it really exciting on the rare occasions I get proper letters! It just makes me wonder if this is where his problems started. He has been so desperate to not make a mistake and will cry and throw away whole pieces of work if he spells one word wrong. Sad

OP posts:
MolotovCocktail · 12/06/2013 11:27

Who's been practicing damaging teaching techniques? Now you do a star jump whilst shouting "I'm a wally!" You sanctimonious twat

Nanny0gg · 12/06/2013 11:30

Levvylife - it's a bit tedious, but can you get him to write his letter on double-spaced paper as a draft (keep it short).
Then you can correct it with him and he can copy in 'best'.

I wouldn't normally suggest this for home-interest writing, but as he is so desperate for it to be 'right', it should help.

Original poster
Levvylife · 12/06/2013 11:32

Grin Molotov

OP posts:
flipchart · 12/06/2013 11:32

DS 1 would have thought the teacher was an idiot and DS2 would have found it funny but they were always confident kids. No self esteem issues.
If there hd of been I wouldn't have been impressed.

EugenesAxe · 12/06/2013 11:33

I have no teaching experience whatsoever, but even I would guess that had she started by praising his efforts and lauding the initiative-taking to the others in the class, and then saying 'But see here - we would normally say blahblahblah?', that he would be far more likely to be learn the correct way than with her method...

I am so surprised actually that she's got through her PGCE or whatever thinking this is OK. That's why there's so much (what others often call) namby-pamby motivational stuff at school these days; negative criticism hardly EVER motivates.

NigelMolesworth · 12/06/2013 11:34

Not on at all Angry

My DD1 (6) has had exactly the same issue in terms of not wanting to write because she is so worried about getting things wrong. The teacher has come up with some great strategies:

  • she can write on a little whiteboard so she can rub it out easily
  • at one point he sat her in the little wendy house in the corner of the classroom so no-one else could look at what she's writing
  • he got her to write each word in a different colour from his special pen set so she concentrated on the colours not what she was actually writing
  • when she did actually write something, he made a fuss of her and sent her to the head to show him too

These techniques have worked. Making her shout 'I'm a wally' would not have helped at all Angry Angry. Complain.

Crinkle77 · 12/06/2013 11:35

That is awful. It is akin to making a child wear a dunce's hat

Original poster
Levvylife · 12/06/2013 11:36

See, I think some of the kids do find it funny, and they're going to think I'm a right PC moaner for complaining but I just think if this happens to DS2 it would crush him.

Even leaving the star jump thing to one side, it's the fact that the first thing she did was pick fault (even though she's previously said that he just needs to get the words down Hmm ) and where the hell was the positive reinforcement?!

OP posts: