To be really annoyed with this teacher?

[tomboytown]

Ds-first week of senior school.
Mon- supposed to have History homework
Mon- gets given a worksheet
Monday night- completes the worksheet

Tuesday-gets detention for completing the worksheet.

It’s his first week!
Punishing a child for actually doing more work than is necessary?!

The teacher clearly isn't punishing children for "doing work". They're being given a, very brief, punishment for failing to pay attention and follow instructions.

A detention for doing work?
A detention for not following instructions.
Sounds like the teacher over-reacted and possibly didn’t have anything else handy to set for that lesson.
You mean the teacher had already planned and resourced a lesson and then in the middle of the lesson needed to replan part of their lesson on the hoof to account for a tiny number in the class who had ignored previous instructions.

Eg. Say I'm going through an assessment style question with a class for the first time and we're part way through the process. Towards the end of the lesson I give them a planning grid and tell them to get it glued in and we'll go through it next lesson. That's the instructions.

If a child ignores the instruction by completing the planning sheet at home when I've said we are doing it next lesson then that hinders next lesson. They've either not listened to the instructions or decided they know best. Either way what I have in front of me are 28 students who've listened and followed instructions,they're ready to learn, they can complete the model walk through together, they can do the paired tasks I'd planned to support learning and will do the task well as a result... And then I have 2 students who have a full sheet done incorrectly or badly (because they haven't had the input). I have no spares because I don't copy millions of spares around students ignoring instructions so they have to either redraw a sheet out of have to do their best without the layout designed to support them. This leads to messy notes or notes that are hard to follow. They've most likely reinforced a load of misconceptions because they've done what they think it should be without the input, they then can't do the paired task as well because they have jumbled notes. Now instead of going around my room supporting learning and working with my target students and offering SEND support, I've then got to come up with a different paired task for them that matches their ability, move my class around so everyone else still has appropriately paired partners and then also spend time getting rid of misconceptions they wouldn't have had had they just followed the instructions. So two students not following instructions have now hindered the progress and attention for every other child in the class.

A detention for doing extra work would be giving a detention for a child doing some extension work, or wider research on the topic. That would be a ridiculous thing to do.

The dcs' school doesn't give detentions for the first 2 weeks of year 7 for mistakes/forgotten stuff (but does even on induction days in July for bullying or fighting.) I think that's better as the first couple of weeks of year 7 are an emotional time for them and it's all new.
I doubt being kept in for 5 minutes will go on their record and I wouldn't consider it a proper detention even if the teacher called it that. Dds form tutor used to keep them in at break for 20 mins for things like an unsigned planner but didn't put it on the record and didn't even stay in the room with them (but was nearby) DD didn't consider it a proper detention as it wasn't on the record

Just reread that. I think they were sent home for fighting

Does his school log all homework on a website that you can log into? Then maybe you can help him keep on top on the hw until he gets used to it. Yes it was only 5mind but it does seem a little harsh for day 2. Most homework in day 2 is cover books.

Top tip - work with the school not against them. It's just a detention.

LolaSmiles what are target students?

I'm pretty strict as a teacher but that seems ridiculously harsh! Year 7s should get one "free pass" each when it comes to homework imo. Everyone makes mistakes, and the move up to secondary can be very unsettling. I'd let it go tho OP, it's one of those little injustices that happen from time to time so it is best ignored.

Towards the end of the lesson I give them a planning grid and tell them to get it glued in and we'll go through it next lesson. That's the instructions.

But "we'll go through it next lesson" could also be interpreted as "we'll go through the answers next lesson" (so do it for homework). Especially for a new year 7 who isn't sure how things work, and is expecting to be given homework.

I'm a secondary teacher but have primary school DC. I think it's easy to forget how young the new year 7s are, and how different it is from year 6. Things which are clear to older years - or year 7s after half a term - aren't necessarily clear to new year 7s.

AnneWeber
Target students are any that are on watchlists for various reasons, ones that have been flagged by primary as needing a bit of TLC for the start of y7, ones with lower literacy levels, ones with SEND, really able students who will probably need moving on etc.

WyfOfBathe It was a brief summary of the lesson seeing as some people decided the teacher must have been lazy rather than considering the impact not following instructions has.
I've never had an issue with y7s not following things (but have had the week of "do I turn the page" bless them)

Lyra
I agree with you in giving the free pass as my preferred approach.
I just don't think it's automatically wrong if a school does it differently, and in a situation where someone has managed not to listen to instructions twice then maybe the sooner they learn to listen the better (especially if they're a child who within a week of secondary feels confident enough to go home and tell their parents that the teacher has been in trouble and home seem inclined to phone up over being spoken to for 5 mins).
It's really not a big deal. He's been spoken to. Maybe when he starts listening he'll not get kept in.

But "we'll go through it next lesson" could also be interpreted as "we'll go through the answers next lesson" (so do it for homework). Especially for a new year 7 who isn't sure how things work, and is expecting to be given homework.

I would never give a child a sheet to take home that I didn’t want them to do anything with without saying, “Don’t do this sheet. It’s for next lesson.”

What doesn’t really make sense to me is giving them the sheet to begin with, unless it was stuck into the books in advance of next lesson because the teacher wanted to save time. If I did that, I would be very, very clear.

I would send an email to the teacher if only to find out if your child has actually understood the facts of the situation correctly.

I feel it would be unusual to issue a ‘detention’ for being over enthusiastic. It would be interesting to hear the teacher’s version of events.

In my head, it’s likely to be that your DS was given clear instructions as to what he was supposed to do, he didn’t listen and the teacher has kept him back 5mins to discuss this. IF that’s the case, there is surely nothing wrong in giving your child an extra five mins to ensure he has understood expectations for listening and following instructions.

I’m a teacher and I regularly give up 5-10mins of MY lunchtime to follow up with pupils who have had a hard time listening or following instructions. Particularly at the start of the academic year, those 5mins 1:1 time can help you to get to know and understand pupils who are showing signs of not being able to follow what is expected of them.

If this is what happened it’s AWFUL. Detention for trying to do the right thing. Wtf

What doesn’t really make sense to me is giving them the sheet to begin with, unless it was stuck into the books in advance of next lesson because the teacher wanted to save time. If I did that, I would be very, very clear.
Same.

But then I tend to teach my lessons as a 3 part skill/ chapter when we are looking at certain things so things go into books at the point where it's ready, if 5 mins gluing at the end of lesson 2 when glue is already out means that we hit the ground running lesson 3 with no additional equipment then I do it. I've put self/peer assessment tokens in books at the end of lessons ready for starters the next lesson too.

It's not something my classes have ever struggled with (including weaker low ability groups).

LolaSmiles

But you would always give absolutely clear instructions about the purpose of a sheet, wouldn’t you? Any teacher would.

The number of students I have taught who simply didn’t listen to instructions beggars belief, though. It is ridiculous when you think about it, how much time is wasted by people who choose not to pay attention.

A couple of them did it as homework.

It's (in my opinion crappy) way to get them to listen. Give something out for the next lesson, tell them they will fill it in as a class in the next lesson. See who has listened and give detention to the ones who haven't.

Well this has taken a turn
He’s currently rolling around on the floor saying he wishes I was dead

And why didn’t I die instead of Daddy
My heart is broken

He doesn’t mean that, OP. Why is he so distressed?

Sorry to hear that. My dh died just before youngest started secondary too. When did he lose his dad? Im sure you'll hug him and tell him you love him.
As I said it's an emotional time starting high school. I hope your son settles in and is happy at school like mine are. Try and make light of the detention. Say "don't worry it's normal for teachers to be strict at the start of year 7 as they don't want kids to end up messing about later on so no one could learn." Say "it's only 5 minutes. I'm sure it won't go on your record" I said that sort of thing to mine at the beginning of year 7 as I didn't want them thinking a detention was the end of the world. They are very well behaved now so saying that didn't turn them into rebels. It just put things into perspective.

Why, do you know? I'm assuming he's told you a fib and just not done his right homework? Thought you'd be too daft to question it?

OMG
The meltdown is NOTHING to do with school

I’m a teacher and this is absolutely batshit. He’s a year 7 pupil so only 11, getting used to the new school system in his first week and sounds as though he’s quite keen to please which is fab. Dishing out a detention for doing work is just bonkers whichever way you look at it.

All she had to do was say something like ‘oh you silly so and so, that was supposed to be today’s work! Oh well, I suppose you can help the rest of the class out with it’. It doesn’t kill to be understanding and kind.

And make sure your son knows the teacher won't think your son is a bad kid, just one who made a mistake. They'll have much bigger fish to fry!