school is going to be very boring for our teens

[Sarah510]

So the school are arranging the desks with everyone facing forward, like I had in school 40 years ago, with the teacher stood up the front. No moving around. No science experiments. None of the 'fun' stuff. Just 6 hours of teachers talking "at" them. I loved ds' secondary school when I saw how the tables were set up in groups, and how they taught with a little bit of the teacher talking, and then group work, and children free to walk about (within reason), and he loved going to all the different rooms. I'm worried he is going to not like school - being a boy of 12 he has boundless energy. I know there's nothing we can do, it has to be like this, but I hope he is ok. If it's all "book work" he's going to be very bored, I hope he doesn't just switch off. I know I will probably get slated here, but I don't think this kind of teaching suits a lot of kids.

It won't suit many.

Maybe have trust in his teachers to adjust their lessons to keep them interested. I would also spend time on an evening using up his ‘boundless energy’ because it doesn’t sound that productive in a classroom anyway!

Desks facing front is no longer old fashioned. All schools in our local authority had training on good practice in engaging discussion and learning behaviours in the last 2 years and they advocated front facing rows for primary as well as secondary.

He'll have to find a way to harness his boundless energy for the time he spends in the classroom; what do you think sets him apart from his classmates?

They will survive. Better than nothing

I don't think it will just be the teacher talking "at" them.
Technology has moved on - they might have interactive whiteboards with voting systems where every pupil can answer the questions.
The vast majority of teachers will still try to make it fun for them.

It's not going to be forever and perhaps there might be some positives to this - eg. better concentration, less distraction in the groups, more independence as pupils can't rely on other group members to do the work for them.

Better that they are in school and learning something than the situation continues as it has been since March with so many children disadvantaged because they haven't been able to access learning from home.

I'm in another country where all of the kids from 6 years up sit in rows facing the front. It's different but it works - they still end up with an education.
There is no reason why it cannot work in the UK too.

Tere are other options that are better than state school. Home School is a significantly better option for anyone but the most lecture oriented learners right now.

desk arrangement is the least thing I'm worried about. Infact facing forward makes far more sense to me.
I remember sat with back to teaches at school or even side on. Facing forward surely gives all dc equal chances to actually see and hear what's going on?

DD's been back at school for a couple of weeks now. They've organised their timetables to minimise movement between classes. Quadruple maths anyone? 😬

@D4rwin

Tere are other options that are better than state school. Home School is a significantly better option for anyone but the most lecture oriented learners right now.

That depends on the teachers, many teachers can provide a good education without it being delivered as lectures. They have good technology and are experienced in using it.

As for his boundless energy, that is what break time and after school is for. At 12 he should be more than capable of sitting still in class unless he has SEN which prevent him from being able to. If that's the case then the school will have ideas how to manage that.

I didn't know they didn't have front facing classrooms anymore. The new style with groups does sound a lot better I think. Although, thinking about it, me a level english and history classes were set up like that.

Anyway, there was a thread on here last week about how being in school full stop doesn't actually suit every or even most teens. I honestly wish there was more opportunity for teenagers to do flexible learning in this country. I'm sure there are a gazillion practical and financial reasons why not, but it would be nice in an ideal world. I think fully time secondary school must be incredibly stressful. It was when I was there and I went to a naice all girls' school.

I don't know how we survived our school days. With desks in rows, having to ask permission to take our black blazers off in hot days. Standing when a teacher came into the room. And a very strict uniform policy.

Sounds like my school growing up, we struggled through

I loved my individual desk. I don't like group work even now. I work much better alone and in silence. Asd though.

I don’t have children and left school over thirty years ago. I had no idea desks didn’t all face forward these days. 🙂. I don’t remember it being a hardship though, there was always opportunity to turn around and speak to people around us (whilst the teacher was not talking and we were working on something).

@Toddlerteaplease

I don't know how we survived our school days. With desks in rows, having to ask permission to take our black blazers off in hot days. Standing when a teacher came into the room. And a very strict uniform policy.

Exactly what my school was like.

I thought desks generally faced the front? All of my schools through the 90s-early 00s did.

I'm actually concerned with how they will now spend break / lunch. DS would usually play football - is that allowed? If not what are they expected to do? We've had no guidance as to which lunchtime clubs will be able to restart.

It will still be more fun for them than months of online learning!

A little insulting to the teachers, who will have been working hard during their holidays to ensure quality engaging teaching! I have always had front facing rows as I lip read, it does not make my lessons any less interesting. Trust your son's teachers, please!

@toddlerteaplease - exactly! Desks in rows is a better set-up for learning - no making faces when the teacher can't see your face. And what's with being free to walk about when you are supposed to be sitting at your desk listening to the teacher?

OP - kids are at school to learn, not to have 'fun'!

Hopefully the current situation may bring about more discipline and learning about respect for their teachers and fellow pupils.

Not as boring as being in lockdown and doing lessons on zoom was.

It's not forever.

Ok, sitting in rows does not mean the lessons will be lecture style and boring, give the teachers a bit more credit than that.

Things will be a bit different but everyone will soon get used to it and the students will still enjoy school. If you need reassurance then talk to some of the teachers from Scotland, it isn’t as horrific as some people are making it sound.

We can’t expect anything to be normal or as we would prefer it for a long time OP. This virus is still a very real thing and it is going to impact on our lives and how we do things for the foreseeable future.

My husband tested positive yesterday so we are now both indoors for the next two weeks. It’s not how we expected the bank holiday weekend to go but it is what it is and we will have to make the best of it.

Your son will have to learn how to manage his boundless energy whilst at school regardless of the seating plan/pandemic or any other factor that may impact on him while he’s there.

Were in Scotland, senior pupils have had major adjustments to their timetables: quadruple periods instead of double ones!
Fine when it's art but DS3 has four hours of Maths on a Tuesday morning.