Head teacher doing “shout outs”

[Atalune]

Head of large secondary is doing positive shout outs for children who are deserving.

And as bloody usual it is the majority of really bloody naughty kids who are doing sweet FA! Or those who are struggling with their mental health ( I do not grudge these)

As an ex teacher I KNOW it is important to motivate the ones who need it. The ones who are low. But I am so fed up.

Dd- she really thought he would get one this week- full marks in the work, work submitted is of a high quality, she’s joined all the lives. SHe’s keen she’s engaged. Did she get one? Nope. Her friend who is doing fuck all and crying all day long and doing no work is getting them all the time.

I DO understand that those who are struggling need more. I do I do. But I am so fed up of the kids who are working hard, doing well. What about them? Always overlooked! And so now she’s crying and saying what’s the point?! It is unfair. I can’t email the school we will look like total brats.

Grrrrr, life isn’t fair.

Just a vent. I’m on the edge today.

I can see your point I have the opposite problem I have a struggling child. When he is trying he is slower than the brighter kids in the class who are always eager to i unmute and speak to the teacher telling them that they have finished. Which interrupts my child and stops him working. I have turned the lessons down but then you can't hear the teachers.ing
None of our children are getting the support they need.

Your not wrong to support your Dd.

However what i will say as a parent of a Dc who became a real danger to himself in the first lockdown, has sn's has not found this lockdown easy but is part time in school this time.

He was a pain in the bum last week. I recieved a few emails of complaint. This week none . He did 20 & 40 % of both his maths work last week. Has done 100% of both this week - this is an example of a child - most parents may here he got kicked out the google meet last week , has done xyz but kids won't be telling their parents oh starlights child behaved really well this week so yes it would do him good to be acknowledged this week. It would benefit him and the rest of the class if he can work and behave in goggle meets.

Glad you are emailing the school. Re getting the tone right - make sure you do it in the style of a shi*t sandwich, praise the school for what you are happy with - say your grievance - and end on a positive.

I think it's horrible that behaviourism/a classroom management technique has been so ingrained in young children that they are now teenagers relying on external validation.
They only do work to get praise and feel emotionally crushed when they don't get it, comparing themselves to others for their own self worth.

ahem, no

it's the current system applauding the least deserving instead of rewarding the ones who do deserve a reward

Kids are not stupid.

It's actually very mature to question why the ones doing nothing or behaving ONCE are noticed but constant effort do not.

@HotChoc10

I'm in my 30s and I still remember in primary school when we were told not to go on the climbing frame during some activity.

When we got back to the classroom, the teacher asked if anyone had been on it and when a couple of people said 'yes,' they got gold stars for their honesty while the kids who hadn't been on it got nothing! Livid then, livid now.

Agh, this would have totally annoyed me too!! This just teaches children that everyone who follows instructions get nothing. The ones who break the rules get a gold star.

When I was in Y3 I won the lower school prize for maths, headteacher decided to give it another girl instead though as she was moving schools and was upset. HT told my mum and I was expected to be happy about it as it was the kind thing to do (and being a girl we're expected to be kind to our own detriment). Still pisses me off now!!

@Atalune
I totally get,(understand) where you are coming from Op with your perspective. !

This has been going on for far too long.
School system should be,have a much better balance in a holistic way,as obviously its essential to motivate all pupils of various abilities,but schools should rember Not forget,become (complacent) thinking pupils who are doing well,good in their studies,its OK to ignore them.!
I think that kind of school system attitude is bit of Lazy way of doing things,as its counterproductive as pupils who are very able,Capable could well started to feel disillusioned,fed up and not feel motivated enough,as they feel their efforts at school are not recognized at all/or enough.!

I hate these kind of reward systems. They really don't do anyone any favours. ALL pupils have a class teacher or form teacher who should be offering some support, encouragement, guidance or praise as is required or deserved. Anything else is nonsense unless a child does something extraordinary, eg. Raises money for charity. Not for simply existing and turning up or even getting an A!

It's the squeaky wheel that gets the oil, Bloody annoying.

Teachers these days appear to have to pick up the slack of feckless and idle 'parenting' by the children's actual parents.

Depressing.

I am 30s as well, and this did start decades ago. It becomes apparent very quickly you dont want an award. Everyone knows they are consolation prizes and it becomes a badge of being an underachiever or having another issue and in some cases it led to teasing or bullying.

They really shouldn't do it.

My DCs school dont do shout outs (is this a publicly announced list ?) but have sent my dd a positive email to say she's doing well. Sounds like your dd deserves the same.

A lot of the time these dc who are being praised for doing the least work possible end up in jobs and then get sacked. I've seen it when the workplace is the first place they've ever had to face real life.

School is not real life though and imo sometimes the worst prep for adult life given these kind of things. Some schools have even done away with actual competition. When you get a job how do these heads think it works when Joe performs better than Jane? Jane magically gets promoted?! And I don't think you can simply reverse this poor brainwashing quickly, these poor dc have to learn the hard way from 18+ in a setting that could lead them into a pretty dire place.
Maybe email school and suggest they also include dc whir are working hard.

@Iknowwhatudidlastsummer

He does other tasks to make up for it, but there's no recognition, not even feedback.

One girl in his class gets plaudits every week for sending in pictures being covered in various foodstuff

tha'ts where it's wrong, they BOTH should get recognition.
Especially in reception!

Oh I wasn't trying to bring the girl down, though I know that her parents often set up picture and not much more. Anyone can look like they're doing 'work' in reception because all fun is actually learning . Publicly praising some, whilst others don't even get an end of week email to acknowledge some work is a bit shit though.

'Shout outs"- which decade is the headmaster in? Does he wear flared trousers and have a mullet haircut in normal times?

Back to the OPs point I agree that those just getting on with things without drama or fuss should be recognised.

@Riddikulussness

I worked at a large, high achieving school who had a lunchtime club specifically for disruptive children, the naive aim being to keep them focused and out of trouble (obviously it wasn’t marketed as such but kids aren’t stupid 🙄). This club had limited numbers and was invite only but wasn’t compulsory. The idea was to get the kids actually wanting to go there rather than being forced to, so to achieve this they’d have all sorts of (non educational) cool and fun activities and even arrange completely funded trips outside of lunch hours. The club was always full and the senior staff were super proud of ‘their boys’ as they always behaved so well there. Completely unfair and caused much resentment throughout the school. Bonkers!

This is just insanity.

Reminds me of a Posy Simmonds cartoon where a little horror had been bought a tricycle by his mum for completing a behavioural '' Star Chart''.

Little visiting girl on a play afternoon said ''Twycicle!''

Little horror replied ''Yes! I got it for saying 'Shit' a lot and pushing!''

'Shout outs"- which decade is the headmaster in?

The current one I assume, given Radio 1 gives frequent Shout Outs to listeners.

I really despair that parent, especially ones who are teachers, polarise kids into ‘naughty and nice’. And say stuff like ‘it’s the squeaky wheel that gets the oil.
No it isn’t. The ‘squeaky wheel’, 9times out of ten, follows in the dysfunctional, or deprived, or abused, or whatever the hell else predictable, proven route that they are fated to follow. With depressing and utter statistical accuracy. The kids with the parental support, the lack of SEN, the financial stability, do ok. Not always, but obviously statistically, they do ok. And that’s just how it’s always been.
This head sounds like a nob. There are ways of celebrating all children, but please stop labelling kids in this way. While we do, they will continue to need nobbish heads to give them shout outs, because who the hell else is on their side?

Email and say that DD had done everything, what else might she need to do to get one next week?

This reminds me of my first teaching job in about '71, one very bright, perceptive girl said to me Think I'll go and smash a few windows then I can go canoeing too!

(And we all know, or think we know, the kid who ‘doesn’t deserve it’. But that really doesn’t excuse these generalisations)

One very bright perceptive girl lacking any empathy though maybe? I’m going to leave this thread, it’s unpleasant isn’t it?

I agree OP can be really annoying! One DS of ours was very diligent - everything on time and done, always to best of his ability - no shout out/prize ever. The other DS (whilst lovely) was all over the shop - work late, often unfinished, had lots of ups and downs - he got the praise, shout outs and a subject prize.

I think initially DS was a bit confused by it, and it's so hard to explain. He now things that all prizes and praise are for those struggling so if as long as he gets full marks, or near, he doesn't worry. He did say "If I go get a prize I'll think I've started to screw up!"

This kind of stuff makes me mad!
At DC's child literally the most disruptive (bully too) boy got a special Headmaster's Achievement award - great big shiny trophy and WHSmith voucher. Cue mass eye rolls among assembled parents and children!

I'm in my early 30s and at school was quiet, hardworking and got high marks in most of my work. I rarely got any praise or encouragement and was often put to sit next to naughty and disruptive children etc. It's rubbish. The first time I remember being praised was when I was about 15 and one of my science teachers told me I'd come 3rd in the borough for a test we had done. I always felt stupid when actually I did well, but because I was quiet and well behaved, nobody noticed me. I think it's really unfair. I am a bit resentful when I think back on it, though I'd never admit that in public!

Getting it right is so hard though.
I mean if they based it say who's worked the hardest in the last week it would probably be exactly the same kids virtually every week with the odd exception thrown in, which you could also argue is unfair.

I personally hate this (also been a teacher). I never single out children for praise publicly. I say things like “if you are someone who did your level best this week, well done. You should feel really proud of yourself. I notice that. Brilliant work”. Rather than saying Sarah you worked really hard when Molly, Hamish and Mohamed also worked hard and now feel crap.

If you want to encourage the lack of empathy, rewarding the least deserving is the best way to do it!