Should I speak to the teacher?

[Myleftfoot39]

My ds teacher this year is a bit disorganised and we have had some ups and downs with not receiving homework, lack of communication, etc.

Ds is in Year 2 and every week has had his book changed with no problem. About a month ago I heard from another parent that the children’s have to change the book themselves now. I have reminded ds to change the book but he does forget as they need to remember to personally hand in homework to teacher too. He’s only 6 and still needs a reminder during the day too. Luckily I have books at home so we read those instead as we’ve not had a school reading book for around 3 weeks.

We are not supposed to enter the playground as parents but I managed to say to teaching assistant please remind ds to change his book. I had also put a little note in the book politely asking for his reading level could be reviewed (he has been on the same level for 5 months).

Yesterday on pick up the teacher came over and she said another teacher heard my child read and although decoding was excellent still needed more comprehension. Ds has always done well with reading and I was happy that he had been checked so said thank you.

On the way home my ds said ‘why did Mrs X lie mummy?’ Ds told me he had not read to anyone at all that day, I asked a few times if he could be mistakes but he absolutely said no. He said the only person who’s read to someone was his friend who got up to read but ds hadn’t been asked.

I’m now wondering whether I should ask the teacher about this? I find the teacher hard to talk to and she can be very sarcastic. In his reading diary at home I noticed she’d written in there ‘Children are asked to put their books in the basket every morning!’ But this information was never communicated to parents and my ds didn’t know either.

Should I approach the teacher and ask if there was some mix up yesterday with the reading? Ds is very quiet and obedient and the teacher doesn’t seem to know him very well. I don’t want to seem like a troublesome parent and for this to rebound on ds.

I'd just ask directly. They probably do remind the children about handing in homework/ changing their book etc but some children will need a bigger prompt, more direct prompt. Also of DC is on the same reading level for 5 months I'd ask what I could do to improve comprehension at home. E.g. is there a set of questions that I could ask?

It doesn't mean that he was reviewed that day surely? Maybe that was just the first chance she had to tell you.

Yesterday on pick up the teacher came over and she said another teacher heard my child read and although decoding was excellent still needed more comprehension.
Could it be that the other teacher read with your son recently not necessarily on the day she spoke to you?

But this information was never communicated to parents and my ds didn’t know either. just because your ds didn’t know doesn’t mean the teacher hasn’t told the kids. I read the dinner options 3 times yesterday and the kids repeat them back to me as well and some of them still didn’t know what they could have .

Some kids just do not listen to instructions - maybe that’s your ds at school?

As others said, it might mean that she didn’t mean that day exactly. Sounds like pretty poor practice though. I get through my year 5s every week and we have so little time in the day. Not being funny but I imagine it’s easier in year 2 to get through each child once a week...

It could be as simple as DS has read to the other member of staff this week, but this is the first chance she has had to speak to you. I really don't think she'd approach you and lie about it.

As for the books in the box, I think it's more likely that your DS has been told repeatedly where to put the book, but is ignoring the instruction.

The teacher could have been referring to another teacher listening to your child at some point over the past few weeks. I doubt very much they meant in that day.
I also have a year two child and they have been responsible for changing their own reading book for the whole year. I genuinely don't think it's unreasonable to expect them to do this independently.

Also, frankly if their system is resulting in a child not having a new book for three weeks and no one noticing until it’s pointed out then it’s not working. He’s 6.

Word for word conversation in my Y2 class yesterday morning (8:50...children just arrived). We have the exact same routine every Monday and Thursday so this is not new! Children are directed on their way in to put their reading books and diaries on the book change table DIRECTLY outside the cloakroom (can't miss it!). TA is stood there assisting.

Me, inside classroom doing the register just after:

"Class 7, has anyone NOT put their books on the book change table?" (A few hands go up and off they go).

A few minutes later, the TA comes in, having counted and some are missing.

Me: ok Class 7, pencils down, look at me, listen! WHO has NOT put their book on the book change table...last chance...Miss X is taking them to the library now to change?

Zero response!!

TA then has to go through all the books and check them off a list to find out who it is...one child sitting right in front of me!

I ask why he hadn't put his hand up when I asked on both occasions or when reminded on the way in...his answer...'I forgot'.

So, I'm perplexed how you can 'forget' to do something that you've just been directly asked to do...he hadn't actually 'forgot', just not been listening 🤷‍♀️

It happens most weeks 🤦‍♀️

@DotsandCo

Word for word conversation in my Y2 class yesterday morning (8:50...children just arrived). We have the exact same routine every Monday and Thursday so this is not new! Children are directed on their way in to put their reading books and diaries on the book change table DIRECTLY outside the cloakroom (can't miss it!). TA is stood there assisting.

Me, inside classroom doing the register just after:

"Class 7, has anyone NOT put their books on the book change table?" (A few hands go up and off they go).

A few minutes later, the TA comes in, having counted and some are missing.

Me: ok Class 7, pencils down, look at me, listen! WHO has NOT put their book on the book change table...last chance...Miss X is taking them to the library now to change?

Zero response!!

TA then has to go through all the books and check them off a list to find out who it is...one child sitting right in front of me!

I ask why he hadn't put his hand up when I asked on both occasions or when reminded on the way in...his answer...'I forgot'.

So, I'm perplexed how you can 'forget' to do something that you've just been directly asked to do...he hadn't actually 'forgot', just not been listening 🤷‍♀️

It happens most weeks 🤦‍♀️

100% this. And it doesn't get better. I'm in secondary school and even with Y11: "Write the date and title in your books. The date is X, the title is Y. They're both on the board. Write the date in your book, write X in your book. Write the title in your books, write Y in your book. The title is Y, that's the topic for our lesson, write it down. Have you all written it down? Jess, have you written the date and title? Alfie, have you written the title? The title is Y". Switch to the next slide and IMMEDIATELY "Miss, what's the title?" They would swear blind that they were never told the title - and this is not an exaggeration.