to think this punishment a bit degrading?

[thirtysomething]

DS aged 10 was kept back from assembly by his somewhat ambitious teacher to do some science extension work as an "experiment" (her words). He is one of the more able kids at science apparently.
Anyway, he got the method right but made a stupid mistake with a calculation - added two numbers rather than multiplies them. So she went and found the coolest teacher in the school (in DS's opinion) and made DS sit in front of this teacher wearing a pink fluffy hat repeating the times table he'd got wrong 10 times.

DS said he was embarassed. i actually think it's inappropriate though DP thinks I should just let it go? This is a young, pushy teacher who's getting them all very worked up about SATs at the moment.

ott imo

That is definitely inappropriate. Humilialting children is never an acceptable punishment. I would be speaking to the teacher.

I would complain. I think humiliation is definitely not an acceptable method of discipline/correction, and as a teacher, would have no problem contacting my school management team or even my union if I witnessed this.

I witnessed a similar "punishment" at primary school in the 1970s, where a boy was dressed in a baby bonnet and made to suck a dummy. This instinctively disturbed me even back then as a child - the memory stays with me even until this day. Sanctions at school need to allow kids to retain their dignity. It's not even as if your DS has done anything wrong either - he made a mistake, FGS, which is part of the learning process and nothing that warrants discipline. Please do complain.

it sounds like the teacher is a bloody bully.
first your son made a mistake, by accident i would imagine, he was not actually being naughty so didn't need to be punished
second, if a big kid had humiliated a smaller kid like this in the playground i would expect the school to take action, as it was a teacher i would be furious.

utterly unacceptable - did she think she was being funny/cool?

word needed imo

I think that that is awful tbh

Embarassing able students over silly mistakes (we all make em) is plain wrong.

What did "cool" teacher do?

No, I think its degrading too. If the teacher doesn't perform well at her appraisal does she have to do a similar thing in front of the Head?

That sounds totally dreadful and inappropriate. Please complain - it will have affected him in ways that no child should be subjected to. Please - follow it up.

Ok thanks everyone - you've reassured me and made me feel as if my instincts can be trusted after all (despite DP thinking this was not worth complaining about!). There's been quite a few things about this teacher that have worried me so it seeems the time has come to see the head.

PS. Your DS might not want you to "make a fuss" because he is worried about come-back from the teacher in question or the complaint not being taken seriously- but I think there is an important lesson for him to learn in that it is never acceptable to humiliate other people.

in what way will that aid your DS to learn?

Terrible.

I remember being embarrassed (deliberately) by a teacher in PE when I was 12 and it stopped me doing sport for years

hope your ds wasnt too upset

She sounds like a cunt.

Complain. There'll be more like her if they allow all those unemployed bankers to do six months training....

thirtysomething - that's terible

Humiliation is wrong, it's no way to treat a child who got something wrong (well, it's no way to treat a child of 10 for anything really, maybe as a last straw if they are being very cheeky in class?! But not for a mistake!!). He was doing her a favour and she repays him like this?? He didn't get the timestable wrong anyway (from what you said in your post), he added instead of multiplied - but that's by the by.

I would talk to the Head.

Smellen that's a really good point you make, hadn't thought of that. Lizzylou apparently "cool" teacher was embarassed too, according to DS.....I may have a word with him actually before I speak to the head as it will be interesting to hear his take on it. thanks so much everyone for your very helpful and speedy replies!

That is awful! Definitely needs something saying

I remember my cousin coming home from school and telling his mum that one of their teachers makes anyone who made a mistake stand on their chair with their book held above their head and recite 'I am a donkey'. When it came to parents evening, my auntie spotted a mistake of the teachers in her son's book.....she made the teacher stand on his chair and recite 'I am a donkey'!!

YANBU - nasty.

Also, the pink, fluffy hat is surely veering perilously close to sexism?

Actually, it's a bit weird.

That is out and out humiliation, how on earth did they expect him to learn anything except to never trust the teacher again (I would also question why the other teacher went along with it). I don't see how this punishment is any different to the old stand on a chair with a hat with a large D on that was stopped in schools many years ago.

how very strange. Can't imagine what on earth the teacher was thinking.

that is totally unacceptable and the teacher needs to be made aware of just how utterly wrong that was.

your poor ds.

Completely inappropriate-I would see the Head tomorrow.

YANBU I was shocked that any teacher would think this is appropriate. I would be complainign to the head immediately.

My issue is more with being punished for making a mistake than with the punishment itself. I think that's wrong.

Am with MrsJammi - would go straight to the head. As MrsJ says, unions advise teachers not to discuss colleagues' performance with 3rd parties (which itself is classed as"unprofessional conduct") and in any case, you might find that colleagues close ranks (even if they disagree with what the teacher actually did, you don't know the politics and loyalities within the staffroom). It might be that Mr Cool is asked to corroborate your son's take on the incident, and by approaching said teacher first, you might be seen to have spoilt this evidence. I would go straight to the head.