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Original poster

Parents - do you get annoyed if your children spend class time watchingD VDs?

38 replies

olivo · 30/03/2011 12:49

I'm just wondering really - I am a teacher , and sometimes, at the end of a cycle of work, I allow the moajority of the class to watch a film whle I do the catch up tests wit hany who have missed them. And with my bottom sets, I use it as a reward strategy.

A couple of weeks ago, the boot was on the other foot, when DD (4.6)came home from school and told me they had watched a movie that afternoon.Initially, I was grumpy (hypocritical!) but soon got over itas I assume there was good reason.

How do you feel about random films in class time?

OP posts:
LindyHemming · 30/03/2011 12:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BristolJim · 30/03/2011 13:01

As a parent, yes I do - really annoyed.

I think it is wholly unreasonable for schools to make such a song and dance about unauthorised absences having such a detrimental effect on a child's education only to find out that when they do have them, they've plonked them in front of the telly.

culturemulcher · 30/03/2011 13:10

Yes! It's very annoying. Fair enough if it's either the last afternoon of term or if they pop on a DVD while the school waits for children to be collected if it's closing for snow... but otherwise, I really think there's no excuse.

I feel I should complain to the school, but don't want to be the one making a fuss...

expatinscotland · 30/03/2011 13:13

No. They usually only do this the last day or two of term, anyhow, and not all day.

Mine are still so young, a 5-year-old and a 7-year-old, it's hardly the end of the worldd.

onesandwichshort · 30/03/2011 13:13

We'll only have to deal with this in September, but it is one thing I am not looking forward to.

Mostly this is because she watches a very small amount of tv at home (1hr a week max I would think) and doesn't ask to have the tv on, and I'd rather keep it that way.

But there's also the issue of content. I don't much like the gender stereotyping in Disney films (And the quantities of merchandising) so we avoid them. And DD is still very bad at dealing with any kind of suspense in a tv programme, so there's that too. But I suspect, to my annoyance, that there will be nothing we can do.

Original poster
olivo · 30/03/2011 13:18

thank you ; it's interesting to hear your comments. I trust my DDs teacher impecibly, so know that when she does it, there is good reason, but I have had colleagues who use them too much IMO. I hate it when my students roll in at the end of term and say 'what are we watching?' -Erm, nothing , we're working Grin And then they hate me!

I have to say I admire those whose DCs dont watch much tv, and coudl see how this would bug you.

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mummytime · 30/03/2011 14:02

It all depends. At the end of term, especially if they have been doing performances/sport all morning then its fine. Its also fine when the DVDs have an educational purpose, DS often starts a new text with a DVD.

DD1 is quite keen on Shakespeare having watched Hamlet with David Tennant, I cannot object to that!

Jamillalliamilli · 30/03/2011 14:05

Didn't mind as much at junior school as I don?t think everything has to be ?work?, but two and a half months of watching Roots for history lessons in secondary, as being the be all and end all of the module on slavery, I think?s just lazy poor teaching.

MrsDaffodill · 30/03/2011 14:24

It depends how it is done. For example, DS had the banquet scene in Harry Potter read to him and they then watched that one scene in a unit about adjectives. I think that is a really good use of film in class and it also inspired him to read the book.

Every wet play and the entire end of the summer term does not please me in the least. It should not be used as a babysitter.

I make a big effort to limit screen time at home so it is annoying when it is over-used at school.

IndigoBell · 30/03/2011 16:34

I don't mind if it's 'occassional', eg last day of term. Or if it's for a specific reason related to what they are studying.

I do mind it was being used as a reward.

And I do mind it during wet play and golden time.

However, on my list of problems with school, it's very very very low down. So I would never ever complain about it. (Not that I actually know how much they are used in my DCs school.)

scaryteacher · 30/03/2011 16:38

I used videos and DVDs when teaching about the Holocaust, abortion and euthanasia, and I used the Boy Whose Skin Fell Off as an intro to a unit on Matters of Life and Death for GCSE.

I used the excellent Life in the Freezer as part of a unit on Antarctica in KS3 Geography, and also a series I'd taped called Jungle when we were looking at the rainforest.

If it helps bring something to life and engage the students, then I use DVDs and video. I always taught to the last minute of term though.

megapixels · 30/03/2011 16:50

It depends on how many movies they are watching. In Year 1 DD's teacher was a big fan of making them watch movies. Nothing related to the curriculum either. She was an unbelievably lazy cow anyway, the worst teacher DD's ever had. Every time a children's movie came out on DVD within a few days it would have been shown in class Angry.

Other teachers do show stuff in class but it is occasionally and they are usually something to do with some topic they've been learning. I don't mind that at all.

ragged · 30/03/2011 16:58

I wish that instead they were just let out of school 3 days earlier each term. Would make so much more sense (nb: obviously I am not a working parent).

inspireddance · 30/03/2011 17:44

In secondary I let the kids watch subject-related videos occasionally, sometimes to grab their attention with a new topic and other times, like the end of term, when the kids just are not in the right frame of mind to do work properly. But they are always subject-related and usually their is a brief discussion on what we can learn from them. For example An Idiot Abroad, Planet Earth or The Day After Tomorrow.

I wouldn't show a film just for entertainment and would be annoyed if kids in secondary are.

inspireddance · 30/03/2011 17:46

Ragged - If they were let out three days earlier the DVDs would just start 3 days earlier. Best thing would be not to tell the kids when term ends :)

itsalarf · 30/03/2011 19:30

I think clips of subject specific topics are completely different. Personally I teach until the last minute of the last lesson of the year. I get really annoyed with pupils nagging me to do "fun"stuff for two weeks before the summer, because then I feel like the bad guy. As a parent, very occasionally is ok.

littleducks · 30/03/2011 19:39

I wouldnt be thrilled about the watching films tbh, I remember when I was in primary school and our teacher was pg and we watched loads of Disney films. I hated it but couldnt say anything as then I would have been 'uncool'
It was just boring sitting there, I would rather have been doing something, even maths

BeerTricksPotter · 30/03/2011 19:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

itsalarf · 30/03/2011 19:44

Perhaps parents could tell their children not to nag endlessly ask! Grin

coppertop · 30/03/2011 19:49

It doesn't bother me at all.

Mine are still primary school age though, so I don't know if that makes a difference.

Original poster
olivo · 30/03/2011 20:32

OH, I totally agree with them being used for topical things - I teach PHSE and we often show videos alongside discusison and tasks.

Interesting that you don't like them as a reward, INdigobell - may I ask why not? They are jus tthe carrot I need for my bottom set year 9 MFL.

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cornsilk678 · 30/03/2011 20:36

I'm fine with it.

coastgirl · 30/03/2011 20:38

I teach English and Media so it's hard to avoid the odd tv-watching session! There are some texts which, while in an ideal world would be read in class from cover to cover, do tend to, erm, drag rather in the middle so a judicious scene from the movie can revive interest. Some films of books are also just fab - we watched Holes after reading it and everyone, including me, enjoyed it thoroughly! But I do use videos sparingly, less than I could, because on the whole I don't think they're a substitute for an actual lesson. And very, very rarely as a treat or "just for fun" even at the end of term. As in, almost never. I think the last time was on a day when about a third of the kids made it in due to snow, and while they were deciding whether to send us all home, I watched a DVD with the 8 kids from my form and I made them all hot chocolate!

Madsometimes · 30/03/2011 21:07

Olivo - I would not have a problem with a subtitled foreign film being shown in a MFL class. Is that what you mean?

Michaelahpurple · 31/03/2011 10:05

I am not wild on how much telly my receptioner watches. They have it every wet play, which at this time of year is too much. He is allowed very little at home, so this year has watched factors more at school than home. I would not have let them watch Shark Tales at all - full of hideous accents, references to the mob, gambling problems, street culture etc.
Also find it galling that my year 3 boy is put in front a dvd for wetplay sometimes too. I think it v disappointing that 7/8 year olds can't always be expected to free read for 20 mins in these circs - my boy certainly would - even with minimal supervision.
Am amused too when reception boy's teacher comments that he still isn't changing on his own in time for ballet - what do you expect if you play numberjacks while he is meant to be doing it! Hee hee. I guess she'll learn in the end.
Using screen teaching aids, if done to support work topics, is different.