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Original poster

Teacher humiliating kids?

36 replies

lenaschildminding · 15/03/2007 10:39

Kids are being made to do 100 monkey jumps if they are late! Surely that is humiliation? DS is very rarely late and if he is, it's due to traffic, not his fault, probably the case for most kids. Even if it's not the traffic, it's the parents that make the effort to get their kids to school on time Why should the kids be humiliated?!

OP posts:
powder28 · 15/03/2007 10:46

Unfortunately these sorts of people have been around forever. Nasty vindictive bitter twisted old misers who are in a position of caring for our children get their kicks from bullying the little people. I remember a particularly nasty head teacher humiliating me in front of the whole primary school when i decided i didnt want to eat their revolting pudding. She shouted at me in front of everyone, oh the painful memories!
I would just forget it though cos it might make it worse for your child if you bring it up. IM sure the other parents dont like it either.

VioletBaudelaire · 15/03/2007 10:48

Not on at all.
Have you complained to the school?
Get them to school on time and it won't happen.

mytwopenceworth · 15/03/2007 10:49

well, first of all, if the traffic makes you late on anything like a regular basis, then you need to leave home earlier. - i know you said 'rarely' for yourself, but generally repeated lateness is blamed on traffic to which my reply is leave earlier!!

but as to the monkey jumps, i think that's unfair. a childs lateness is the fault of the parent. make the parent do the monkey jumps.

or dont be late.

Original poster
lenaschildminding · 15/03/2007 10:51

Only thing there is DS's teacher who makes them do the monkey jumps is the only teacher that does it and she's only just out of Uni!!! She's younger than most of us mums, infact I think all of us mums. The best laugh is, she never lets the kids out of school on time (lets make her do monkey jump!) and she's had more time off sick than all the kids put together!!

I've also heard she's ran crying from the class room, called all the kids vile and sent difficult ones to other teachers to deal with because she can't cope!

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VioletBaudelaire · 15/03/2007 10:53

Why is her age relevant?
If you have a problem with the teacher, go and talk to her.
If not, stop listening to gossip about her.

mule · 15/03/2007 11:01

i would very quickly buy her a copy of 'how to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk' by faber mazlish. her behaviour sounds awful but sadly sounds like she knows no other way. this book can be truly life changing and once she has grasped the concept it should stop her from using humiliation to control behaviour see on amazon how to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk
they also have a website www.fabermazlish.com

Original poster
lenaschildminding · 15/03/2007 11:01

I am rarely late, the problem I have is where I live. outside my house in the morning is awful. I leave home at 8.20 to get 5 mins up the road! It is a 45minute walk up a long hill with lovely exhaust fumes for air, which is not good for my asthma my 5 month DD and my DS and when I get to the top of the hill the traffic is that bad, it can take 10mins to cross! there are no pedestrian crossings, therefore walking is not an option.

If there is an accident on the motorways nearby, all the traffic is diverted past my house!!! This makes it a vertual standstill. Obviously, I am not going to know if a lorry turned over on the motorway when I get up, therefore I can't leave early!

Once in a blue moon DS may be the last one in the door, but he's never got there after the door has been closed.

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Original poster
lenaschildminding · 15/03/2007 11:03

Age isn't relevent! I was replying to powder28's comment 'old misers'. If you don't like gossip, why are you on a chat room website site?

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VioletBaudelaire · 15/03/2007 11:07

I didn't say I didn't like gossip.
But I would show my child's teacher some respect and not spread silly rumours about her.
And if I had a problem with something she did, I would go in and sort it out.
Like an adult.

VioletBaudelaire · 15/03/2007 11:08

"chat room website site"
?

powder28 · 15/03/2007 11:10

It sounds like, while this woman may be a good teacher, she has very little in common with kids. Why dont you arrange to see her and then talk to her as if she is the pupil and you are the teacher. Tell her you completely understand her inexperience may make situation difficult for her etc. Completely patronise her, it works better than getting angry.

powder28 · 15/03/2007 11:14

I have to say that I would hate to be a teacher, you have to be really balanced and mature to handle a load of little people.
Children dont like being patronised or humiliated, especially in front of other kids.
This woman will either learn to cope or she will have a nervous breakdown. Im going for the latter.

Greensleeves · 15/03/2007 11:15

Are you a teacher Violet?

I would be pretty unimpressed with this, Lenaschildminding. She sounds incompetent and a bit odd. I would request a meeting with her and the Head and complain properly.

Monkey jumps . Thank God they're not allowed to raise their hands to children any more, some of them aren't fit to look after a gerbil.

VioletBaudelaire · 15/03/2007 11:25

No, I'm not a teacher, and have already said that I disagree with the children being made to do monkey jumps.

beckybrastraps · 15/03/2007 11:26

What is a monkey jump?

powder28 · 15/03/2007 11:33

Its difficult to know what to suggest because you really need the other parents to get behind you on this one so you can all do something about it but it is likely that other parents wont want to get involved for fear of making it worse.
How does your child feel about this? Does he come home visibly distressed or do the kids all have a laugh at this woman behind her back. IN other words, is this something your child is handling on his own? If this is causing him to not want to go to school then you have to say something.

cornsilk · 15/03/2007 11:37

I am a teacher and I think that making kids do monkey jumps is humiliating them. I'd be very unhappy if my kids had to do this, but the Head must know about it. I do feel sorry for the teacher in not being able to control the class if it's her first year out of uni though.How old are they?

Original poster
lenaschildminding · 15/03/2007 11:42

Like I've said, my son has probably only had to do it once, however, other mums are voicing their disgust whilst waiting for the kids to come out, but they seem reluctant to go to the head about it. Maybe it's something I could raise at parents evening next week.

My point of posting this was to see if others thought this was humiliating behaviour. I have not spread any silly rumours!

Monkey jumps, as the kids are calling them, are jumping up and down 100 times with their hands under their armpits!

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Original poster
lenaschildminding · 15/03/2007 11:43

The kids are 6 & 7 (year 2)

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quadrophenia · 15/03/2007 11:47

I think humiliation for young children is always wrong, whatever the reason. At this age knockc to their self esteem can be very damaging. I would take it further but make sure you compose yourself first, think about what points you want to make.

btw I don't necessarily think its wrong to punish those who are late, its just the manner of the punishment that disturbs me.

powder28 · 15/03/2007 11:51

Thats terrible punishing kids that young for something that really isnt their fault, but neither is it the parents. You cant help being late, nobody is superhuman!
It is completely irresponisble as well because any knocks to a childs confidence can take a long time to repair.
Because your child is so young i think you are going to have to arrange a meeting with this teacher and the head to sort it out.

powder28 · 15/03/2007 11:54

By the way, i dont remember ever being punished for being late for school because the teachers knew it wasnt my fault!
I would consider looking for another school if at all possible.

cornsilk · 15/03/2007 12:04

It's very unkind to do this to infants(or any child!) There are lots of reasons why children can be late, but 6 and 7 year olds rely on others to take tham to school. My eldest son has difficulties which can result in us being late at times. This means that my younger son is also late through absolutely no fault of his own. Luckily, my children's school have been very helpful and supportive.

powder28 · 15/03/2007 12:09

I really dont see the big deal with being late sometimes. What sort of schedule do these poor kids have. It sounds like boot camp.

CODalmighty · 15/03/2007 12:10

i htink this is fantasy

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