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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Want a few opinions please

48 replies

jonicomelately · 15/10/2010 16:05

If a teacher described your sensitive DS' art work as rubbish and threw it in the bin wwyd.

Since then he's been less interested in school and I wonder if there's a connection.

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

bumpybecky · 15/10/2010 16:07

how old is ds?

if 4 I'd be furious and go in there and have a word

if 16 I'd probably laugh....

Bucharest · 15/10/2010 16:11

Define sensitive.

More info needed please!

pippoltergeist · 15/10/2010 16:11

I think I need more information before I can form an opinion.

Do you know what actually happened? The language you mention (art being 'rubbish' and 'throwing it in the bin') sound more like my 6yo DD describing something for maximum impact, rather than the words of a teacher.

Original poster

jonicomelately · 15/10/2010 16:20

He's 8. He's pretty good at describing things and I did press him on whether she said 'rubbish' and where she put the work. He's never said anything like this before.

As for sensitive, well he's sporty and bright etc but with a really sensitive, caring side. All his teachers have commented on what a nice lad he is.

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bumpybecky · 15/10/2010 16:28

ok, he's 8. In that case I'd go in and have a word with the teacher. I'd start by saying my child must be mistaken as he though he'd heard teacher say the work was rubbish and had been thrown away.

If the piece of work wasn't of very high standard then fair enough, make constructive criticism, but throwing it and away and making negative comments like that aren't on.

bumpybecky · 15/10/2010 16:29

thought not though

pippoltergeist · 15/10/2010 16:29

What reason did he give for the teacher's odd behaviour? Did it come out of the blue - just marching up to him and lashing out at his work? Or is there a backstory?

Have you spoken to the teacher yet?

Original poster

jonicomelately · 15/10/2010 16:32

It's tricky though which is why I'm pondering. She's a bit flaky if I'm honest and of all his teachers I can actually imagine her saying and doing soemthing like this.

He said shortly after it happened she started being really nice to him. He actually said "I think she felt guilty."

Think perhaps I should leave it.

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JiggeryPopery · 15/10/2010 16:33

Teacher or not, it's a horrid thing to do to a child.

I mean ffs - and apologies to the artists and art teachers here - but isn't art about expression? Perhaps your ds was expressing his opinion of the teacher.

Original poster

jonicomelately · 15/10/2010 16:33

There's no 'story.' He's never been in trouble. He's just hopeless at art

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pippoltergeist · 15/10/2010 16:40

No 8 yo is hopeless at art.
If your DS's teacher is flaky enough to fly off the handle like this, then I think a little word to let her know that her actions haven't gone unnoticed would be useful. Something along the lines of 'I've noticed DS is a little unsettled in school at the moment - it seems to stem from the time when his artwork was thrown in the bin. Can you keep an eye on him for me, I don't want the situation to escalate and for him to become any more unhappy'.
And then watch her like a hawk.

minimathsmouse · 15/10/2010 17:05

This happened to my DS1 when he first started yr 1, aged 6. He is bright but art is not his thing. He came home and said the teacher had whispered in his ear"You might be clever, but you won't ever be any good at drawing"

I went straight to the HT, who was mortified. He spoke to my son, who told him what he had told me. The HT said that it would never happen again and it didn't although the teacher did remain in situ.

Original poster

jonicomelately · 15/10/2010 18:12

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

I really appreciate your comments

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Galena · 15/10/2010 19:57

I've done something similar in the past, although I haven't ever said something was 'rubbish'. However, sometimes the children are messing about or having an 'off' day and they do just make a mess, or draw like a 3-year old, or something similar. I speak to them about the fact that it's not their usual standard of work, and would they like to start again? Usually they say yes and so the first bit of work is binned and they start again, usually with much better results.

I can imagine some of the sensitive little flowers going home and saying 'Mrs Galena threw my work away because it was rubbish'.

Original poster

jonicomelately · 15/10/2010 21:37

I think that's completly and utterly different to situation here Galena.

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Original poster

jonicomelately · 15/10/2010 21:38

Oh and to the sensitive little flowers comment.

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Galena · 15/10/2010 21:40

Why is it completely different? The comment of the child going home is the same 'Mrs Galena threw my work away because it was rubbish' or maybe even 'because she said it was rubbish'. It's not what happened, but it's what the child says, so what the parent hears.

Teachers very rarely throw work away. If they do there's a reason.

Original poster

jonicomelately · 15/10/2010 21:42

He specifically said she said the word 'rubbish.' He wasn't paraphrasing. I checked. That's how it's different.

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magicmummy1 · 15/10/2010 22:54

When I was 11, and had just started secondary school, my art teacher made my whole class throw our first art homework in the bin because he was 'disappointed' with the overall standard. I don't know about the other kids, but I had spent ages on that homework, and though I wasn't particularly artistically inclined, it was my very best effort! I was devastated to put my work in the bin and shocked that a teacher could be so heartless. I believe that my mother did say something to the school but it was too late by then - put me off art for life!

redskyatnight · 16/10/2010 18:47

Is is possible that the teacher had mistaken DS's wonderful creation for (literally) rubbish and thrown it away? Or maybe it was near a pile of (real) rubbish and got scooped up by mistake?

Teacher401 · 16/10/2010 18:57

I've seen this both sides. Yes as a teacher it can be incredibly frustrating, seeing someone not bother to do the best piece of work. I have done it previously, where a child starts their writing and when they forget a capital letter/full stop (that we've been working on for months) they had to start it all over again.

However, I have also been sat in a classroom as a student teacher, where the teacher led an art lesson and one of the boys (special needs in Lit) did a brilliant (or so I thought) piece of art work, which was absolutely brilliant. I was really impressed, the teacher wasn't. She went over, snatched it up and threw it away claiming that it wasn't exactly how the one on the board looked, so he was wrong! I was mortified, and had to calm the boy down, after the teacher left the room.

TethHearseEnd · 16/10/2010 19:10

I am an art teacher and I would never, ever throw a student's work in the bin, no matter what their age.

IME, primary teachers are rarely art trained and few are able to accurately assess children's ability in art. No offence intended to primary teachers; they have skills in other areas. This situation just makes me very angry.

bullethead · 16/10/2010 21:59

Teachers DO throw children's work in the bin at the end of every academic year. All of it. They are told to by the head teacher!

For what it's worth, Galena's perspective on this seems to be the most realistic.

TethHearseEnd · 16/10/2010 22:12

Not in front of the bloody kids, bullethead

Unless you like to line them up to watch as an end of term treat?

bullethead · 17/10/2010 12:03

So it's ok behind their backs is it? Shows what REAL value they place on children's work. By the way, why the swearing?

It is highly unlikely that a teacher would behave so ruthlessly to a child in this day and age, the parent needs to get the FULL story from the teacher. Perhaps the child was mucking about and didn't do their best. Teachers do have a right to expect children to have high expectations and work to their full potential. Teachers might not be art experts but they can tell when someone isn't even trying. FWIW if it happened as described, the teacher's behaviour was out of order.

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