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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

Is it the teacher's job to ensure your child enjoys school?

82 replies

TheFlyingOnion · 23/09/2011 16:46

If a very undermotivated pupil hates school, is it up to me to make him like it?

Presuming the work is interesting, informative, relevant and correctly differentiated, is it my problem? What else can I do?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

DownbytheRiverside · 23/09/2011 18:34

Gave a parent of an able but unmotivated child an activity to do for ten minutes a day. She sat the poor little bugger down and did 6 weeks worth in a weekend and asked for more. Then wondered why the child was sullen and resentful about it.
I didn't give her more.

Original poster

TheFlyingOnion · 23/09/2011 18:34

If a child stumbles over every 3rd word on (say) level 5, and I have tried level 6 and found them much worse, I can't see what use trying level 7 is as it will only make them more discouraged and fed up. Then come the "feeling stupid" remarks...

He is able to attempt "harder" sheets at school, but he must do the regular sheets first. That is simply a given.... (awaits flaming)

Agreed if he was working one to one, the work would be done, of course. I simply cannot do that with him at school.

OP posts:

DownbytheRiverside · 23/09/2011 18:36

Oh, and before anyone says that I shouldn't be asking about an anonymous, genderless child on MN, the child in question is now 23 and presumably able to say no.

Original poster

TheFlyingOnion · 23/09/2011 18:42

We have a lot of extremely motivated parents in school (private). I think you're right that some of them see "down" time as wasted time.

I have a few parents asking for more homework and more holiday work. To be honest I only give homework because it's school policy and never give holiday work, despite pressure from parents.

I have one or two at least each year who are tutored, sometimes up to half a dozen in a class of 15. These are 6/7 year olds... Often this isn't just maths or literacy, but extra languages such as Spanish or Russian. Most are already bilingual at least.

OP posts:

sugarandspiceandallthingsnice · 23/09/2011 18:43

If you are not happy with this being here but want some teacher advice you could post on TES forum (am I allowed to say that?) Alternatively I am a teacher and if I can help please message me.

Original poster

TheFlyingOnion · 23/09/2011 18:45

thanks sugar. I do use TES occasionally but find MN much more user-friendly.

OP posts:

Fairenuff · 23/09/2011 18:47

Another thing to bear in mind is that when children get used to 1-1 learning at home they can come to rely on it to much. They lose the ability to self motivate or get on with a task independently or even to work well within a group. They are used to the adult keeping them focussed on the task instead of trying to do that themselves.

A good activity for the parents to try is to give him lots of craft material and ask him to make something. Leave it up to him entirely (ignore the mess if possible) and whatever he makes tell what you like about it without any suggestions for improvement. (Don't be too gushing with praise as he will see through you )

If he asks for help to manipulate it, help by showing or telling him how to do it, but don't do it for him. If you are itching to make something perfect, make your own, but don't hovver over him,

This will help him to focus on the task, think for himself, use his cutting/crafting skills, be creative and feel good about his results .

Don't know why I am saying 'you' when I clearly mean 'his parents' .

NorfolkNChance · 23/09/2011 18:49

The primary section of TES is pretty good, as long as you don't post something like this in Opinion or Bauble's Bar you'd be ok!

Original poster

TheFlyingOnion · 23/09/2011 18:50

wow thanks so much for all this great advice.

Am now itching to call a parent meeting myself and explain all my great new theories! Usually I get "summoned" by the parent while I'm attempting to hide in the staffroom

OP posts:

lostinafrica · 23/09/2011 18:51

Yes, that sounds more like what he needs to be doing at home. Wouldn't it be great to say, "Please do the following activity with your child for half an hour a day: Play with him with whatever toys (or junk) he chooses, in whatever way he wants."

I once said to a year 9 group that their homework for the holiday was to relax and not do any work. I had to sign each and every homework diary as they all said their parents wouldn't believe it!

lostinafrica · 23/09/2011 18:52

That's not relevant at all, just a story I like to tell every now and again...

choccyp1g · 23/09/2011 18:56

OP He is able to attempt "harder" sheets at school, but he must do the regular sheets first. That is simply a given.... (awaits flaming)

If he CAN do the easy sheets, why should he prove it again and again? If he can`t do them without his mum helping, then maybe they should just HE the poor lad.

If he WON`T do them, give him detention until he gets on with it.

Feenie · 23/09/2011 18:58

Oh TheFlyingOnion, I was in total sympathy until you said sheets. And that's worksheets at all, never mind the having to do 'regular' sheets first!

choccyp1g · 23/09/2011 19:00

and then give him some harder ones.

Lougle · 23/09/2011 19:03

It's tricky, because you can get the same reaction from two completely different starting points.

I remember starting secondary school, top set for maths. The work was easy. Really easy. So, I (bravely, I thought) went to the teacher, and asked for 'harder' work, because it was all so easy and I wanted the challenge. (Context here is that since YR3 I hadn't done times tables tests because I got 100% all the time, used to help other children with their maths work in class because I had got to the top book and they wouldn't let me continue).

The teacher responded by giving me 'more' work, to do at home. Not harder, just more of the same.

If I had been more socially mature, I would have realised that she just wanted to keep me working with my peers. Instead, I saw it as a complete waste of time, and that she really hadn't understood at all. I switched off. Completely.

Still got my GCSE's, but that (and similar) ruined my attitude to learning (well, I did, but didn't know it at the time). It took me until University to recover a love for learning.

Littlefish · 23/09/2011 19:05

I agree with choccy. if he is able to attempt the harder ones, then those are the ones you should be giving him. Extension work should not be in addition to the standard work, it should be instead of.

choccyp1g · 23/09/2011 19:07

Littlefish: I love you. Extension work should not be in addition to the standard work, it should be instead of.
Extension work should not be in addition to the standard work, it should be instead of.
Extension work should not be in addition to the standard work, it should be instead of.

I am going into school on Monday and repeating that until I get some satidfaction!!! (sorry OP for slight hijack)

Lougle · 23/09/2011 19:18

Which ties in with my experience

Feenie · 23/09/2011 19:22

And said work should not be worksheets upon sodding worksheets!

hippoCritt · 23/09/2011 19:29

Have you tried #ukedchat ? can't do links phone but google it to meet lots of teachers full of information and ideas can be really interactive too

Original poster

TheFlyingOnion · 23/09/2011 19:54

the point is, I've got no idea if he can do the regular stuff because he doesn't sodding do them!!

OP posts:

Fairenuff · 23/09/2011 20:02

I think the point is that there is no need to give him worksheets in the first place. They are the least likely activity to motivate and engage him. Some children do love them and there is nothing wrong with them choosing to do them during golden time, or other free activity time.

Are there other resources you could use to assess him, possibly during a group activity with a supportive TA. Even just verbal questioning and reasoning, scribing his answers if necessary.

If you are sure he can do it but is just refusing then he should have the appropriate consequence. I find that once the other children start getting ready for playtime, the reluctant child often springs into action and completes the task to the standard required. Funny that.

Littlefish · 23/09/2011 20:04

But flyingonion, if you don't know whether he can do the standard ones, then you've got nothing to lose by trying him with the extension tasks and seeing whether he has the ability to do those. At least you can then meet with the parent and talk about the fact that you have given him the opportunity to work at a range of different levels in order to make sure that you are providing him with the corret level of challenge.

Littlefish · 23/09/2011 20:05

Choccy - do I take it you're having a few problems at your dc's school?

Littlefish · 23/09/2011 20:07

BTW - I completely agree with fairenuff re. worksheets. Most children are far more interested in working in a practical way, with opportunities for open ended problem solving.

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