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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

Pupil / teacher personality clash?

87 replies

Helenagrace · 01/10/2011 17:35

Has anyone ever experienced a personality clash between their DC and their class teacher?

How did you handle it?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

exoticfruits · 02/10/2011 08:22

I would just go in and have a chat to the teacher.

Iteotwawki · 02/10/2011 08:23

Sorry - misquote from a book regarding a teacher who taught local children to read, write and think in the village school before they moved on to the larger schools elsewhere.

seeker · 02/10/2011 08:37

According to my friend, her son had. "personality clash" with probably best year 6 teacher 8 have ever come across. To quote her exactly "he wants them to sit down, be quiet and get on with their work - that doesn't suit X's style of learning at all"

DownbytheRiverside · 02/10/2011 08:41

Yes, I have a few parents of my Y6 that think along those lines!

But the OP's child sounds like a different issue, reception to Y1 is a very hard transition and a very different style of learning in many schools. The best Y1 classes build in the change gradually, and with high interest topics and challenge for the class. Which doesn't seem to be happening in this case.

MindtheGappp · 02/10/2011 08:42

Your friend has a point, Seeker. Not about the personality clash, but about his learning style. Some children do learn better when they are moving around, and sitting still and being compliant is not how they are wired.

But this is not a personality clash. It's a clash between teaching styles and learning styles. The teacher should be accommodating this type of learning, and not insisting on sitting still 100% of the time, although it is important for children to learn to sit still and do as they are told.

schobe · 02/10/2011 08:50

Sorry, but teacher sounds like the huge problem here.

Whenever I hear the phrase 'personality clash' in the context of pupil-teacher relationship, I always know there is likely to be a teacher issue. I say this as a teacher who has disliked plenty of pupils' behaviour, but I've always seen them as what they are - children. This was in secondary school too.

Here we're talking about a 5/6 year old and I'm a bit that anyone could blame your DS. Teachers should not be showing their dislike in this way.

I think you need to start with a talk with the teacher here. Could you also chat to his reception teacher for advice?

schobe · 02/10/2011 08:52

Actually, yes good point seeker. Revise my previous post - when a rather 'difficult' child's parent insists it is just a personality clash, I don't assume the teacher is a problem!

The OP doesn't sound like this at all though.

seeker · 02/10/2011 08:52

Don't agree, mindthegapp- a NT year 6 child needs to be able to sit down and get on with it.

Butbthatndoesn't apply to the OP's 5 year old though. Helenagrace- you really need to go in and talk to the teacher. Make an appointment so you know you've got time and her full attention, don't take your ds with you. And write down in advance what you want to ask- it's easy to go all to pieces when in a classroom faced by a teacher!

Feenie · 02/10/2011 08:55

Am at your post, mindthegappp - yes, let's let Y6 wander all over the place willy nilly while we teach.

And watch Y7 teachers' faces when we explain to them during transition that "some children do learn better when they are moving around, and sitting still and being compliant is not how they are wired."

That's so funny!

MindtheGappp · 02/10/2011 08:57

I agree they need to be able to sit down, but it's not always the best way for them personally to learn. It might be the best way for the class as a whole, but if all academic lessons are sit down, that type of child is very short-changed by the system.

MindtheGappp · 02/10/2011 08:59

Yep, kinesthetic learners are to be mocked, and after that, controlled. And then punished.

seeker · 02/10/2011 09:01

Not mocked. But yes, controlled. Why is that a problem?

Feenie · 02/10/2011 09:02

We were talking about Y6 though - you're not a teacher, are you, mindthegapp? There are plenty of opportunities to complete tasks like drama, where children are moving - but when I am teaching, there will be many, many occasions when they need to be listening carefully and being 'compliant'.

seeker · 02/10/2011 09:04

And being a kinaesthetic learner not mean that you can't sit still- it means that you see things in particular ways and find visual representations of abstract things helpful.

And anyway, iI think that theory has moved on from that model.

Feenie · 02/10/2011 09:04

Who's mocking kinaesthetic learners? I was laughing at you, for suggesting Y6 should be moving around, not sitting still and being compliant.

MindtheGappp · 02/10/2011 09:05

Yes, I am a teacher, and I do teach year 6 also.

I didn't say that children shouldn't be sitting down and being compliant. I said that this is not ideal for every child for the majority of their academic lessons. There is a difference.

If a teacher is teaching almost exclusively to auditory learners, it is no wonder that some children find this situation difficult.

Feenie · 02/10/2011 09:07

Who said they were?

MindtheGappp · 02/10/2011 09:07

Kinesthetic learners are movers, Seeker. The students you describe are visual learners.

The easy ones to teach are the auditory learners.

Feenie · 02/10/2011 09:11

I am guessing you are an enthusiastic NQT then, Mindthegappp - since you don't appear to know how you are paid on another thread?

All teachers know about kinesthetic, visual and auditory learners, and so does seeker. This theory has been around a while. Its existence does not mean a Y6 child should not sit down and behave themselves, as even you have confirmed. So I have no idea what your point is.

MindtheGappp · 02/10/2011 09:12

Not at all, Feenie. I qualified in 1995, and know exactly how I am paid.

Feenie · 02/10/2011 09:15

Not true.

DownbytheRiverside · 02/10/2011 09:17

Agreed, but by Y6 their kinaesthetic needs can be met in more subtle ways than roaming in an unfocused way around the classroom. Physical manipulation of materials, actions linked to information processing, support materials to handle, practical science investigations.
Some parents seem to feel that a kinaesthetic learner means that there is little control over their physical behaviour, and that isn't the case.
The most efficient learning is done when more than one style is able to be used by the pupil. I'm a visual learner, but I learned to develop my other learning styles over the years.
I do agree that teaching through only one style is not an efficient way of ensuring learning.
But the OP is talking about a Y1 boy, probably still 5 years old. Very few are auditory learners at that stage, and carpet time should not be more that around 7-10 mins max. If he's not going to be a problem, he needs interesting activities that he can accomplish with a bit of effort.
Which he doesn't seem to be getting.

MindtheGappp · 02/10/2011 09:25

I agree that teachers should plan suitable learning activities for kinesthetic learners and not let them wander aimlessly and in an uncontrolled way around the class.

This is following on from a post that Seeker made about a Year 6 child, btw.

Feenie · 02/10/2011 09:26

wantadvice · 02/10/2011 09:29

I also thought that we'd moved on from pigeon holing children into types of learners and that a variety of teaching styles is better rather than teaching to a class of visual learners etc.

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