Should I email the teacher?

[MollieO]

Not sure if I'm being a bit PFB so need a bit of perspective.

Ds got his school report last week. Yr 3. First time he had effort grades. Mostly fine or as we were expecting (eg C for games - ds hates it with a passion).

He somewhat unexpectedly got a C for music. The comment from the head teacher mentioned it was a disappointment and unexpected. The music teacher said he is a very musical child, did very well playing an instrument but she would like to see him in the school choir (he has an exceptional singing voice).

I'm wondering if he has been marked down because he refuses to join the choir (he tried it at the start of term, hated it and refused to go back). He sings in the church choir (admission by audition - he was the youngest boy ever to be admitted). He loves it and is happy to attend two choir practices a week plus Sunday service (every Sunday during term time so a real commitment and he misses other activities to attend).

As this is something he does outside school his music teacher wouldn't know anything about it (he would never mention what he does outside school in school).

Should I say something or let it go? I walked into church tonight to collect ds from extra choir practice (they have a service on Christmas Day) and I heard him singing. It was so lovely that it made me feel really about his report.

Just from what you have written, it does sound like the teacher is trying to force his arm to join the choir. Which, if the case is entirely unfair. Surely effort marks relate to the amount of effort put into that class, not after school classes?

She mentioned the choir in her comments, hence my concern that this is why he has been marked down.

This is what she wrote:

"Ds has a lovely singing voice and it would be good to see him join the choir as he is very musical. In class he sometimes takes time to settle down but when he does he makes good progress quickly. He needs to learn to focus on what we are doing straight away and not be distracted or distract others during the lesson. He especially enjoyed learning to play melodies on the glockenspiel and performed to the class with great accuracy. I look forward to hearing ds play the cornet in the year 3 concert."

Every other subject teacher wrote that he gets distracted/distracts to some degree which is why I think he got Bs and not As.

Might he mess about a bit - effort marks are also bahaviour marks.

behaviour - not marking for spelling

The head teacher wrote:

"A polite, helpful and thoughtful pupil, ds has settled well into the new school year and it is pleasing to note the effort he makes in most areas. It is somewhat disappointing to see only a 'C' grade for effort in music, however, for he has a nice voice and could do very well in this subject. I look forward to following ds's future progress and seeing an improvement in music."

He's no worse than in any other subject where he got Bs. I think the distraction comments is the reason why he didn't get an A in some of his subjects.

C = satisfactory (adequate effort)
B = good (high effort in most aspects of the subject)
A = excellent (consistently high effort in all aspects of the subject)

Maybe the music teacher finds it more irritating than other teachers - TBH reading between the lines its the sort of report my DS gets - not on music prowess but the distraction thing- in report speak distracting others and slow to settle down means pissing about in class. Have you found out why he left the chior - was he pissing about there too - he may have a different attitude to his out of school chior and might not feel the same commitment to the school music but you might want to get a bit more out of your DS before you go in all guns blazing to school.

Can't spell choir either

Effort grades are utterly meaningless IMO.

However, since choir is an extra-curricular activity it should have no bearing on his completely arbitrarily marked effort in class, so I would mention that.

They can only mark what they see in school. If he's musical outside school, then the teacher would probably like to be aware of it (ours likes to know eg about ABRSM grades and similar out of school activities), but if he's not doing the same in class then the report is fair, and it's also straightforward to present it to your DC in those terms, rather than a commentary on the role of music in his whole life.

He went to the first choir practice and refused to go back - his choice to leave. All I could get out of him was he didn't like doing songs with actions (which I saw him and others doing through the window). He participated but didn't enjoy it and as it is an extra curricular activity I thought it was acceptable to try it and stop.

You may be right about finding the distracting irritating although he does seem to do it in every subject (it's a common theme throughout his report!).

Difficult to know really as I don't see him in school. I don't see him in choir practice outside school either but the choir mistress doesn't suffer fools so would have told me if he misbehaved. He certainly appears to pay attention at the services.

I just thought that I may write and point out to her that ds did in fact try the choir and that he does have a external choir commitment which he enjoys. I would like them to drop the school choir expectation as I know ds will not join.

It sounds to me like his choir out of school is more 'professional' and he probably sees choir / music at school as somewhat banal compared with what he is used to and therefore if he's like my DS in a similar situation is likely to play up and 'distract' the others - no doubt the school recognise his talents which may make it all the more frustrating that he is messing around as they know he could do much better. Thus the C as with other subjects they may expect less of him - he is only yr3, this is only a music report I should move on and enjoy Christmas. teacher will be long gone by now - if you are still bothered talk to her next term where you will probably get teh full story whatever it is.

Perhaps the teacher's having difficulty recruiting for the school choir? It seems completely reasonable to me that he doesn't want to do yet more choir stuff. He's only little.

I would have a word with the teacher (after the holiday) and tell her he already sings in a choir, several times a week. And perhaps ask her if any of his friends are in the school choir? How many boys etc?

I remember at school music was the one lesson that you mucked about in most
I loved music, love to sing and was in a theatre group doing major shows BUT scho music was a doss and you would certainly not consider that I loved music from my behaviour in that class

I would not worry too much, if it's not likely to effect his grades long term, save yourself the battle.

His friends are in the choir. It is all boys (all boys school) and lots of boys - I think about 15.

It is probably the music - wide range of ability and meant to be fun. I think the church choir is more serious. Yr 4 and above have a choir you can audition for but even that isn't a particularly good standard compared to the boys church choir which has the same age range (excluding ds who is the youngest).

You may be right about higher expectation but I would expect an effort grade to be objective rather than used as some kind of punishment. I'm also sad that the head made similar comments.

You're being a bit PFB in that it doesn't matter at all what effort grade he gets in music.

I wouldn't follow it up. Next parent teacher meeting you can mention that he sings in a choir 3 times a week, and that's why he didn't want to join the school one.

But it matters not one whit what effort grade he gets in music, so ignore.

I can't see anything in the bits you've quoted as a punishment.

It's describing a boy who is not settling or focusing in the lessons and who is therefore not making an effort that can be considered above average. If you want him to receive higher grades for effort, then perhaps you need to be talking about how to improve his concentration and application whatever the lesson.

I got a D in music all the way through school and then left early to pursue a career in music (successfully) and mostly that was because I was bored and mucked about. Kids with no talent had to be 'included' which meant we went at a snail's pace. This is what he's up against.

The good news is that within two years they will get the basics and stop being annoying. The bad news is for two years he'll get school reports like this. Perhaps a solution is to ask the teacher what he can do to become more engaged. Frankly, if she can't engage him it's a problem on both sides. I remember being put in charge of planning the school musical and that pulled me in, despite the numpties who couldn't sing (and who may be safely given triangles).

Sorry that's not politically correct. But we can't all be good at everything and if you are good at something and surrounded with a majority of people who aren't, it can be frustrating when you are too young to cope with it.

Our school uses effort cards and I think they are a great thing. Having myself
been a relatively high flyer at school got into vet school and discovered the hard way that actually I needed to put in an awful lot more effort. I now reward DD for the effort she puts in rather than any achievement.
I always discuss with DD the comments the teachers have made she also got similar comments at half term (also in year 3). The teachers have reported that her ability to come into the class settle down and stay on task has improved since then.
I think particularly in year 3 there is a shift in the atmosphere in the classroom and they are expected to stay on task more than in KS1. C is satisfactory, just he has areas that he could improve in.

totally agree with EdithWeston. I think you are reading too much into the choir comment and the C is for his slowness to settle to the work. It sounds much more to me like the teacher was just offering a positive statement at the start of the comment, 'he's good enough for the choir' type stuff.

Honestly? Its an effort grade in a year 3 report. I think let it go. If it were a predicted grade for a UCAS form or something, I would be all over it. But effort, in music, in year 3.... I really would let it go, especially as its obviously not just about not joining the choir, there are behavioural reasons to (i.e. not settling - something which is very hard for lots of children so its no big deal, just something to work on). So yes, PFB I'm afraid, but we all do it somethimes!

Effort grades simply show that the teacher believes that the child is not reaching their full potential.

If the mark is C but the effort is A then the child is assessed at level C.

If the mark is C and the effort is C then the child is assessed at potentially a level A or B but is not working well towards it.

From a parents' point of view I always find effort grades a good indication of how the child is managing their responsibilities in school.

So, no, I would not contact the school but take the opportunity to talk to the child about their behaviour in class and how it impacts everyone's learning.

Incidentally, it's always best to praise the effort (rather than the result) with children because this helps raise their self esteem.

I think that she is just taking his lack of focus and the fact that he is easily distracted seriously, and translates that as lack of effort.

Rather than e-mail the teacher about the music issue, I think it would be better if you had conversations with the school about his lack of focus/distraction in all subjects as this should lead to an improvement in all areas.

Music is a funny subject at school. DD1's marks for music have suddenly skyrocketed and her teacher is very proud. I decided not to point out that all the new skills she is demonstrating have been learned during her piano lessons outside school .

I would guess that the school choir (and possibly music lessons) are so far below the standard he is used to in the church choir that he is bored to distraction ... and therefore distracting people. That could quite reasonably translate as a C for effort, but is not necessarily worth worrying about if you know that he's getting a good musical education elsewhere.

Quite honestly, I'm not sure how you would go about persuading him to put lots of effort into something that is, in reality, no effort at all for him .