DS missed play time and now PE to finish work

[kateecass]

DS was in a bad mood after school today. After much cajoling I managed to get it out of him that he'd had a bad day at school. He says he had to miss PE (as did a few others) as he hadn't finished his work. He has also missed break one day this term for the same reason. He is in YR2. He is also fed up as he says his teacher shouts all day :(

DH is a bit cross about this too. It doesn't seem right. Also DS said he didn't really mind missing PE or break so seems a pretty negative way to encourage him to finish his work. He is slow at doing his writing..he is capable but lacking in confidence. Would you say anything to the teacher?

In schools I have taught in ,occasionally children have missed some playtime to finish work,particularly if work was unfinished because of too much chatting or playing. But missing PE sounds completely out of order. It's an essential part of the curriculum. I would certainly have a word about that. Do any other mums feel the same?

I think DS1 had this teacher. He ended up completely miserable and wetting his bed. Yes, I would say something. About the shouting as well.

Children shouldn't miss PE as it's part of the curriculum. Personally, I think keeping children in at break to finish work is counter-productive as Y2 children need to recharge batteries. It also makes work into a punishment. I'd rather try a couple of months of motivational nagging and then, if that doesn't work, see parents, alert them to the fact that Little Jonny is being a tad laidback, and send work home for finishing.

Ds had a teacher who shouted last year and kept him in at break for not finishing work. It completely destroyed his self esteem. We changed schools and his confidence is being slowly rebuilt by the lovely caring environment at his new school. Had I realised how bad it was I would have done what another parent did and pulled him out at the end of the first term.

I sincerely wish my teachers had ALWAYS made me miss P.E. What a crappy waste of time. Thirty years after leaving school I am still deeply resentful. Your DS is a lucky young man, IMO.

Yes, it all seems a bit negative to me. He doesn't really like writing really. We're ignoring this at home at the mo because I don't want him being nagged about it at school AND home. We are giving him gentle encouragement though. Am sure he'll get there..he didn't like to read in Reception but now he is one of the best in the class. Assuming he'll get writing soon.

Thing is how do you go about telling the teacher she shouts too much?! We had same problem last year with his teachers and we raised it at parents evening and they just took it as there was too much shouting in the class! Incidently DD says the same of her teacher. I think I may just have sensitive teachers and need to teach them how to cope with it as teachers are always going to shout?

Haven't had a chance to ask anyone else as I only heard tonight. Am not sure their DS's will have told them but I can ask tomorrow.

Don't want him ending up miserable :(

My Ds is also in yr2 and has a shouty teacher that has made him stay in at break time to finish work.

I went and saw the head. I was told that I was the only one to complain about the teacher. I hadn't mentioned it to other parents as I didn't think it was appropriate but found out subsequently other parents had complained in my year and in previous years others had removed their dcs. I realised then that the school was not going to do anything so I voted with my feet (helped by ds getting a scholarship to his new school).

Well I'm sorry to hear that there several others having same problems. Ours is a school rated excellent by OFSTED and supposedly have a caring environment with children enthusiastic about learning. So far DS has only had one teacher he liked. It's very sad..certainly never encountered an inspiring teacher yet!

Ours school is also rated excellent by ofsted and I always used to think this was a good thing, but it seems that they are more concerned about targets than meeting the individual needs of the children in their care:(

I ask children to stay in and finish work if it is unfinished because of their behaviour chatty/messing about I would not ask a child to stay in if it was through lack of understanding. I have occassionally got children to finish work during PE I always get them to get changed and sit in the hall usually this encourages them to finish quickly but I wouldn't let them miss much of the lesson.

As DH is off work tomorrow he is going to go and speak to the teacher and see whether DS didn't finish as he was messing and tell them her shouting is intimidating him. We've always been told how well behaved he is but we shall see! DH is the voice of reason and I will just cry.

I think missing PE is a bit off. It's part of the curriculum so presumably mandatory? Would the teacher allow a child to miss another lesson like maths to catch up on English?

You are right to go in.

My ds was a bundle of nerves and almost an anxious school refuser at the age of 6 because of a shouty teacher. It wasn't that he was overly sensitive to shouting, I shout a fair bit, we're quite a noisy household. It was more the indiscriminate nature of the shouting and the punishments being handed out to a year one class. Say something, he won't be the only one suffering. Missing PE isn't on, it's part of the curriculum and for some children more important than writing.

Seems we are all sensitive to shouting in this house and both DH and I are very non-confrontational. We do actually shout a bit at home but yes I think it is indiscriminate shouting that upsets him. I still remember to this day being shouted at by one of my junior school teachers for drawing spots on a rubber when we were doing a listening exercise. I was miserable at school after that but she was just plain horrible.

And yes it is a bad message for them that PE isn't important if its ok to be missed.

We'll see how it goes.

Why are teachers shouting? Can you get evidence? I can't see how that is good classroom control or motivational.

Only evidence I can get is DS telling us. He says she shouts at the year 2s and the year 1 boys (split class). One of the other Mums is miffed that her DS has missed play and PE but hasn't said anything yet. I will ask around some more.

I had evidence of the shouting by standing at the end of the driveway to the school, I could hear her!

I used to miss PE in primary for what was basically extension classes - which to be fair I enjoyed far more. However, the extension classes were not all that thought through, in that they did rather mean I was bored rigid when I first went to secondary - and PE might possibly have helped develop my coordination etc which were pretty much non existent. Am convinced looking back that it was a mistake to believe PE was less important and could be missed, and had expected things had moved on.....

Why do you let the class teacher shout with your children? I do not understand. Punishment (e.g.: time out when they play, sitting in the naughty corner) are ok, but shouting no, no and no. Shouting hurts the children feelings.
Why do you let the teacher do it? If my son would say to me that the teacher shouted in the class (even if it was not him) I would question the teacher straight away and not wait days, weeks months or year. Why should I wait and let my child face it alone?

Please explain it to me why do you wait to speak to the class teacher when he or she shouts in the classroom?

Other way I think so, PE is important for children to get used to regular exercise.

DD has had to miss some of break to finish work, she has slow processing skills, so takes a bit longer than others, but I wouldn't be happy at her missing PE, or ALL break. I would rather her bring work home.

I think some teachers just are 'shouty'!, but it doesn't make it right and I am glad your DH is going in. I would get emotional too!! (what wusses!)

We moved from our Excellent state (which wasn't, but ticked all the boxes!), to an Independent school and two years on, dd still can't believe that the teachers don't shout.

Last year she used to come home nearly everyday and say Mrs R is so lovely mummy, she never ever shouts!, she was absolutely incredulous. OK, there is half the class size, so perhaps not the noise to shout over, but it surely with a good teacher, shouting shouldn't be a daily occurence? I do shout at dd occassionally, so can empathise with teachers that do, but she is my child and not the teachers, so I think it is right to expect a level of professionalism, particularly in a Junior school.

Best of luck, It will be interesting to hear how it goes.

I agree some teachers are shouty and as we are not there to see exactly what is going on we have to rely on what little info we are given by our kids. DD has one very shouty teacher and one very quiet and gently teacher. So it proves the kids can be controlled without shouting. Some kids obviously don't have a problem with it as I've asked friends of kids in same classes as my kids.

rrbrigi - I'm confused. DS has only been in this class since Sept, last night was first time properly he discussed this with us and we are going in to see teacher later.

DH rang his friend who is a parent governor elsewhere and he says we are doing exactly the right thing and if we have no luck then to speak to head. Will let you know what teacher says later.

Well apparently meeting with teacher went well. She says they are doing some teacher led work but also trying to get the kids to do some independently. She'd set them a few things to do over a week on their own and when asked a group of them had told her they'd done it when they hadn't which is why she'd kept them back from PE to do it. Apparently it was only half a PE session but I still don't think that's on. Re the shouting DH didn't actually say "DS says you shout a lot" but says she got what he was saying. At least she knows now that he is sensitive to it. We'll see what happens next!