Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

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

Flip

Original poster

DD Yr3 - 'punishment' for not being quick enough in whole class activity

12 replies

debs227 · 22/05/2013 17:19

Ok, opinions please....
DD is in Yr 3, for their literacy morning she goes up into the year 4 class to take part in an activity, along with a handful of her classmates. It is a dictionary challenge, where the whole class have to find a word as quickly as possible in a dictionary.
The quickest ones get a reward and the ones that are slowest to find the word have to perform a class 'punishment' (decided by the rest of the class) which is something like jumping around like frogs or turning around several times.
As DD is quite slow at this task, every week she has a 'punishment' and it has knocked her confidence. She doesn't like being laughed at.

Is this a normal school classroom technique?? I am going in to discuss with school tommorow.
The whole class has to find the same words, not differentiated by ability

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

AcrylicPlexiglass · 22/05/2013 17:20

Sounds crap. Complain!

paulapantsdown · 22/05/2013 17:21

thats horrible - a very mild version of bullying imho

UniqueAndAmazing · 22/05/2013 17:22

once or twice I can see it being fun.
but not every week.
the teacher needs to rethink their strategy.
anything that continually singles one or two children out is not fair.

notfluffy · 22/05/2013 17:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Amy106 · 22/05/2013 17:25

I wouldn't want to be laughed at either. What an embarrassing way to learn dictionary skills. I would definitely talk to the school and arrange for a different way to learn these skills. Good luck and I hope this all works out for you both.

EduCated · 22/05/2013 17:26

Not good when it's the same children, if it was a silly game where the forfeits rotated then maybe, but sounds like it's not working.

BrokenBananaTantrum · 22/05/2013 17:27

Terrible idea. How is this strategy encouraging learning? Does the teacher have any evidence that this is improving childrens performance? Its humiliating and wrong. Complain.

NatashaBee · 22/05/2013 17:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Periwinkle007 · 22/05/2013 19:58

that is awful. I can't believe any school would do that, I am quite shocked

Original poster

debs227 · 22/05/2013 20:40

I was very shocked and hence why i am going to speak to them tommorrow. In fact i can't believe it myself but the teacher has confirmed that what DD has told me is correct and that if she doesn't want to take part she doesn't have to! How is she going to say that when it is a whole class activity and she is not one for speaking up for herself.

I am also very shocked at the use of the word 'punishment'!
DD was so worried about it last week she wouldn't go in on this particular day.

OP posts:

wheresthebeach · 22/05/2013 20:49

What's next? A fun, cheery dunces cap?
Complain...clearly and repeatedly if necessary.

simpson · 22/05/2013 20:54

My DS (yr3) would hate this.

He cried in class last week because he thought his whole class were laughing at him (they weren't, they were laughing at the teacher who had tried to include DS in a joke at her expense - the teacher came over to explain at pick up time in case DS said anything to me).

I agree with others, it is low level bullying and humiliating.

Flip