Children determining sanctions? Is this a thing?

[Everyoneafter3]

Asking before I email school yet again...

Dd (Y4) has a job share this year. She and many of her friends have been having a terrible time with one half of the job share. There is no praise as far as I can tell: no merits; no positive feedback from homework. The well behaved, bright children are largely ignored in every sense (not just getting this from my dd: lots are struggling). I annoyed the teacher a while back as I politely requested dd be allowed to collect her violin at the end of the day when she has it in for lessons: dd was asking to get it and was told no, ask again and it's the 'sad side'.

Anyway, it's the 'sad side' where we seem to have issues. Dd had told me that this teacher leaves the decision as to who goes on the sad side up to the children. One child will be elected by the teacher to stand at the front and put anyone 'misbehaving' on the sad side. So dd has now been on the sad side for talking - in a lesson where talking quietly had been permitted. It's happened to others. Dd was once in the position of standing at the front and told me she just couldn't put anyone on the sad side: it was "mean" and "unfair".

Before I ask the school if this is actually happening or my dd has misinterpreted something, is this an actual tactic? Being put on the 'happy side' is decided by the teacher.

The 'sad side' isn't part of the behaviour policy inasmuch as it comes under 'any system of rewarding good behaviour/flagging up bad behaviour': there's no specific mention. It's used throughout the school, however.

Tbh the violin is your property and she has every right to take it home. As for the system I wouldn't be happy. It encourage pack mentality and is a load of crud, especially as I very much doubt it is in the behaviour policy of the school.

So I missed a call from the teacher this afternoon - apparently it's "all been sorted" and "everything's fine" and "catch me after school if you wish to discuss further". I can't "catch her after school" - I pick them up from after school club every day.

I can't decide if I should try to meet with her, or just start counting down the days until July and the end of this academic year.

Wrt the other teacher, I had a number of concerns generally (again, surrounding the treatment of high achievers) and it was this teacher that agreed to sit down with me and talk to me: the other one refused to.

Argh that's annoying. I would see what DD feeds back, particularly after the Easter Break (assuming you break up soon) to see if the changes are both positive and permanent. Or email whomever you originally emailed to say you had missed a call, can't get in to see the teacher due to them being in the after school club, and could they email you with what has been agreed.

Dd said that Mrs X (she of the sanction regime) put names on the sad side herself today... I will monitor.

Does anyone have a behaviour policy with this "system" In it?
The "sad side" black cloud" are features of the assertive discipline method of behavioural management found in many schools (personally hate them)

Thank you mrz. I would share your hate but have not seen schools have this type of discipline/behaviour policy.

I do think that any method used School wide and is included in something as vague as 'any system' but is in fact rather precise should be part of the policy and it is very good practice to consult with parents when changing the policy to include such a system.

I would still speak to the Head and swerve the teacher. I would ask for consultation and review of this policy that is not included in the policy document. How are parents supposed to know what the school believes in regarding behaviour if the policy is silent on this classroom management technique?

I've just sent another email asking for confirmation that my dd has misinterpreted this entire situation.

She wasn't allowed to collect her violin again yesterday afternoon so it stayed in school . When I mentioned this last time the teacher was genuinely surprised that dd might play it between lessons. I'll be ringing about that later!

I would quote back their behaviour policy to them. I would say that the "sad side" policy has not been consulted upon with parents prior to apparent introduction (it is very good practice to consult for obvious reasons) and that it is causing upset in the class.

I would not keep suggesting your DD is in the wrong. That sounds very negative. You just need to ask for confirmation that the policy appears to be no longer that quoted in the published behaviour policy. Can they confirm what the whole school behaviour policy now looks like and how that is conducted in lessons by individual teachers. Any policy should be clearly communicated, easy to understand and the children should not be confused about it. Neither should you. So say you are confused and take the "blame" away from your child. It is certainly not her fault. She is on the receiving end of an opaque policy poorly executed.

Regarding the violin: my DD took her violin into school for the day of the lesson and took it home again that evening having collected it after the last lesson. It went in for concerts/rehearsals occasionally on other days. She did not play it in between lessons or at lunchtime. I would think a compromise could be reached on this. Is it a school instrument?

It's actually her own instrument and she genuinely does practice a lot. The teacher doesn't give her the chance to collect it at the end of the day so she can bring it back. Sorry, I probably made it sound like she wants to play at school. Mercifully the violin isn't in on a Friday or that'd be three hours of ensemble playing missed on a Saturday...

I just don't want to accuse the teacher of anything. This is all so confusing

I hope you get a quick response and the violin debacle sorted.

Yes, it was my DD's violin too, but I know some schools hire them out.

Why can she not collect it at the end of the day? Just go and get it! That's what everyone does. Surely she is not shooed out of the school by the teacher and makes her own way out? Go back in and get it!

Make it very clear that as it her property she will leave with it.

To those who asked again whether I believe this is appropriate, I can only say again, yes, I do believe it is okay IF the rules are made very clear and it is done under the close supervision of the teacher. Individual methods for recording praise/reward can differ between teachers under the umbrella of a whole school behaviour policy and still be consistent, as long as the students are expected to follow broadly similar rules between classrooms, so to me it doesn't matter hugely whether other teachers do this or have a slightly different system (I tend to use sad/smiley face but have also used plus and minus and other denotation). It all amounts to the same thing.

In this case I see what a pp is saying about the the rules being unclear. I would ask for the rules to be firmed up. I would have no issue with the child scribing the names or noting the names of people who are talking.

PopCakes:

This appears to be another example of you stalking me round the site and commenting, rudely, that you think I am a liar and some sort of strange, bridge-dwelling creature Please rest assured I am genuine and, as such, can tell you I won't be responding to any further posts under your user name, on any thread. Life is too short.