Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Primary education

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

Original poster

Removing reward badges on first pay back as punishment for behaviour in two zoom classes?

312 replies

ConcernedAboutRules · 07/03/2021 22:36

Basically, DS who is normally very well behaved has been playing the class jokester on one or two zoom calls. He has been warned previously for this. Nothing too serious in my opinion. Now teacher has told him to expect to hand over all the badges and special jumper he's earned for various things and that he will no longer be on the school council etc. as soon as he arrives back during morning registration. Am I the only one thinking this is really unreasonable punishment given the situation and the fact he's known as 'the badge kid'?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
BugsAndBeesAndBirdsAndButterfl · 07/03/2021 22:37

Oh gosh that seems particularly harsh. I think I would have had a word with school before today though.

BugsAndBeesAndBirdsAndButterfl · 07/03/2021 22:38

Why didn't the teacher just mute him?

HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 07/03/2021 22:38

How old?

What was he doing?

The fact is was more than once means he knows it wasn't OK.

nimbuscloud · 07/03/2021 22:38

How old is he?

Original poster
ConcernedAboutRules · 07/03/2021 22:41

@BugsAndBeesAndBirdsAndButterfl

Why didn't the teacher just mute him?
Very good question but I'm to understand he's also been encouraging others to mess about too.
OP posts:
notdaddycool · 07/03/2021 22:41

Ideally don't take things from him but reward those who were sensible. Easier said than done though.

sadpapercourtesan · 07/03/2021 22:41

It does seem a bit vindictive Sad

Surely the first day back in the classroom shuld be a fresh start and something positive for everybody. I couldn't let misbehaviour on a zoom call interfere with that, personally. I think it's odd practice on the teacher's part.

sadpapercourtesan · 07/03/2021 22:42

*should

Original poster
ConcernedAboutRules · 07/03/2021 22:42

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation

How old?

What was he doing?

The fact is was more than once means he knows it wasn't OK.

Year 5 basically encouraging everyone else to play up too when the class all met up. You know stupid noises funny faces....
OP posts:
Original poster
ConcernedAboutRules · 07/03/2021 22:43

@BugsAndBeesAndBirdsAndButterfl

Oh gosh that seems particularly harsh. I think I would have had a word with school before today though.
Agreed. I'm going to have a word in the morning it may be that the teacher was just hacked off at the time.
OP posts:
Original poster
ConcernedAboutRules · 07/03/2021 22:43

@nimbuscloud

How old is he?
Year 5
OP posts:
Bunnybigears · 07/03/2021 22:44

Seems a bit heavy handed but I would just frame it to DS that he did the wrong thing and now he just has to make sure he does the right thing and start earning them back.

Original poster
ConcernedAboutRules · 07/03/2021 22:45

@sadpapercourtesan

It does seem a bit vindictive Sad

Surely the first day back in the classroom shuld be a fresh start and something positive for everybody. I couldn't let misbehaviour on a zoom call interfere with that, personally. I think it's odd practice on the teacher's part.

Indeed, I mean it's in the school rules that they can have badges and stuff taken away but ALL of them? In front of everyone on the first day back seems harsh to me. Going to ring the school before he actually arrives at school.
OP posts:
lydia2021 · 07/03/2021 22:46

Some teachers aren't fit to teach. Its savage and unnecessary. If my kid was treated like that, I would move him elsewhere. Has his teacher any idea of how his self esteem will be shattered just because he acted out on a zoom call. Teacher needs to chill out, and clearly doesnt understand children. He was at home ffs

Original poster
ConcernedAboutRules · 07/03/2021 22:46

@Bunnybigears

Seems a bit heavy handed but I would just frame it to DS that he did the wrong thing and now he just has to make sure he does the right thing and start earning them back.
Yes, perhaps he's inconsolable right now though. Thinking I might suggest he removes them before he goes in and just hands them to the teacher?
OP posts:
HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 07/03/2021 22:46

It's a harsh punishment but by y5 he knows better and it sounds like it wasn't just a one off. Encouraging others isn't good. Perhaps she was just fed up with dealing with him.

Did she speak to you about his behaviour?

00100001 · 07/03/2021 22:47

It's not as if he threw a chair at her and spat in her face, called her fucking cunt ... Confused

If this is unusual behaviour for him, they should be trying to work out what's going on, rather than punishing him so severely for a bad fee days..

HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 07/03/2021 22:50

If he's inconsolable he knows he has done something wrong.

Pick him up, tell him he did something wrong and needs to deal with it. Whatever conversation you have with school should be kept from him. Hopefully the teacher will give him some of them back quickly. But you don't want him getting the message that if he's naughty, you will complain and get his punishments taken away.

Original poster
ConcernedAboutRules · 07/03/2021 22:51

@lydia2021

Some teachers aren't fit to teach. Its savage and unnecessary. If my kid was treated like that, I would move him elsewhere. Has his teacher any idea of how his self esteem will be shattered just because he acted out on a zoom call. Teacher needs to chill out, and clearly doesnt understand children. He was at home ffs
I'm hoping it might just be an empty threat but... DS is very unhappy right now. Basically, going to formally take away the visual like identity of all he has achieved. I'm fuming even more now I'm reading all these comments.
OP posts:
Original poster
ConcernedAboutRules · 07/03/2021 22:52

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation

It's a harsh punishment but by y5 he knows better and it sounds like it wasn't just a one off. Encouraging others isn't good. Perhaps she was just fed up with dealing with him.

Did she speak to you about his behaviour?

Yes, but didn't mention punishing him when he came back, I'm wondering if he's done something else since we spoke.... I may need to have another chat.
OP posts:
SoupDragon · 07/03/2021 22:53

So, he was warned previously but carried on and encouraged others to do the same?

one or two zoom calls. It must be more than one if he's been warned previously.

I don't really agree with taking away things that have been earned but maybe she intends to hang onto them until he shows he can behave.

sadpapercourtesan · 07/03/2021 22:53

Some children have massively struggled with home learning, the blurring of boundaries between home and school, the strangeness of zoom calls and the general stress of having their routines and lives upended. Any teacher worth her salt is aware of this and would cut the children a bit of slack. A little boy (and he is a little boy) playing up and being silly? If she goes through with this, she's using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. She risks causing a generally engaged and responsible child (he earned those badges, in normal times!) to become disengaged.

Bunnybigears · 07/03/2021 22:54

So you only have DS's word that she is going to do this? In that case I would be fairly certain she won't strip him of all his badges on his first day back.

noworklifebalance · 07/03/2021 22:55

Sounds very harsh.
Our schools are all trying to focus on the mental health of the children, easing them back in, positive messages etc and this seems the total opposite. However, was he persistently misbehaving and disruptive? It may be that he had multiple warnings and was aware of the consequences (loss of privileges, badges etc).
Not sure of the relevance of being known as the badge kid.

ScottishStottie · 07/03/2021 22:55

Usually badges and rewards in school setting for to promote and encourage good behaviour and role modelling good behaviour. So although its a bit harsh, i dont think its unreasonable for this to be an effect of your sons behaviour.

Its not that he was acting up, its more that he was encouraging other people to as well.

So they cant really have him in a position of modeling good behaviour when he hasnt been.

Obviously its different if the badge is for standing nicely in a lunch queue, or some other reason that is completely unconnected to the behaviour, but assuming thats not the case, your son has learned cause and effect.

Swipe left for the next trending thread