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

[ConcernedAboutRules]

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'?

@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

Jesus christ, can you imagine what it's like trying to handle 30 kids acting up on a zoom call where some will actually have been trying to you know, learn something?

What a way to welcome children back. They have been through so much in the past year. This is very poor from the teacher. A comment about behaving in class as they are not on zoom anymore would surely suffice to draw a line under the behaviour.

Didn't happen. If it did she would have been back.

Retired teacher here with what some would consider 'old school' standards but I think this is very harsh and totally unnecessary. The children have had a really difficult time and have had to make massive adjustments. They are still having to make adjustments now they are back at school

The return should be a totally positive experience, especially as he seems the kind of child not normally disruptive if he is winning badges. I wouldn't say so in front of him, but I would be raising this first with the class teacher and if not satisfied, with the Headteacher.

Is this the straw that broke the camels back though OP?

Low level disruption can be an absolute nightmare and the teacher is right to jump on it, I say this as someone who was very much the class clown and also learned if I broke the rules and caused problems I had to suck it up and take the punishment, even if it was heavy handed.

@Doveyouknow

Did he have badges because he was a prefect or similar and he has lost his position for being naughty? Or are the just stickers for being good that he has kept? Either way It seems a harsh punishment for a few funny faces in a zoom call - are you sure that's all there was to it?

Not sure it makes much of a difference? Do you think it does?

Aaaand OP is back....

he seems the kind of child not normally disruptive if he's winning badges

This may not be the case with the OPs son but at my children's primary certificates and stars were disproportionately given to those with poor behaviour to encourage them to do better.

@viques

From the teachers point of view she has to get a class of children back into school behaviour mode ASAP. They have been “feral” (sorry!) for too long. She only has just over a term to get these kids on track for year six. They have all seen your son messing about on zoom lessons (I don’t understand why the teacher didn’t call you and tell you about his behaviour but that’s another story) , she needs the class to recognise that messing about on zoom is as unacceptable as messing around in class and that messing about has repercussions. If your child was warned and chose to continue to behave badly then really in Y5 he is old enough to take the consequences of his actions. If he had behaved like that in class he would probably have lost his badges on the spot and he knows that, sadly he thought he was safe to behave badly at home, he now knows it was just as inappropriate as behaving badly at school.

He knows how to behave as shown by his previous behaviour, he can earn the badges back again.

I hope they are proper badges btw, not loads of old good work/well done stickers that he has kept on his jumper for months because, frankly , that is odd!

Re your last point not sure what you mean he does keep them when he gets them you would advise against this?

So, this is gonna be a long one but turns out DS has been pulling the wool well and truly over my eyes. Yes, I didn’t have a word in time before he went back but for good reason as you will soon see. Turns out it wasn’t just a case of muting him as it was all actually during ‘breaks’ where the whole class was on the software together to socialise. Turns out my former angel DS is no longer as sweet and innocent as I thought, and it’s taken me a few days to come to terms with all. Turns out DS during these breaks has been using some rude hand gestures he’s learned. I am so ashamed. Other kids started copying him at random times i.e. the boys because the teacher initially couldn’t quiet make out what he was doing on the software’s view setting as to what he was doing. Clearly when teacher said he was class jokester she was giving him the benefit of the doubt and every chance given its lockdown. Clearly, I got the wrong idea thinking it wasn’t this serious because the teacher tried to be lenient initially. So as someone said on here while he didn’t throw a chair and spit in anyone’s face wearing a jumper full of stickers and badges, he might as well have. Were clearly more than 2 sessions of acting up and more like 4. Turns out teacher has been leaving me voicemails as my phones off during working out but DS has had ‘problems’ with his phone every night after he came in from school and has admitted he deleted the voice mails I’m mortified he was clearly very embarrassed. He clearly felt untouchable given he wasn’t in school and held in high regard by his teachers. Need I say more?

That should be during working hours*

I'm glad you have got to the bottom of it OP and seen that the teacher definitely wasn't the unreasonable one!

Hopefully now you can move forward, having spoken to your ds, and his behaviour will be better now they are back in school.

I think it's harsh but absoultely right if it teaches the class that messing about is funm. Teachers worked incredibly hard and your son had the potential through his behaviour to spoil several lessons and the learning experience of others.
But I would assume she should ring and deal with this rather than waiting until your son came back and do it this way. Its a strange way to sort the issue.

Fun or appropriate

@Woodlandbelle

I think it's harsh but absoultely right if it teaches the class that messing about is funm. Teachers worked incredibly hard and your son had the potential through his behaviour to spoil several lessons and the learning experience of others. But I would assume she should ring and deal with this rather than waiting until your son came back and do it this way. Its a strange way to sort the issue.

She did leave voicemail if you read my post.

Ah OP don’t worry, these things can be turned around, arrange a phone call with the teacher and make it very clear you don’t condone DS’s behaviour and want to talk strategies about how to help him manage his behaviour better at school.

Apologies.. I see the teacher tried to make contact. Well at least you know now op and he has had consequences for his actions.

@ScoobyCat

Ah OP don’t worry, these things can be turned around, arrange a phone call with the teacher and make it very clear you don’t condone DS’s behaviour and want to talk strategies about how to help him manage his behaviour better at school.

Honestly, he was never a kid you had to manage he's certainly fell from his teachers' good graces and is now 'on report' for good measure.

All of that seems very sneaky and devious behaviour (deleting teachers voicemails) who still holds well done stickers in such high regard.

Ouch! Sorry OP that must have been a bit of the shock.

I'd not worry too much though. Your son was testing the boundaries and it looks like he's found them. Hopefully now he'll settle back down.

He was warned

He encouraged others to play up

Its his own fault imo

@Bunnybigears

All of that seems very sneaky and devious behaviour (deleting teachers voicemails) who still holds well done stickers in such high regard.

I know I don't know what to make of it. Teacher was having no messing as soon as he came back.

@MouthAche

He was warned

He encouraged others to play up

Its his own fault imo

Yes but the second he came back?

My advice would be to 100percent come down hard on him at home too. Just until this is sorted out. The deleting messages etc.. This type of behaviour can escalate.

Bit of course the second he came back. What else, keep it hanging over his head? Forget about it? Hes been really naughty.