I have a seemingly irrational dislike of the new 'Stars Of the Week' system at dds primary

[PoorOldEnid]

and I wonder why

Is it because of an intrinsic dislike of anything 'happy clappy' or holiday camp-ish

or ARE there any downsides to them

Teachers pick one or two children a week to be the STARS - the reason is put on a board in the reception area of teh school eg " Enids dd is a STAR because she is reliable and helpful to others"

[Cappuccino]

oh god I am at work

for some reason Elvis WOULD NOT SHUT DOWN

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

[mehgalegs]

My boys' Golden Book achievments:

DS1 when in Rec - excellent portrayal of old man trying to pull up enormous turnip in harvest festival production

DS2 made a really good giant meccano go kart (which they crashed in pg following week and knocked mates tooth out - the Golden book award still stood though)

DS3 for retelling a story to the class during a what I did at the weekend session about DH fishing and catching eels which bit him and escaped - totally made up the little liar.

So proud

[OrmIrian]

Not slagging it off personally. I am always chuffed when my DC get recognition for anything. And so are they. I find it quite funny is all.

[OrmIrian]

Not slagging it off personally. I am always chuffed when my DC get recognition for anything. And so are they. I find it quite funny is all.

[Cappuccino]

I always thought his face looked a bit odd

I'm not a fan of sneering tbh

[Blu]

Managing children in school is not the same as parenting.

And unless you send your child to a Stiner school or suchlike, it will be like this, state or private until they go to University. Where academic accolade and comeptition will take over.

[Boco]

dd2 got a certificate in assembly for 'settling well'. Makes her sound like silt.

[Cappuccino]

poor Enid, Blu is right

maybe you should get yourself a nice yurt and set yourself a non-competitive homeschool up

[fircone]

I thought Star of the Week was a good idea until I realised (and all the kids realised) that everyone gets honoured by the end of the year.

It should be a system for recognising special achievements (not just academic ones), but if you know your turn is coming round, even if you've beaten up half the class and the teacher as well, it devalues the whole thing. It's just like those sports days where everyone wins.

[Cappuccino]

you don't tell them everyone gets a turn

that's something only we know

it's like the tooth fairy in stealth

[Remotew]

They didn't all get it though in ours which is shitty in the least. One of DD's friends was a little bitch challenging and got it for getting on better with other kids that week.

Told DD well you know how to get it then be naughty then good one week only. lol

[Boco]

But they know.

And that's why it IS arbitrary.

[Blu]

Eggggzactly, Capp.

And they do get it for genuine achievements, whatever that may be. It doesn't happen on a regular rota system. And there are genuinely competitive things as well.

Praising good behaviour / achievement is hardly a new pedagogy, is it?

[PoorOldEnid]

now WORKER of the week I like

[mehgalegs]

DS2 didn't get it last year in Y2 .

[FabioVicePeeperPlopper]

I have been star of the week 14 times this term already.
Not for maths though.

[PoorOldEnid]

ours seem utterly arbitrary

one mum was cross that her dd got it for being 'reliable'

she should be relialbe anyway fgs she said to me

[HorseStories]

DD's school did this last week. It seemed like every child got to be star of the week at least once during the year. When DD was Star of the Week, the reason given was something the teacher had previously been picked up on her needing improvement. It was hardly the type of thing that should make you a star of the week.

They obviously looked out for the moment she managed to get better at this thing and made her star of the week. Probably likewise with the other children. I think used in this way, it was a good confidence boost and good for positive reinforcement.

[FabioVicePeeperPlopper]

I think the idea is not that they get to be star of the week, but what they get it for,

[Boco]

dd's class has a raffle ticket system too. You get raffle tickets for doing good things. At the end of the week you stand the chance of winning a miniature gel pen or small orange eraser etc.

Leading them into the ways of gambling if you ask me. It'll be whisky at break next, dog fighting and bare knuckle barn fighting. Mark my words.

[PoorOldEnid]

yy

if it seemed genuine then maybe I would like it more

eg "Jane wrote a beautiful poem'
or "Tom shat on everyone during tag rugby"

but reliablity and being a good friend are shitey reasons

[ShrinkingViolet]

DD1 got this once in six and a half years (admittedly she was a nightmare for several of those years); DD2 got nothing in her four years there, not even the sodding teddy. She wasn't happy .
DD1 is more than making up for it at secondary though, we get "well done" letters and postcards for most subjects .

[PoorOldEnid]

no wonder the teachers never have any time to bloody teach

[muppetgirl]

I think it's interesting when mums get competitive about it (I speak with experience of a mum who asked another child in my ds's class 'What did you get that sticker for????') We have star of the week + helping hand and my son doesn't care about it one jot. He's happy when his teacher says well done to him. MY competitive friend needs to realise that the teacher should really choose someone different each week so everyone gets a go, hardly a reward system as it's an equal system. How do you know your child actually deserved sotw? Or was it simply their turn?