Go to war for the introverts?

[PiqueABoo]

Naturally cheerful Y8 DD has been saying she “hates” school a lot this week and for her that's new and troubling.

That is because we’ve had another parents’ evening where despite some pleasant comments, the most common critical message has been that she must participate more in the classroom in order to improve in their subject. The presentation of that message in the child's presence has ranged from sensitive to jaw-droppingly brutal.

The assertion is absurd because she is one of their very highest academic performers who is constrained by the pace of the teaching and assessment, not by her failure to be an in-class attention-seeking Hand-Up girl.

I. Am. Sick. And. Bloody. Tired. Of. It.

If it's like this for DD then $deity help the ones with less shiny academic performance because they can't obtain the same certainty about what does or doesn't affect their performance in school-stuff.

So what to do? I'm simmering, want to shove a mountain of the system's sanctimonious platitudes about inclusion/diversity down their throats until they choke on them, surrender and stop expecting every child to conform to a specific shallow stereotype. But if they have the wit to absorb the message they wouldn’t need one in the first place, so that would probably be futile.

I cannot thank the lord of all common sense enough that I was a reasonably old parent when I had Ds and that there was no such thing as mumsnet when he was growing up

now, of course - university (cough cough) - entirely different Oxbridge - London - Edinburgh - Durham anyone ?

Ach OP you'll do what you do.

cross posted there - sorry - dinner on.

Personality traits and learned skills are quite separate things.

@VulcanWoman: "Try and let it go in one ear, out of the other, you can't force someone to be something they are not. Your Daughter sounds like she's doing just fine."

DD has a dash of Vulcan. Quite rational when she's not being madcap and she often reprimands me with a single raised eyebrow.

You're right and I know DD is fine & dandy, but she's taking it personally. A bit less so since I started this thread because she compared notes with friends and found a couple in the same boat.

Expecting everyone in class to put their hands up is very old fashioned teaching. It's the teacher's job to use effective and targeted questioning and other strategies to ensure everyone is participating in class. And therefore to pass the buck onto your child by saying she needs to participate more is unacceptable imho