Any teachers out there?

old mama

I taught school too but it's been a while...I am trying to be supportive of my son's 4th grade teacher but I am beginning to take an intense dislike of the guy. I am not a little mouse in the corner to see what actually happens so I know I don't see everything but one issue that really bothers me is his philosophy if one student messes up the entire class has to pay...all the time. The kids only have one 15 min. recess a day prior to lunch but they haven't gotten one in over two weeks...Just one example.This in the first time my son has had a male classroom teacher so maybe that makes a difference on my view of him. The Mama Bear in me wants to stomp in there and confront him but I feel even trying to communicate with him at all will make the situation worse and my son a target...any teachers out there who would want to give me their opinion?

b&kmakebabies

Unfortunately there are teachers out there who will punish a whole class for one child's actions... Makes me cringe. I think it's important to follow up on because your son is at an impressionable age and could easily develop a negative relationship towards school. I'd first talk to other parents if you know any and see if their child is saying the same thing... Just casually bring it up. I'd then make the principal aware of my concern. If it doesn't get better after that, I'd take further action. Fourth grade is such an important year... There's even a whole theory of the "fourth grade slump" further emphasizing it's importance. The last thing you want is him to associate school as a negative thing...

b&kmakebabies

That being said... I'd also keep it on the DL to my son that I was dealing with the situation. You also don't want him to think as soon as he complains about a teacher you will rush to his defense. I see a lot of students in middle school who think this and a lot of the time they are right and their parent sticks up for them without ever considering the teacher's side. It's a headache. And makes it nearly impossible to develop a healthy parent-teacher relationship which is ultimately bad for the student. I don't think you would ever do that, don't get me wrong, but I'd still want my son to know that I support teachers' decisions (unless they are morally wrong of course).

old mama

It's hard because my son has learning disabilities and is so shy that his IEP even has social goals aimed at getting him to speak in school. He has several serious medical conditions as well. I already can see that most of what goes on during the day is over his head and he is drowning. I am seriously considering homeschooling. If it wasn't for the cost for a good program and my fear of him never developing social skills I would take him out of school. We have had such wonderful understanding teachers in the past that it is already a tough year and it's just beginning.

b&kmakebabies

I'm sorry you're going through this...could you possibly call and see if another 4th grade teacher might be a better fit?

Kari

Several different thoughts in my head right now:

1) There's a new form of classroom management called Responsive Classroom that's gaining popularity. It works, but it's tough for the kids at the beginning. Basically you spell out all your expectations by having students model the right behavior and then step on any little infraction in the first six weeks of school. You don't want to humiliate one child because you're trying to build relationships with all the kids, so the whole class might have to practice lining up again if they were unsafe in the line or model what a silent classroom sounds like by putting their heads down. But . . .

2) the punishment has to align with the crime with Responsive Classroom. So if the kids are always losing recess, that isn't logical. You lose recess if you misbehave at recess (and even then, I typically still give the kid recess but choose the activity - like they have to swing or walk the soccer field, but they're still moving). My guess is he's just old-schooling it and doesn't have good classroom control, which brings me to

3) See if you can have your child transferred into another classroom, or consider home-schooling and taking him to school for specials so he can socialize. We have students at both elementary schools where I work who come in for chorus, PE, library, computer, and art; or just a selection of those. There are good, bad, and mediocre teachers at every school. My son has lucked out for two years with good teachers, but I believe next year's teacher is, at best, mediocre. I would homeschool him next year if I didn't have to work.

Losing their meager recess (my students get 45 minutes of recess every day) for two weeks straight isn't right. Kids need to move and socialize, particularly your son who sounds like his goal includes working on his socialization. Perhaps you could make that argument to the principal for a reason to switch his teacher, or because of "personality conflict" or "philosophical differences in teaching/learning styles."

roses25

I strongly suggest talking to the teacher if you haven't already before you go to the principal. It's important to follow the chain of command and give the teacher a chance to explain or try to change things before going higher up in my opinion.

old mama

I too felt I should go through the chain of command but I have already seen my son targeted when I emailed him a question.

I didn't think about getting text books from e-bay I certainly could do that and get by this year and plan for next year. I will get on line to our state's education dept. and see what all they want covered.

Kari

Half.com is another website sponsored by eBay that sells used textbooks. I bought almost all of my graduate studies books from there, so the selection is really good. Also, keep in mind that if he has an IEP, the curriculum may be very different for him than the standard homeschool curriculum you choose. Most homeschooled kids are supposed to take a state test to show progress, but if your son qualifies for an IEP, he might also qualify for a PAPE exemption as well.

One of the things I like about the idea of homeschooling is that you can cover so much in much less time than in the classroom. When I taught only 5 students in a private school setting, we covered all the major academic subjects by snack time (8:30-10:00) and had the rest of the day to do the art, music, science, exploring kind of curriculum that made first grade fun for them. Some of my friends who homeschool discover they can cover all the material between breakfast and lunch, so the kids have so much more time to delve into their own interests. And honestly, you're not covering less than at school; you're just covering it more efficiently because you're working 1:1.

If you homeschool and your child qualifies for services such as OT, speech, or PT, he should still be able to get those services through the school. At least that's the rule in my state. I had kids who got picked up early at our private school so they could go to PT or speech at the public school.