Am I turning into a teachers nightmare ?

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scarlett
Posts: 3664
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:22 am

Re: Am I turning into a teachers nightmare ?

Post by scarlett »

I think confidentiality is a low priority at some schools.When I used to read/ help out etc I too were given certain information about the children and after about 2 hours reading it all and feeling better about my own, the headmistress came running in all flustered and I was thinking she would grab it off me, but no, she just handed me a form to sign to say I wouldn't spill the beans ! I have posted before that when I asked to see my ds2 sats results I was given a printout with the whole class on it and at the end of that term when ds2 came home with a barrowload of paintings, writing etc...tucked inside was the official sats marking paper with lots of information about 4 children in his class...I put it in an envelope and gave it back( after I had read it a few times !) :lol:
youngmum
Posts: 81
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2011 6:08 pm

Re: Am I turning into a teachers nightmare ?

Post by youngmum »

Hi Scarlett,

I have had exactly the same problems with my six year old. At least your dd is on stage 9, mine according to the teacher is still on stage 3. She reads fluently and had read every single book in the supposed stage 3.
Last week I wrote in her contact book that she tells the story of every single book she brings home before she even opens the books and reads fluently. I suggested to the teacher that if they do not have any new books (even though its a fee paying sch), i am happy to start using the books I have at home and she can read those to them at school

Whoola, the teacher writes in her book yesterday that she does tell them all the stories before she opens the books and even though she feels she is not totally fluent in her own opinion, she is allowed to move to stage 4 because of her enthusiasm.

Thinking hmmmm stage four, dd read the book cover to cover fluently and told the story to everyone in the house that cared to listen and even played the games at the back of the book with her older sister.

So question I have for the teacher at next parents evening is: How often does she listen to dd reading because from her reading contact book, it seems as if she reads to a different adult everyday, according to the signatures i see.

The problem is the class teachers themselves hardly listen to the children reading but yet form their humble opinion about what level they are at.

I think you should just use your own books at home, which I did for a couple of days this week and we automatically progressed to stage 4
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Am I turning into a teachers nightmare ?

Post by mystery »

Wow. :lol:

You all have the patience of saints and I've run out. The thing that concerns me with children being on the wrong level of some boring old scheme is that the teacher may have completely got your child's level for everything else wrong too, and that can matter. Fine if you're happy to make it all up at home, but if you know there's some better work going on in the classroom which your child could learn from, I'd rather know my child was in the right group and being given the right work. Then home stuff could be enrichment or fun rather than plodding through basics that school should have covered with your child.

I'm not asking for anything that costs more, or takes up the teacher time. Being allowed to choose books from a different colour box is no inconvenience to a teacher.

If there are so many people on here with experiences like this, just how many are there nationwide? It's rubbish.
magwich2
Posts: 866
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2008 5:33 pm

Re: Am I turning into a teachers nightmare ?

Post by magwich2 »

We had all this nonsense with all 3 DCs. We eventually gave up on the various schools and just went along with the dreadful Biff and Chip (you can make a useful game out of counting up the grammatical mistakes per book!). Found plenty of Ladybird books on eb*y for next to nothing and enjoyed those instead.
Good luck anyway!
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Am I turning into a teachers nightmare ?

Post by mystery »

Youngmum, this is why we have not yet chosen a fee paying school, as I would be so cross if I'd paid for that kind of nonsense. At least I can console myself that currently we are not paying (over and above our taxes that is).
Booklady
Posts: 522
Joined: Mon May 19, 2008 10:39 pm

Re: Am I turning into a teachers nightmare ?

Post by Booklady »

I have been watching this thread with interest as we are having similar issues. My youngest DD was 7 in October - and really turned the corner on reading last term of Y1 - suddenly started loving it, and progressing well - at home at least. But now she has been on Stage 5 for goodness knows how long - and finds them, in all honesty, very simple and pretty boring! I waited and waited - as I have had issues with challenging this in the past with older DD - who now at 10 has a reading age of 15! - but nothing changed. We just read other stuff at home, and I wrote in her book how well DD was reading & understanding,with great expression etc etc Then a few weeks ago I dared to write that she needed, in my opinion, to be reassessed - as the books she is getting seem too easy. Got a rather patronising little note back saying they were fine - and they would reassess her at some point soon! This has not yet happened, and we remain doing, it seems, every single book in stage 5! At least once she has read it once we get another one - so book is changed every day!

But now I read she should really be on Stage 7-9 at least by now (which she is capable of reading - we have some this level at home) - so what on earth are school doing! I have long known they do not challenge the more able kids enough - which is why we are considering moving her to a good local private in Y4 - in preparation for the 11+ part 2! I sense an interesting conversation coming on at parents evening shortly!!! :lol:
scarlett
Posts: 3664
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:22 am

Re: Am I turning into a teachers nightmare ?

Post by scarlett »

Youngmum, are you sure they are adults signatures? My children mainly read to other children often only a year above...although funnily enough most seem to write that my daughter read well and should have a new book ! Maybe I'll talk to them about moving my daughter up a stage.
doodles
Posts: 8300
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:19 pm

Re: Am I turning into a teachers nightmare ?

Post by doodles »

Do you know what, if you've tried the teacher to no avail then I would go to the head. They are supposedly in charge and the one thing you don't want is your DC being put off by a rather negative teacher.

When DS1 was in the junior part of his school I went to see the Head about something and as a secondary comment just said "you might like to look at some of the book choices in that year too, they are truly boring and guaranteed to put any child off reading"! (or words to that effect) and he did and they were changed/topped up. If I hadn't mentioned it he wouldn't have known.

I am in the mood for direct action at the moment, as you might have noticed :oops: and fed up with being fobbed off :?

But please do think about going to the head if you get no joy from the form teacher.
scarlett
Posts: 3664
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:22 am

Re: Am I turning into a teachers nightmare ?

Post by scarlett »

I've tried the head she basically tells me to ask the teacher because she doesn't know anything about my child...in a school of only 60 pupils...yes, really.
doodles
Posts: 8300
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:19 pm

Re: Am I turning into a teachers nightmare ?

Post by doodles »

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

How can you not know children in your school when they only number 60?

I think you should ask for a formal meeting with the head and the class teacher together. If it is a formal meeting they will both have time to prepare and do THEIR homework and possibly even talk to each other. :lol:
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