Would you be mad if....

[Mskanga]

Your dd's teacher put her name on the board for closing a book 30 seconds too early after reading?
Let me just start by saying that dd has never gotten her name on the board or in trouble in six years that she has been in school. Yesterday she says that she got her name on the board for closing the book too early after she was done reading her social science chapter. Last night we had open house and I asked the teacher his side of the story , to which he says the same thing, she closed her book 30 seconds too early while the rest of the class was still reading, no talking, no disrupting, nothing.
Then he says, oh, she didn't get in trouble , we didn't have recess anyway. BUT if they had recess, she would have been detained for 5 minutes. Is he going a bit overboard or am I?
If she had done something else wrong I would be the first one to tell her that she deserved it, but for closing a book 30 seconds before anyone else after she's done reading?
Oh yeah, and this is the teacher whose policy IF you borrow a pencil is to give him one of your shoes until you return the pencil, but in the meantime the school policy book says, shoes must be worn at all times.

 

[Minnesota!]

No, I agree with what the teacher did. And, I have always agreed with the shoe for the pencil thing. That way the kid will always remember to give back the pencil.

Don't sweat the small stuff

 

[Pin Wizard]

He could use a little loosening up. HE shouldn't sweat the small stuff.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I have to agree MsKanga. Stay out of the small stuff. Teachers have a very difficult time running a classroom and unless it is a major problem, they need the support of parents. One thing that they don't need is a group of parents undercutting them and weakening their authority with the children.

My response would have been "He is the teacher and when you are in his classroom you will follow his rules, whether you understand why they are in place or not."

Having her name written in chalk isn't a big deal, staying in for 5 minutes isn't a big deal. Next time she'll know not to close her book.

 

[tmq2766]

That is so WRONG........ I would definatetly have a problem with it....
As far as the shoe for a pencil that is just plain STUPID..... First of all the are not borrowing something of high value, come on...... What would happen if there was a fire drill and your child only has one shoe on??????
Maybe he has some sort of sick foot fetish

 

[nativetxn]

Don't get angry, Olga, this isn't important enough for you to waste your energy that way. I had a 5th grade teacher who did that very same thing, her point was that we were to follow instructions and that closing a book before the timer rang was not following instruction. She always set a timer. She liked to give those quizzes that start with the instruction: read all of the instructions before beginning this test. I took the entire test turned it in and the teacher gave it right back with an F on it. I didn't read all of the instructions and follow them--one of the instructions was to not answer the questions. I was really miffed about that one, everyone else in the class did the same thing. Ny mother just laughed and laughed about that one. Hmmmph

LOL about the shoe, though, I'll bet all of the pencils get returned

 

[Mskanga]

So it's ok to penalize someone and put their name on the board for finishing reading 30 seconds too early? And what happens if someone steps on anything that shuldn't be on the floor or better yet , there's a fire? Why not take something else from the student instead of a shoe?

 

[NHAnn]

The name on the board for the book thing--I think it was overboard but I think as a parent I'd let that one go--"small stuff" as others have said.

The shoe/pencil thing now...THAT would bug me...especially if it violates the school policy book. My assumption is that the policy is a safety issue. I suppose a kid slipping in their socks or stubbing a bare toe is not a big deal, but I'd be pretty upset if there was an emergency evacuation of some sort and my child didn't have both their shoes on!
Hey, how about writing the name on the board when they borrow a pencil and erase it when they return the pencil?

 

[Mskanga]

Teachers have a very difficult time running a classroom and unless it is a major problem, they need the support of parents

TBF , I'm all for that, God knows I support teachers and have never said anything unless it was a real problem, but the school district has a book of school rules, and it clearly states that shoes or sneakers must be worn at all times, so why would a teacher make them take one off for a pencil? why not take something else and not a shoe? I'm sorry, but some of the class policies are just a bit ridiculous. Yes I'm sure she will not close books before anyone else now.

 

[CamColt]

I think it depends. Was the class told to not close their books until everyone had finished, or a certain time or something? Or were they just told to read such and such a thing? If she was just told to read whatever and then closed her book when she finished then yes I would be mad because she did what she was told. But on the other hand if she was told not to shut the book then I guess the teach has a case and Id just let it go.

As for the shoe thing... I think he would be better off having the kids give him a dime each time they take a pencil and use the money for more pencils.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

Goodness - I never knew it was so dangerous to be shoeless.
I better go put my on right now. Flylady gets pissed at me anyway when I don't wear them.



I'm sure the shoe policy is the result of frustration caused by losing 150 pencils every year. When I was in Grade School the teachers used to give us pencils for Christmas so we'd stop borrowing theirs.

 

[CookieGVB]

I wouldn't question the name on the board issue - it's used more for drama than anything else. If a student has been instructed to be reading/studying/whatever until the bell rings, and closes the book beforehand, that means they are not following instructions. Now she'll know not to do that again, and will avoid getting into more trouble, if she was upset by a name being written down.

I would, however, question the shoe for a pencil deal - for the reasons others have outlined. It's funny in theory, but not very funny if someone was injured as a result.

 

[FreshTressa]

Sounds like he runs a tight ship! I say as long as she was aware of the rules beforehand, then it was acceptable. Although, it does seem minor to me as a parent, I know as a teacher you need to be very fair in your rules and have them apply to everyone.

You are very lucky to have such a well behaved little girl!

 

[Mskanga]

Actually cookie, the name thing doesn't bother me as much as the shoe thing. I told DD from now on , close the book last and let it go. But the shoe....??? How can the teacher change the schoolwide policy?
Thank you Tressa, my kids know that we don't play around with school and there are serious consequences if they don't behave in school the way they are expected to, my dh lets them get away with a lot of other stuff, but school is serious business at home, you don't play around with that.

 

[Megan's Mom]

I understand where he is coming from on the book thing. My 6th grade Lit class are clock watchers and when they think that it is a few minutes before the bell and it doesn't matter if I am in midsentence they start packing up. Not sayin that is what your daughter did but we have been told to teach bell to bell and I have to constantly remind them not to close up shop. The shoe for pencil thing has been around for a long time. I havn't done it in a while but sometimes you have students that are forever borrowing pencil and never return them so for those students I use to ask for something in return to insure that it was returned.

 

[mom2boys]

I agree with most - the name on the board is small stuff & probably part of "follow the directions". The pencil thing is over the line - especially if it violates school policy regarding dress code.

As for the comment that:

My response would have been "He is the teacher and when you are in his classroom you will follow his rules, whether you understand why they are in place or not."

I can't buy into that in today's society. This is how pedaphiles are able to make children vunerable. I don't feel that I can insist that my children do everything every adult tells them to.
The pastor at the church I grew up in is a convicted pedaphile. In hindsite, I know that a friend and I encounted a teenage boy who had just been molested by the pastor. A sheriff in a neighboring county has just been arrested for having sex with teenage boys. This past summer, a school guidance counselor was arrested at the local minor league ballpark. Someone had witnessed him following young boys into the mens room. The police were called & immediately set up servallence. The guidance counselor (previously a classroom teacher) was arrested for molestation.
No, I don't think that every person out there who shows an interest in children is a pedophile. However, I will do everything in my power to prevent my boys from becoming victims.
Sorry this is long - now I am off to get my flame retardent suit ready.

 

[Mskanga]

No flames from me there mom2boys, we have one of our old school custodians in jail right now for sexual molestation, he was in the highschool though.

 

[Gette88]

I agree with those who said the name on the board is small stuff. It wouldn't bother me. I've never heard of the shoe for a pencil thing but if that's the rule I guess I'd make sure my DD had plenty of pencils. I do think it's very silly and I'm sure in my town enough parents would complain that I wouldn't have to.

 

[AMClvsMKY]

In both issues I agree with the teacher. I wouldn't have a problem with either of my boys coming home and telling me about either issue. JMHO.

 

[FOJMO]

...this is TAME!

Try going through 12 years of Catholic school with NUNS, and your kid got off EASY! LOL

I'm telling you -- my knuckles still hurt from being "rapped" with a ruler, or having been pulled by the ear across the room! Oh, and I can't forget the sting of the rubber band on the arm!

It's a wonder I'm not deformed or something from all of that abuse! You can write my kid's name on the board any day of the week, when I remember some of the alternatives...