Is this appropriate in first grade?

amother

Fri, Mar 20 2015, 4:27 am

amother wrote:

Is it appropriate for a first grade teacher to tell the boys: if you don't write your name on your project I will throw it in the garbage.

DS remembered right after working on his project, that he forgot to write his name. He went to tell his teacher and she shrugged, like "Oh well."

He was really upset tonight because he worked really hard on this project and is afraid that she will throw it away.

I understand that he's in first grade and at this point he should probably remember to write his name. But is it ok to threaten that she will throw it out?

DS is begging me to email the teacher and ask her to please not throw it out.

What do you think and how would you handle this? I would particularly appreciate hearing from educators please.

I'm anon cuz I discussed this with a few people tonight.

I am an educator and students in ever grade can forget to write their name on a project.

She could have been so much nicer bout it, especially when she is teaching 1st graders. Does she have no heart?

amother

Fri, Mar 20 2015, 4:30 am

amother wrote:

I am a teacher. First grade is a training ground for routines. Habits become routines with LOTS of repetition.
The teacher should state the instructions before the project begins.
Something like:"Ok everybody. Before we begin, everyone make sure to write your name.
Put your finger on your name." Then she can walk around the room quickly and see the child with their finger on their name. Or "Pick up your hand when you finished writing your name."
Throwing out their work without figuring out a positive way to make sure they are feeling successful steps on their soul.

Od she could say, "Hey, it's a shame we don't know who made this wonderful project! Does anyone recognize their work?"

imaima

Fri, Mar 20 2015, 4:32 am

amother wrote:

Op here with an update. The teacher responded that she won't throw it away but "I bet you now he won't forget to write his name."

Well I'm glad that she's not throwing it away. But what a way to teach little kids. (Putting aside the fact that she is not keeping her word.)

I once again want to reiterate having all your support. Thank you.

BUT WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL IF HE DOES????

Rolling Eyes

some people go into teaching to stroke their own ego.

Ruchel

Fri, Mar 20 2015, 7:20 am

Teacher here
I totally know that type of teacher
Very old school, one step removed from ruler on the finger Wink

The thing is, apart from that, her expectations and methods may be great and much less slacky than others. Or not. She might just be cruel or careless.
Sometimes kids remember with fondness the "scary" teachers who led them to do their best. btdt

imaima

Fri, Mar 20 2015, 7:34 am

Ruchel wrote:

Teacher here
I totally know that type of teacher
Very old school, one step removed from ruler on the finger Wink

I don't remember with fondness my scary teachers. I had a teacher who has hated me for all my school years. I was terrified of her.

I have a first grader and if someone said something like that to my DC, I think I would cry. embarrassed

seeker

Fri, Mar 20 2015, 10:24 am

Ruchel wrote:

Teacher here
I totally know that type of teacher
Very old school, one step removed from ruler on the finger Wink

There's a difference between scary and tough. I remember with fondness some of the teachers we used to dislike because they gave us a lot of work, challenged us, had consequences for not doing work - but I was never scared of them. You'd dread getting extra work if you forgot your homework, maybe, but that is not the same thing as being scared of the teacher. I also had teachers who, perhaps not scary per se or maybe I just wasn't so easily frightened, but definitely gave off a sense of dislike and those teachers I still hate, don't remember a thing they taught only how much we disliked each other.

ValleyMom

Fri, Mar 20 2015, 10:48 am

This teacher sounds very controlling. This is not the way a class should be managed.
Effective teachers do things differently.
Great teachers set up clear expectations at the beginning of the year and follow them consistently throughout the year.
Great teachers remember that the student always comes first.

Effective educators focus on the people, not the programs. They see programs as solutions only when the programs bring out the best in teachers.

That being said I teach and also have a rule that loose papers, paintings, projects etc that are not labeled with a child's name may end up in the trash as we have no space in our room to hold onto random loose items.

I always comment quietly... "I notice that you used several shades of blue for the sky- that makes the sky really pop in your art work! Be sure that has your name on it"

Right before the children go home I place all unlabeled projects, paintings, creations on a table and ask the children to see if they have any work that is missing a name.

Yes- we have lots of children forgetting to label their work but by the end of the day 98% of the work is labeled.

I then hold the last 2 unlabeled pieces up after our closing circle and ultimately I discover that they are "not important" and the child ends up declining to take it home (then it ends up in the trash after everyone leaves- or I hang it up because I believe that all their art work should be appreciated- even the ones that are rejected :-)

amother

Fri, Mar 20 2015, 11:01 am

amother wrote:

I have mild ADD. If I was that child, I probably would forget again. I hated those teachers.

morah

Fri, Mar 20 2015, 11:09 am

This is way over the top. I teach high school and believe me, every single test/assignment, SOMEBODY forgets to put their name. And it's never the same person, just very conscientious kids who make that occasional oversight. I don't dock them any points, even though they know full well by now that they need to put their names on stuff. I will usually just rib them a little when returning the thing- oh, I couldn't give you a grade, I didn't get anything from you! Then I show them the unnamed paper, they chuckle and say sorry, write their name down, and then I put the grade on the paper. Lesson learned, no need to do anything punitive. Kal vachomer with first graders. Even today, where they start doing serious academics the year before, 1st grade is still very much the beginning of a child's academic career. You're not born knowing how to do school, you have to be taught, and the early grades are the time to do that! Kids need reminders and nudges at this age, not punishment for forgetting something that they haven't really learned to do yet! If we expect first graders to know everything, why do they need school for the next 12 years?

sourstix

Fri, Mar 20 2015, 11:30 am

morah I love your thing, yes why need school if we would know it all. a lot of responses here were so good. I was really happy to read this thread. now let the teacher read all of this. so teachers out there please read it and keep this in mind. you have a great impact on our children and their futures. much more then you think. children are vulnerable and believe every word you say. thanks again for this thread. :D

morahaviva

Tue, Mar 24 2015, 10:26 pm

I didnt read all the responses, but as a first grade teacher I must say that it is possible that your son is taking it out of context. I once showed a little girl how to sit nicely when wearing a skirt - I said that when a skirt is longer, or you are wearing tights its not so bad, but when wearing a short skirt without anything underneath you have to be really careful to sit properly, esp with boys in the classroom. Mother heard "teacher yelled at me that my skirt is too short and I need to wear long skirts with tights"....

I have stressed to my students the importance of writing their names on every piece of work - whether it be a project, first draft, math sheet, etc. I teach them "first - thank you. Second - write your name" when handed a sheet. I tell them that if they dont write their names I will not know who it belongs to. At the end of the week if I cannot figure out whos it is, its a big shame, but it will get thrown out if nobody claims it. Maybe the teacher was telling them that so that they will be more diligent about writing their names.

If everyone hands in a sheet, and only one does not have a name I could figure it out, but often a child is absent, doesnt complete the assignment, or more than one child doesnt write a name and I am stuck.