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Primary education

Is it the norm for teachers to use the word, 'naughty' to describe pupils' behaviour

93 replies

Goldenbear · 27/02/2013 12:51

My DS is in Year 1 at a school that I thought had a fairly progressive and liberal ethos with regards to Education. Therefore, I was quite surprised to hear from DS on a few occasions that one of his teachers regularly describes other pupils behaviour as being 'naughty' and then proceeds to write their names on the 'Sun and Cloud' (discipline system). Is it still acceptable to just label someone as 'being naughty' in a classroom?

Equally, she has told some of the class to be 'more resourceful', is this ever an appropriate response to 5/6 year olds? She didn't say it to my DS but he asked me what it mean't.

She did tell my DS to, 'move out of the way' when all he was doing was standing at the front of a queue near a door. She also put him on the 'Sun and Cloud' without warning as he began to sound out a word (didn't finish it) when they were sat around a table and she had told them to read but not out loud. He has not once been on the 'Sun and Cloud' throughout infant school- I think her reaction was very harsh considering they're learning to read.

All of these things combined make me think she is not very professional, should I say something to her directly?

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learnandsay · 27/02/2013 12:56

I would say "pick your battles." None of this sounds particularly important. If you start to argue with her about trivial things or simple matters of opinion you may well find it much harder to get her attention when something genuinely important arises.

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FelicityWasCold · 27/02/2013 13:00

Very very petty.

If she was describing 'behaviour' as naughty and not the child themselves I don't see an issue.

'More resourceful' bit of a long word for ks1 but could have been appropriate in context.

Your DC is presumably the witness here- and IME the subtleties of who got a warning when are often lost in the retelling.

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Goldenbear · 27/02/2013 13:04

My Mum was a teacher and seems to think these things are not petty- I suppose that is why i'm deliberating.

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ubik · 27/02/2013 13:04

You get a very patchy idea of what goes on in a classroom from your children - mine come out with bizarre stories.

And maybe children are being naughty and needs to be told this behaviour is unacceptable. Just a thought.

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Goldenbear · 27/02/2013 13:08

My DS has an outstanding memory and sophisticated understanding of things way beyond his years- according to the teacher at the last parents' evening and so I think his interpretations are probably pretty accurate but if I'm being petty then fair enough.

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whistleahappytune · 27/02/2013 13:12

How would you describe unacceptable behaviour if not "naughty"? Genuine question.

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FelicityWasCold · 27/02/2013 13:15

Sophisticated understanding way beyond his years could apply to academic work rather than social understanding, but even if it does relate to social understanding- way beyond his years could be similar to that of a 8,9,10,11 year old. Who couldn't be entirely relied upon in this situation either.

'Move out the way' or 'move out the way'. Imagine if you will the variety of tones of voice that it is possible to say that phrase in. It is not in itself offensive- it depends on context, tone and body language.

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Goldenbear · 27/02/2013 13:29

Wouldn't you say what is wrong with the behaviour.

Felicity, he told me about the, 'move out of the way' comment because he was explaining initially how the teacher didn't practice the school rules of being polite in your manner. Basically, unbeknown to him he was describing the double standards at play. I found it quite amusing that he thought a 'please' should be added to quite a rude assertion, whatever 'tone' it is said in.

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Goldenbear · 27/02/2013 13:31

I wouldn't say, 'move out of the way' if I wanted to open a door at work- it is rude however you say it. It is the words being said not the tone.

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FelicityWasCold · 27/02/2013 13:37

I would say what was wrong with the behaviour, I might say 'we don't throw things in this classroom because it is naughty, somebody might get hurt.'

Your six year old could be forgiven for only remembering the first and middle bits of the sentence.

He believed the teacher was not being polite- but, however advanced he is he may be wrong. Judging attitudes, facial expressions and body language is a very advanced skill- studies show teenagers often pick up totally different messages from adults than other adults do.

Obviously that's one of the many reasons teachers have to be as clear as they can be with children, but in the rush of a school day it is possible for things to be said in haste occasionally.

Why are you so quick to believe that there is a major problem?

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letseatgrandma · 27/02/2013 13:41

She hasn't labelled them as being naughty, she has said the behaviour was.

You're not going be one of 'those' parents, are you?

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Goldenbear · 27/02/2013 13:50

But 'move out of the way' is not polite whether said by adult or child.

My 5 year old wouldn't have a problem remembering the sentence,'move out of the way.' Sorry but he wouldn't, it is a simple sentence and makes sense in the context he was in- at the beginning of a queue on the stairwell, just before the door. It makes contextual sense that she said that sentence.

I'm sure there are studies shown but I would imagine that the research indicates people on either end of the spectrum for levels of understanding and he would fall in the upper end I would imagine.

It's the combination of things that worry me about her style of teaching.

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Goldenbear · 27/02/2013 13:56

Yes I probably am an interested parent but I've only once asked to see the teacher as my DS was being hit by a boy every time he saw him. DS didn't tell me, his friend did. As I was explaining my concerns to the teacher she was looking over my shoulder looking utterly bored.

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FelicityWasCold · 27/02/2013 14:01

Oh I give up. You seem determined to take offence. If you cannot see that the innocuous phrase. 'Move out the way' could be said in any number of ways this discussion is pointless.

My only remaining advice is - stop taking such a pedantic approach to your sons interactions with other adults. In the long run you will upset yourself, confuse your DS and irritate a lot of professionals.

As they say in tv 'I'm out'.

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Goldenbear · 27/02/2013 14:18

Thanks for that insight but you didn't answer my genuine question as to how the remark, 'Move out of the way' is ever polite? So you would say this to an adult just before you went through a door?

Like I said, I've only ever spoken to the 'professionals' once in DS's whole school life so I don't think I'll be annoying anyone.

Believe me I won't get 'upset' about occurrances in an infant school.

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DeWe · 27/02/2013 14:28

I don't get the worry over calling a child's behaviour naughty. I see naughty as being a bit mischievous, behaviour that they shouldn't be doing, but is cheeky no harm done rather than outright nasty. Like an adult offered a biscuit "oh I'll be naughty"!

A 5yo won't have a problem remembering the sentence "move out of the way," but he won't necessarily tell you that he'd been told three times not to stand there because the head was about to come through carrying a heavy box... Context is everything, and the 5yo doesn't necessarily notice the context.

And they use lengthy words to help them talk about their behaviour. This year ds has come out with co-operating, repect, collaborating (which caused some confusion because he sees collaborating as a bad thing, being very into WWII) enabling, obliging and several other words that they use to describe behaviour and such like. "More resourceful" is just the sort of words they use, and my ds loves the long words he can use on his sisters! Grin

Very funny when your 5yo is telling you "We need to co-operate on what we have for tea..." translated as "I want pizza and you're cooking something else".

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tiggytape · 27/02/2013 14:44

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Goldenbear · 27/02/2013 14:48

Yes but you still wouldn't say, 'move out of the way' to an adult at a door, however many times you have said the door was going to be used. Although my DS would've been able to recall very easily that he was asked 3 times as he is no good at lying. He is not a 'typical' 5 year old in terms of his observations. He just isn't - a lot of people have remarked upon it - his teacher in reception, my Dad, my brother (who has a son the same age) and oddly my DP's boss at a work family event.

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Goldenbear · 27/02/2013 14:50

With respect tiggytape, he does understand inference just like I did at that age.

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whistleahappytune · 27/02/2013 14:52

Mountain? Molehill?

I don't see why the constant need to remind everyone how exceptional your DS is. It's irrelevant to this situation, which isn't really a situation. Don't want to be mean, but really, there's so much else out there to get upset about.

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Goldenbear · 27/02/2013 14:55

However, it seems I'm overly worried about that and I'll have to explain double standards do exist and that he will have to accept it. This is essentially what I have told him anyway as there is no other way to explain it, other than intiroducing him to Orwell.

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ubik · 27/02/2013 14:55

He's not an adult. He's a child!

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Goldenbear · 27/02/2013 14:59

Well I'm trying to explain the context and how is it irrelevant, it is completely relevant. He is not exceptional at football, most sports, only 'good' at reading. Is that ok with you whistle?

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PopMusic · 27/02/2013 15:04

Ok, your child is remarkable for his age. Congratulations.

But, move out the way can be said said in a sing songy voice, even if its given as an instruction. (Try it.)Yes, it's an instruction, not a request. Maybe you can teach your DS about bossy verbs.

I'm also sure your DS is able to relate conversations verbatim. Or maybe he is only 5 years old and therefore, he doesn't always get it.

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MiaowTheCat · 27/02/2013 15:05

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