Teachers who "make" children walk during recess or P.E., for "failure to do class assignments" has lost it. Teacher directed P.E. is an acceptable measure to use to correct bad behavior, but for failure to do class assignments... No... contact the school Principal and inform of your displeasure.

Hi kwaldron62,
Just a quick correction. ESEA is the Elementary & Secondary Education Act. Sorry about that. It's late and I'm tired. Talk soon.

Hi kwaldron62,
So sorry to hear about what's happening with you and your son. You have to keep on top of the people at the school board. Remember, the squeaky wheel gets the attention. Be nice at first. You've already waited a week. Now you need to go back to whomever you spoke with and ask to see a supervisor or somebody higher up. You may have to go up to the political arena. However, you don't want to wait that long. Threaten to go to the media if something is not done. And if they still don't do anything, then you need to go to the media and tell them the problem. I'm sure there's some kind of reporter that "fights" for the underdog. As for your son being harassed by the teacher. Have your son right down the day, date, time and everything that happens to him via the teacher, so you can have a record of events that you can quote when you see the principal and other about this situation. Also, you should record every conversation that you have with these people. You may have to conceal your recorder because I can almost guarantee that they will not want you to record the conversations. Also, go to your local ACLU and explain to them what the problem is and see if they can send a letter to the school board stating that a law suit will be filed if nothing is done about this. You must be prepared for the heat and possible ostricization that you will get from the teacher, principal and possibly the school board. However, you need to stand your ground and let them know that you mean business. I hope this is helpful to you and I wish you the best of luck in getting your son the proper teacher.
p.s. I don't know if you know what Title 1 is but if you go to www.ed.gov, you can look up ESEA (Educational Secondary and Elementary Act). This is where all the Titles come from and there are many. If your school receives funds from Title1, you have the right to ask for any teachers qualifications. You should have this right regardless. Get this information and see where else she has had problems. Get this info and take it to the media if you have to. Hope this helps too. Good luck.

Hi Title1
we are in Claremont,California.
I dont want to move my son again. the first move we made after a bad divorce, we went to a tradicational school. first teacher was bad was type A personialty.
at the time we had just moved from a private school.
that is modeled after "Jane Nelsen" Positive disipline.
my son went there for 4 year's. where the teacher had respect for children and didnt try to control them. it was a progressive school. we loved it there. now we move 400 miles away. my son went to 3rd grade at one school. I had tried getting him into the school he is now
for they were full. so finally he got in this year. because I had heard so much about the school and there philosphy that was very similar to the private school we came from. teaching the whole child. progressive learning, we were both happy. now this school has got a new prinicpal and 2 new teacher's that have never taught in this kind of school. these teacher have only taught at traditional public schools. there are 5- 4,5,6 teacher's in this school I happen to get the new teacher that taught 7th & 8th grader's she is only 32 years old and she is very type A personaity. and there are 2 other teacher's that are teaching the mulitiage. I ask the pricipal I want my son moved out of this class to a multiage class and she said there is no opening's. so now I have talk with one school board member she said she would talk to the principal and get back to me I am still waiting almost a week.
the principal was protecting this teacher. I also found out that this is how the teacher got hired the principal knew her dad. so my child's teacher wasnt hired because she was a good fit and had taught in this kind of inverment. she was hired because of who she knew.
so sad. so now that I have talk to the teacher about her action and the principal I really think she is taking out on my son. everyday I have to listen to my son tell me. how he dosnt want to go to school. were talking about a boy that has always loved school. his scores are advanced. I dont want one crapy teacher with her own isues. take away loving school this from my child.
I have always been a praticapation parent and have been for this teacher. that is how I have seen alot of how this teacher is teaching. this year I have been on 1 field trip, helped out with a fund raiser, and have worked in the class room every wenesday's for 2 hour's.
and it's only oct. thanks again for listening. Title1

Thanks for the reply and the support. You know, parents today are, in my opinion, sheep. They go along with whatever is feed to them, never questioning, never reacting or taking action to remind these institutions that WE, the people, the parents, the constituents are the ones who they are supposed to be accountable to.

I am so glad that you are an active parent. Someone who doesn't lie down and let them keep running you over, no matter what "threats" they may imply, if you know what I mean. Bravo for calling them on it.

Thanks kwaldron62. I would love to try and help you out but I need more information. For example, I live in the Bronx, N.Y. and am part of CSD(community school district) 11. Are you in New York? If so, what district? If not, what district in your State/Town? Get me the info so I can see what's what. In the meantime, take heart and know that you are doing the right thing by being your child's advocate. Talk soon.

I faced a similar situation, I felt quite insulted with some of the things that my son's teacher would say. After a while my son started to act out, or misbehave to the point it looked as though he was ad/hd and the teacher would try to make me believe that he was. I didn't go for that at all. If you don't feel comfortable talk to the principal, than put your child in another class, or even another school all together if necessary.(This may be a trying time if he or she has siblings at the same school.) There is only a small window period in which a child forms permanent thoughts about school. Changing my son's school was the best choice ever for the both of us.

I love it Title1
Thanks for sharing. I want to know how do I become a child advocate. I really need lots of help. over here with my child's school. he has a very type A personialty.
its not a good fit for my child. everyday he says he doesnt want to go to school. this is a bad teacher.
I need more info on how to help my child. I went to one school board members she hasnt got back to me yet.
went to the principal got no help there. been talking to the goverance at school . need help here thanks

Hey mzgrif, here's one for you. My kindergartener tells me that her teacher won't let her have her snack because she didn't complete her homework. I told the teacher that she had done her homework because I DID IT WITH HER AND SIGNED IT. Because the teacher didn't see the pencil mark on one of the traced numbers, she assumed the homework wasn't done. AND she saw my signature to boot and still thought the homework wasn't done. She said she asked my 5 year old child why she didn't do the homework, but my child wouldn't say anything and just shut down. I have to wonder how my child was asked because if she was asked in a kind way, I believe she would have answered the teacher. So I have to assume that it wasn't a pleasant way she was asked. I will speak with the principal about this. In the meantime, it just proves my point that parents needs to be advocates for their children and not allow teachers and/or administrations to get away with these abuses that they perpetrate on our children everyday. I have first hand experience as to the lengths that these people will go if left unchecked. That's the main reason I became a parent advocate. I don't let them get away with ANYTHING when it comes to my kids. And if another parent needs advice and/or help, I am more than willing to give it and get involved. Remember, it not only takes a village but an active one at that!

I agree with kjdmom

Walking is not a punishment it's a form of exercise. When you allow children and parents to have excuses for why the child's homework is not completed, then you are to blame for the child's low grades or level of comprehension. When it comes to education everyone involved have a level of responsibility parent, child, teacher, and administration. I don't care how smart a child is they will look for any excuse in order to get out of homework. When teachers send homework home if the child doesn't understand that's when the parent should step in to help. I understand some of the parents don't understand themselves, but that's when they need to put their shame aside and ask the teacher for additional help or suggestions. Children need to know school is for learning and the reward is recess, gym, and other extra curriculum activities. It is really sad that teachers are held accountable for what the parents aren't doing at home.

I am so sorry this is happening in our schools.
what this teacher did is shame this child this is not ok
please take your child out of her class.
and buy her the book on postive disipline by Jean Nelson.

I DO NOT BELIEVE IN PUNISHMENT...THAT IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
A TEACHER SHOULD COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY TO FIND OUT WHY THE HOME WORK WAS NOT SUBMITTED? EVERY CHILD IS DIFFERENT.

I believe that communication is the answer, not punishment.

Hearing a lot of great ideas"pro/con", I speak as a grandmother raising 4 elementary children after 30yrs of being out of the educational loop,but one thing is certain, all children are different,what works for one is minute for the other, any form of punishment should be discussed with the parent, who knows what her/his child will respond to better; and yes depending on the severity ,children must learn for every action there is a reaction -positive/negative ,will depend on the choices they make.

Punishments destroy personality of kids.there are a lot better ways to teach kids.
I am mother of 2 special needs kids,my son is 15 years old and he is Autistic,Epileptic and ADHD.My daughter is 10 years old and she is Deak & Blind,Epilptic too.
My kids are with a lot needs I had tough time to manage my son's behaviour.
If I tried bad tricks like punishments I am sure they could become worse kids,but its not like that.
My son is so well behave kid now without any punishments.they need love or different way to understand the life,because they are kids.

I agree with you, michellea. That is my point. My parents taught me to "look before I leap". Unfortunately, in today's world, everybody leaps first. It's a sad and bad situation that parents need to correct before our rights and our children's rights are totally a thing of the past.

There are many reasons that a child may not hand in homework and if a teacher's objective is to teach and to help the child grow academically and personally (which I believe it should be), it is critical that he or she try to understand the root cause of the problem.

I have been in classrooms where the routines are so haphazard that it is difficult for even stellar students to record the homework assignments and gather the materials to take home. Sometimes the handing in process is broken.

In some situations the homework could be beyond the child's independent level - my daughter had a teacher that would send home homework for concepts she had not covered in class due to time constraints. Imagine trying to complete a math homework of mixed fractions if you had never been taught or had enough practice to understand the assignment.

Some kids have cognitive issues that cause havoc with their memory or organization. If routines are complicated or non existent they may have difficulty handing in hw even if it is done.

Some children have health issues, learning issues, home issues. If a teacher can understand these situations and work with the child, they can often blossom in the classroom.

Yes, there are some students and some families that just don't care. I can imagine that these situations are difficult to deal with. But I believe that most people - especially kids want to do the right thing. When they falter, it is up to the adults in their lives to identify the barriers to success, remove them and to help teach them and provide an environment to successfully meet expectations.

I prefer a culture of discipline rather than punishment.

sometimes the reason for kids to have bad grade and not doing good in class is because not enough support from parents..I know its tough to keep track our kids school work but we have to find a way to help our kids and make sure they did their homework daily and follow school rules..teachers punishing kids for a reason and if i am a concern parents i would go and talk to the teacher.. i will be surprise what the teacher will tell me and then i would have a talk with my child and do the best i can to make sure my child is not going to repeating the mistake i will always encourage my child all the way..and as a parent its great to get to know his teacher..

The conclusion that I have come to from reading all of this and what I have experienced with my child is that some parents just don't get it. The education of our children is a 3 way street. Teacher, Child and Parents. Last year in kindergarten the teacher went from sending home reading books 5 days a week to 1 day a week because a number of parents complained that they could not spend 10 - 15 minutes a day reading with their children. My husband and I have all ways made that time even before our daughter went to school and yes we both work at least 40 hours a week and have 1 hour commute time one way. It means turning off the TV, doing household chores after our children go to bed or on the weekend. Homework at any grade is so important to reinforce what was learned in the classroom. Parent involvement is critical. If you don't understand the assignment go online, what a great idea from prentiss2. If you don't have access to the internet read the material that your child has brought home, call a friend and ask them for help. I know that our children are doing things that we have not done for many years and may not have done at all or understood when we did do it. It is not easy but being involved is so important. As a parent we should know what is going in our children's lives, talk to them, their teachers and their friends, let them know that we are there for them, that they don't have to be perfect, it is ok if they don't understand something, work with them and their teachers to get over the hurdles. Communication 101, Parenting 101?

To Tracypen53,
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND, its the law... As an academic instructor I must admit that I didn't author or signed it into law, as for my views about it? I never bite the hand that feeds me. I'm just as old school as you are but I recognize my role as an academic instructor and the restrictions I am bound by. Yes, teachers should keep parents informed and advised of the acts/actions of their children, and parents should take responsibility of their children's behavior. This includes, and isn't limited too, abusive and destructive language directed toward and against peers and adult authority figures. Also abusive and destructive behavior directed against peers, adult authority figures, and property. Children's failure to comply with parental and school officials directions and constructive advice. Yes, children have personal problems within their lives. Many of these problems are family related and this cuts to the heart in a large way, especially when it relates to parental love and respect. Many thoughts run through a child's mind, and they are uncontrollable... Communication between teacher and child sometimes won't solve the problem, but a teacher can provide "food for thought" in which the child may learn from. Michellea wrote, "Is it plausible that there is a good reason that a child did not complete (the) homework, or completed the homework but failed to hand it in?" Yes, there is a reason, and a great percentage of it settles within the notion... "I don't understand how to do it..." As a parent and an academic instructor I have the privilege of living on both sides of the arena. There were a lot of evening when my daughter came home and I enquired, "What's the homework assignment?" Her response was, "Some stuff I don't really understand..." I took the time and assisted by teaching the lesson in a way she could understand. If I didn't fully understand the assignment myself (some forms of Mathematics), I went online and downloaded "Algebrator" and together we learned how to do the assignment. I don't understand how to do the work is the focus of failure... Heart break interfers with reasoning, and the lost of reasoning brings about a lost in understanding.

Micheal P Floyd Jr., Ed. D.
Academic Instructor

I think it it is a bad idea to with hold recess. Children need time to relax and used up energy, especially young children. Why isn't the teacher making them stay in recess to complete the homework?

It seems to me that the teacher merely wants to single out the students who don't' complete homework. Maybe I am old fashioned, but I though bad grades were supposed to be punishment for not doing well in school.

If I found out that my child's teacher was doing this and had not contacted me I would be more than a little angry.

The NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND IS NOT WORKING... SORRY..
I do not believe in this at all. If a child is failing a grade they should be held back.. No questions. A teacher should be able to tell the parent what went wrong. No test that is given through out the year by the state should determine whether or not the child should pass or fail. It should be what the child learns in the class. No child should be able to disrupt the class or another student. I am from the old school. However, no teacher should have the right to spank or touch your child in abusive way. All verbal acts need to be between the parent and teacher. If the parent chooses the child to be included in on the conferrence the he or she may be. We as people have allowed our children to act the way they do as we work all of the time and we are never there for them. Most of them do not respect themselves or there siblings, or us as parents. This why the parent cannot control the child,
or maintain instructional control. I feel before we start putting blame on the teachers and other officials we need to take a good look at what we are doing. Do we spend at least an hour a day with our children. Do we sit down and eat a meal once a week with our children, or do we say we do not have time. Our lives are full of weaknesses, and oh poor me's. Hopefully you are not one of these. But please look, because we all have to. I know I did. Yes, we need PE and will always need it. Keeps our bodies physical and emotinal active. I agree.

I feel a child should have to listen to both the teacher and the parents. The teacher needs to make sure the child understands what he or she needs to know. Maybe there is a misunderstanding or some sort of listening problem. The parent needs to be involved and ask what happend and the teacher needs to be aware. Sometimes day dreaming was involved at that time. You just never know. A childs mind changes.

Is it plausible that there is a good reason that a child did not complete homework or completed the homework but did not hand it in?

NRC Products,
No teacher can, or should obtain permission from any parent to punish a child not his/her own. The State doesn't serve to punish a child, and a teacher is a representative of the State. Keep in mind, State Department of Education... As for consequences for failure to comply to class/homework assignments, the only acceptable consequences within the fifty states is parent notification via a telephone call, and documentation on a Scholarship Warning. A child has the legal right to reject academic instructions from an academic instructor. The consequences for such failure, if its continuous, is "Repeating the Grade". No teacher has the right, nor does the State, to impose consequences that removes the child from school required recess or physical education. Only the parent can impose consequences that are, and shall forever be, away from "Public" school.
Micheal P Floyd Jr., Ed. D.
Academic Instructor

Yes, I would agree with you if the children actually were punished. That word has a large spectrum from slightly to severely.
You can hardly call sitting at recess punishment. But I know what principles you are trying defend, and I am with you on the fact that a teacher never has the right to act on his or her own to make a decision to ever punish or act in any manner other than teaching a child. Now if the teacher were to call the parents and explain what had occured,and she got there permission to wash the floors, that would be correct protocol.

To KJDMom,
If I'm reading you right, you agree with the consequences imposed by the teacher, plus the consequences imposed by the parent. If this is correct... Thank you. Now, speaking as a 16+ year academic instructor, also 32 year U.S. Army Veteran, and a single parent of a first year College Student (see photo), I must admit that a teacher who imposes Martial Law on the acts/inactions of children without parental consent is a teacher playing with the lives of children and interfering with child custodial rights. Parents either provides a child with "Home Training" or not, and if not than appropriate authorities will get involved with such matters. Imposing rules of "No Work, No Play" interfers with mental and emotional growth that is controlled by nature. A child who doesn't do class or homework assignments will not learn the basic principles of Reading/Writing and Arithmetic and according to No Child Left Behind, such child will not be promoted. Teachers are to instruct the three "R"s, while recess and P.E. allows for necessary and essential mental and emotional rest between instructions. If a child refuses to comply, instructionally, than parents should be called for support. If the parent cannot control the child, maintain instructional control, than other governmental agencies are assigned to assist the teacher. The teacher should allow the supporting characters within and without the child's life to do their part in assisting with the academic, social, and family achievement within the child's life. That is why we, as adult, vote...

Micheal P Floyd Jr., Ed. D.
Academic Instructor

The kids that don't do their homework or class work are the ones that have to walk during recess. Well they would be abele to have recess like everybody else if the finished their work. No work no play. shouldnt take long before they are all doing there work. If there was no punishment for not doing homework nobody would do it. Now

Students who fail to turn in class or homework assignments should be punished by their parents. Recess and P.E. are difference classes, away from the academics placed upon the children. A teacher who imposes such should be reported to the Principal.

Micheal P Floyd Jr., Ed. D.
Academic Instructor

Sorry, I am not reading into this that the entire class has to walk if some don't get their homework done. I am reading it as the student that doesn't finish their work - has to do something else. At the beginning of the school year - most teachers are more tight with the rules - a no exceptions type policy - to gain order. Then as things settle in they have more room for flexibility or more chances to notice individual students struggling. I try not to read more into these questions than is there - but since many of them leave out key facts or are vague in nature - sometimes it is difficult. Believe it or not, there are a lot of teachers and schools that care about a lot more than numbers - they actually believe the numbers will come with consistent hard work both on their part and the students in an environment conducive to their learning. Everyone posting on this site is not from your area and could be looking at things from a totally different point of view.
And, yes, unfortunately in this day and age - part of an educators job is to teach organization and responsibility - things that are supposed to be taught in the home - but quite often are not - so if you do teach these things in your home - understand the 3 children sitting around your child may not be as lucky - so the teacher works on such skills in the classroom including decision-making and rewards or consequences.
I do know when my child isn't turning in an (even just one) assignment and has received the consequence because the teacher sends a note that I have to sign to keep track - but my children also have to serve the consequence that the teacher has deemed appropriate and communicated (yep, they do that too) to the students and parents who chose to listen.
Once again, being involved does not mean fighting every method a teacher uses that is not in line with your home discipline - it means communication and support - sometimes even when you don't agree (you know like when you don't like a decision Dad made but you back him up not to discredit him in front of your shared children - but you talk to him about it in private later.)

this happened to my daughter in the fourth grade and she began to dislike school intensely. I think this is inappropriate and shows that the teacher has no ability to control the classroom and needs to punish the entire class to create peer pressure to enable the deficient teacher to continue.

If I had a child that was not completing homework I would be in constant communication with the teacher. Maybe the teacher could send a quick email or leave a short voice mail every couple of nights to let you know what is going on. The education of a child is a three way street at my daughters school: student, teacher and parents are all involved. Homework is designed to reinforce what is being learned in school. Does this child have a designated time and quite place to do homework, no TV or other distractions? What grade is this child in? Are they being asked if they have homework? The teaching of values should be done at home.

Bravo title1 !!!

Just recently, my son's ENTIRE class (6th grade) received silent lunch because one student claimed someone stole a $1 from her. If my children (4 sons) told their teacher(s) every time money was stolen from them then they would constantly be punished. Make any sense to you?!? Part of the responsibility of handling money is Not losing (getting it stolen) it!! Always what I've told my kids. They have to be taught--AT HOME--how to handle certain situations. It all starts in the home. Like title1 said, and educator is to Educate. Not that they Can't discipline when necessary and with parent involvement. No reason to discipline THE ENTIRE CLASS. Sometimes some parents don't want to get involved...then so be it! They shouldn't complain.

I agree with missy1988. Before an entire class is punished because of a few, the teacher MUST call the parent(s). I know that I have to check my kids' homework assignment. I don't have the luxury of a phone service that tell me what the assignments are. That seems to me like something that would happen in the suburbs. Anyway, if one of my girls doesn't turn in her work then I expect the teacher to contact me so we can see what the problem is. I don't just hand my kids over to the educational system and say "Do what you will to my kids". I let all my kids teachers know that if there is a problem that I am to be called immediately so it can be nipped in the bud. As for parent involvement, as I said in my answer to kjdmom, I am a parent advocate and I try to get parents involved. It's not an easy thing to do since alot of parents are afraid to get involved for fear of reprisals against their children. I'm not making this up. Parents have actually told me this. The fear is palpable and it's a touch nut to crack. I get disheartend myself until I remind myself that I don't do it for me. It's for the parents and children who are afraid to speak out for themselves.

kjdmom, you seem to have lost sight of the fact that and educator is just that. An educator! True, there is some discipline to be expected to keep order in the classroom. But that's not what's happening here. Instead of trying to find out what the problem is ie: Do the parent(s) know what's going on?, the teacher is unilaterally punishing the entire class because of a few kids that may or may not have legitimate reasons for not turning in homework and/or assignments. Dislexia could be one of the answers. I don't agree with punishing everyone because of one or two. My point is this, teachers today (in the Bloomberg/Klein regime anyway) are not allowed to teach the way they want to. They are have to follow a formula and that formula doesn't include getting to the bottom of things. All they want is to show high "success" numbers so that the school looks good. Teachers get extra pay if they have good numbers, did you know that? And principals get up to an extra 100,000 if their school has significant improvement as is evident by those "good numbers". I am a PARENT advocate and I, like you, am involved in the (NYC) school system. And because I question the methods that lead to the madness, I have had first hand experience of how parents are treated and really discouraged when it comes to getting involved. There are a lot of things that go on that most people don't see on the surface. But underneath, it is ugly and, beleive me, the kids' (and parents') best interest are not considered at all. It's numbers. And until everything becomes transparent and we have actual accountability from the Mayor to the newest teacher, we can expect to hear and see more and more outrageous things against not only our childrens' rights but parents rights as well.

NRC has made a point. Part of being an educator is to be able to make decisions in place of a parent that not only serve to enhance education, but allow orderly conduct in a classroom so students can learn. Being involved in a child's education does not mean you have a say in every single decision a teacher makes. If losing recess - or walking instead of free play is the consequence of not completing your homework and it is the rule for everyone - then so be it. Teachers have to do what is best to be able to help 15-25 students learn throughout the day, so their classroom rules may not be consistent with your home rules - but if they work to keep things going smoothly in the classroom that's okay. As children grow, they need to learn that rules are different in different places and situations - and that they need to learn to adjust to them or pay the consequence.

If a child has made it a habit of turning in Incomplete/not turning in homework then I believe there should be a conference with the parent(s) before ANY action is taken. That action should be agreed upon by both teacher & parent(s). Although, if there were parent involvement in the first place then incomplete/not turning in homework would not be a problem.

I'm sorry, But what ever happened to parents being involved in their child's schoolwork? I had 3 kids go through school. and I certainly didn't't't't rely on my kids word regarding schoolwork. There was a phone service informing parents what homework was given. When I went to school without my homework and had to stay after school to make it up, it was way better than what I had to encounter at home. And usually was punished for a week. The mere fact that you are mad at the school, not the child,for trying to give the students an education is mind boggling. Maybe the teacher should be fired for giving a failing grade on a test, because the student didn't study? I worked 12 hours a day, and checked my kids homework when I got home, nobody went to school unprepared,no matter how tired either of us were. Teachers rely on parent involvement, and students actually benefit from it.

Whatever happened to calling the parent to come in for a conference it work is not getting done? It's bad enough that alot of programs have been cut because of the so-called "budget crisis". And with the rate of childhood obesity growing exponentially, not allowing kids their recess is ridiculous. Whenever I hear "kids first" I laugh because they are the first ones to get programs cut and freedoms taken away. The parents need to be involved here and take back the way their kids are treated.

Absolutely!! Thanks to the dictatorship of Bloomberg, the school system has no accountability for anything. Principals, teachers, etc., do what they will and that's that.

Dear Scootermom2:

In my opinion,Teachers have a right to discipline students who aren't completeing academic tasks/assignments.However, the objective would be to get the child to do what is expected.Hence, in this case,the teacher keeping your child in from recess is an excellent idea.But,the child should be allowed this time to complete the work that is due.
Final result, child learns from their mistakes and others witness , "this teacher is serious about getting her assignments handed in."
However,placeing the children on some type of "Cardio Activity" Punishment is obsurd! A teacher can't even begin to determine if ,a particular child is physically fit to entail such activity.Therefore, this isn't highly recommended-what title does she hold,Physical Therapist? (lol!) Talk with the Schools Principal.

Good luck!

God bless,
Jameela10

What's the point is a question that deserves to be asked? I find punishment per say rather pointless when it comes to homework - does punishment get the homework done??
If it does, then the punishment makes some sense to me - if a child is kept in from recess to do the homework, that makes some sense to me. I think children need recess and I'd prefer them to always have it but if that's the only free time in the day to make up missing homework, then I guess it has to be.

But if the child is held from recess as a pure punishment and the time not used to complete the homework - that makes No sense to me at all. It also makes no sense if no one is asking - why didn't the homework get done? Has too much homework been assigned? Are the child's skills up to completing the homework independently?

In general, I don't like the idea of recess being with held. I find it important that kids let off steam to re-engage their mind for learning.

I believe that teachers also have to be very careful about judging why a child does not complete work. I have children that are quite bright but are slow processors and have memory issues. One has learning disabilities. They are very hard working, but much less efficient than their peers. They should not be punished for their learning style or disability.

If the situation is clearly a behavior issue that warrants corrective action, I do like the idea of losing a privilage such as recess, if the child engages in an alternative physical activity such as walking.

I believe it is appropriate to withdraw privileges when children show lack of responsibility. I think this teacher has chosen an appropriate response. The children do not get denied the physical activity necessary to them throughout the day - they just don't get to choose what it is or play with their friends.
My first grader's teacher makes the child call the parent if they are having a bad day (based on a percentage system which is immediate and visual) - the children don't want to have to do that so even the ones with regular problems tend to straighten up before they reach the magic "call home" mark. It works great.

Ask the teacher for his or her class rules and regulations. If this is what the teacher does to all students, then it is OK with a second reminder to parents and students.

My son's teacher takes away field trip from students for any visit to the principal's office. I remind my son each morning to be himself and listen to his teacher to avoid staying away from field trip.

Thanks for sharing!

I would imagine that more kids would be apt to respond to the consequences doled out by this teacher than the threat of bad grades. Not every kid has consequences to bad grades. Thus, this teacher is preventing the bad grades before they happen. Sounds like a good policy. if it happened often, then I would think a parent/teacher meeting would be in order.