<p>My high schooler has been back at school for about a week. He has a core class (honors) with an experienced good teacher (at least 20 years teaching experience). My son has been giving me daily reports. Apparently, this is the class from h***. It sounds like something out of “Welcome Back Kotter”. He claims that nearly everyone in there is out of control (rude, speaking out of turn, saying inappropriate wisecracks). I have a feeling this is going to be a long year where this class is concerned. I have never heard my kid talk about another class being like this, as he is in a very competitive high school. I do not expect this class to be an easy A by a long shot. Do I sit back, or take action? All suggestions are welcome. BTW, my son, of course, wants me to sit back for the year long ride.</p>
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<p>LOL. Huhhh? Is that a joke?</p>
<p>I think it would depend on several things. Have you spoken to other parents to see whether their kids are reporting the same things? The teacher is experienced but are these problems new?</p>
<p>I have intervened in a situation like this once, when S1 was in sixth grade. It was much later into the fall semester, however. The teacher, who was a first-timer, was quite responsive, and there was an immediate turnaround. It was such a relief. I was noticing a real change in S1’s attitude. But obviously there’s a difference between a sixth-grader and a high schooler.</p>
<p>He probably isn’t willing to do this, but could your son meet with the teacher privately and say that he’s bothered by the jokes or behavior of other kids in the class? Could the teacher not hear what the kids are saying from the front of the room? Not understand that their comments are rude? (Remember that many insults and jokes are the sort that only other high schoolers would understand.)</p>
<p>Youdon’tsay, since this is HS, I have no idea who the students are, so making contact with the parents would not be an option. I do know the track record of this teacher, and she is not known for losing control of her classroom.</p>
<p>corranged, I don’t think that my son has the maturity to say how he feels, but his teacher has already pulled him aside to let him know that his behavior is good (he is not being lumped in with the majority). The teacher is hearing the comments loud and clear, and definitely understands those comments.</p>
<p>Do you have back-to-school nights up (down?) there? This seems like the kind of thing it might be possible to ask about in that context, without “intervening” yet.</p>
<p>I am curious about what you expect to do. You say this is an experienced teacher who isn’t known for losing control of her classrooms. Based on that – and on what your son reports – I think it is safe to assume that she knows there is a problem, and probably has some kind of action plan to deal with it. Are you going to second-guess her plan this early? Merely confirm that she has one? Try to get your child switched to another class? Complain to an administrator who won’t be able to do anything about it?</p>
<p>What’s the concrete objective?</p>
<p>JHS, good questions. If I took action, the objective would be to get my kiddo switched to another class. I see the handwriting on the wall for the year.</p>
<p>OP, back in my first year teaching I had a student who let me know that she was bothered by what I was allowing to happen in my class. It was a huge motivator for me to change my management style. I understand that your son doesn’t want to say anything but it really may be the thing that makes a difference.</p>
<p>This is a tricky situation. Your son is in high school and it sounds as though you kind of want to stay in the backseat and let your son do the driving. Actually, I think it’s a good idea to let your son figure this one out on his own. You might try suggesting that he go down to the guidance office and speak with the guidance counselor about possibly switching classes. The guidance counselor will most likely ask your son why he would like to switch and this will initiate a conversation between the two. The guidance counselor can steer him towards making an informed decision. See how he does handling this on his own. If it doesn’t get resolved within a few weeks, then step in to help.</p>
<p>nysmile, I really never thought about this approach. That is food for thought. </p>
<p>historymom, thanks for your advice. I just sent a PM to you.</p>
<p>Update-Just talked to my son about talking to his GC. He wants to stay in this class for reasons that make sense to me, so I think we will just take a wait and see attitude. Thanks everyone.</p>
<p>I’m late to the conversation so you might not need any extra feedback, but here’s mine.</p>
<p>At my kids’ school they have an explicit policy of asking parents to let kids take the lead in talking about problems with teachers. Each kid is assigned to a faculty mentor, so the second step if the kid+teacher interaction doesn’t work out well is for the kid to bring their own mentor into the loop. If neither of those works out, only then are parents supposed to get involved. The idea is to get kids to learn how to talk to their teachers and advocate for themselves, which is a good skill to have.</p>
<p>In practice, I found that I had to nudge my kids a lot to get them to go to talk to a teacher in situations like yours. I didn’t nudge over everything - if it’s a big deal to them but not to me, then it’s their loss if they don’t want to go talk to the teacher. But once or twice, an issue has been big enough that I thought something had to be done. It took a month or two of gentle harrassment for my kids to take action. In one case, it took me giving my kid a deadline and offering to take the problem off his hands - either he could take care of it, or Mom would help. When faced with that, he took care of it.</p>
<p>Ask your son to sit in the front of the class. Hopefully he will be less distracted if the problem students are behind him.</p>
<p>My S also does not like it when other kids in his classes misbehave, which is why he stays in honors courses even though he does not like to work so hard! Since this is an experienced teacher in an honors course, I am thinking the teacher must have a plan. I know at our school those kids would be gone from the classroom if they disrupted multiple times, and sent to the time out room (that’s not what they call it, but that is its function).</p>
<p>My daughter had this experience with a brand new teacher. At back to school night she actually told the parents that she was having trouble with some of the students. They were refusing to speak Spanish and using English in Spanish class. I spoke up and told her they were yanking her chain and she needed to get tough.<br>
Next day she took them to the football stadium and told them, we are here because I am speaking English. We will NOT be speaking English in my classroom again. If you do, you will leave the room.
Seems she needed some parental encouragement to get tougher.
BUT this was a new teacher to our school. Not sure how I would hand this with a teacher who has that much experience. Your son may just have to grin and bear it.</p>
<p>ebeeeee, in a round about way, I have come to the same conclusion. It is so frustrating because he is there to learn.</p>
<p>It should all work out in the end. There’s a very good possibility that this teacher all ready has a plan. Often times when this is happening in a classroom with an experienced teacher, he/she will know what to do. My guess is that the first test is going to be an unusually difficult one. You should see the dynamics of the classroom change after they get their grades. The disruptive kids will either drop the class or buckle down.</p>
<p>LOL, I think you are probably right. I tough test might change the entire dynamics of the class. Afterall, this is an honors class.</p>
<p>It’s possible that the teacher is more laid back by design in the very beginning and then gradually gets down to business. I’d give it some more time.</p>