Help with Upcoming School Year

Sounds like a typical smart 5th grader! I think kids do get bored in class a lot! Our children in this culture are used to immediate everything and when they aren't being stimulated by something "they get bored". How about meeting w/the new teacher before school starts or right away and come up w/a plan to give him extra more challenging things to challenge him in the classroom. Or have him tutor a student who is struggling when he gets finished w/his work. I would also support the school's decision to have natural and logical consequences for "sneaky behaviors" and follow up at home w/a consequence too! Hope this is helpful! T.

Jenn I would be honest talk to the school counselor or principal. Explain the situation. Maybe your child needs more challaging things. Sometimes teaches love to help with this. Do you have any problems with your child and any other students? I 'm not sure and I'm not a doctor but I have a friend who's son is like that and he has been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD I'm not saying that their is something wrong with him. But keep all your options open.

From a teacher's perspective (I am a 4th grade teacher), communication with the parent is key! I believe you should talk to your son's teacher a few weeks after school begins. Give your son and his new teacher a chance to know each other and the expectations of the classroom. As a parent, you should continue to have a positive attitude about school and about his teacher. When a parent has a negative attitude about school or the teacher, the child can pick up on it immediately, and have the same attitude. If after a few weeks you notice the boredom or behavior issue starting up again, discuss it with him. Have your son participate in the conference with his teacher so that he is able to hear what is being said. Therefore, he is aware of any consequences that will result in a negative behavior. He is also aware that parent and teacher are on the same team and are working together.

As far as being bored with the routine, he just needs to get used to having routines in his life. As a teacher, it is extremely difficult to rearrange schedules every single day. Students need stability in the classroom, and forming a solid routine is one of the ways to achieve success in the classroom. Otherwise, it would be utter chaos in the room.

Just remember that communication works both ways! Teachers don't always know what every student is thinking and feeling about certain issues. Good luck this school year, and let me know how he is doing : )

I would talk to the teacher at the begining of the school year. A good teacher will work with you to keep your child interested and out of trouble. I think not being challenged enough or finding school too hard can be the biggest reasons children get in trouble. Good luck!!

I think the acting out is simply because he's bored with the lessons. Since he is in advanced classes, it's apparant that he is smart, but maybe the school is not challenging him enough. Talk to the teacher at the beginning of the year and let her know of your concerns, we have a very smart soon to be 2nd grader on our hands, and we have made sure to tell the teachers at the beginning of every year that he needs to be kept challenged. Most teachers worth their salt will appreciate the parental involvement, and will do everything within their limits to ensure that he's constantly learning. Talk to them now before they start throwing the "ADD" label around.

That being said, you still need to sit your son down and talk with him. Outline your expectations of his behavior while he's at school, and stress that even if he thinks he knows everything that the teacher is talking about, that he still needs to pay attention because he might miss something important. Make sure that he knows that there will be repercussions for bad beahvior in school. Offer rewards for good behavior, something as simple as a night out to McDonalds, or a movie, for each quarter that he has few/no behavior issues.