When Did They Cut the Fun Out of School?

I am a teacher as well, and I agree with what MC had to say. Most teachers feel the same way, but their are requirements we have to adhere to. I don't think it's fair to say that school is not "fun". My second graders seem to enjoy themselves everyday. You should meet with your child's teacher and discuss your concerns. She is probably doing alot of the things you want her too. No offense to your child, but evenif your child is somewhat bored, he needs to learn to NOT ACT OUT WHEN HE DOESN;T GET HIS WAY. That;s not fair to the other students in the class. Good luck.

Without knowing your son's special needs, just a couple of things. First of all, if you want more power than one person, join the p.t.a and attend the school board meetings once a month so that you can learn some of the bigger picture concepts trickling down to your son's school. Plus, if they see an informed and also, empowered parent, you will end up with more collateral in meetings, etc....those are the places to start working on the issues of lack of play due to testing, etc...because honestly, that's not something a teacher can change on her own- has to come from the parents to influence the policy. Second, regarding the behaviors, rather than punish him for things you think are appropriate, you might want to try modifying the homework or class assignments in a creative way at home so he is getting challenged more but I would not not emphasize the importance of behaving even when angry etc. in the classroom...because we all know that we had teachers who were too strict or too boring or whatever and in order to succeed we had to learn how to navigate the situation. But again, without knowing your son's situation, this could be totally useless to you. And there will be times in school someday when another kid is calling out answers for whatever reason and it dominates your own child's learning...so if you are frustrated with the teachers, read up on the different issues you are concerned about, get involved and start rocking the boat. Someone once told me that if I truly wanted to change schools that I had to get elected and at the time, I thought it was b.s and negative but it's true..if you want to really influence the policies you see hurting your child...plus, you are already seem very smart and diplomatic, just the type of parent to influence some positive change. Hope this didn't come off at preachy or negative, not my intent- good luck.

Being mad at home will not help the situation. The government implements a VERY strict guideline of what a child needs to learn before moving on. The no child left Behind thing is different but equally ridiculous, especially when children get older.
Talk with the teacher about maybe getting him moved to a different class because if one out of 15 students need special attention the one teacher can't tend only to the needs of your child.

If you are concerned about how your child will do in a standard school setting then have you thought at all about homeschooling him? Teachers and schools do need to maintain order and have testing requirements,etc. that dictate a lot of what they do. You can still get whatever therapy your son needs through working with your school district. Just a thought. Parents are their child's first teachers anyways. If you are concerned about socialization then pay a visit to your son's class for a day and see how little opportunity there is for socialization (especially without open-ended play and recess). The other respondent's pretty much covered everything else...good luck!

There is a state law in Illinois mandating daily physical education. Many school districts meet this requirement by promising that the students will get daily physical activity. I forget exactly what the criteria are for this, but the principal should be aware of how each teacher is meeting this requirement.

I am a mother and a teacher, so I have multiple perspectives on the issue.

Each school and in fact each district is very different. I can't really judge what your son's teachers are thinking or how they are handling their classroom. Most teachers I know are overwhelmed with the restrictions put on them and cry out for more opportunities for their students to play, create and to just generally have fun (without the constant need to assess their students). Believe me, most teachers want the same things you want.

I do have to say, that as a teacher, it is imperative to maintain order. Teaching children to raise their hands, although it may seem minor and stifling to individual creativity, is a MUST. A teacher cannot have children shouting out. Once the behavior is allowed once, it quickly deteriorates into a chaotic classroom environment- and that is not good for any student. A teacher has to concern themselves with many students at one time.

That being said, I think the other poster's comments about getting involved in the school PTA or LSC are good suggestions. We all need to fight for recess, more play time and creative activities. I know that my school has taken a stand and we implement recess, and other supplemental art, music and dance programs. Many of these programs are funded through grants, which were awarded to teachers who put the extra time in to seek the funding. Maybe your school needs to hear more from parents about what you want.

I wish you luck in advocating for your son.

If your son has an IEP, you are entitled to call a case conference anytime you want. I would address these issues in your next meeting. Advocate for them to give your son more challenging work. Maybe if he finishes his work in class the teacher can allow him to work on the computer or the teacher could find interesting worksheets/assignments for him to do to keep him busy. As far as gym/recess, ask if your son could be pulled out of the classroom by a special ed teacher to go for a walk. The IEP should be designed to best meet your son's needs at school, whatever they maybe. Demand they do more for him so he doesn't develop a bad attitude toward school.
Good Luck

My son has some similar issues, although his school is actually pretty fun and they do have recess every day. I hope you are able to find some ideas for how to get recess to return - I've heard of parent groups (in other states) going to school boards and challenging to get recess back, but tread cautiously as a new parent to your school district - you may be surprised to find out that lots of parents seem to think first graders should have longer days, more homework, etc.

It sounds like your son is in first grade? It's kind of a shock because it is a hard change from preschool and kindergarten. Anyway, if he is writing, you could talk to his teacher about having him start a journal where he can write down the answers he knew but didn't call out, and the teacher could discuss/praise him at some more convenient time when the other children won't be disturbed. Another idea is to have him keep track (in a journal or whatever) of every time he knows the answer but doesn't call out, by just making a tally, so that he can see his own improvement.

It does suck, I agree. I was with my son at a children's program at a museum this weekend and they were asking the kids to answer questions, and he knew something none of the other kids knew, and gave the answer, and I was terribly impressed with him and proud, but then he looked at me like he was afraid I would be angry (because he's always in trouble for calling out answers!) Unfortunately, it's not fair to the other kids if your kid is ALWAYS the one with the answer. They have to learn to wait their turn.

Another thought is to talk to whoever - special ed or gifted person - about "twice differentiated" kids, who are both gifted and have a learning and/or behavior disorder. You may be able to get accommodations, but every district is totally different, so I don't know what might be available where you are.

I don't have an answer about the boring work, but my son struggles with the same thing. It's not that he's all that brilliant (although he is bright) but that he has very few inner resources to deal with tedium. And tons of energy to take on projects at home, so he keeps us busy (right now we're learning about how to do your own animation because that's what he wants to learn about.) Good luck!