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Jacksmommy
My love muffin!
Member since 1/07 5819 total posts
Name:
Liz
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Punishment ???
Today, DS (K) came home and told me that he couldn't sit still in his chair so his teacher took his chair away and made him stand. I am fuming right now because that is technically corporal punishment. In addition, she did not write a note or call regarding his punishment. I am not saying he shouldn't have been punished and he was wrong, but making him stand while other children sat was ridiculous! Right now I am fuming so I need some other suggestions, because right now I want to take off tomorrow, go into school, and raise holy hell.
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Posted 10/7/13 6:35 PM  |
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Millie3
LIF Adult
Member since 7/13 1280 total posts
Name:
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Re: Punishment ???
I would call her  seems too extreme
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| Posted 10/7/13 7:13 PM |
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Re: Punishment ???
I would email her, although, I really don't think it is a big deal. Kids at that age can't judge time, so you do not know how long he was standing for and she was making point.
If he threw a toy, she would take the toy away. If he can't sit still and is moving around, he can fall and get hurt. What's worse..him standing or getting hurt?
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| Posted 10/7/13 7:16 PM |
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stinger
LIF Adult
Member since 11/11 4971 total posts
Name:
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Re: Punishment ???
I can see why you would be upset. But before getting too worked up I would get the teachers explanation.
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| Posted 10/7/13 7:32 PM |
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BargainMama
LIF Adult
Member since 5/09 15657 total posts
Name:
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Re: Punishment ???
I would be mad. Very mad if my child came home and told me that. I don't understand why a note wasn't sent home, or phone call wasn't made. Teachers have to realize that we don't always get ALL of the facts right? Seems like such a logical and simple solution in avoiding fuming parents!
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| Posted 10/7/13 7:59 PM |
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Jacksmommy
My love muffin!
Member since 1/07 5819 total posts
Name:
Liz
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Re: Punishment ???
Posted by JerseyMamaOf3
I would email her, although, I really don't think it is a big deal. Kids at that age can't judge time, so you do not know how long he was standing for and she was making point.
If he threw a toy, she would take the toy away. If he can't sit still and is moving around, he can fall and get hurt. What's worse..him standing or getting hurt?
I am a teacher and wouldn't do that to a high school student let alone a k student. I think taking my child's chair away to make him stand makes him subject to ridicule. i dont know how long this was but even ten seconds is too long. As for falling and getting hurt, if she removed him from the situation, and had him sit in a separate area I would be less mad. And the chairs are like half a foot off the ground. I will be contacting her tomorrow. Above all, if he was disruptive the teacher should have contacted me. . I would love to email or even call her, but I have yet to get any contact info from her. I will be sending a note tomorrow And if I do not get a satisfactory answer I will be speaking with the principal.
Message edited 10/7/2013 8:21:38 PM.
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| Posted 10/7/13 8:20 PM |
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Lillykat
going along for the ride...
Member since 5/05 16253 total posts
Name:
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Re: Punishment ???
Posted by Jacksmommy
Posted by JerseyMamaOf3
I would email her, although, I really don't think it is a big deal. Kids at that age can't judge time, so you do not know how long he was standing for and she was making point.
If he threw a toy, she would take the toy away. If he can't sit still and is moving around, he can fall and get hurt. What's worse..him standing or getting hurt?
I am a teacher and wouldn't do that to a high school student let alone a k student. I think taking my child's chair away to make him stand makes him subject to ridicule. i dont know how long this was but even ten seconds is too long. As for falling and getting hurt, if she removed him from the situation, and had him sit in a separate area I would be less mad. And the chairs are like half a foot off the ground. I will be contacting her tomorrow. Above all, if he was disruptive the teacher should have contacted me. . I would love to email or even call her, but I have yet to get any contact info from her. I will be sending a note tomorrow And if I do not get a satisfactory answer I will be speaking with the principal.
Could he have been rocking back in his chair and maybe she feared he would tip it and hit his head? I would maybe email and ask for clarification as to what happened before I get too angry. I agree about being unhappy but maybe there was a fair safety reason for those actions. Once she clarifies then you can decide if you should be angry or not.
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| Posted 10/7/13 8:36 PM |
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Re: Punishment ???
Could he be confused? I would ask her first. It could just be a misunderstanding. My son told me his teacher didn't let him eat snack in kindergarten, or it was his milk. I don't really remember. Either way he confused or made up plenty of stories since he's been in school. I'm not saying it's the case with your ds but I would give the teacher the benefit of the doubt. Most schools follow a standard punishment, right?
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| Posted 10/7/13 8:42 PM |
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twicethefun
Loving life
Member since 7/06 4088 total posts
Name:
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Re: Punishment ???
Posted by JerseyMamaOf3
I would email her, although, I really don't think it is a big deal. Kids at that age can't judge time, so you do not know how long he was standing for and she was making point.
If he threw a toy, she would take the toy away. If he can't sit still and is moving around, he can fall and get hurt. What's worse..him standing or getting hurt?
ITA
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| Posted 10/7/13 8:47 PM |
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adeline27
LIF Adult
Member since 5/06 3121 total posts
Name:
Angela
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Re: Punishment ???
I would want a talk face to face. First a note sent asking for this meeting. IMO this was too far because this was to embarrass him in front of the other kids and nothing else. She could have given him a time out during recess. This was ridicule and could lead to the other kids teasing him. I would be just as upset as you. What would she do next?
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| Posted 10/7/13 9:09 PM |
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nancy6485
So in love
Member since 10/05 3363 total posts
Name:
Nancy
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Re: Punishment ???
Posted by twicethefun
Posted by JerseyMamaOf3
I would email her, although, I really don't think it is a big deal. Kids at that age can't judge time, so you do not know how long he was standing for and she was making point.
If he threw a toy, she would take the toy away. If he can't sit still and is moving around, he can fall and get hurt. What's worse..him standing or getting hurt?
ITA
agreed.
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| Posted 10/7/13 11:02 PM |
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Sash
Peace
Member since 6/08 10312 total posts
Name:
fka LIW Smara
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Punishment ???
I can see why you would be upset and fuming as the initial reaction because I would be too. But I agree to email the teacher. Maybe he was asked to stand behind his seat or he was doing something dangerous. Or maybe it was a severe punishment, but you will not know till you email the teacher.
I actually did this to my son a week ago. we were at a high top table at a restaurant and because his uncle was with us he was jumping and moving around alot. He actually almost fell off twice. I warned him a few times but he kept on until I made him get off and stand next to me few a seconds. Needless to say he sat back on his seat with no issue.
Obviously classroom seats arent so high but my point is maybe it wasnt that severe when you hear the entire story and what the actual consequence was. And if it was too severe then you can speak to the teacher to fix it.
Message edited 10/8/2013 12:15:45 AM.
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| Posted 10/8/13 12:13 AM |
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kerrycec03
Mom of 2 beautiful boys!!
Member since 6/06 13519 total posts
Name:
Kerry
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Re: Punishment ???
Posted by nancy6485
Posted by twicethefun
Posted by JerseyMamaOf3
I would email her, although, I really don't think it is a big deal. Kids at that age can't judge time, so you do not know how long he was standing for and she was making point.
If he threw a toy, she would take the toy away. If he can't sit still and is moving around, he can fall and get hurt. What's worse..him standing or getting hurt?
ITA
agreed.
ditto, I do not see this as a big deal at all.
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| Posted 10/8/13 11:31 AM |
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CrankyPants
I'm cranky
Member since 7/06 18178 total posts
Name:
Mama Cranky
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Re: Punishment ???
To your kid I would ask him why he wouldn't sit still.
To the teacher I would ask for clarification on what transpired and did she really take his chair away and escalate from there.
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| Posted 10/9/13 2:56 PM |
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05mommy09
Family of 5!
Member since 5/05 15364 total posts
Name:
<3 Mommy <3
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Re: Punishment ???
Posted by kerrycec03
Posted by nancy6485
Posted by twicethefun
Posted by JerseyMamaOf3
I would email her, although, I really don't think it is a big deal. Kids at that age can't judge time, so you do not know how long he was standing for and she was making point.
If he threw a toy, she would take the toy away. If he can't sit still and is moving around, he can fall and get hurt. What's worse..him standing or getting hurt?
ITA
agreed.
ditto, I do not see this as a big deal at all.
I would email and ask what happened... IMO if he was asked to stop several times and his safety was at stake- this was her only option.
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| Posted 10/9/13 2:59 PM |
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Jacksmommy
My love muffin!
Member since 1/07 5819 total posts
Name:
Liz
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Re: Punishment ???
Posted by 05mommy09
Posted by kerrycec03
Posted by nancy6485
Posted by twicethefun
Posted by JerseyMamaOf3
I would email her, although, I really don't think it is a big deal. Kids at that age can't judge time, so you do not know how long he was standing for and she was making point.
If he threw a toy, she would take the toy away. If he can't sit still and is moving around, he can fall and get hurt. What's worse..him standing or getting hurt?
ITA
agreed.
ditto, I do not see this as a big deal at all.
I would email and ask what happened... IMO if he was asked to stop several times and his safety was at stake- this was her only option.
So, I did send a letter (apparently our school district doesn't give out email addresses or contact info of any kind) and asked that she call me on my cell that day. She called the house and left a message for me to call back. I called at the end of the day and she called me back. She said he was rocking back on his chair and she made him stand and do his work for 5 minutes. I pretty much flipped out, because despite what a lot of you think, this is a form of corporal punishment. I ran the scenario by my own principal and she stated that she would have to write me up, if I did that to a child! I told her that that should never happen again, and that she should have contacted me if she thought it was severe enough to issue discipline like that. She told me she has 20 other students in the class all with little issues. At that point I played the teacher card and said that I have taught up to 100 kids at a time and still have time to contact parents (sometimes on my own time). I also said that she has several ways to contact me and she could have written a note or an email. For those of you that say there are no other options - there are several. She could have moved his seat against the wall to prevent him from rocking. She could have even moved him to the floor to do his work, if she was that concerned about his safety. I suggested that she meet with the OT, PT, and psychologist to develop a plan if this was such a concern for her. I also reiterated that if he is disciplined, that I would want to know, so that I can enforce it at home as well. I am hoping this is not going to happen again, but if it does, I will go to the principal.
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| Posted 10/9/13 7:02 PM |
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kgs11
LIF Adult
Member since 2/07 1424 total posts
Name:
Kim
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Re: Punishment ???
Moving his chair against the wall or making him sit on the carpet is also drawing more attention to him and subjecting him to ridicule. I'd rather have my child stand for a few minutes at his spot and continue working than have him moved, embarrassed, upset, AND off task.
Message edited 10/9/2013 9:21:31 PM.
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| Posted 10/9/13 9:20 PM |
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BargainMama
LIF Adult
Member since 5/09 15657 total posts
Name:
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Re: Punishment ???
There is a huge difference in moving the child to the carpet, or pushing the chair back against the wall, and making them STAND. Taking away a child's chair and making him do his work STANDING is abuse, regardless if it's one minute or five.
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| Posted 10/9/13 9:30 PM |
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KarenK122
The Journey is the Destination
Member since 5/05 4431 total posts
Name:
Karen
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Punishment ???
I would have no issue of having my DD stand. If she was rocking the chair, told not to and continued you lose the privilege. Plain and simple. Standing for 5 minutes is not harsh. If you said for the rest of day, yes I'd agree but 5 minutes....totally justified. I also do not think this is worth a call home about. It's a typical disciple issue in K classes. If a K or 1st grade teacher had to call home every single time a student was disciplined with IMO a minor punishment, there would be no time for teaching.
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| Posted 10/9/13 9:37 PM |
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sunnygirl
loving life
Member since 1/07 5413 total posts
Name:
D
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Re: Punishment ???
I am a teacher. I have never heard that making a child stand for a few minutes when they can't sit still or are rocking on their chair being abuse or corporal punishment. And as a parent I don't think I would be so infuriated if it was done to my child.
Also do you really call and send notes every single time you discipline a child, if I did that I would never teach I would spend my day sitting at my desk writing notes, I understand for a serious issue or punishment.
Message edited 10/9/2013 11:04:25 PM.
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| Posted 10/9/13 10:56 PM |
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sunnygirl
loving life
Member since 1/07 5413 total posts
Name:
D
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Re: Punishment ???
Sorry double post
Message edited 10/9/2013 11:04:03 PM.
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| Posted 10/9/13 11:03 PM |
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Sash
Peace
Member since 6/08 10312 total posts
Name:
fka LIW Smara
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Re: Punishment ???
Posted by KarenK122
I would have no issue of having my DD stand. If she was rocking the chair, told not to and continued you lose the privilege. Plain and simple. Standing for 5 minutes is not harsh. If you said for the rest of day, yes I'd agree but 5 minutes....totally justified. I also do not think this is worth a call home about. It's a typical disciple issue in K classes. If a K or 1st grade teacher had to call home every single time a student was disciplined with IMO a minor punishment, there would be no time for teaching.
I agree, after hearing the punishment and why; I would not be upset if it was my son. But I am also tough on DS.
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| Posted 10/10/13 12:10 AM |
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05mommy09
Family of 5!
Member since 5/05 15364 total posts
Name:
<3 Mommy <3
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Re: Punishment ???
Posted by Jacksmommy
Posted by 05mommy09
Posted by kerrycec03
Posted by nancy6485
Posted by twicethefun
Posted by JerseyMamaOf3
I would email her, although, I really don't think it is a big deal. Kids at that age can't judge time, so you do not know how long he was standing for and she was making point.
If he threw a toy, she would take the toy away. If he can't sit still and is moving around, he can fall and get hurt. What's worse..him standing or getting hurt?
ITA
agreed.
ditto, I do not see this as a big deal at all.
I would email and ask what happened... IMO if he was asked to stop several times and his safety was at stake- this was her only option.
So, I did send a letter (apparently our school district doesn't give out email addresses or contact info of any kind) and asked that she call me on my cell that day. She called the house and left a message for me to call back. I called at the end of the day and she called me back. She said he was rocking back on his chair and she made him stand and do his work for 5 minutes. I pretty much flipped out, because despite what a lot of you think, this is a form of corporal punishment. I ran the scenario by my own principal and she stated that she would have to write me up, if I did that to a child! I told her that that should never happen again, and that she should have contacted me if she thought it was severe enough to issue discipline like that. She told me she has 20 other students in the class all with little issues. At that point I played the teacher card and said that I have taught up to 100 kids at a time and still have time to contact parents (sometimes on my own time). I also said that she has several ways to contact me and she could have written a note or an email. For those of you that say there are no other options - there are several. She could have moved his seat against the wall to prevent him from rocking. She could have even moved him to the floor to do his work, if she was that concerned about his safety. I suggested that she meet with the OT, PT, and psychologist to develop a plan if this was such a concern for her. I also reiterated that if he is disciplined, that I would want to know, so that I can enforce it at home as well. I am hoping this is not going to happen again, but if it does, I will go to the principal.
Sometimes I feel like teachers are damned if they do and damned if they don't...
I have read posts on this very board where parents felt that removing him against the wall, making him sit on the ground (carpet), or separating him from the group would be considered "abuse"....
Had he fallen and hurt his head- then we'd be saying there was lack of supervision and why didn't she do something to prevent it.....
JMO- but first priority, should always be keeping my child safe.... (and then my son and I would be having a little chat about respect for the teacher, respect for the classroom/furniture, and on how the teacher shouldn't have to ask more than once) - assuming there was a warning before the chair was removed...
Message edited 10/10/2013 7:10:05 AM.
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| Posted 10/10/13 7:09 AM |
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BargainMama
LIF Adult
Member since 5/09 15657 total posts
Name:
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Re: Punishment ???
Posted by sunnygirl
I am a teacher. I have never heard that making a child stand for a few minutes when they can't sit still or are rocking on their chair being abuse or corporal punishment. And as a parent I don't think I would be so infuriated if it was done to my child.
Also do you really call and send notes every single time you discipline a child, if I did that I would never teach I would spend my day sitting at my desk writing notes, I understand for a serious issue or punishment.
I think taking away a student's chair is a serious punishment and warrants a note home. If the child is talking and needs to be corrected, entirely different issue. Unless the teacher is of course taping the child's mouth shut. Wonder if that will come next? Talking, only way to stop it right! Obviously I'm saying that tongue in cheek.
I applaud the OP's Principal for realizing this is corporal punishment. I am okay with the fact that my opinion isn't a popular one 
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| Posted 10/10/13 7:10 AM |
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ml110
LIF Adult
Member since 1/06 5435 total posts
Name:
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Re: Punishment ???
DS is only 3 so I haven't been there personally yet.... But I did work in an elementary school for 8 years.
Honestly, after hearing the story- I wouldn't be mad. He was rocking in his chair, and she took it away for a few minutes- NOT the whole rest of the day. You can only say "sit still" so many times. Taking it away for a FEW MINUTES ( again, were not talking standing up for hours!) is a good way to show him "ok, she really means it!" The same way that if he's being rough with a toy you would take it away for a little bit.
And I agree that if she had to write home about every little discipline thing, when would she teach?
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| Posted 10/10/13 7:39 AM |
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