roanna Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 My son who is 5 is in his first "classroom" experience at church in a K-2nd class. My husband picked him up from class and heard the teacher saying to him that she would not be calling on him next week and that he would not be able to answer questions because he answered all the questions this week. The teacher wants the other kids to be able to answer. We asked our son about it and he said that the other kids didn't know the answers so he volunteered to answer. One of the questions was...God wrestled with Jacob whose name was then called _____? My son answered Israel , which is the correct answer. He went on to answer other questions the other children could not answer. Anyhow, this is not something I am overly upset about, but I guess I feel that he is being punished for knowing the answers and is now not allowed to answer anything next week. I guess out of this 2 things.... I am glad I am homeschooling him because I think this would probably happen in public school and he would begin to learn that it's not good to know the answers. Secondly, I know the teacher means well but my son is not obnoxious, it's just a hobby of his to read Bible stories, but I don't think she realizes that what kind of message this sends to him. I think next week what will probably happen is that the kids still won't know the answers and my son will just have to sit there and then the teacher will finally answer for them???? I may write a nice little email to the teacher asking if he can be limited to just answering one question a week so that he doesn't feel punished. I know you guys have all gone through stuff like this but he's 5 and we're just beginning this process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 I've taught the 3-4 year old class at my church, and the way we handle questions is to go around the room, having each child get a turn to answer the question. If that child doesn't know the answer, THEN anyone can raise their hand to answer. It has worked really well. When I was teaching, there was one child that always knew ALL the answers (and had his memory work memorized completely by the next class 3 days later, even if it was an entire chapter that most kids will spend a few weeks memorizing). It wasn't a problem though, because we just went around the table, making sure each child got a turn. Sometimes I'd go a little out of order if I knew a really hard question would land on a kid that was younger and not as good at answering questions. Then I'd give the hardest question to the kid mentioned above. ;) Btw, your son and my son would probably get along well. He was reading a Bible timeline recently, and then in Bible Drill Class yesterday (where the preacher has various games that involve answering questions - for ages 5 through high school all in the same group), he got to "steal" a question that a middle school girl couldn't answer. The answer was Ishbosheth! I think he surprised everyone on that one. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 Try to see the other side though, too. My 3.5 year old is bright and when she goes to her preschool-type thing each week, she knows the majority of the answers. However, she has fairly severe social anxiety, and it takes her a second to work up the nerve to say the answer. We have a boy who yells out the answer to everything immediately, and my dd never gets a chance to answer anything. You don't want your son to feel "punished" for not being able to answer anything, but I also don't want my dd to feel stupid because of her shyness. I agree that the teacher should just take turns calling on students. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roanna Posted October 25, 2011 Author Share Posted October 25, 2011 We'll see what happens, he's only been in this class for a month. I really like the women that help out down there so I know they are not being mean all. My son also has social anxieties, refusing to play at playgrounds, wouldn't go through a hotel buffet this morning for fear that other kids might be there, etc... but he feels comfortable in our church because it is small and there are not very many children in his class. I wish there were more kids for him to play with like he is but I know it's good for him to be around all sorts. I appreciate comments, it helps me to see different angles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketgirl Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 Wow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 I may write a nice little email to the teacher asking if he can be limited to just answering one question a week so that he doesn't feel punished. I completely agree with you that this is a concern. But I would suggest talking to the teacher in person rather than by e-mail. This is the sort of thing that can be easily misconstrued in an e-mail. And if offense is taken, you may not know it, but your son may suffer for it. Talking to the teacher in person will allow you to express appreciation for her time and efforts as a teacher, and you will be able to fend off any possible feelings of offense before they fester. I would suggest having the teacher over for dinner, and then just asking, "So my son mentioned that he was not allowed to answer questions in your class anymore?" Talk over it a little, and then serve dessert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roanna Posted October 25, 2011 Author Share Posted October 25, 2011 Thanks, I didn't really think what I would say would be taken bad so I thought email would be ok but I think you're right. I just wanted to be able to talk to her before Sunday but I'll wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acurtis75 Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 My dd who is now 6 sounds a lot like your son. I can say as a parent who is very proud of her that when I teach the her class once a month it's quite a challenge to deal with. Not only does she know answers that others don't...she's perfectly happy to blurt them out without waiting her turn. Unfortunately, the other children are usually content to let her do all the answering. When I'm teaching I would like to know that all the children are engaged and attempting to answer. I've spent a lot of time working with dd about being patient, polite and waiting her turn. I try to balance letting her answer some of the questions with making sure everyone participates. One thing I've done lately is to address particular questions directly to a specific person. That gives everyone a chance to attempt to answer. I also give her the more difficult questions so she'll feel challenged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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