Well, blow me!

[smallblueplanet]

...So many of our children don't know how they should behave, because they are allowed to do as they please at home.
I suspect that this may be down to (massive over-simplification coming up...) 'broken' homes....

You are joking right?

[Alison]

There also seems to be lot more people using diagnosis such as ADHD as an excuse for bad behaviour. Obviously I'm by no means an expert on this but it does seem a bit of a cop out in many cases (I'm sure not all before anybody comes back to me on this one!) and another example of people not taking responsibility for their (or their kid's) actions. Suppose a few kids like that in your class and any "normal" kid becomes a bit transparent.

[Two_Sheds]

Manda,
It's not a joke. These children are our future.
I am simply trying to understand and make sense of how and why these kids come into school with the attitude "I don't have to", "you can't make me", "you're not my mum/dad" etc etc

The 3 most troubled children in our class are not living with both their biological parents, and their parents seem to be at war with each other.They are lovely, intelligent, special children, but something is going wrong at home, and they bring their problems into school - we can't help them with their home life, much as we'd love to.
Of course, there are children of single or divorced parents who are doing an absolutely brilliant job...I mean no criticism of them. Just those who use their children as pawns.
(BTW, I had 3 different 'fathers', none of whom were up to the job)

Rant over...can we be friends again?

[Alison]

My brother in law and his wife are divorced and as a result he won't discipline the kids when they stay with him. The older one (12) is fine but the younger one (9) takes advantage and drives me up the wall. She is rude and incredibly naughty. I guess she is a nightmare for her teachers. She is a bad example and the fact that her parents are not together as exaserbated the problem as it enables her to play up. However, one of my best friends is a single mother through no fault of her own and is probably the best mother I have ever met, she amazes and inspires me and generally make me feel totally humbled in any of my endeavours. Every time I see or hear rants against single mothers (the single fathers don't even seem to warrant a mention most of the time) I feel for my friend and dread to think the negative effect it could have on somebody such as her. Yes, sometimes her son is naughty but this is not cos she is on her own (with very sproadic support, financial or otherwise, from the so called father), it's cos sometimes kids are naughty, nobody is perfect etc so we all (myself included) need to be careful when we judge. Another cup of tea is now in order, methinks!!!!

[johnty greentoes]

Having taken LJ's advice and had a long lie down in a darkened room (with a bottle of Malt) I think I have a clearer and less red-misty view of what was being said by other contributors.

I am sorry if I caused offence, and yes I didn't mince my words, my defence is that I feel passionately about what was being said. It wasn't just the idea that all teachers are rubbish that got me going it was the misunderstanding behind it (which of course is all the fault of the teachers I suppose).

I am a teacher; I am not simply paid to be one. Get it? Criticising teachers generally will therefore be taken personally. Daft but there it is. And so I have deep empathy with Two Sheds. At the risk of looking like I am appealing for sympathy I will say that teaching is an enormous uphill struggle some days, and sometimes the govt, colleagues and individual children get in the way of learning ... and yet the vast majority of us turn up faithfully because we believe in the children entrusted to us, their learning and their future.

Teaching means so much more to us than just another way to pay a mortgage. Here endeth the lesson.

[bubblewrap]

I think another reason for bad behaviour; food additives (E Nos) We never had meny when I was young .A change of diet for some children might? help.

[Two_Sheds]

I think all parents should have to do a week's work experience in a classroom.

Discuss.

[Two_Sheds]

I think another reason for bad behaviour; food additives (E Nos) We never had meny when I was young .A change of diet for some children might? help.

Most likely. Since our school banned sweeties and crisps at playtime (in favour of fruit, veg or real cheese), attention span has improved, behaviour has improved... amongst the children too.

[carlseawolf]

You will notice i'm not shouting in capitals any more .
Teachers have a tough time in schools i know this because my friend is a teacher and she gave up comprehensive teaching because the amount of abuse and went back to juniors where she could at least do some good before they know it all .
As a parent i do my bit and go to every parent evening and make sure they do there homework on time and to a good standard as for what they teach that is for the education board and teachers to decide as that is there job , i don't call the woodwork teacher to my work place if i have to hang a door to see what he thinks.
In this day an age when alot of parents work and you get a lot of latch key kids the basics of school life are even more important as if they don't learn it in school where will they , my kids are lucky they have a traditional stay at home mum and i work twenty hours a week so i see them off to school and home again and have home cooked food for tea every night.
These parents are not to blame for working so hard as the cost of houses and living has gone through the roof so they have no choice but both parents work to earn enough money to keep a roof over there heads.
How would you feel if in your work place people shouted abuse , theatened violence and throw things at you while you did your job , you would expect the person responsable to lose there job because if not work would not get done ,and the same is happening in schools up and down the country and all they can do is suppend them so they roam the streets all day board .

[NOG]

I think all parents should have to do a week's work experience in a classroom.

Discuss.

Parents should have to have a licence...and a theroy and practical test before they become parents.

And then if they rack up more than 10 points they get their bits cut off.

[Two_Sheds]

Parents should have to have a practical test before they become parents. .

I think they did have a practical...that's how they became parents!

[Two_Sheds]

parents are not to blame for working so hard as the cost of houses and living has gone through the roof

Yup. I'll never own my own front door. Even in a run-down town with no work there are people turning a tidy profit (private landlords taking over where the council (housing) left off. Thanks Thatcher.

Did you realise that every third person in this country is on Benefits?

[johnty greentoes]

Carl

I seems like we are all agreed that life is a whole lot more stressful for us all nowadays, for parents, kids and teachers. Make you wonder where the country is headed if all there is to life is working too hard to pay too many bills.

Still - there's always the allotment.

[johnty greentoes]

Yup. I'll never own my own front door. Even in a run-down town with no work there are people turning a tidy profit (private landlords taking over where the council (housing) left off. Thanks Thatcher.

Did you realise that every third person in this country is on Benefits?

So with no real political alternative to Thatcherism waht do all we malcontents do with our vote? I've been a member of Labour all my adult life, but I think I'm coming to an end of it.

What a depressing thread!

[Two_Sheds]

Thatcher's dead, long live Thatcher, huh?
I feel obliged to vote, yet there's nothing to vote for...?
Thank....something... for the allotment!