My DS has just started his prep year (end of second week) and we are noticing some really bad behavior - not listening to the teacher, walking away from the teacher when she is trying to teach etc. He has been put into time out as well but not sure what for along with a few other things

When I asked him why he was doing this he said he was 'bored'.
Im not sure if it could be the fact that he was in daycare in NZ which teach them letters,numbers & colours etc where as daycare over here seems to be play time and the prep year teaches letters, numbers & colours etc or the big move (4 months ago) or something completely different.

I spent 2 hours in his classroom on Wednesday helping out and I did notice that quite a few of the other kids in his class needed extra help with learning colours and how to write their name & form basic letters all things that DS does know.

I dont want to be making excuses for bad behavior and I want to find a way to help the poor teacher (and DS)
Im going to make an appointment to talk to his teacher rather than the quick 1 minute conversations at drop off & pickups but has anyone ever had anything like this before?
Any suggestions? anything I should be asking her to do/look out for or anything that I can do?

For those of you who are teachers - do any of you teach the new entrants/first year kids? How do you establish if the child is in the right class/year?

It could be that the first few weeks are the teacher establishing the children's ability and skills and so there might be less stimulation for him but it sounds like he probably needs a bit more than what he is getting so a talk to the teacher is probably a good thing to work out what he needs.

There are a few parents on here who've experienced both NZ and Australian systems so I am sure they can give some good advice.

Yeah, I can't say for the Aussie system, sorry Sharyn, but getting in and talking to the teacher straight away is a good plan.

It is odd that he is openly defiant towards the teacher so soon, that speaks more to her behaviour management than anything, I see he has been in time out, what does he feel about that?

Yes I must say that him being openly defiant so early on is a bit of a concern to me.

I had a quick chat with the teacher today at pickup time and he has been very good (even got a stamp for good behavior) she said that she cant remember why he went into time out yesterday (she doenst stress too much about it in the first two weeks of the year but from next week she records everything) but she thinks it might be because he keeps playing with things that are not his ie pens on the shelves when he should be sitting on the floor quietly etc.

Im going to help out in his room again on Monday morning so I will see how things are going as well.

I just want to get ontop of it now rather than have a real handful in a few months.

Interesting choice for time out! Well I hope that she has some other tools up her sleeve if she uses that for touching pens. Good idea to spend more time helping out in class.

I believe it was a 3rd offense punishment being put into time out - ie he had already been told off twice for not listening but yes I will spend a couple of hours up there on Monday and see how it goes.

What age is 'prep' in Australia? Five?

I've taught Year one and a bit of NE - if I put someone in time out every time a NE touched my pens, I wouldn't have had a class to teach!

I'd talk to her to see what was happening - if she was still testing (normal at this time of year) then within a week or so would expect things to settle as he began to do work more targeted at his ability...

Thanks for that Liljay.

Over here all the kids that are 5 or turn 5 before the end of June start school at the beginning of the year. DS is 5yrs 3mths.

Apparently he didnt go into time out 'for touching the pens' it was because it was the 3rd time he was doing something that he was told to not to do and wouldnt stop so he went into time out for not listening.

Have you come across an NE who is defiant in the first couple of weeks? DH was googling and he believes its a sign of something going on (bullying or similar) but I think its more of a boredom thing...

TBH Sharyn - and obviously, this is only as an outsider, I have never used time out in my NE classes. I use redirection, gentle reminders, postives around others behaviour, gentle reminders.

Even as a 3rd thing it is such a low level issue that it makes you wonder what other behaviour management techniques are in place.

I reserve punihsment (and I still don't use time out - maybe that is a personal thing, but I haven't even used it at home yet and have to admit that I am hoping we don't have to go there) for behaviour that affects others in a really negative way. to me, in the first week of school, there is so much learning going on, including how to sit when asked and do what is asked when asked. Last year they were allowed to do whatever pretty much (if it was like kindy), now we are jumping on them for doing what has been ok till now?

i just think, if it isused as a punishment for someone in the wrong place at the wrong time, what is used when something 'real' happens?

not wanting to worry you, but I also don't want you to worry that your child is heading for Juvenile detention either. Hopefully your parent help time will help you get a better picture.

P.S> I am well aware that different schools have different expectations: I am going to be much stricter at my new school than my old, for example. I still don't think that I would time out for a 3rd offence of that nature.

Thanks for that Felicis, its always good to have an outside perspective on things.

Its great that we have some teachers on here because *you* would know what was normal behavior in a child starting school - I only know what my child is like at home IYKWIM.

Im not worried about him heading for juvenile detention etc he doesnt have that kind of personality. He is too concerned about the wellbeing of his sister, friends and animals to turn into a juvie. I guess my big concern was how I help solve the issue of boredom/not listening in class.

Let us know what you see on monday, will be good to have your 'on-the-spot perspective.

Actually I did have one little girl last year but unlike your boy who probably just hasn't got into the routines of school and when to listen, blah blah she would punch people who didn't do what she wanted and if I asked her to do something she didn't want to do she'd yell "NAH!" at me It did settle but after I met her mum I could see why she was bolshy

What are you trying to say about me

Just joking

thankyou Liljay its reassuring to know that you have seen that kind of child before and they came right with a bit of time. He has only ever done 3 days a week of daycare as well so I think he might be finding it a bit strange being away from Mum for 5 days as well.

Oh well he has at least another 10 years to get use to school being 5 days a week.

yes and no - DS wasn't been naughty but his focus just wasn't there, he would chat and giggle and swing on his chair instead of doing his work - him and his best friend started school together and like your DS they knew the stuff they were learning - and both being younger siblings were well socialised and knew the school and the rules etc inside out - the class spent each day learning one letter and counting to 10 etc - used to crack me up bcos DS has always followed his big brother so was more up to memorising timestables (he could add like a pro b4 even starting school) so i can completely understand how colouring in the number 2 isn't very exciting - they both got moved up to the new class at the end of their first term at school - and that worked really well.

How did you/he get on at school today?

Thanks for that Cadiam, its interesting that moving them up a class fixed the problem - Im not sure if that do that here (with preps) or not but I will see how things go and maybe chat with the teacher about that around the end of the term. She is in the process of doing assessments of what level each child is at.

I had a very interesting morning in the class again. One exercise I have to do is help kids match 12 coloured pencils to a chart with strips of colours on it and tell me what the names of the colours are. There is one boy who would be lucky to match one pencil with the colour and he might get 3 colours. His parents obviously believe that they send their child to school to learn all this. I spent last Friday morning trying to teach him how to draw a C and an O (basic letter shapes) in shaving foam and he couldnt get that.

I had a chat with the teacher this morning and mentioned that we have been doing phonetics at home with him and he was spelling words like shark and while I agree he needs to sit and finish his work I think he might be a bit bored. She now understands that he may also be a bit bored so we will work together on this one.

He had a really good day so I will go back on Thursday and help out again.

glad you had some progress today. I reckon that first year of school and especially those first few weeks must be incredibly hard for the teachers to work out where everyone is at and how to cater for such a HUGE range of ability....... It really says a lot about teachers that can do this quickly and well.

We have been really lucky so far, i know plenty of others that have not

Oh that is great that you, and her, we're able to see that. Hopefully she can offer him more challenge soon, it can be hard getting the right mix of stuff for the huge range a class brings.