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.

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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.

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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

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!

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.

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.