My child is being moved to a new class

[Anonymous]

So, my elementary school has shared the happy news that the school is getting a new class. The current class numbers are higher than they should be so a new teacher has been hired and 5-6 kids from each existing class will move to the new class. Great, right? Well, the same thing happened last year, too. Last year my DS was one of the students who was NOT moved. After the new class began my DH and I noticed that the kids with the worst behavior from DS's class were moved to the new class. When we observed the new class during an assembly we saw the teacher constantly reprimanding, chasing, reminding of rules, correcting behavior with the class, etc. It was easy to assume, right or wrong, that the other teachers may have culled their naughty kids and sent them to the hapless new teacher. Now it's this year, and my DS is being moved to the new class. I am so paranoid because DS is a good student who always gets commendations for good behavior and who is a good worker and pretty smart with school work. I am afraid, based only on last year's experience, that he will now be in class with disruptive kids. Of course I could be completely wrong. Talk to principal or teacher, or let it all shake out? My thinking is that once he is moved it will be harder to do anything about it but until he is moved I also won't know if there's a problem. Do schools regularly use a new class as a way to sort out the troublemakers, or was it a complete coincidence last year?

[Anonymous]

I think it sounds like the school learned from their experience, and they picked easier kids this time.

[Anonymous]

I think it sounds like the school learned from their experience, and they picked easier kids this time.

+1000
I've seen that happen in a school, too. Principal probably let the teachers choose last year and won't make that mistake again.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks, that makes me feel much better but I still wonder. DS has a really good friend in his current class who is super smart. His reading level is really high and he's just a really nice, polite kid. DS and this boy were in the same reading level last year and had the same "center time" assignments. But this boy is staying put and DS is moving to the new class. So knowing that kicked the worry and paranoia up a notch, too. I am driving myself crazy!

[Anonymous]

I was a teacher and this happened a few times at my school. When we selected kids to be moved, the goal was to choose kids who could “manage” the change - not the kids who had the most severe behavior issues. We were also not to choose all “top performers.” We needed more of a mix, academically.
It could be that your observation was more about the skills of the teacher in classroom management - not so much about the mix of students who were moved.
I am betting your child will do just fine with the move as you seem to be a very supportive parent.

[Anonymous]

Just be grateful the class will be smaller. He will be fine!

[Anonymous]

One more thing: I bet they are not pulling out kids that were pulled out last year. So, that probably increased his odds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was a teacher and this happened a few times at my school. When we selected kids to be moved, the goal was to choose kids who could “manage” the change - not the kids who had the most severe behavior issues. We were also not to choose all “top performers.” We needed more of a mix, academically.
It could be that your observation was more about the skills of the teacher in classroom management - not so much about the mix of students who were moved.
I am betting your child will do just fine with the move as you seem to be a very supportive parent.

This. Plus I'm guessing they're not going to move the kids who had to move last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was a teacher and this happened a few times at my school. When we selected kids to be moved, the goal was to choose kids who could “manage” the change - not the kids who had the most severe behavior issues. We were also not to choose all “top performers.” We needed more of a mix, academically.
It could be that your observation was more about the skills of the teacher in classroom management - not so much about the mix of students who were moved.
I am betting your child will do just fine with the move as you seem to be a very supportive parent.

Hopefully last year's debacle gave everyone a wake up call. Teachers should not be allowed to simply transfer students without regard for the "mix" in the new class. Someone dropped the ball last year and the teachers should be embarrassed doing that to a new colleague and the administrator should be embarrassed for not managing it better.

I would assume this year they are handling it better and choosing kids who can manage new experiences, maybe benefit from a change this year, be a good "fit" with the new teacher's style, did not get changed last year, etc.

Remain positive and encouraging for you son about the new environment while keeping a careful eye on the dynamics. Don't be afraid to ask about the choice if you have concerns. the administrator of a well-run school should not be afraid to answer you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was a teacher and this happened a few times at my school. When we selected kids to be moved, the goal was to choose kids who could “manage” the change - not the kids who had the most severe behavior issues. We were also not to choose all “top performers.” We needed more of a mix, academically.
It could be that your observation was more about the skills of the teacher in classroom management - not so much about the mix of students who were moved.
I am betting your child will do just fine with the move as you seem to be a very supportive parent.

This seems like the most likely scenario.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was a teacher and this happened a few times at my school. When we selected kids to be moved, the goal was to choose kids who could “manage” the change - not the kids who had the most severe behavior issues. We were also not to choose all “top performers.” We needed more of a mix, academically.
It could be that your observation was more about the skills of the teacher in classroom management - not so much about the mix of students who were moved.
I am betting your child will do just fine with the move as you seem to be a very supportive parent.

This seems like the most likely scenario.

hah, this has been going on for 30 years. my 5th grade class formed a new class, and all the worst behaved kids were lumped there to a poor new teacher. as a student, i knew what was happening. i got tossed into this class too, most likely b/c i had a helicopter parent before it was cool and my mom was always talking to the teacher about something and i think she wanted to pass my mom onto another teacher to manage

op, if its any consolation i turned out fine and went to an ivy league college, so elem classes are not destiny. a concerned mom, which you are, is worth much more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I think it sounds like the school learned from their experience, and they picked easier kids this time.

+1000
I've seen that happen in a school, too. Principal probably let the teachers choose last year and won't make that mistake again.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One more thing: I bet they are not pulling out kids that were pulled out last year. So, that probably increased his odds.

Is this at Terra Centre? My kid's friend was pulled out last year but not this year.

[Anonymous]

My hunch is that the principal figured out that "trick" of sending trouble makers to the new teacher last year and is cracking down on it this year. Because that is really a shitty thing to do to a new teacher and new students. It is more likely that your son is being moved because he is a GOOD student.