Aaron Said:

Parents, what do you do when the teacher overly critiques your child?

We Answered:

I agree that her critiquing is over the top. She shouldn't expect perfection from a 5 year old.

But also realize she can't make the class learn on your son's level just because he's more advanced.

The work is supposed to be easy. It's kindergarden, not 3rd grade. Most kids are still learning to read and write. If you believe he's too advanced for kindergarden then enroll him in an advanced program.

Wilma Said:

As a teacher, how do you feel when parents...?

We Answered:

It sounds like your son is very motivated and curious, which is fantastic! I'm surprised that his teacher doesn't seem to be fostering and encouraging his interest in learning...

As a high school teacher, I would be absolutely thrilled to have such an exceptional scholar in my classroom; I would definitely encourage him to do enrichment activities and to challenge himself. Allowing a more "advanced" student to move at his own pace is a valuable teaching strategy-- it keeps him from feeling bored, allows him to take charge of his own learning, and teaches self-motivation.

Most schools very strongly encourage teachers to differentiate instruction-- in other words, to teach students as individuals, to cultivate their personal strengths and help them overcome their personal weaknesses. It sounds like your son's teacher isn't really doing this. Perhaps it's easier for the teacher to have everyone working on the same stuff, but... not fair to the kids.

Ideally, the teacher should be eager for and appreciative of parent input and concerns. But, you never know. Some teachers can be awfully inflexible. This one kind of sounds like that kind...

Maybe you can ask the teacher if there are any accelerated programs available to your son. Explain everything to the teacher, just like you did in your post here; it was reasonable and non-offensive.

I sort of get where the teacher was coming from for a couple of the incidents you mentioned... The color-by-number thing: even if your son hates those, he still has to learn how to do what he's asked to do in school. Plus, it's true that the teacher needs to evaluate the students' understanding of colors and motor skills. And putting himself in time-out: that could be seen as taking the authority away from teachers, and teachers need to maintain the authority to discipline. Teachers have to remain in charge of rules and discipline, and students shouldn't be deciding who gets corrected, and when. Finally, the yawning: of course, little kids yawn; it's a natural bodily function. On the other hand, students behave rudely and disrespectfully toward teachers every day. Maybe your son's teacher was trying to teach him about the value of appearing interested and polite, even when he's bored.

So, anyway, with the exception of those three things, I completely agree with you; your son's intellectual curiosity should be fostered, not stifled.

Good luck!