By my count, the teacher is repeating herself at least 6 times before the students are allowed to start working. I think she was trying to explain to me that there is no reason for DD to not understand the worksheet since she goes over it so many times, but that statement explained to me what part of the problem is.
Why can't the students begin working when they UNDERSTAND what to do? Can the teacher give your DD
written instructions and her packet of work instead?
As a bit of background - this teacher started out as a remedial teacher and some of you may argue with me, but I think that has a lot to do with how she presents the lesson - she is teaching to the lower curve and isn't good at handling the upper curve.
Ding-ding-ding. I think we have a winner.
DD comes into her class from her gifted pull-out and DD mentioned she is sometimes late.
Okay-- well, FIRST, make sure that your DD's tardiness isn't a part of the teacher's perception problem here. That is, is the teacher already
primed by her "lateness" to see her as a disruption or a behavioral problem? If so, that's not appropriate, and deeply unfair to your DD.
The other factor which I'll bet is at work here is the sharp transition from higher level to what sounds like revoltingly remedial... in other words, cognitively, your DD is being expected to go from 70 to 5mph without any transition. That'd be hard for most adults.
Secondly, you maybe can USE that late entry to class as a tool here-- you can make the argument (probably successfully) that providing your dd with a packet of the day's work and short written instructions might be better all the way around. See, that way your DD hasn't "missed" any of the teacher's oh-so-critical instructions... and she can get right to work and catch up! (Yay....)
Oh, oh, oh.... ack. Yes, this is TOO TOO much to expect a 3rd grader to 'fake' respectfully and still get right.
