Parent issues around testing time
- Thread starter IcemanSK
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bekkilyn
Yellow Belt
Hah! It took me a while to realize it wasn't something crawling around on my monitor. Thought for a moment my plants had come down with fungus gnats again!
Ha ha ha...Sorry. Just something I thought looked cool. My 2 year old liked it too.
shoto_tiger_girl
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At my school we've had a few issues with that. My sensei tests quarterly and gives plenty of notice. But she also has a rule where you have to make 80% of the classes or you don't test. We have have a few up for black belt. 2 of them don't show up half the time because they have school sports all the time. The parents of both kids keep asking sensei when they are testing for black belt. She's also held them back because of lack of respect as well. she tells the parents that they aren't making enough classes to test. Then the parents get upset. It's great that kids want to do other things but the child does need to learn to prioritize what's important. The parents need to learn learn to be respectful to sensei's decision. She is flexible if you are on vacation she will test you when you get back. Once you get to 1st brown you have to wait at least a year to test for black.
shoto_tiger_girl
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one problem we had was one of the girls showed up 45 min late for testing. She said that her mom forgot. We had already gone through alot of the required material. Sensei wasn't going to let her test then she looked like she was going to cry. So sensei told her to do her kata and she sparred. That's all she did and sensei still passed her. There were a lot of unhappy people that night. We were all there on time we did the whole test. And she only did 1/4 of it.i mean I have no right to question sensei. But that's the reason for her posting it months in advance. One of my other instructor friends at another school says he doesn't let them test if they show up 2 min late notice exceptions. Once you make exceptions for 1 kid then you have to for everyone. It doesn't teach them responsibility or accountability. If you are late all the time you don't get promoted at a job. So same deal with testing.
What is the "test"? Is it truly a test? Or does your instructor know before hand who is ready and who is not and the test is more of a formality at that point?
You have a child, who shows up for what should be a positive experience in the martial arts, and due to no fault of there own is late. It can be turned into a negative one by not letting her test, having her go home in tears, mad at her instructor and/or her mom, or keep it a positive one. If the test is a formality, what does it matter? If not give it to her conditionally upon competing the missing pieces afterwards.
But don't turn a positive experience into a negative one if it can be avoided, especially when it's not the child's fault.
Our job is to keep kids interested and training, and sometimes that means being accommodating of their existing commitments and obligations.
You have a child, who shows up for what should be a positive experience in the martial arts, and due to no fault of there own is late. It can be turned into a negative one by not letting her test, having her go home in tears, mad at her instructor and/or her mom, or keep it a positive one. If the test is a formality, what does it matter? If not give it to her conditionally upon competing the missing pieces afterwards.
But don't turn a positive experience into a negative one if it can be avoided, especially when it's not the child's fault.
Our job is to keep kids interested and training, and sometimes that means being accommodating of their existing commitments and obligations.
shoto_tiger_girl
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hi you are right. i didn't think about it that way. I apologize for that. I came from a more disapline and structured school before I took shotokan. And if you were late you didn't test. The school I'm in now is a little looser. So I'm not used to it. Same with my friends school he also has that rules if you are late you don't test so I thought it was the norm. We normally test in a group. That was why alot of us felt the way we did. We spent all that time busting our butts and someone comes in late. Does 2 things and passes. but I do get what you are saying. I hope I didn't come off as callous or cold. I'm not that way. I apologize if I did
It's going to depend on circumstances, if someone comes to training regularly, works hard and is obviously ready for grading but is unavoidably late for that grading there's no reason for them not to grade. If though someone doesn't come in that often, doesn't work hard and is usually slack about timekeeping then no they don't grade, not just because they are late but because they aren't ready. Usually the couple of weeks before grading we have people bringing their children more often as if it's going to make a difference they turn up for a couple of weeks before. I'm afraid it doesn't. The actual grading is more an allowable 'showing off' of their techniques, their skills and abilities for the next grade, they aren't there if they can't do it. The grading is more for conquering nerves and managing the stress of a 'public' occasion, it helps confidence too. It's good for them to be told well done publically too. Adult grading would be a different matter but we don't grade them.
Late for class? You don't train. Late for test? You don't test. Even if it isn't your fault. No exceptions.
When those ground rules are laid down and ahered to, nobody is ever late again. (you would be surprised how easy that works) And just maybe....a kid learns that punctuality is important in life.
When those ground rules are laid down and ahered to, nobody is ever late again. (you would be surprised how easy that works) And just maybe....a kid learns that punctuality is important in life.
We allow exceptions because of the nature of our club. I can think of at least half a dozen good reasons for being late or not being to come at all. The adults can be late for class because they've come off guard for instance, our students aren't free to not 'work late', if the Sgt.Maj. says they work late they work late and come to class when they can. This can mean that dad has the car and mum can't bring the child to class until he's home. We've had some students come in and then the camp closed down on security grounds so the rest can't get in until later, sometimes cars are searched and this takes time. Recently we've had students rushed off on half an hours notice to deploy to the other end of the country because of floods. Loads of reasons why people are late, If we aren't flexible we can't run the club. I realis we may be the exception but I would always allow exceptions for good reasons.
I understand this sort of logic in places like the military. I understand that we should try and teach our students to accept responsibility in that sense. But at the same time, things happen. Good customer service should exist in our industry as well, which means we sometimes have to accommodate other things in their life, just as they sometimes have to make other things accommodate us. If a kid also plays hockey and has a important game on testing... they are probably playing the game. If they miss out on too much they will conclude they have to choose one or the other, and that certainly does them no good.
We compete against a lot of things for peoples time. I imagine we all also believe martial arts to be a very good use of a persons time, and something that they will get a lot of benefit out of doing if they stick with it for the long run. So for that reason I think the more obstacles we can remove that might get in the way of them continuing the better.
I mean I'd rather them get the benefits of a couple more years training then learn that martial arts clubs are very un-accommodating to their already busy life.
To some extent the world has changed. We value time more then ever now it seems. A lot of people have stopped talking on the phone, preferring text as they can answer things at their convenience. We watch tv and movies on our time, when its convenient to us either without commercials or by fast forwarding them.
People might pay for classes, but they are also giving their time, which is just as valuable if not more so. Sometimes we will be #1 for their time, other times #2. But if they are putting in the time, not effecting others negatively and meeting the requirements why shouldn't we be accommodating of other things in their life once and a while?
I understand the great points put forth by Tez and Andrew. I've dealt with them on both sides - as student and teacher. And there are always exceptions to any rule set.
Just don't be late for my class. Like ever.
Just don't be late for my class. Like ever.
