Starting in year 8 experiences

[southbucks3]

She should have a homework organiser, either old school paper diary or on line, this will always always tell her the date the work is due in.
For essays it is incredibly important to learn to work within the time given, not just for tests, but for future when at work etc. Art, if she enjoys it is hardly a chore so let her have fun, be aware of over gilding the Lily though.
My son loves his art, so another thing to watch out for is spending excessive time drawing beautiful detailed pictures and diagrams in science, particularly biology, it's unnecessary and will not achieve extra marks from any science teacher I have met, although they probably take pleasure in the pictures of course.
Both my eldest boys have very full extra curricula time tables and are able to achieve good results and pursue their hobbies, I doubt the aylesbury grammars have higher homework expectations than the wycombe ones somehow as they all seem to communicate well.

[kenyancowgirl]

I would agree that in Y7 & 8 the key to future success is getting the balance right. All very well spending hours and hours on homework and doing it to the nth degree, but I would imagine, even a teacher who was impressed with the final outcome would say that if that is at the expense of making friends and getting involved in extra curricular activities then the educational experience is failing, in my opinion. And as south bucks says, learning to do a task in the time set is a critical skill to learn early on - especially by the time they move into Y9/10 and start doing ISAs etc which are part of their GCSE course and require things to be done in a certain time under test conditions.

Mind you, I have one who is a master at doing as little as possible, as quickly as possible but, so far, has proved able enough to score well on homework/exams/in class that the teachers haven't yet noticed the slap-dash approach, according to his report. I am not averse to barricading the study door and refusing to let him out for at least an hour, if the mood should take me!!

[Eccentric]

Pretty pictures is one of the h/ws this evening. I have set the timer for 40 minutes Other homework was apparently done in minutes at lunch time. I have explained that the pretty pictures will not get extra marks (causing much stress and rudeness around here) but I agree absolutely we need to nip this in the bud (I will allow rein with important work that actually has a purpose.

[Yamin151]

Whereas my biggest 'thing' in Year 8 is to butt out! In Year 7 much guidance deserved I feel, its a big step, help with prioritising, reminders etc. However, at some stage, and I believe that stage is now, they need to learn that they have to decide for themselves when and how well to do the work. If they don't, then hopefully they will get told off in the first place, and not like it enough to buck up and not miss another deadline. if not, then I'm afraid we are not averse, and have told them this, that computer time will go if they cannot keep up their EFFORT grades (note effort not necessarily achievement) when being left to manage their own time and prioritising.

Oh man its so HARD!!!

(Stares hard at the helicoptor keys......)

[Eccentric]

Yamin, In theory I agree absolutely. The problem here is that if I butted out as it were,my Dd would work until midnight or beyond. I wish she would not push herself in the way she does. It is me that says enough homework in our house. Dd would just carry on working. When the homework is finished she gets her philosophy book out or starts doing maths problems.

I can proudly say that tonight's homework was put away in 40 minutes. Result

[Yamin151]

Well that's a different sort of problem certainly. Mine spend the time they should and plenty of effort (long may that last) but are very happy to move on as soon as the jobs is done.
I do expect more moaning when homework starts to impose on post 6.30 tea, because currently that's trampoline/reading/building/board game time, then an hour of one choice of screen (bake off, Fifa, train game) 7 til 8, and I know at least one of them will be extremely fed up if that is interfered with! I reckon it's one of his biggest motivators. Sounds awful but there it is. We'll see.

[loobylou]

For example History this week was "find a fact about King XX that I don't know" so a potential 3 minute homework - but she spent a while researching multiple facts because "how do I know which of these the teacher won't know?"!

It was the teacher saying that so she was supposed to find a fact the history teacher wouldn't know...

[Tolstoy]

... then I'm in your DDs camp, way too open ended

[southbucks3]

I think kids it's a brilliant question, it's asking the child to search away from the usual web pages with lists of easy grab facts and maybe look at a museum web site, or link to fashion, weaponry, literature, architecture.
Clever teacher.

[Tolstoy]

I think kids it's a brilliant question, it's asking the child to search away from the usual web pages with lists of easy grab facts and maybe look at a museum web site, or link to fashion, weaponry, literature, architecture.
Clever teacher.

Can you send some of that enthusiasm round our place.