Homework, please help an idiot mother

[Amber]

Having said all of that though, I don't see why workload would have increased radically in, say, the last 30 years. Some things will have increased workload, and others will have reduced it. Setting appropriate homework should, logically, be easier than it ever was as there are so many more ready-made and shareable sources for it than ever before.

All of that might be true if the curriculum stayed the same from one year to the next, and you weren't required to account for the progress of every single child, individually, every term, in detail.

I hardly ever find any truly useful resources from these shareable sources; they are always just very slightly different from what I actually need.

All I can add is, why not try it mystery? Perhaps then what we are trying to tell you will become clear. I started teaching in the 80s, had a long break, while I pursued another career entirely, then came back. It isn't the same job as the one I used to do. The workload is killer, and I didn't want that either, especially as so much of it is nothing to do with children or teaching. Which is why I am essentially freelance now, for that tiny bit of autonomy.

With apologies to logic, whose thread has degenerated. I won't post on this again, so all the litre lovers can reclaim their jugs.

[mystery]

Maybe it depends on the school you are in. The school my children are in most definitely does not require the teachers to account for the progress of every single child individually every term. I didn't have to do that when I taught full-time at one point I had 4 different and new syllabi covering 5 subjects at GCSE and A level. I could pretty much have told you at the end of each term where each child lay on the grade descriptors at the time. It was definitely hard work as being in front of a class all day every day can be very draining, particularly a difficult class.

I have never said it is an easy job. I'm just trying to find out why the workload is perceived to have increased so radically over the last 30 years. I still don't see it on paper or in reality. Far more is up to the individual head these days than before I guess. My first head was a bit of a shadow figure to whom we handed in a complete set of lesson plans every week for the week ahead. That was about all we had to do with him. The teaching standards and performance management systems for teachers did not exist in the same way.

[JRM]

Impressed: my dd in year 6 got it very quickly.

She did it in year 4 and could remember how to! Year 4! My ds in year 10 was a little slower ...

DS did it - it took him longer than he expected, but he did at least realise when he had gone round in a circle. Then DH was determined to do it and I completely lost him to his own little world and pages of scribble........for an hour and a half. There are days when it woudl be useful to keep him out of my way, but we had things to do last night. Ah well, he was pleased with himself when he finally did it

[KS10]

I didn't even understand the question until about page 3 or 4 of this thread. I kept saying to myself but there are 4 jugs, not 3! I think I'll be leaving it at that. I've decided to quit while I'm ahead.

[logic32]

Quick Update. I've just had DD's homework book back. Even though I had quite clearly stated that we / you had done the homework, she got given 2 house points for her good work !! Bonkers.

In reply to my written comment that we felt the challenge was too hard for a 9 year old... Apparently it's important DD tries things she feels are difficult !!

I'm going for Amber's tack next time, and send in a blank page rather than spend 2 hours on homework !!

[stevew61]

Apparently it's important DD tries things she feels are difficult !!

I feel that is an important lesson to learn.

Trying and failing but carrying on are hard edged life learning skills.

[logic32]

Hi Stevew61,

I'd normally agree with you, but I personally can't see the merit in giving a 9 year old homework, that she spends an hour and half struggling with and ends up in floods of tears because she's so frustrated.

She loves maths, and is top of her year in the subject we were told last week at parent's evening. ( Clearly doesn't get her skills from me ) My fear is her losing confidence and getting put off Maths.

Hopefully it was a one off homework, but while I think it's great to be challenged, I still feel this was a step too far .

[Sally-Anne]

I've just had DD's homework book back. Even though I had quite clearly stated that we / you had done the homework, she got given 2 house points for her good work !! Bonkers.

I vividly recall being given house points for homework I completed when DS2 was in Year 4.

We had to assemble a globe from a cardboard cut-out, and the only way to get it stay together was with superglue, and I wasn't letting a 9 year old anywhere near that. When I explained that to the lovely supply teacher who was just setting work prepared by someone else, she gave me three house points. (Probably more than I ever earned in 7 years at a grammar school!)

Go back to the teacher and complain that you want house points as well ...

I'm going for Amber's tack next time, and send in a blank page rather than spend 2 hours on homework !!

Absolutely. That was possibly the most ridiculous piece of homework I have ever seen, and I've seen a few! It is one thing to have an interesting challenge (that can be Googled if all else fails), but it is another to have work that, even when the solution is found, teaches her nothing at all because it is not age-appropriate.

[logic32]

Sally-anne, congratulations on your house points ! I would a like a smiley face sticker so I can post it on here to share it with all the clever people who actually solved the challenge.

[stevew61]

I personally can't see the merit in giving a 9 year old homework, that she spends an hour and half struggling with and ends up in floods of tears because she's so frustrated.

You are right, so I must be wrong but don't quote me on that.

If it helps we had a mad maths homework this week, a whole page (20 steps) of rotations, reflections and vector translations DD (year 6) struggled, I helped, she struggled and in the end she decided to leave it uncompleted first time ever. I was so pleased that she had tried her best but had the courage, first time ever, to say sorry teacher I can't do this.