Signing of planners
Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2010 11:35 am
We're asked to sign our DCs planner weekly. I assume this is common in most schools, but I often wonder what, precisely, my signature signifies, as I scrawl it in on Friday mornings.
Am I signing to say I've seen the planner, that I've made my DC do their homework, that I've checked the homework, that I approve of the quality...?
I leave my DC to sort out their own homework. I would help with organisation if they requested it, but they don't usually welcome interference, which is fine with me. The quality is up to them, in my view.
DS2 uses his planner as it is designed to be used. It is a delight to see, with careful layout and ticks for completed work.
DS1 enters possibly 50% of his homework in the planner, and 0% of deadline dates. If I stare at it for 20 minutes, I can sometimes make out what it says. I dutifully sign it weekly. As the whole of last week was almost blank, I wrote a note in that useful little comment box to explain that I believed the homework had been done, despite appearances. DS considered this embarrassing (understandably, I think), so he cut half the page off! I was amused that the tutor has sent a return note in another comment box to say the state of his planner is unacceptable, which is quite true, and he hasn't dared to cut her comment off. I suspect nothing will change.
At another local grammar, students are given detention if the parents don't sign. This seems odd to me. It isn't always in the student's power to get the parent to sign, and the signature is fairly meaningless in any case.
What do others think? Do any of you withhold your signature for messy planners or forgotten homework? Is there any consequence from this? Does anyone actually use the comment boxes to communicate with tutors?
Am I signing to say I've seen the planner, that I've made my DC do their homework, that I've checked the homework, that I approve of the quality...?
I leave my DC to sort out their own homework. I would help with organisation if they requested it, but they don't usually welcome interference, which is fine with me. The quality is up to them, in my view.
DS2 uses his planner as it is designed to be used. It is a delight to see, with careful layout and ticks for completed work.
DS1 enters possibly 50% of his homework in the planner, and 0% of deadline dates. If I stare at it for 20 minutes, I can sometimes make out what it says. I dutifully sign it weekly. As the whole of last week was almost blank, I wrote a note in that useful little comment box to explain that I believed the homework had been done, despite appearances. DS considered this embarrassing (understandably, I think), so he cut half the page off! I was amused that the tutor has sent a return note in another comment box to say the state of his planner is unacceptable, which is quite true, and he hasn't dared to cut her comment off. I suspect nothing will change.
At another local grammar, students are given detention if the parents don't sign. This seems odd to me. It isn't always in the student's power to get the parent to sign, and the signature is fairly meaningless in any case.
What do others think? Do any of you withhold your signature for messy planners or forgotten homework? Is there any consequence from this? Does anyone actually use the comment boxes to communicate with tutors?
