Yr7 new starters

Titsy - I wonder if it is the unknown that is throwing her? What I mean is she doesn't know what is expected of her, what they want exactly and so she is paralysed and doesn't know where to start.

Maybe they should abolish homework. This was in the news today:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-37489414

Some of it is just busy work, I think. Poor junior Titsywoo - I'd be a bit miffed at five hour-long tasks for DT, too. Can't imagine the DT teacher is really looking forward to marking it all, either.

So it turns out she wrote the homework down wrong and she was supposed to write about chronology and why it's important.

I'm finding the homework thing difficult with her. Which is unusual as she was so good at primary and got on with it by herself no questions asked. Now she is dragging her feet and her writing is sloppy. She started her DT project today which is 5 hour long tasks. The first was to take a DT project she had done at primary and explain what she did, how she did it with diagrams etc. She just sat there not seeming to know what to do and looking upset. I had to coach and nag her through the whole thing and pretty much tell her what to write. This first bit is being assessed so I didn't want her to muck it up but it was honestly like pulling teeth and I'm worried how little effort she seems to be making in general. Not a good start and not like her at all.

Do you mean he is working in the office? Are they using year 7s on a rota to save on staffing costs? Sounds a little odd, how often will he do that?

Ah ........

Oh yes, paid for the whole term upfront back in July at some point. To be honest I feel at the moment like I might as well just give the school full access to my bank account and be done with it. £20 for DT last week, direct debit for the bloody ipad, fiver for a locker.....

Annoying, Endo. Are you paying for these lessons?

Turns out the boy missed his first music lesson last week as nobody told him when and where it was, they had to look at a notice board apparently but he didn't know where that was either, and nobody chased up re the missed lesson. Which is a bit annoying.

I would have struggled too.

DD2's homework so far has been correct volume and difficulty - a couple of pieces I remember from when DD1 was set them 6 years ago!

I'd have struggled with it too.

They've been looking at causal links. We struggled to answer it too and are wondering if she wrote down the question wrong from the board. But either way we decided on the history of time - so the fact that humans came up with the concept of time to bring continuity and consistency to our lives (days, hours etc etc) based on the sun etc etc. I think we glossed over how things happen then explained causal links and how almost everything is a causal link as it happens because of something else. I don't tend to help her with homework but this was a ridiculous question - philosophy not history!

Is it based on stuff she's covered in class Titsy?

Titsy -
Don't think I could answer that!

Urgh the homework. The horrible, horrible homework. DD is currently trying to write a paragraph for history to explain the following - Time moves forward, why and how do things happen? Relate this to causal links. My head is about to explode.

well, at the moment my year 7 is going quite well.
My year 9 ds on the other hand has hit being a teenager with a vengence. I am tearing my hair out.
Was at a primary school event yesterday (dd2) and there were several parents who also had older ones in ds' class. They were all complaining about the sudden arrival of a real teenager in their midst having been lullled into a false sense of security by year 7 and 8.
sigh

year 7 'bring your parent to school' after school next week. Me - so shall I come? dd - no, I just get to show you the classrooms and stuff it is really boring.

hmm.

Oh we've had fun with homework this afternoon. Still got more to do tomorrow. I'm glad I quit teaching this year, because I don't think I would have been able to get all my marking done as well as supervising homework! I'm trying to get him to be independent but there's a question or complaint every five minutes.

Thank goodness i found this thread. We are in scotland so S1 for us. New school and 1 hour teavel each way. Endoplasmic your cartoon made me laugh cos thats what its like exactly. Huge change in homework style ie they didnt go over it wails DD. Me thats secondary and repeat. Deep breath. Loads of homework and huge sportkit with rucksack to be carried. Will watch this thread with interest. That and the preteens thread on dealing with meltdowns...where did i put that book.Get out of my room but first take me shopping

Lots of homework here for the weekend. Yay, looking forward to that.

Bonkers

I have a funny story for you (which may out me badly)
Y7 parent information evening last night. First 15 minutes in classroom with tutor, then into hall for various presentations.

At the end of the classrom bit, the tutor asked if there were any questions. One Dad next to me had been fiddleing with some cue cards with writing on, he asks a question:
Dad - we have been really struggling with some homework
tutor - right well...
Dad - I'll read it to you shall I?
(tutor doens't have a chance to say yes or no)
Dad - (reading from his little cards) "Find a story about Bhudda which isn't the 4 enlightenments"
That's it! I mean what is she supposed to do with that ? It is an unacheivable peice of work!!!!
Tutor - well, I am not sure I can help with that specifically, as I am not the RE teacher, but we are always happy to talk to you about a problem, so perhaps the best thing would be to drop them an email.
Dad - !!??? But it is ridiculous it is just not a doable peice of work ??** !!

As we walked out I was next to him and he was still going on about it. I said gently - I think dd had the same homework, she googled it and found a story and printed it off and took it in.....
Dad - but it just isn't acheivable, there are not instructions, it doesn't say print it off on a peice of A4, it doesn't say read it, it doesn't say write it out in your own words. My dd read one, and then told her teacher she had read one and then was told off because she hadn't brought it it! She was set up to fail!
Me (very gently) - I wonder if maybe it is the difference between primary homework and secondary, they are expecting a little more independence and initiative of them now?
Dad - But it is UNACHEIVABLE !!!!!

we parted company, and I sat next to a friend who had over heard him. She looked at me and nodded Google? Print it off to show you've read it? Or take in the book? ? It wasn't rocket science was it?
We had a little giggle and then at the end the dad was going to the head with his cue cards to complain to him!

Noodle - I think there is a gap between primary and high school maths. You'd think that it would be a bit more seamless, but my DD is finding the same thing.

DD asked us for help in Maths last night. She says she's way behind everyone else and is getting stressed about it. I've told her we'll sit down at the weekend and go over whatever areas she's behind.

It isn't really a surprise- her brother was way behind in maths as well when he started at this school.