WTF is this nonsense- teacher setting tasks like 'Make a meal' or 'Explore your garden with your five senses'

[ChillyColdBottle]

A) No, they are not 'making a meal' as we are in a take it or leave it situation due to not being able to leave the house

B) WTF?

Is it considered unacceptable to ask for some actual academic stuff that they can do silently?!

Op you're not applying any common sense. Numerous people have asked how old your children are so that they can point you in right direction of online activities. You're choosing to ignore and teacher bash. It's week one of god knows how long. Sort it out.

We had soup for lunch.

Surely they could have opened the tin, poured it into a bowl, placed it into a microwave and set the timer then washed up after they had eaten.

Thats still preparing a meal. They are still learning.

I'm seeing loads of people post to the school twitter of them doing all these lovely activities

the work set is not the problem, the school Twitter is. Get off the school Twitter.

The main issue with worksheets is that most kids do not have access to a printer. Many of the worksheets are pdf and can't be edited. It is very very difficult to set 'normal' work. I have tried setting tasks only to find that they don't download correctly in google drive etc etc. Teachers are doing their best; be kind.

Op, heating up some soup and buttering some bread is absolutely fine

But every other fucker is posting their gorgeous cakes and children chopping up veg etc.

They like to look on the app and they can read what the teacher says. I just wish she'd say 'do this page of sums' and they can do it, rather than me getting all stressed out about picking the right stuff while they're moaning that 'Miss says we've to make lunch!'

Cross posted Re ages.

At 5 and 7(?) send them into the garden together. Tell them to bring back something that feels nice, something that smells, something they like looking at, tell you something thry heard and something they'd like to taste / wouldn't like to taste.

Can you get them to make beans and toast for lunch? Or a cheese sandwich with some veggies to make a face? Draw a picture of their ideal meal? "look in the computer for a recipe?

Right, the teacher is being considerate - teaching isn't just about academics and worksheets.

If you are worried about your child not doing anything academic, have a look at BBC Bitesize - they have great resources organised by key stage. Ted Ed talks are great - opportunitynfor your child to be led by their own interests. And Crash Course you tube channel (US based so slightly different curriculum. Probably older children but if you watch it with them....)

Seriously though. It's the Easter holidays in a week. If they were still at school they'd have been in wind down mode anyway. This is a great opportunity for kids to develop their own interests - child led learning. I couldn't do it full time, but for a couple of months - it's so good for them

Are you for real? Do you understand what is happening at the moment? Teachers are having to look after key worker children and plan lessons for them then on top of that give resources and ideas for parents at home Twinkl stuffed teachers up by offering free membership because teachers can't use it now. Cooking a meal is teaching- if you measure out the liquid you are teaching measuring skills. If they weigh some butter then they are weighing. These skills are in the maths curriculum. Teachers are putting themselves at risk. They are doing the best they can in a tough situation.

The PP who said their kid had to make a meal and post a pic, that's in Stanley territory.

The activity of helping make a meal and go round garden are fine for a younger one.

But hold on what if they don't have a garden. Little kid trapped indoors reading all the outdoors stuff others are doing? Not sure.

I get it's incredibly tough for teachers but I think the situation of all kids needs to be considered probs and that for some it might be counter productive.

Teachers can't please everyone.

If we send home ideas for practical activities, we have parents like the op who want worksheets.

If we email worksheets, then some parents will say that they don't have a printer or they don't understand them or they're boring.

That's apart from the short notice that we had to sort anything out.

You have to stop looking at school twitter.

But every other fucker is posting their gorgeous cakes and children chopping up veg etc

And for every post like that there is a parent just like you wishing they could post that their child had soup for lunch.

It's not a competition be the parent that post a picture with the soup the made and you'll probably find more people post similar as they are currently not posting for fear of being judged as imperfect.

You sound completely overwhelmed, op. Can you give yourself a break until you readjust to this new normal, just let school slide in to the background for a few days and just let them play? Just have the Lego out, some paper and crayons and access to books and then let just gather your breath ready for next week?

Next week, if you go on the twinkl site you can download an introductory pack for their ages, just print out the whole thing and they'll figure out what is interesting and what they can do, then you can hunt for more of the same.

There will be just as many children who are making beans on toast and soup.
Have they got any favourite books ?
A nice activity can be writing a letter to one of their favourite characters.
You can differentiate it too if they’re different ages. / stages.

At the other extreme, my DS in Year 10 has been set about 5 x GCSE maths practice exam papers to work through. Fun, fun, fun!

Four is spot on.
Just take this time to come to terms with what is going on.
Loads of People are doing no learning whatsoever atm.

I'm doing ok, just mildly cabin feverish.

They just want to please the teacher tbh. They're doing well at occupying themselves but they've just not been helpful suggestions at all. I just wished she'd post 'do ten sums' or something.

My kids school have been brilliant considering how much time they’ve had to prepare.
Work is being set every day, they have to finish it and send it in on class dojo for the teacher to mark.

Stop blaming teachers for your stress and inadequacies as a parent. It's hard for everyone, don't do the tasks if you don't want to. It's to benefit your children, not the teacher. This thread is full of people trying to help you whilst you whinge about not being able to look at a website or do, as far as i can see, any kind of activity with your children educational or not.

If you want your dc to do something academic, can I suggest you buy some Bond books? Can do English, Maths, VR and NVR.

Age 5 - 6

Age 7 - 8

The message the teachers are sending you is that your children will catch up. They are very little. Spending quality time with your family doing activities is massively important. Unfortunately these need to be home based so the School is trying to be creative. Remember there are a section of parents, who don’t have a clue what to do with their children and may end up sticking them in front of the tv / iPad. This is what the school is trying to avoid as they will forget so much.

Can you adapt the cooking or other work sheets? Eg Maybe give your children simpler tasks. Can they do guessing games - do you know how make soup, how do we make a cup of tea and get them to prep it (no kettle obvs), timing the microwave as it heats the food, weighing their food, counting the spoons of soup that goes into their bowl, laying the table etc.

FGS just stick them in front of the tv for a couple of days till you calm down and maybe make a timetable for them (when you aren't stressed!!!!!! . My child is in hospital with a brain injury and has been for 4 months, I am desperately trying for the hospital to still let me visit, thats Stress!!!!

you said at the beginning that you wanted something for them to do 'silently' OP. believe me, they won't do the sums silently . And it might not take them long.

How about sitting them down with books for a while? Or colouring in/ dot to dot etc? Or even a film that could be seen as educational!

It's stressful for everyone : I agree with PP about not looking at Twitter.

Years ago, I once spilt paint al over a carpet trying to do a creative take home task. I have never done one since.

www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/year-1-school-closure-home-learning-resource-pack-t-e-2549910

www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/year-3-school-closure-home-learning-resource-pack-t-e-2549912

Hopefully those links will work- range of activities that seem designed so they can be done reasonably independently, some might require some parent input but you can skip those for now.

If they find what's in them too hard or too easy, try the year above or below.

But you won't pick the "wrong" things- if you keep some education going and you keep your children safe and cared for, you are doing this right.

I hope this helps a bit.

But do try to have some sympathy with teachers- our jobs have changed massively pretty much overnight and we are trying our best!