To expect a bit more or am I just being precious?

[Bohica]

DD is in year 2 & her eatser half term homework was to learn about the fire of London & do a project.

DD loves doing her homework & projects & really jumps in with two feet, lot's of pictures, colouring in & 18 pages of information on the fire of London with very little help from me.

She handed it in on the first day back (nearly 3 weeks ago) & she brought it home with her yesterday.

She also brought her homework folder home as she gets new homework on a Wednesday to complete by Monday.

I had a look at her project & it hasn't been marked, no comment left, no stamp given & no correction of grammar & spelling which seems a bit off especially after all the effort she put in.

The only reason I feel like mentioning to her teacher is that since the beginning of this term DD has started to complain about doing homework & is only doing the bare minimum of it, no extra colouring in & doing borders etc it's scruffy & rushed & she is making basic mistakes.

sounds lik the teacher hasn't got round to checking it

Yes are you sure she's actually looked at it yet?

I hate it when teachers don't mark homework - that happens to my DSDs still and they are 13! What kind of message does that send?

I think it would be fair enough to say what a lot of effort your DD put into it and to ask for it to be marked. It might be helpful to say thanks to the teacher for giving her something that really interested her as then sounds less like you're complaining. It is quite a big homework and it's only fair it's marked. Does seem odd that she handed it in but it's now in the homework folder again unmarked...

Know how you feel - DD (age 11) recently did a project (16 pages required!) with lots of research, it didn't get marked and I have no idea if the teacher even read it. If they set these tasks they could at least put in the time to look over them and give feedback.

This annoys me too.
After that amount of input and effort on your daughters part I'd expect soem feedback.

Ds1's work never gets marked but he still puts so much into it. Apparently (this is not directly from teacher), she does not mark the work unless the whole class has completed it and about a third do not do the homework. So, it doesn't get marked. Daft.

I might be brave and talk to her. Will you say something?

Yep, continues into secondary school. I did mention in a parents' forum at the school to the Principal and the Deputy Principal with responsibility for the homework policy that I would expect to see the teacher's marking and comments reflect the amount of time and effort put in to the homework, especially where project work is concerned. In Years 7, 8 and 9, we've had a fair amount of project work to be undertaken over six weeks and without adequate feedback you feel it's a missed learning opportunity. Children respond well to positive feedback and constructive criticism.

Thank you for the replies. I forgot to add that DD did show it to her class as show & tell last week so the teacher definatly saw it. Our class work on a merit scheme where the children earn stamps for good work which can gain them a certificate that they collect in the full school assembly. DD LOVES getting certificates & does everything she can to get a new stamp.
She gets stamps for some homework sheets so I fully expected a stamp for an 18 page project!

I do sound precious but I'm really not. I don't get involved in homework (3 school aged children) & I make the children sit at the table & do it by themselves but DD is getting fussier about it & not putting her normal energy into it & I wonder if it's because she isn't receiving any recognition for her efforts?

YANBU - I get really mad when time out of school is put aside to complete assignments and they are ignored. If they want to impinge on free time with homework the least they can do is recognise it!

It seems a real shame that the innate love of learning that your DD has is being drummed out of her already.

Maybe in future you should just do your own projects together for fun, why bother doing homework that stresses her out if the teacher isn't even going to bother marking it?

YANBU. Why the f* should children spend free time putting together projects like this if the teachers can't be arsed to mark them?

Jeck I might C&P your reply into DD's school home book

wobbly that's a good idea, I don't want her to loose all of her confidence.

Thank you for the replies so far.

I would definitely expect it to be marked and I am shocked so many people report it happening, in particular in secondary school!

How on earth do you teach children to self discipline in home learning if it isn't looked at and constructively assessed? I don't see how any student would try in their homework if they could get away with it, knowing it would not be looked at.

Fortunately all my children's homework appears to be regularly marked (Yrs 8,6,4 and 2).

I guess the teacher could argue that the DCs should enjoy doing the project regardless of whether it's marked... And in a way I agree. But you cannot force a child to find a particular project enjoyable, so there is (IMO) no point in making a child do a particular piece of work like that if it won't be marked. The child may as well choose their own project because they will get a lot more out of it, and that will teach them the joys of learning much better because it was under their control, not just being dictated to by the curriculum.

I'm not a homeschooler, but I'm strongly in favour of autonomous education. I'd like my DCs to have a lot of control over what they learn outside of school (they will be going, DD starts in September) because I really believe that will retain their natural curiosity and turn education into a lifelong process rather than something which only happens 9-3 Mon-Fri. If we feel that school is taking over their lives we will take them out.

You have a lovely approach to learning wobbly.

DD does/did fortunatly enjoy doing her homework but she gained a lot of confidence from the prais & recognition through stamps & certificates that this term seem to be non=exsistant.

We have library books to take back after school so I am going to sugest she picks a new topic & we do a family project.

Tbh this is just another thing the school is now doing that is making me about them being the best place for DD, DH thinks changing schools is like running away from the problems but I am thinking fresh new starts for KS2 in September.

Well it certainly wouldn't be running away IMO - you'd be doing what was best for your DD.

What else is the school doing/not doing then?

We have had on off problems since reception as DD can be over confident & assertive.
There was an incident in reception where a parent accused DD of being a bully (her words not mine) The teacher at the time did nothing to stop the mother & her friends activly telling their children not to play with DD as she was a bully & the teacher even moved DD from the top table on one mums say so (I had to phone the head when I found that out & DD was put back & the teacher was spoken to)

Year one was better but still not great & I arranged for a support worker to observe DD to check she was behaving appropriatly at play time etc & all reports came back positive.

Her class work is above average in all subjects & at one time the school said her behaviour could be because she wasn't being challenged academically within the classroom & she was bored - DD's new teacher doesn't think this is the case.

I just feel like her name has been tarred & she is being left to the side with no thought for her feelings, she is in no way an angel & she is my middle child so I am not pfb'ing. I know she has room for improvement but I can't help feeling they do not have her best interests at heart.

I could be wrong & maybe she will improve if given time.

DD didn't want to pick a book for a family project, she picked another fire of London book to read!

Sorry it's so long, but you did ask wobbly thanks for your replies.