AIBU to expect the Yr 7 RE and History teachers to mark work going back three weeks?

[swanriver]

It's Parents Eve tomorrow. A lot of emphasis made on tracking and targets and assessments. How in heaven's name are they meant to be assessing Ds1 who is sloppy at the best of times, if they don't take his work in to mark? Incidentally pupils (Yr 7) get detentions if they don't bring the work in by a deadline, but the teachers then don't seem to look at the work or take it in, once they have set the assignment and children have technically "done" it.

It was not marked using the peer marking system either.

I'm at a loss whether to be pushy and email asking for explanation so they take it in, or as sloppy as ds who seems to be confused whether to give it in or not....

Or maybe it doesn't matter particularily...

I teach Y6 part time and have, for just Thursday and Friday, 66 Literacy books, 66 Numeracy books, 33 spelling books, 33 Science books, 66 RE books, 33 Reading Records and 33 'project' books to mark. So even at just 2 minutes per child to make a meaningful comment, that's an awfully long time!

Sorry for the thread highjack, but I did take offence at the usual secondary teachers work harder than primary implication!

'I teach Y6 part time and have, for just Thursday and Friday, 66 Literacy books, 66 Numeracy books, 33 spelling books, 33 Science books, 66 RE books, 33 Reading Records and 33 'project' books to mark. So even at just 2 minutes per child to make a meaningful comment, that's an awfully long time!

Sorry for the thread highjack, but I did take offence at the usual secondary teachers work harder than primary implication!'

What she said.

Tortu - that was what I was trying to say. I taught KS3/4/5 RE plus KS3 Geog and History, so well over 600 kids a week. I hate not marking properly, so thought it better to do 200 books per week, and mark properly than 300 per week tick and flick.

A marking rota makes sense, I've seen it in my children's books through secondary. Every third piece or so seems to be marked in depth, although never homework.
Usefulness of comments is as diverse as the number of teachers they've had over the years.

It's been really helpful to read teachers' comments and see the workload in proper light. I looked at the marking for his Literacy and I began to see how thoughtful it has been and encouraging, considering how much teachers have to contend with...so I'll go in like a dove not a hawk to parents' eve!
And after all the homework is for the child's benefit, I suppose just doing it is good, whether it get marked or not.

I suppose it is all the tracking and assessment jargon that sticks in my gullet, when all things are taken into account, as it is a bit empty sometimes.

Marking is hell and most teachers are playing catch up constantly unless they are either paragons of virtue or just rushing it and not doing it in a meaningful way. This doesn't mean YABU. Everyone wants to see work marked. It's a normal expectation, but sometimes it's difficult to deliver the goods, especially if there are other pressures like reports or assessments going on. It's early days, give these teachers a chance. They might be the ones you'll be praising in a few years time because they go the extra mile to get your DS through his GCSEs.

Tracking and assessment sticks in teachers' gullets too! It was invented by politicians who don't trust teachers to do their jobs!

I teach RS. I teach approximately 180 key stage three students that I see once a week. I also teach about 200 students in key stage 4 and then have A Level classes as well.

I cannot mark key stage three every week simply because that would mean that they would never have their books. I have a marking cycle and all key stage three students get their books marked once a fortnight. They tend to have a learning or research homework one week and then homework in their books the following week. Once or twice in a half term I will mark one piece in depth. It will be levelled and have detailed feedback, often about half a side in a small exercise books. The other weeks there will be a brief comment. Every evening I have to mark at least one set of exercise books to manage to keep on top of that workload.

There are times when it slips and it goes to three weeks, although that will only be 3 lessons of work. This may happen because I am writing reports for another year group or marking exams or simply because I am knackered.

If I do not mark once a fortnight I apologise to the class and I do not set homework that week as I do not think it is fair to ask them to work when I am not keeping my side of the bargain.

My books would certainly be marked before a parents evening.

Sorry primary school teachers - didn't at all mean to imply that secondary teachers work harder, just that it is different. And in particular it is different for a subject like RS where you may see 150 different children a day as KS3 often only gets one lesson a week!!! I think primary teachers do work ever so hard and have a lot of different pressures to those I had - it is different pressure but I wouldn't deny its hard work!

What I meant to try and say was that expectations that a parent had of primary school is very different to those at secondary. You would expect a primary teacher to know your child very well, whereas I can't possibly know a child I see for one hour a week in the same way as a primary teacher - and that affects everything including marking, if you don't "know" the child in the same way. Obviously secondary maths/english DO see their students a lot more than RS, but as the thread was RS it just needed pointing out.

You've already been given lots of good advice, but one more point...

You mention that the school is focusing 'on tracking and targets and assessments'; this is actually different to homework.

I teach English and see most of my classes 2-3 times a week, set homework once a week and probably mark books every 3 weeks or so. To be perfectly honest though I don't prioritise marking books because it's not usually assessed work.

As well as the homework we will also set at least one assessment each half term. This is when pupils know they need to produce their absolute best work and know it will be marked in detail and given a level.

The homework I set is usually to aid their understanding of class work and I'll know whether they've done it or not by how well they do in the assessment iyswim.

(This is all KS3 by the way; KS4 and sixth form are assessed slightly differently)

Oh, and English teachers work harder than anyone else don't you know?

well went to Parents' Eve and all the teachers were lovely, esp the RE and History . However, I think the RE teacher had forgotten to mark Ds1's book because he seemed a bit confounded when I mentioned it (politely) and asked to see the book...
All were extremely helpful, so thank you teachers out there!

And you were right Truth that lot of the assessment seems to be on classroom performance/contribution, not just homework.

Lots of good advice. Just wanted to add that most departments have a policy of how much homework should be set and how often books should be marked. When I was teaching maths I had to mark books every two weeks and homework on the other week. They should be able to confirm what their aim is.