to give dd my blessing to walk out of her English lesson on Monday?

[whysogrumpy]

Before I explain I should say that she, along with my other dc, is pretty much a model pupil - never been in trouble before, but both she and I are at the end of our tethers with this situation.

She is in Year 8 and in a mixed ability class , not a policy I agree with and not one taken up by any of the other subjects in her school, but, hey...
DD is a strong level 6 yet throughout the year has been surrounded by pupils who have never read a book and can barely spell their own names - her words, not mine.

Anyway, over the last few weeks the class have been put into groups by the teacher and told to write a play. They will perform it and be assessed on their performances. DD has had a pretty miserable time since this task was set, she doesn;t get on with any of the kids she has been placed with and tells me that she has been made to do all he work. She has basically written the entire script while they have sat there and yet they will now walk away with top levels thanks to dd .

That is not the worst of it though. DD is pretty bookish and not really one for acting. She hates getting up in front of the class doing stuff like this, plus she feels that, as she has written the thing, she should be able to take a minor role. Anyway, the other kids in her group have refused to take the main role as well and have told dd she needs to do it. The teacher has backed them up and told dd that she needs to take the lead role to get a level 6/7 .

So these little shits who have sat there doing nothing for three weeks have now had their behaviour condoned by the teacher, who seems to be using dd to get some work out of some very difficult pupils. DD was in tears over it on Wednesday night so I phoned the teacher. I couldn't believe what I was told. Apparantly this sort of task is just as important as the essay/story/poem writing that dd excells at . Does she want to be an actress? No, yet she must go through this ridiculous task or, according to the teacher, she will be at risk of failing her GCSEs!!! She's 13 ffs, in year 8! Pissing around doing drama activities with a bunch of kids who can't write - how is that helping her to improve her level?

The teacher ended by saying dd must perform, in the lead role, on Monday. When I told dd she said she'd walk out if forced to go through with this. AIBU to tell her to go for it?

hackmum

the first reason that springs to my mind is that they are lazy.
the second is that they have been able to get away with the minimum amount due to the mixed classes and are able to manipulate others to do the work.

Another reason could of course be that DD is extending the truth because she doesn't want to do/is scared of the speaking parts.

Do we get to find out what happened on Monday?

She's in year 8. This won't affect her GCSE's at all!!! Sick day will be better than walk out.

rainyday the fact that she has had no practice, time to improve, work on areas that are weak etc will affect her GCSE as she has to be assessed as part of her GCSE on S&L.

Is this English?

Does it not include oral work as part of the GCSE later on? It certainly used to, so in order to get top grades she will have to be able to speak her parts with clarity and expression.

I would imagine that such an element is present in the assessment of English national curriculum levels surely?

I think that you need to encourage your DD to take part in the presentation of the work, not to walk out when she feels out of her comfort zone.

I am sure the teacher must know who has done what part of the work, and will adjust the marks accordingly. This is what normally happens in group work anyway,

This is basically a speaking and listening task which, along with reading and writing, are assessed areas of English. Therefore, whether or not she wants to be an actress or work with these children, this is what the task requires. The way she works with her peers will be judged as well as her ability to speak in front of others.

It isnt acceptable that she has been made to write the script and she needs to tell her teacher this. However it also isnt acceptable for her to refuse to pay a part. Its a little ironic actually - You dont like her being asked to do all the writing but the other kids must do all the acting because your DD doesnt like it?

I'm sure what has gone on has been badly managed and that your poor DD is in a very difficult position. Lots of children hate group work for good reason! But it is part of their curriculum and part of life. You simply cant tell her to walk out as this teaches her to get what she wants through emotional and dramatic behaviour. She is old enough to, with support, talk to the teacher and explain what is happening. She cannot refuse to act but she can tell the teacher that the script is her work and not that of a group.

Interesting reading the views on group work on here!

Co-operative learning has been very much a growing trend up here in Scotland since about 2005 or so but the training uses Canadian methods which have proved to be successful both there and in Scandinavia.

It's considered to be more a social skills teaching tool up here though to give experience of team work etc. and group projects would not usually form part of a certificate assessment, in core subjects anyway.

It's used a lot for concepts and ideas in many subjects and there are usualy very specific roles assigned to each team member.

Oh and up here, from S1 (12) onwards pupils are expected to give individual talks quite often.

And I should add that the class teachers would certainly not just be letting pupils get on with it and would be circulating and observing.

Oh and I should also add (sorry, forgot!) - a Co-Operative lesson may also have some peer-evaluation built in so individual pupils can express their views!

So will we ever find out what happened?

Salmotrutta, are you a teacher? My own DC are at school in Scotland and bloody hate the group work that seems to be the only acceptable way of teaching now! Their experiences are largely the same as OP's daughter- one does all the work while others do nothing or 'timekeep.'

Mine are also at school in Scotland and have never moaned about group work. They see it as just part of the class work.

I work further down in primary school as a helper. Those classes that started school with co-operative learning as standard now work together extremely well. I don't think there's any teachers I know that would say otherwise.

I don't think OP will come back. Too many disagreed with her?

Almostfifty It's not really the group work that they object to, it's the amount of it (in certain subjects). They don't seem to do much independent work.

Primary is also different to secondary- what works well there doesn't with teenagers!

Annunziata - yes, I'm a teacher (secondary) and most teachers I know use Co-Op learning as an additional tool.
They certainly don't use it all the time and possibly much less with senior certificate classes.

Properly structured tasks and teams should work well in Co-operative learning.

If the team doesn't work it can be changed - in fact most teacher's do mix the groups up regularly.

Annunziata I was meaning as they are used to co-operative learning more, (as opposed to those who've only done it for a couple of years) it will be of more benefit.

My own boys are in secondary school.

sorry, the thread is too long to read but you need to take her out of the comprehensive and put her in a mid-range or above independent school. the lower end of the independent market has gone downhill - they're so desperate for the money they'll take anyone.

i have sympathy for the teacher (group work is such a pain in the arse) but more for the girl.

Lovebunny, can I take a cutting from your money tree? Not the most helpful of responses!

If I start another thread about group work in Secondary would you mind answering, Salmotrutta? I do find it quite interesting.

lovebunny- what a ridiculous post.

I don't mind Annunziata - do you mean Secondary Education topic?

It may be tomorrow - sorry just came back to this thread after doing other stuff!

Just a thought but did youir DD invite contribution from the others? Or is she of the mind that they are a waste of space and not entertain their ideas? I have come acrioss a lot of bossybritches girls like this

I think the principle behing the whole task is deeply suspect (ie good students unfairly carrying the bad/lazy ones) however your DD flouncing out in a strop is not the solution. You need to carry on pushing this point home with the teacher on this one. Your DD should just get on with it.

With regards to standing up and doing something she doesn't want to do - I really really feel for her, but that's what life involves, so school is a good place to get used to it. What are you teaching her by allowing her to walk out? She wouldn't get away with this in the workplace about either issue, and it's cruel to let her think that this is a valid way of dealing with stuff you don't like.

Likewise pulling a sickie. Doesn't stand up in the real world.