AIBU to think that teachers should stick to the published homework timetable?

[phantomnamechanger]

when there is a time table for each year group so that kids get 2 or 3 subjects a night, supposed to be half hour each (obviously some set a longer homework lasting several weeks), and they nag (quite rightly) about not stocking it all up till the last night, then the teachers should stick to the right night and not give homework out willy nilly or say they will give it out next time.
OK if it works in the kids' favour so they get more time and can plan their work better, get it out of the way sooner, but totally unfair when it puts them under pressure to do that PLUS their allotted subjects overnight (meaning their other homework may be of lesser quality due to time constraints)

Not sure I quite understand what you mean, but if Geography gives out a homework project lasting 3 or 4 weeks, just do that on the nights it is supposed to be Geography.

How old? At 9, maybe. At 11, tough.

well, the thing is, the way lessons pan out sometimes, on the allotted hwk night, we may not be at a point to set something meaningful so its get held over til the next lesson when everyone has reached a point where they can attempt the task. If I do set it out of sync I always do give them longer to do it, but if you stick to the timetable rigidly, you'll end up giving some crap assignment that won't add anything to their learning and just be a rote exercise. Would that be better?

yeah, I don't mind that pudcat, longer projects is fine and they can pace themselves

I mean say the history teacher giving hwk on Tues to be in for Thurs, when its supposed to be given on the Fri to be in for the following Tues - so they have less time to do it and with clashes of other homework.

Even worse some teachers set hwk on their correct day , asking for it to be in the next day when they do not even see the class, rather than wait till the next lesson 3 days later when it is supposed to be handed in. This means them having to remember the books on a day they don't have the lesson, and again, the are being given less time than they SHOULD to do it. If that falls on a day when they have , say, guides, its just not fair.

Why publish a timetable and not stick to it?

Perhaps you could email the head of year to ask why teachers are not keeping to the timetable. Doesn't seem fair to the pupils.

Fairy - I get that totally - I was a teacher for 8 yrs preDC
and I get that lessons do not always go to plan

Our only remit then was to set homework for each class in each subject once a week - so each of my KS3 science sets got a hwk, and each of my gcse groups got a homework. Usually with almost a week to do it.

But if the school say this is the hwk your child will get on each day, MOn DT and maths, Tue French and art, wed geog and music etc etc then that is what should happen. If a couple of the teachers decided to break the rule on the same night the kids would be stuffed!

well if you get what I said then I don't understand your last paragraph. The published timetable is done by a senior manager at the start of the year to try and ensure an even spread. If homework is to meaningful it needs to be set at the right point in the course. I pretty much never only give one night as it just throws up to many problems but I have had situations where I have had to get work in on days I don't see the class, so I can mark it and get it back BEFORE the next lesson so we progress to the next step. Not often, but sometimes. It requires kids to be organised and use their homework diaries is all.

but if you stick to the timetable rigidly, you'll end up giving some crap assignment that won't add anything to their learning and just be a rote exercise
but if each subject teacher on a given day did not stick to the timetable then the poor pupils are really stuffed. You could have maybe 4 subjects giving out homework to be in before the next lesson.

It requires kids to be organised and use their homework diaries is all

and surely according to the timetable in the diaries.

I've always found homework timetables silly because you can't always predict to the minute when a lesson will reach the appropriate point. For this reason I always give deadlines that do not assume weekend work for non-examination groups, and no holiday work at all. I get very high levels of homework being given in because the pupil seem to appreciate the leeway they're given. Different for exam groups, of course.

My subject helps though, because I don't need the constant reinforcement/checking that, say a language or maths does.

IMO, you are contradicting yourself.

They should only give out Hwk on the days given
but then

They can give out Hwk if it benefits the child by giving them more time.