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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

why are teachers STILL setting 'cover your book' as a homework?

71 replies

BrendaandEddie · 07/09/2015 16:55

I have rarely had a book fall apart, if it does, you fix it.

This must be the lamest and most pointless 'educational' activity since ' write our classroom rules' lesson.

OP posts:

miaowroar · 07/09/2015 18:13

I have seen loads of books get soaking wet in the rain - even though they were in bags - and the kids expect me to miraculously dry them out instantly.

I have never set a homework to cover a book, just said that they may do so if they wish, but I reserve the right to remove inappropriate coverings.

My last school had plastic exercise book covers which pupils could buy if they wanted, but they weren't cheap - you used to be able to buy them at Woolworths (nostalgic sigh).

One bright idea I had misfired though. I had a pupil who constantly graffitied his book - I told him to cover it or I would do it. He didn't, so I covered it with soppy teddy wrapping paper. He completely called my bluff, said he loved it, all the others wanted theirs doing too and then they graffitied the teddies.

clearsommespace · 07/09/2015 18:14

Uncovered books fall apart here too. Plus our school keeps the same Art exercise book (for art history) for 4 years!
DCs would love the boom covering to be set as homework. It is just expected to be done. We set up a book covering production line on the dining room table on the first day back. Second day back they get 'proper' homework (exercises etc)

clearsommespace · 07/09/2015 18:17

Tigers we use unsticky plastic and tape the corners together. We're not allowed to use sticky back on the text books. I haven't looked into costs but perhaps it is cheaper to use the noon sticky plastic?

Original poster

BrendaandEddie · 07/09/2015 18:18

narp - there is a lot i like. Some i dont. Like any school

OP posts:

dingit · 07/09/2015 18:18

Ugh, I really hate this, ds yr 9 is currently making a song and dance about it. I will end up doing it, otherwise we will end up rolled in the proxy stuff.
Ds and dd are also having a row as ahe won't tell him where it is. Happy days.

PlaymobilPirate · 07/09/2015 18:21

I'll be asking my 16+ students to back theirs this year. Where I work discipline is a tough area (disengaged school exclusions / refuses mainly) and they often graffiti their books.

catfordbetty · 07/09/2015 18:22

Teacher shortage looming OP - join up and you could start setting better homework of your own. In the meantime, make sure you demand a meeting with the school so you can share your anger in person. Failing that, just send your child's teacher an abusive email.

WoodleyPixie · 07/09/2015 18:22

Brenda- wonder if our ds go to the same school? Mine has just gone back to yr9 and homework is cover exercise book in sticky back plastic

Dragonglass · 07/09/2015 18:24

I remember doing this at school, except we used wallpaper.
My kids have never had to do it though.

dingit · 07/09/2015 18:57

Phew, finished two, but it makes it quite difficult when the cat joins in

winewolfhowls · 07/09/2015 19:02

One of the reasons for backing books is to make them identifiable so that students can quickly pick them up as they enter the lesson.

JohnCusacksWife · 07/09/2015 19:05

Am intrigued by the sticky backed plastic references. Surely you don't cover books and jotters in that? It'd ruin them?! My DDs have to cover their jotters but we use old wrapping paper or brown paper, same as I did when I was at school.

SuburbanRhonda · 07/09/2015 19:09

I'm the saddest person on this thread.

DS (at sixth form college) has more text books than you can shake a stick at and I buy plastic covers on eBay for each and every one of them .

Mind you, I was glad I did the same for DD when her pot of pasta and pesto exploded in her bag and all over her brand new law books

SlightlyJadedJack · 07/09/2015 19:10

My son in Yr 7 up your own arse grammar school has just been set this task as his first days homework. My response was pointless crap that I will have to do if it's to look even halfway decent.

JustMeOverHere · 07/09/2015 19:10

I used to enjoy going down to Woolies to buy sticky back plastic for my exercise books on the first day of term.

One of my friends Dad would brown paper her books, label them with a neat typed card with her name, class, subject and teacher's name and then sticky back plastic them. I was so envious.

Sighing · 07/09/2015 19:46

I used to do this at school. Our house had a substantial selection of wallpaper leftovers. There were the really 70's designs left to "be useful" by the previous occupants and the 80's mix of pastels and brights my parents used as soon as we moved in. I had books to match almost every room of my house!

whathaveiforgottentoday · 07/09/2015 19:52

I set this today but it was because I've given them 2 books - 1 for normal work and the other for practical work , so asked them to decorate the practical book just so we can tell the difference between the 2 books easily. Some of them clearly enjoyed the h/w judging by the lovely artwork.

Notoedike · 07/09/2015 20:04

Our School sells book covers for exercise books and we are required to buy them. Some teachers still want a few pics stuck on the front of the book. It's once a year I can't get worked up about it.

Whathaveilost · 07/09/2015 20:09

I thought this practice. Had died out decades ago.
DS1 has long left school and has never had to do it. Ds2 is currently in secondary and he hasn't done it either!

longtimelurker101 · 07/09/2015 20:13

Easily answered. Dicipline. Giveit as first hmw, hit the ones that don't come back hard, less are likely not to do hmw.

Secondly, kids have a tendency to doodle on covers of books, they can doodle on their own covers and hand it back in without parents being charged for a new one.

Don't do it with the 6th form, but we charge for a new book if the front or back is doodled on. Parents complain then too.

JenniferYellowHat1980 · 07/09/2015 20:13

I've never set this as homework or ever expected it magically to happen. I don't know of any colleagues who have either, across six schools.

MistressofIndecision · 07/09/2015 20:15

We buy the plastic wallet type book covers from Ryman/WH Smiths, much easier and quicker than sticky back plastic

Original poster

BrendaandEddie · 07/09/2015 20:24

I hoped it had died out. I'm in my twenty something th year of teaching. I have never set it.

Books remain intact. Kids pass exams.

OP posts:

mum11970 · 07/09/2015 20:31

My yr 13 and yr 10 have never had to cover their books.

longtimelurker101 · 07/09/2015 20:35

I've only really done it for textbooks when we hand them out. Year 10 and 11 get them ( we are really lucky to have class sets) it does stop the graffiti, also as said above is a bit of a kick from lesson 1. I'm not a fan of pointless hmw, but this one does mean I don't have to get people paying for books that have been defaced.

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