A homework argument already

[WhyCantIuseTheNameIWant]

Ds has started at big school now. Year 7. Bus trip, several villages away.

They get homework every night. Nothing new there...

But the maths teacher has set homework today. Due in tomorrow. And we have spent all evening at the school "parents q&a evening"

His after-school time went roughly...

4:00 bus arrives in our village
4:15 meets me and dd in park
4:30 has ice cream with a friend
5:00 in the car to go back to school
5:30 snack before meeting
6:00 sat in hall
7:30 driving home via chippy as nobody has eaten
8:15 home and he tells me he has homework
8:30 shower as he stinks
9:00 finally gets out of shower
9:30 packing PE kit etc for tomorrow.

I know he is a boy and takes forever to do things, but a poster. For tomorrow. On parents evening night?

We all had to go and sit in the parents eve thing. As it explained how school works. It's website. Sickness procedures. Streaming. Etc...

Both me and ds need to know all this stuff, apparently.

[balletgirlmum]

Whatever 001. You are determined to be belligerent.

I would not send my children to such a school anyway so it's a moot point.

[Shiningdew]

I have to smile at the idea of these 'fucking selfish' kids ruining their peers' education by not doing their homework - apart from the fact that is nonsense, what about kids who were ill and missed the lesson!?

[balletgirlmum]

Dd is supposed to get 2-3 lots of homework each night - each taking approx 20-40 mins to complete.

Ds is currently getting 2 x 20 min pieces of honework per night which will increase to 3 x after half term.

Dd completes one piece of homework per night as she gets home late at around 7.30-8pm (though the other night an accident meant it was 9.15pm. She then saves the rest to do at the weekend after Saturdsy morning dance or sometimes is able to do some in the mornings before registration.

Ds is trying to do 1-2 pieces per night with the rest at the weekend.

I don't see that I sm setting a bad example & in fact dds school advised her not to do any homework in the week in order for her to get some rest & family time.

[balletgirlmum]

Factor in two kids with ASD ego & argh!!!

[ginnybag]

For those of you saying 'we don't do homework....'

My cousin had this misfortune of teaching at a supposedly Outstanding school in Cambridgeshire last year, having moved there from a sinkhole in inner city Birmingham.

In the first three weeks, all my conversations were laughing with her at all the reasons parents had come up with for why their kids hadn't done the homework.

After the first three weeks, she realized that this wasn't going to let up. In fact, it got so bad that the dept. head (against Cousin's wishes) instigated a no-homework policy for the maths dept. because the ten percent who were doing it were getting so far ahead of the other 90%, that it was felt it was 'disadvantaging the pupils who chose not to do it' - that's a direct quote of the reason.

She left at the the end of the year, as did 4 of the other 5 teachers in the dept.

In that one year, the school's results have gotten so bad - something like only 25% getting a C at GCSE - that OFSTED have been called in. They've ripped the school to pieces.

These were the kids of lecturers and professors, lawyers, doctors and other similar types, and the problem was the extra-curricular stuff, not anything else.

Just a thought.

OP, your son had the time, but perhaps chalk this one up as a first offence and move on. Don't keep covering for him though

[balletgirlmum]

NoOne has said we don't do homework.

Only overnight homework - big difference

& Ds is racing ahead in maths as she uses Khan Academy a lot (she's able to do stuff on there whilst travelling as long as there is enough light)

[balletgirlmum]

Dd rather.

[goblinhat]

My DD often can't do overnight homework because of dance.
THankfully homework is always set with lots of notice by the school.

[Shiningdew]

Ginny, they can't have been teaching very well! I never set homework and always had decent results.

[elizadolittlechoc]

Teachers are under pressure to be 'outstanding' at all times by senior management. Part of that is seen as setting regular homework and marking it which is monitored by Department heads, Senior management are under pressure from OFsted to react to those very expensive questionnaires sent out every year where the automatic response as a parent is to tick 'homework is important' box. In Academies this can affect pay and promotion.As usual the kids come out bottom of priorities.

[Shiningdew]

I just used to set read a book. It was never checked in any school I worked at.

[AmeliaNeedsHelp]

Content wise I actually think that the majority of homework is probably a waste of time for years 7 - 9 tbh. But if I don't set it, parents email the school and I get it in the neck from the deputy head. I'd prefer the kids to have way less homework, but be less tired (and more ready to learn) in the classroom. The efficiency of learning at the start of term is much higher and behaviour is better - I think this is likely to be related to tiredness.

That said, I do think that teens need to learn time management and organisational skills and homework does help massively with those.

Also, at GCSE and a level I need to set homework to get question practice in while we cover the content it sufficient depth in the classroom. Good study habits from year 10 upwards matter, and if homework is just not done the students start each lesson behind their classmates.

A colleague of mine sets a project homework for year 7 (after the first term where homework has to set to be due in the next day). The kids get really engaged and are allowed to follow their own interest in the subject. I'm planning to do the same thing this year.

[Baconyum]

Ego do you understand the purposes of homework? To teach self discipline, time management, independent study (all of which is needed for GCSE and beyond), to see if the child is coping OK and understands the work being taught in class when there isn't support? To identify any gaps in knowledge, To build confidence in the subject (again important when it comes to exam time)?

"When the time comes for exams, I will ensure that DS does the revision required." How will he cope with that if he's never worked independently before?

I agree one night homework is poor planning unless it's work that should have been completed in class, needs to be completed before the next class and the child was faffing about

[MrsTerryPratchett]

Bullshit homework makes a mockery of actual school work. I hated homework. Especially 'projects' and posters and the like. Stupid make-work nonsense. Absolutely 'pre-work' or 'flipped classroom' would have been vastly better for me.

Ironically I used to avoid homework and class work and get into huge amounts of trouble at school because I was reading voraciously.

Self discipline, time management, independent study, organisational skills are great. Strange how much my school resisted these during school hours.

I was fine once I got to post-GCSE and then university. I could study what I wanted at the pace I wanted. Rather then sit through sloooooowwwww classes and have to redo stuff at home even though I knew it all.

[Baconyum]

Sorry Mrs t I normally like your posts but here I disagree.

Not all children are as bright or confident as you were lucky enough to be and homework is a useful way of assessing where they're at.

[ollieplimsoles]

I also think its more 'fucking selfish' to give out a poster for next day homework. Its a total waste of time. It would be quicker and more beneficial to hand out a couple of maths problems, they would at least be using their brains a bit more.

My job revolves around self discipline and tight deadlines. If I had something planned for the evening it does often have to go out of the window if I need to finish off something. But that's my job, I get paid for it.

There is no way my child would miss an important commitment like dance class or sports, to stay at home and make a crappy poster. They need down time and a well rounded education that includes extra curricular activities.

[WiryElevator]

My DS also started last week in Y7. On one day, he had after school rugby training and got home at 6.15, was out 6.30 - 9pm at football training, so ate and did his homework for the next day when he got in. He was in bed by 9.45pm that night, and we made sure he had an early night the next night.

In general, the rule is he does all the HW as soon as he gets in, at the table, with a snack and a drink. He likes this as it gets it out of the way and he can then relax. He's had plenty set where he has a week, but does it the first night. Let's hope it continues.......

[Idefix]

really surprised by how many school are still giving out next day homework.
All three secondary school that dc have attended have essentially promised that will never happen and that if it does occur we are to report it.

Seems like some pp run a really tight ship and would have been able to turn arround homework with your itinerary for that evening. I don't think our house would have pulled it off either especially a few days into yr 7 when ds will no doubt be tired.

I do think homework is an essential part of secondary school life, and sets the culture for revising when it comes to GCSEs.

[Cabrinha]

I'm still laughing at the idea that a timeline that includes a 45 minute shower and time for an ice cream with his mates is proof there was no time for homework!

[nooka]

I'm so glad my children are in a school system that doesn't do homework (apart from work that wasn't finished in class). It seems particularly unfair to load children up with homework in the first term of year 7 when they are surely struggling simply with getting in the swing of secondary school?

My two are 16 and 15 and performing very well at school and ds also did very well in the government set exams. He's just decided to do an extra course online so it will be interesting to see how disciplined he is at that (means he will get an additional course at school next year that he wants to do). We are in Canada (used to live in the UK) and our system seems to do pretty well in international tests. Certainly my children seem able to hold their own with their UK cousins, despite spending a couple of hours less every day studying.