To think that some tasks set by schools are just ludicrous?

[YgritteSnow]

I give you "create an A3, double sided, printed booklet" to be handed in on return to school. Firstly do most people routinely keep reams of A3 paper in the home? And do most people have printers that do double sided printing on A3 size paper in the home? I'm worn out with it. We've done nothing but school work all day, every day this week. The whole house revolves around it. I don't think I can bear it for however many months this will take

Oh goody. Another one.

Sellotape or stick two A4 pieces of paper together.

Print onto 4 sheets/sides of A4. Stick together and fold.
I do actually have A3 paper. Cant print bigger than A4 tho!

We don't have a printer. But the dc would hand write onto A4 and I'd sellotape it together.

Wow Chloe, rude much?

OP - we had similar. We didn't have A3, and DS was getting stressed that he wasn't able to follow the instructions exactly (yr7). Schools should set tasks that are actually achievable at home - it's not just about materials. We only have one PC and I need to work at home, DS needs access to the PC for much of the day too, it's just not realistic or possible.

Yea I agree actually that is a bit ridiculous. We have purposely avoided setting these types of tasks.

Do you think they meant A5 rather than A3? After all, A3 is big, not really ‘booklet’ size, whereas A5 is more bookletty and easy to make by folding A4.

We are trying our best, we are offering alternatives to work with what people have. We are trying to set offline work so computers are free. I'm sure whatever your son produces will matter more than the format.

I've asked my students to produce something after research - could be a poster, a powerpoint, a news article, notes in their books. I don't really mind how they do it, just that they do something. Your sons' teacher won't mind either.

Teachers had about 5 mins notice to set these tasks up - maybe it's a repurposed classroom resource?

"we've done school work all day every day" what, like the kids would if they were at school? It's not a holiday you know...

I’d assume that they meant A5. I know A4 size but always have to double check the others. A3 is a bit ridiculous, but A5 Totally reasonable! Id email the teacher and point out the error.

E-mail the teacher. They are doing their best with NO time to prepare. As an experienced teacher I find it easy to work with students in front of me but setting things for them to do at home is a nightmare. I'm setting work and having emails from some parents saying it's not enough and others saying it's too much.

Just email them and explain why your DC will have it handwritten if you feel the need but in reality your child's teacher is probably at home trying to manage the learning of the 100+ students they teach (if secondary) as well as home schooling their own child.

When I am at school I average about 10-15 e-mails a day. This week has been between 70-100. This is on top of setting work, marking the work sent back to me and delivering online lessons. Please don't complain about people who are doing their absolute best, and thats all they will expect from you/your child back.

Have you tried messaging the teacher? I’ve answered 20+ queries today (all positive I may add - just lovely kids and lovely parents sharing what they’ve been doing)

Really, don't stress about it. I had my Y7 DD in tears on Monday overwhelmed with the list of tasks. I told her I doubt very much when the schools eventually go back that the teachers will actually check off and mark hundreds of pieces of work. As long as they do a bit of core subjects plus something else every day, they're fine. Certainly not all day. Home-schoolers don't do anything like 5 hours a day, as it's more concentrated at home.

Wow Chloe, rude much?

And the thread title and OP is just sweetness and light? Have you seen how many threads there have been this week criticising schools and teachers? The OP has, as she has been on them. Hence my response.

Oh shut up @walkthedinosaur 🙄

Thanks everyone else. Mostly. Dd is autistic so stressed about not being able to do exactly what is asked. Also she needs a lot of support in her learning, which she obviously gets at school but now needs at home. So when I say "all day" I mean all day because it's takes us much longer. We've just finished about ten minutes ago having started at half nine this morning. Need to take regular breaks for her to process things. I think I am going to tell her it was a typo and the booklet needs to be A4

Where?! Where have I been on those threads @ChloeDecker? I hope that's a genuine mistake and you're not just a massive fibber!

Just looked at "threads I am on" in case I posted in my sleep or something. And sure enough not a one where I am slagging teachers off. Hope you're going to retract that @ChloeDecker?

My school is setting far too much!

My school hasn’t set anything!

My school wants the kids online all day watching video tutorials and we have 3 kids and one laptop!

My school set a load of worksheets with no teaching input so I have to teach the kids myself!

My school wants us to submit work for marking!

My school isn’t marking anything, why do the kids have to do it if teachers can’t be bothered marking!

My child has spent 13 hours working today!

My child finished the work in 15 minutes!

The work was too easy for my child!

The work was too hard for my child!

Can you see where I’m going with this?

As for emailing the teacher. I probably should but I am really aware that they're busy and probs dealing with their own kids so try very hard not to. I home educated my other autistic child for years as he couldn't manage in a mainstream environment so I am used to all this and can manage most issues but the A3 booklet just tipped me over the edge I am afraid 😟

Can you see where I’m going with this?

I can but I was way ahead of you. I don't email teachers unless absolutely necessary

Would the teacher be flexible in changing the task ? Dh is a teacher and he and his stage partners adjust tasks to suit. The difficulty could be that they've had to pull all this together over 5 days. It will be more refined for next term. My dh has asked kids and parents to email him with any queries and problems they're coming up against.

I'm just going to change it to A4 and send a note at the time it's handed in. I'm sure they'd prefer that than yet another email query.

I'm also never going to come to MN for a mini moan again!

@ChloeDecker still waiting here...

Just don't do it. What are the school really going to do if you don't?

We are putting home learning out. But we've also send out information that it is optional and with no expectations. Its there IF parents want to use it with their children. We are trying to give a variety of tasks, not just English and Maths worksheets.

In the nicest possible way, who is actually going to look at it when they do go back?

No teacher is inspecting all the homelearning in September. They won't have the fucking time.

 I suppose not @BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz. I think I have probably absorbed too much of my dd's over zealous, exhaustive attention to detail.

I am dreading setting work for my class next week tbh. I was ill this week and only work p/t so haven’t had to do any home learning stuff yet. I agree that specifying A3 is odd, but there must be some bizarre reason the teacher has chosen that size?

I’m dreading my choices being second guessed by all my parents. I hate that fact that some parents will look at what I set and roll their eyes and say it’s not enough/too easy/I’m not challenging their child and they need to do my job for me (at the same time as doing their own job, too!) I hate that other parents will look at what I set and say it is too much/irrelevant/boring/too time consuming and they need to do my job for me (at the same time as doing their own job, too!)

I don’t want to disappoint people or stress people out. But how do I set the right stuff for every child in my class when I can’t speak to them, can’t see them, have no idea what their house is like on that day or actually, in most cases, on any day?

Sorry OP, I know this isn’t really what your thread was about.