To be fine with the children ignoring all set work for art and drama?

[Sethy38]

School has developed a truly superb home schooling platform. Lots of live lessons and interesting work. In fact, I’m in awe!

It’s full on though. 3 hours of live lessons my youngest has today (8) and then couple of hours set work on top of that.

Now, art and drama. My children are not that way inclined at all! Never have been. They’re academic and sporty. Art and drama is of no interest. So I’ve been very relaxed about them doing squat all and instead carrying on with set work for English, maths etc or outside in garden playing football/ basketball etc

Anyone else doing the same?!

Choose your battles.

Mine is just barely keeping his anxiety under check but if we get to meltdown stage I will excuse him from the couple of subjects he finds hardest. I know him, I know he is putting his heart and soul into this and it helps him enormously if we can meet him halfway from time to time.

I'm also tempted to ask that he be excused from some of the homework, especially the "finish the 6 page worksheet if you didn't do so in the lesson" types. It's just too much for him after a full day at the computer.

@nonicknameseemsavailable

I would see it in the same way as perhaps other families might ignore PE! If you substitute with something productive and not just watching TV then I don't see a problem with it. But I would say try to do some of it. Even if you do your own version of it. If they don't like art then maybe see if you can get them to try a different craft. Or even outdoor arty stuff like arranging twigs, leaves etc to make arty things in the garden, doesn't feel like traditional art but still is. I do think all subjects are valid ones but equally I agree it is currently a best efforts basis and as long as the main subjects get done then especially in primary I think it is ok.

When they’re outside I like them to have total free rein. They often organically start doing stuff like this (my son built a bird box last lockdown) entirely of own accord.

If I start setting them a task, then.... well the joy of being outside and total freedom is lost. They don’t play computer games and watch very little TV. They are very much outdoorsy sporty kids and I treasure that. I suspect if I start setting jobs etc, that may weaken.

I think with home schooling you have to just do what you can manage and what works for you. So fair enough, particularly if they're not really into art/drama. I think they should have some opportunities to do something creative /imaginative though. Just a bit of colouring /painting or something. The arts get neglected enough in normal times, I think it's terrible that some schools didn't do any music last term (due to the perceived 'risk').

Hmm, as a music teacher I can tell you that those teachers are slogging just as hard as the Maths and English teachers at providing excellent online lessons and opportunities. It's soul destroying when 80% of the class ignore your work despite the effort you've put in to make it meaningful. As a teacher, your line manager then wants to know why you arent engaging your pupils. I guess I can direct them towards this thread!

@Ploughingthrough

Hmm, as a music teacher I can tell you that those teachers are slogging just as hard as the Maths and English teachers at providing excellent online lessons and opportunities. It's soul destroying when 80% of the class ignore your work despite the effort you've put in to make it meaningful. As a teacher, your line manager then wants to know why you arent engaging your pupils. I guess I can direct them towards this thread!

I am genuinely sad and sorry. Really, I see the work they put in.

However my priority has to be my children. And if they have 3 hours of intense on line lessons in English and maths in the morning.

And then a drama lesson, but they want to do outside and play football instead.... then I won’t stop them.

I think it's a matter of picking your battles while making sure the DC get a balance, which it sounds like yours are achieving. My DC's school are doing English and maths every day with one other subject each afternoon. I'm fine with that. I also insist on some form of exercise and reading every day.

Sure, but if you have already decided to select the work you will pursue, which is entirely your choice of course, then I dont really see the point of posting a thread like this where teachers of arts subjects like me get to read a long list of posters who are also going to be ignoring the work we have set. It's a bit disheartening for us.

During these times I only care about maths English and stem. I personally couldn't care less if everything else was scrapped.

They cant have it all and tbh I would be pissed if a teacher said schools must shut and in the next breath then drama was relevant during school closure.

I'm not teacher bashing at all but in a time when schooling isnt important like now then drama and arts for those not doing gcses is the pinicle of that unimportantance to me.

So if it's really import that schools close, the kids education has to shrink. To what matters

The point?

As I ask in my OP, “anyone else doing the same?”

I don’t think my title was misleading? It was always going to be “disheartening” if you are a drama or art teacher so best not to have clicked on it

@Ploughingthrough its mother you are making an effort but it's not universal. My ds2 has just been given the exact same music project to do as he was in the summer term. Time taken to set the task - 5 min. Feedback on finished item - zero.

I think the curriculum should have been narrowed to have fewer subjects given the covid situation.

Given that didn't happen, beyond the essentials of Maths & English, I think parents/children should just concentrate on what interests them the most and what is more likely to be helpful for their future education/career. For children who have no interest in Art/Maths, or no interest in a MFL, or no interest in a humanity, then they need to put those aside and concentrate on what they are interested in. It's obvious that the kids can't keep up with a full curriculum given the strains of trying to learn remotely.

Sorry to hear that, of course that is unacceptable. Conversely I know many many teachers in practical subjects working very hard to provide creative online learning that is of little value to parents, evidently. I'll carry on working anyway, because that is my job and I believe my subject has value as part of a broad and balanced curriculum.

Get ready for the parents of 'the best 6 year old nativity actress to ever exist' to arrive, OP.

Just let your kids focus on the subjects they want, art and drama aren't things that can be learnt, just practiced. If they want to waste time painting a fruit bowl when they could be doing something they really enjoy and benefit from, crack on, if not, let them play football!

You can run your homeschool as you see fit: you know your children best!

However, do be mindful of having a balanced day. Art and drama stimulate the brain in different ways that reinforce academic development.

If they don't want to do art/ drama that's fine but I would try to replace them with something creative.

Its fine. No one chose this and it is hard work. If kids are happy to do the work set and you have the time, that's great. If it is causing massive problems, like in my house, just do the basics. We are doing the maths and the english and some reading. This is a struggle for my ds (10) without anything else.

There's more to education that you realised. Don't let your kids miss out .

Covid , lockdown, home-schooling, are stressful for everybody; children AND the siblings AND the parents they are shut up with at home. Pupils have a lot more emotional and social baggage to deal with than usual. The school is trying to help them.

Via Art and Drama the school are providing a non-threatening way for pupils to explore and come to terms with their feelings and human relationships and daily life under lockdown. Your kids, you, and your whole family, can benefit from that.

Have you contacted Ofsted to praise your school’s online teaching? One in the eye for our darling Gavin.

Obviously ds (14) is doing his whole timetable but he can work (mostly) independently without upset....

D+T...... Their 2 hour lesson was squashed into a ten minute activity of looking at 6 different labels in clothing items.
Let's face it, no kids gonna suffer from not doing textiles.
He's happy to get on his Playstation anyway

Drama has a huge overlap with English and it's disappointing that it's given less worth than other subjects. And I don't think children should get not to do stuff just because it doesn't interest them.

But at age 8, I'm not sure what they are getting in the way of drama/art anyway. So I guess cherrypick what you want.

(DD is taking both GCSE Art and GCSE Drama and will not be allowed to ignore either, but that's somewhat different to you).

Being exclusively sucked down the academic tube is something that thankfully most schools do not aspire to. Producing rounded culturally aware young adults is still the aim. That needs to continue during home schooling too.

@Sethy38

* This made me think of the scene in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" where the oafish stockbroker says something along the lines of "What's the point of studying the novels of Wordsworth?"*

That’s English. Not art and drama

wooosh.

One of my children is arty, the other isn't. If they aren't the leave it and as others have said, pick your battles. Drama is different as it is about greater depth English, confidence in public speaking, confidence in expression etc.

To be honest I think it is good from a mental health perspective even if not good at these subjects