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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think this teacher should have marked something by now

15 replies

WhatsItAllAboutAlfie · 12/10/2009 08:29

My dd is in year 8, has just done her 5th piece of English homework since they went back in September and I know( cos the teacher told them) that she will come home with another piece tonight. All well and good but none of them have been marked!
I told her last week to ask about it and he said he would "mark things in his own time".
So AIBU to expect things to be marked and AIBU to be considering a stiff email to said teacher requesting some feedback (marking)?

OP posts:

corblimeymadam · 12/10/2009 08:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Tombliboobs · 12/10/2009 08:37

YANBU

How is she meant to know if she is doing things correctly before moving on with the next piece of work or be able to improve based on feedback given?

piscesmoon · 12/10/2009 08:44

Email him. Say that she is finding it more and more difficult when she has had no feedback on previous homework and has no idea of the standard of the work she is producing.It sounds as if she is getting homework for the sake of setting homework.

Thandeka · 12/10/2009 08:46

Sorry I am slightly on the other side on this one. September is completely horrific for us teachers in terms of getting to know our new groups etc. PLus the pressure massively mounts on Y10 and Y11 (especially English and the phenomenal coursework load). Some homeworks are set so they don't need to be marked- or maybe the teacher is employing peer assessment in lessons or whatever. Unfortunately it is the sorry truth that when you have 15 different classes it is your GCSE and SATS classes that will get the priority as it is a physical impossibility to keep on top of your marking all of the time so Y7 and Y8 may not get same attention all of the time. (am impressed at the amount of homework set to be honest!)
If there is no marking done by end of the half term holiday then I would definitely kick up a stink as that is very unreasonable but give him another couple of weeks grace at least. You would probably find summer term marking for Y8 to be much more rigorous as teachers really focus on lower school once SATS and GCSE's are out of the way. I know this doesnt sound fair on your daughter- but believe me in Y9 onwards there will be much more of a focus on her.
BTW this may sound like I am a slack teacher- I am not- OFSTED rated outstanding and now work as an advisory teacher- alongside my normal teaching- I am just trying to point out the realities of working in schools.

stuffitllllama · 12/10/2009 08:47

Yanbu. Lesson One in how to demotivate a child is complete.

Have you got a parent's evening coming up? You should take the homework in and put it in front of front of him and ask him to mark it there and then or come up with a good reason why homework should be done but not assessed.

If your daughter does her homework independently then fine. If it causes aggro then stop doing it. There is no point.

You don't have to make it a "stiff" email. You have right entirely on your side. You can go in and have a smiley meeting with him (with a notebook) or write a very pleasant email asking what the purpose of homework is, noting that it can be neither for assessment nor educational purposes if it is not marked.

I recently withdrew my highly motivated child from a school for three reasons -- and failure to assess homework (and recognise the subsequent demotivation) was one of them.

piscesmoon · 12/10/2009 08:53

If the teacher is too busy to mark then they need to set homework that can be self marked, or peer marked, in class. They can save any work that need to be teacher marked until they have time.

Thandeka · 12/10/2009 08:56

That is a fair point piscesmoon, as is the "setting homework for homeworks sake".

I like Y8's to do research projects which we have an awesome time on assessing. (and takes up a whole half term- but then I teach an entirely different subject where I am not constrained by the constant drive for results)

Original poster

WhatsItAllAboutAlfie · 12/10/2009 09:27

Tney have not self marked or peer marked...this would be very difficult in English, she has been writing two types of poem, writing an editorial and an article on same subject and comparing two poems( this one had to be 350 words). I think these are all quite difficult skills and I think you have it one stuffit, she is now demotivated.

Thandeka I take your point re yrs 10 and 11 as my son has just finished his GCSE year. By the way haven't they done away with yr 9 SATS?. However maybe they shouldn't set this kind of work if they can't assess it? If they want kids to do work that can be peer marked maybe they need to go back to grammar etc which has a right and wrong answer instead of evaluation.

Maybe I will send email asking if he is planning to catch up on all the outstanding marking over half term...what do you think about that as an idea?

OP posts:

Original poster

WhatsItAllAboutAlfie · 12/10/2009 09:28

have it inone!

OP posts:

Original poster

WhatsItAllAboutAlfie · 12/10/2009 09:33

By the way there is no parents evening at this school until yr 9

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TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied · 12/10/2009 09:39

I would say YANBU as immediate feedback is essential and he will know that, particularly if he's done Critical Skills courses. However, September is a bloody nightmare with a million new groups but also the paperwork that is piled on until half term. Also, Yrs 10 and 11 will be his priority.

Saying that, he should either make an effort to mark the pieces or at least allow for self/peer assessment through tasks set in class, or he should reduce the homework if he can't mark it.

TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied · 12/10/2009 09:41

Sorry, just read your last post and I'd repeated a bit. Also, yes, they have done away with Year 9 SATs but they still have exams.

piscesmoon · 12/10/2009 16:39

No parent's evening in year 8-all year?! I would contact the school and complain. Actually-I am fairly sure that they have to have at least one a year.

Original poster

WhatsItAllAboutAlfie · 12/10/2009 17:40

Pisces
there is NO parents evening in yr 7 or yr8!!!
I have complained when my son was there and they brought it in. I wrote to Head and Governers and tried to get other parents to say they wanted one but all to no avail. It is actually a good school and I am generally happy with it but this issue is very wrong IMO.

OP posts:

Thandeka · 12/10/2009 18:24

Schools have a legal responsibility to feedback to parents at least once a year I believe. So most schools actually do over by having reports and parents evenings. Some schools are reducing the feedback to parents. There will be some legal back up for you somewhere if you google.

Oh and blush yes SATS are no more. In my defence I don't teach a SATS subject and was off long term sick when all the announcements were made so I am a bit out of loop on that one. Most schools are keeping pressure up on Y9 by having exams as far as I know.

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