So much school work...

[formerbabe]

So when I found out schools were closing, I got lots of supplies in to do loads of activities and stuff with my DC. I had lots of good ideas for arts and crafts, games, cooking etc but they each have so much stuff to do from school, there's literally no time to do anything. I keep seeing people put up on Facebook the activities they've been doing and ideas to keep their DC occupied but honestly I can barely keep up with the actual school work let alone doing anything else.

I don't want to sound ungrateful to the teachers and schools as they're doing an amazing job in difficult circumstances but I do feel a bit disappointed as there's so much stuff I'd like to do and feel like our time isn't our own.

Please spare a thought for those of us who come into another category- i am so keen to go the extra mile in terms of school and my role...but it's bloody impossible when you also have family demands of your own!!

Missanneshirley
I honestly think most teachers care and are willing to go the extra mile.

Those who get into who cares most/who'll do an extra 10 miles are actually quite damaging in my opinion because it normalises behaviour that isn't healthy or sustainable.

One of my colleagues is always talking about how much they're doing, they make a huge deal about how overworked they are but then they choose to sit in their classroom all lunch, actively encourage students to sit in there and adores telling everyone how they're one of the only people who cares about teen mental health (obviously the rest of us couldn't care less).

A friend of mine works in a school where revision sessions are one round in the Olympics of who'll jump the highest. There's a cohort of staff (largely young with no family responsibilities or have a lot of family support with their DC) who will run revision sessions every night of the week to fit around enrichment clubs, then sit on the online platform answering questions about homework due Thursday at 10pm Wednesday and so on. The result is that other staff who are totally reasonable doing a weekly revision session and only checking online within a reasonable working day of 8-5/6pm end up dealing with arsey parents and students who say "but Mr Smith/Mrs Blogs...." Naturally the Mr Smith's and Mrs Blogs positively thrive on the fact they're obviously the best teachers who are most caring.

We are getting a fair amount in but it's the same as the school day basically and Easter holidays are in a week for 2 weeks so plenty of time then for cooking / crafts / games etc. You can also swap food tech for your cooking, art etc for your crafts.

I have one ASD DS and it's requiring a lot of help - I've managed to get passwords myself to ShowmyHomework, maths and science and I'm doing it asking him and me typing / reading. It doesn't log in the same way but does mean learning gets done. Took a few weeks to get these passwords from school (1.5 years for SMHW) but have them now. DS did a full week, three lots of screaming at the start due to the change but now is working quite happily. Science I have to solve as it's being sent through on Powerpoint and computer science I haven't attempted yet but all other subjects were fine. Science I have access to Kerboodle which has things in a more useable form for him. Computer science won't continue to GCSE so not my priority though it looked interesting so if I can understand it myself will try it. That's a big if though

I have 3DC (and m still trying to work full time and be fair to my employer). DD2 is in year 4, she has maths set for every day, plus English, plus about 3 other things to do, plus mathletics, spelling shed, bug club and times table rock stars. she is happy doing the mathS plus online stuff. She did some English and moaned about some of the other stuff. she asked for free write Friday so I let her do it.

One day she was struggling while I was on a call so I told her to find a book, any book and read.

DD1 is 13 (yesterday) and in year 8. She is being set stuff for every lesson, plus they have to do an observational drawing every day. That said, she is working from about 7 and done b6 about 11. She is diligent, tries hard, helps her sister. she is also required to submit work daily. No online teaching for her.

DS is 15, meant to be doing GCSE’s. he is being set work for every lesson and is meant to be revising! As long as he is turning in the required work, I am not pushing him. We have discussed that his grades will be part mocks and part teacher assessment. to get the grades he should, he needs to continue to work. He has had 2 google hangout lessons this week, these will continue.

The secondary school have written to tell us that they are moving key stage 3 (DD1) to more project based learning. This is because the work this week was too much for the teachers to mark and prep future lessons.

For GCSE students they are reducing to 50% of 5he earlier teaching. I understand and support this.

That said, DS has an unconditional 6Th form place . imight feel differently if this wasn’t the case.

I think the union needs to define what it means by marking to be honest. I suspect they don't mean never look the children's work. They just mean detailed hard or online marking and the recording of marks should not be required. They don't mention feedback. And by 'planning' they mean we shouldn't be asked to come up with extensive and detailed hour long lessons , but rather set tasks for students to do as and when they can.

Marking is easier to do remotely in some subjects than others, and some subjects are very well set up with self marking type online platforms... just as OP will find some subjects far easier to help with and supervise at home.

I am very intrigued to know how on Earth MFL is managing, or will manage for several months.

I agree piggy. It's also counterproductive to not look at work or give feedback.
By not doing anything feedback related students could end up reinforcing misconceptions or errors in exam technique.

We have a sensible marking and feedback policy during normal times so a similar approach is taken during remote learning, just without formal assessments.

My department still thinks it is doing assessments and entering data! I feel this may change...

Oh no. We're still setting extended pieces and can give feedback but they're not being marked for data and students don't get grades.

If I wasn't on maternity leave I'd probably not a grade in my markbook for my own records and future planning though so I know where they're working.

Ds12 is getting all his lessons set, plus homework. It isn't as easy as saying have a break as the following day there is more. It's really overwhelming.

Ds's secondary school had told them to follow the school timetable. If he doesn't finish the piece of set work for the period he submits it unfinished.

Our French is being very well catered for though it is like the teachers lesson - I help DS with his as he's ASD, year 9 DD does it on her own but prefers it to school French lessons. Both the children say it will be too hard for the children who struggle with French but they are certainly trying hard. We are getting written texts in French, short clips in French, worksheets you can type in and a online site for about 10%. I can't get ino online site as DS never knows his passwords but am using duolingo instead and teacher is fine with that.

Science has been the one for both the children that has struggled the most (apart from the practical subjects of course) - think it's because of the number of practicals science have so there was a 1.5 week delay before any science. Maybe they were trying to reorganise. One is now getting science online which works when it doesn't crash, the other is getting science via teacher's Powerpoint which doesn't work for mine but may work for some kids who have Powerpoint and better IT skills than DS. We do also have access to science online. Limited marking is going on at our school - I like the online platforms as they mark as you go along. Ours are both following the school day broadly though each subject is doing their own thing. They are reviewing at Easter.

My ds has been submitting his work online...I don't think it's being marked as such but when the teachers have acknowledged it and sent him a reply email praising him, it's given him a huge boost so I really appreciate that input from them.

Some subjects in our school are doing assessments and grades still but it's all under review. I think initially they were just carrying on as close as they could do to before whilst they work out a longer-term strategy. Our school Acting Head was adamant schools wouldn't close until about a week before they did and still saying he was taking school trips to Italy, Spain and France. Then it seemed to be a frantic scramble to put something together and they are reviewing all over Easter. DD's year closed a week before the rest so she's had almost two weeks and all her subjects are OK now. Think our school initially decided everything was going to be on worksheets parents print out at home incase people had no computer with school printing out the rest but now seem to be moving to more online systems as it's going to last a long time.

My child is getting work set for each lesson. They are doing what they can but by no means all because I don't have the time (keyworker), energy or IT ability to help them. Given all the upset that comes with isolation and worries about which relatives are likely to die if they catch it, I refuse to then spend time arguing over school work that hasn't been completed

I am teacher and we are being pressured to set properly academy work, at normal lesson time donut is like a virtual school, with children having to register online before each session and submit their work through the portal at the end of the lesson. We then mark line using an annotation app and return, the same ad we would in class, marking in free periods and after school. The reason we are setting do much is because schools don't want parents complaining that the teachers are getting an extended holidayThere a no sanctions for children who don't do the work-however needless to say the ones who keep up with at least some of it will be in a much better position when normal service resumes.

Only 12 / 400 students have submitted any of their work to me to mark. A lot of our students took home hard copies of the work packs as they don't have access to a computer to home. I suspect most aren't doing it at all. I am expected to set more work this week to be completed after Easter.

Spread the work over 7 days instead of 5 and do some arts and crafts in the afternoon. Or keep the art stuff for Easter.

400??!!!

Yep, I'm just glad that they aren't exam year classes, hopefully some more are completing the work offline, or will start to do some now the novelty of being at home has worn off and they become bored. Seems entirely pointless to put more work up. But I'm giving feedback to the ones that are completing it and helping them as much as I can over email etc.

My Year 12 dd received a marked History essay from her teacher in the post today How lovely.

Thank you to all the teachers, you are doing a great job in difficult circumstances.

Mine are both doing the work but neither is communicating with the teachers. My DS is ASD so I'm communicating for him, he looked terrified when asked to e-mail staff. My year 9 DD came in and said I'm doing all the work but not sent any in. I've been sent an e-mail by my tutor asking me to reply but it's difficult to know how to communicate with a teacher by e-mail and she suggested they should have just done a 1 / 2 / 3 survey. Like are you OK? Press 1 for yes, 2 for no but please ignore me 3 for no please phone me.

Dotball how on earth are you finding time to plan

My child is 23 and working from home, so no care responsibilities. Head of Dept is setting the distance learning, I am lesson planning for Sept onwards. We’re both dipping in and out of Qs pupils ask via Classroom and praising any work submitted. We are 100% prac at KS3 so the tasks set are fun and educational but not essential, if you see what I mean.

Yr 10 have been set work that preps them for coursework next year and Yr 11 can’t do any more (although info and prep for A level at college has been given).

Same! I was hoping this would be an opportunity for my two (9 and 11) to focus a bit more on music, art, cookery - all the things they love but get squeezed out by the busy-ness of school life and extra curricular activities. They both struggle with maths and I thought this would be a good time to slow things right down and get to grips with the basics using Khan academy and mathletics.
Instead, it's been a tsunami of homework, some of it good, but some of it smacks of busy work. The upshot is, there is too much to humanly manage in a day and once they have done a passable amount they just want to chill out in front of the TV or play in the garden, which I completely get.
My DS in secondary gets snarky emails if he doesn't submit on time. I'm feeling the pressure (a lot!) even if he's not. DD is much more self motivated but teachers at primary are lovely and supportive anyway and not expecting miracles.
Also both DC have dyslexia so everything takes significantly longer. There is no differentiation which is fine, I can do that and do, but no let up on the pressure. DS submitted two out of three science tasks and there was an email straight away demanding the third. I had to crack the wine open early!
Feels a bit like a missed opportunity for us. We're all still running like crazy round our hamster wheels meeting everyone else's goals. My too as I try and wfh, parent, teach, shop, cook and clean.

Tbh, why do you need to do so much for your yr8 dc? I have yr7 dc, and has set works for all the subject too, but I only expect him to do only set times(9-11, 2-4) and he does every thing independently, barely need me to help him. We still have a lot of time to do other things like play games, cooking, art/craft.

My 2 are in year 9 and year 12 and are getting tasks set. I’m pleased there are no on-line lessons as our Wi-fi could not support these. Both kids are being set work based on their usual timetable and are following the usual school day, they are both being great about working from home. I am super busy with work and have very little time to help, though we are getting sent things through occasionally that are hard to access and I help then. Teachers are marking work sent them by email and the kids are getting individual tailored feedback as usual. It’s all working quite well really. The kids are doing normal school hours but generally are not working to do homework in the evenings as they seem to be able to complete homework set in usual lesson time for most subjects. DD is doing loads of art and music in the evenings, the teachers suggests 4 tasks and ask for 1 to be completed, DD does all 4 to give her something to do. DS has a part time evening / weekend job at a supermarket so is busy too. It would be so much harder if they were primary age, I reckon very little school work / learning would get done! And I do need to prioritise my own work, we need me to stay in employment.

Have you tried primarygames for the 9 year old? Both volumes have fun games to play, it is worth a shot and you do not need to pay to play the games either. My little sister who is five loves it. Her favorite game is the banana one.
Also there are sites like www.corbettmaths.co.uk and www.mathgenie.co.uk too worth looking at in addition.