How much sloppy work from the teacher should I tolerate before approaching the HT?

[Alliwantisaroomsomewhere]

DS is in Yr 3 at a good enough school! There have been 2 or 3 minor spelling or grammatical errors in homework tasks which I have (very graciously ) overlooked.

However, last term DS had to do some time telling homework ie write down what the time is on the clock face shown. Teacher marked all of the his work correct when over half was incorrect. I wrote a note to the teacher asking about it and she apologised profusely saying that she had marked the homework but had no idea how that had happened.

This week's homework for numeracy had a number pattern that was unfathomable and the literacy homework had a grammatical error that would have made the work confusing for children.

What really pissed me off a lot was that DS's literacy homework from last week was marked all incorrect when not only was it correct, but the week before's work was very, very similar and again all correct, but this was accepted by the very same teacher. Again I made a note in DS's literacy homework book, and all she has done is initial and date my comments.

The marking is very sloppy and I wonder whether I should raise all these issues with the HT or do I let it go and see if things improve. All parents recently received a note from the HT stating that moves were afoot to improve the quality of teaching and learning in the school.

Do I put up and shut up or speak up?

(sorry, very long and rather dull...)

Er..... I have Parent/Teacher evening tomorrow night. After having kicked up a fuss, I don't need to worry, do i?

I am about 20 years older than the teacher so I really should not feel like this at all, but I do feel a bit like I am going to be a bit embarrassed by the whole thing. HATE feeling like this! Silly, I know.

You'll be fine. Look deadly serious and take a book along to write notes in or pretend to.

How did it go?

Agree with much on here. The science should always be taught before the art but we don't like it because the science part can be a bit tricky sometimes and perhaps a bit dull at times.

I think some are beginning to move away from an overly creative, student-led approach. Academic rigour is coming back into vogue.

I like that Hamish, about the science before the art.
I agree too with the return to a more focussed approach.
Definitely what I sense in my work in schools as well as utter disillusionment with the 'throw it all out there in a multi-sensory (one of my most loathed terms) approach and see what sticks' approach.
It has been an utter disaster, particulalrly for the most disadvantaged of all.If you have the sort of parent (like me) who can plug in the gaps at home, not much damage done. But if you haven't....

My sister was till recently a year head in a primary school, and had nightmares with a teacher who had the basic skills of a teenager, as well as generally being bizarre. The head wouldn't sack the teacher, instead just gave her good references so she would leave quickly...

She also had classmates at uni were delayed in graduating because they were retaking the basic skills test for the third or fourth time. By that point it is just luck, surely?

Agree, Moondog. I am not a fan of 'learning styles' either particularly when they are viewed as being set in stone rather than temporary snapshots or current preferences.

ZolaBuddleia, the meeting is tonight.

Will you be planning on mentioning anything to the teacher?

I don't think I will, Zola, because the meeting is about how DS is progressing rather than about the quality of the homework assignments and the marking. We are invited to look at our children's work in the classroom before meeting the teacher so I will be going in half an hour early to scour for any problems there. If anything arises from his class books, then I will raise it with her.

I don't want to appear to be on a mission to make like difficult for the teacher. That is not my aim. So I don't feel that I should raise my original concerns with her tonight.

Besides, if any more crap comes home in DS's homework be it an assignment or bad marking, I will just go to the HT, not the class teacher or YH. I have approached both CT and YH before so next step is HT.

make life difficult, not like.

Good luck, you will most definitely be occupying the moral high ground that way.

'temporary snapshots or current preferences'

Oh I like this too Hamish. Very descriptive yet succinct summary!

Are "learning styles" the same thing as "characteristics of learning"? As a EY practitioner, I am expected to take cognisance of the latter. I think they are the same thing?

In the previous version of the current Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, not much noise was made about this, but now it is virtually at the forefront of all planning.

No learning styles are not the same as characteristics if effective learning.

The whole concept of Learning styles has been somewhat discredited

Three characteristics of effective learning are
? playing and exploring - children investigate and experience things, and ?have a go?;
? active learning - children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements; and
? creating and thinking critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.

Learning styles are

visual
auditory
kinaesthetic

Mrz, thanks! No mention is made of learning styles in EY so I wondered if there was link. (Though I did a PTLLS course year before last and there was still talk by the wanker lecturer that delivered it, about the abovementioned learning styles. He was a tosser but that is another thread.)

Parent Teacher meeting was fine. There was no discussion about the homework. DS is progressing well and teacher is happy with his work and behaviour and concentration in class.