Teachers not marking homework... what?! AIBU

[NoNeatFreakHere]

... and by marking I don't mean grading - giving a number. An absolutely star teacher last year wrote a one liner on DCs homework and DC was always excited to read it. The one liner conveyed "I see you" and maybe you want to adjust this thing or other but I liked such and such thing you wrote. DC couldn't wait to read it always and made a difference in DC being enthusiastic about school.

Now the school management has communicated there is no more of that and homework books will come and go. Met DCs teacher this year and explained what a difference the one line made last year to motivation to do the homework and general enthusiasm and asked her that school mgmt consider the feedback. I was met with the response of pfff we have 30 of them to do, we can't do it (and an attitude of it's so obvious this is not doable). Now homework is once a week and it's primary school. It's not that much and can't there be a middle ground? Do the marking once every 2 weeks or something?

The argument here is that feedback is given in class and for class work. Then why do we have homework? And why would my DC be incentivised to do it? We have asked the school management when it was announced. We were told... and felt like out points were ignored of those parents that spoke. It was a patronising session to the tune of "us heads of school know better". Extremely frustrating.

This also breaks parent comms in my mind as I have no clue what is happening or expected then outside of a termly 10 minute session. It's hard to know how much or little is expected of certain quite open ended pieces of homework. Booking more time with the teacher in my mind would defeat the purpose of being more efficient with teachers' time.

School is state and ofsted outstanding for context.

AIBU:

• I empathise with teachers' workload but isn't this a core part of the job?
• I am sure there are teachers here, what do you think? Am I being in complete ignorance of what teachers go through?
• Other MNers is this happening in your school too or is it just ours? What do you think of it?

Thank you for reading 🙏🏻

Research shows that homework other than reading has no benefits in primary school and can even be detrimental.
if you want to motivate your child do fun and interesting practical projects at home with lots of praise.

Much of DD’s secondary school work doesn’t even get looked at. I’ve taken to doing it myself for needed subjects like maths. . The “some feedback in class system” doesn’t work for her. She needs to know which problems she got wrong in order to learn from them.

It means I essentially have nightly math homework because she is at a level now where I can’t know the answers without working the assignments too.

I agree with you OP, if they have the time to set the homework then surely they should have the time to mark it, even if it is just a brief comment as you mentioned.

However, I also agree with what @LilacPoppy has said. I don't have kids so can't give any input on what's happening in primary schools currently, but I remember being in primary school and homework was either something really simple e.g. from year 1-4 learn to spell a certain word or research a fact about Vikings etc. In year 5/6 we had one or two "big" take-home projects which you were given a while to complete and then feedback/marking was given. I think that was adequate. Plenty of time for homework in secondary school. Let kids be kids!

I 100% agree with you OP.

Either, as research suggests, homework is not beneficial in which case don't set it and cause the agro for children and parents OR it has learning benefit in which case it warrants marking. Learning comes through constructive feedback or it's just busy work.

First off 'then why do we have homework?' You learn by doing not because it's marked.
The main thing is teachers don't have time. Imagine the average day. Even if only 2hours of the day are spent completing physical work (rather than class discussion, pe etc) that's 60hrs worth of work a teacher has to mark. Say it takes 5minutes to mark one kids worth of work per day thats 2.5hrs a day marking. (That's over 12hrs a week) Add homework on top it's not practical.
Teachers have so much extra to do. Marking homework shouldn't be a priority.

If you want less kids in the class and a teacher with time to spend - hope that the conservatives get voted out . .

Otherwise if the teacher has the same amount of time and more kids you can't expect them to be able to manage the same standards

I teach 2 days a week. On one day, I have 90 books to mark, which I do in my lunch time and PPA time (100 mins in total) on another day I have 150 books to mark. On this day, I spend my break and all lunch time marking then stay after school to mark the rest - it takes me about an extra 90 minutes after school.
I then have to prep my resources for the lessons the following week.

Homework is given out 1x a week as a result of parent requests in addition to the expectation that parents will read with their child 3x a week. It is generally completed with parents, sometimes actually completed BY parents, or not done at all. Reading records / books are checked daily and we listen to all readers a minimum of 1x weekly depending on their need. Some children who need it and dont get parental support at home get listened to daily. We award Dojo’s to children who bring theirs in (which I don't actually agree with as its all based on how supportive a parent is). So no, there are not enough hours in the day to also mark homework. Especially when there’s no way of knowing who’s actually done the work (ps, there is. We can always tell when a parent has told a child the answers 😂)

Primary teacher here.

The key question is: What purpose does homework serve? We learn spellings, times tables and expect pupils to read at home. Nothing more. Parents will ask whether extra homework can be given but it's a firm no from my school, until we start SATs revision, and even then, we run it as free after school clubs throughout the week instead of sending kids home with work.

Marking is a huge part of what teachers do at primary and it takes time. Time you then do not have to do any of the other myriad things you also need to do. Even your one line comment, on each pupil's homework, will easily be an hour of marking: reading the piece and actually taking it in, and writing something meaningful. I absolutely understand how lovely and motivating personal encouragement and praise is and I wish there was the time to provide this level of individual boost on a weekly basis.

If it was a case of my children's teacher spending an hour marking homework or taking that hour to plan and organise an enrichment activity, focus on a subject leadership role or sort out a classroom display, I'd give them the latter options.

There are only so many hours in a day. My own primary aged kids wouldn't see me for dust were it not for me bringing work home for a 'night shift' between 22:00 and 01:00 every day.

DD is in a state primary, outstanding, and her homework doesn’t get marked either. I don’t think teachers have time.
Actually I think the teacher last year only set homework because he had to … when we asked him about it on parents evening he said his focus was on making sure DD did her best in lessons and as long as she kept up her reading at home that’s fine.

We wanted her to do the homework though, so accepted it wouldn’t be marked, and we’d check it ourselves and give her praise.

So far this year she hasn’t had any homework at all!

At secondary school, the students often mark their own work, or mark each other’s work. They get loads of homework and there’s no way the teachers can mark it all, unless it’s the class assessments.

Coming from a different background, I’m flabbergasted by how parents here think they can criticise, change and scrutinise every little thing that teachers do. In primary, they provide homework despite research showing it’s not effective. And that is specifically so the parents have an opportunity to help their child at home and know what to do, just a direction for the parents. Because they asked. Honestly, this demanding culture is going nowhere. What about parents trying to nourish love for learning at home? It originates at home, always. Learning is everywhere, especially during the younger years. Teachers can start doing this useless marking, and next day next annoyed parent will complain of how what the teacher wrote is not appropriate or not good enough etc etc. There’s no end to it. The feedback is provided in the class. I think that’s all is needed. It’s NOT healthy to be so reliant to outside motivation to do anything, it’s not sustainable either.

Most people in education have seen those studies showing that homework makes no difference to outcomes but there are a certain kind of parents that want their children to do it- and complain if it’s not set.
I remember speaking to my DD’s primary teacher about this and decided to stop doing it and let her focus on her after school clubs etc and play dates . So long as they’re getting on ok, you could stop and let him work on what interests him instead.

Teacher here - I would say that schools approach is unusual, but I don't think homework necessarily needs to be marked. As long as they are marking something and giving feedback e.g on a class project that's fine. They might still be checking the hw in some other way e.g. verbal feedback which is just if not more effective than a written comment.

Marking is a pita! From 2 stars and a wish on each work, highlighters in green and pink for good and things to improve. Imagine that for English plus other marking for maths and topic. Thankfully our school has moved to more verbal feedback at the time and teachers looking through the books to group children and see where misconceptions are! Also I see a lot of marking by peers at the end of the lessons by the teachers going through the answers.

Homework is usually to consolidate,extend or introduce the class learning, but a lot of the time it is a box ticking exercise.
Yabu to demand it be marked!

Had this exact conversation with my DH the other day. My DD is in year two and it fucks me off no end when I see her (yes her, not me) put effort into her homework (which is usually a worksheet printed off Twinkl so zero effort from the teacher there) and it comes back the following week either unmarked or just with a tick. What’s the actual point of setting it?

I’d shift the focus if teachers don’t have time to mark the homework could they set a different type of homework - either one that is marked together in class like spellings or make use of technology to set homework that self marks - use quizzes or online applications like mathletics so it’s not another job for the teacher?
my children’s school just get a sticker/ star and a tick. A school reward point if it’s been done well. I don’t think personalised feedback for homework would make a difference in terms of progress for most families as nice as it would be but if it’s not even being glanced at that would be demotivating.

@SaveWaterDrinkGin
Hmm… for your child to learn through doing and practicing what they’ve learnt at school so far? I don’t know. Do you always listen to your child read and give a written feedback? Or your child reads for pleasure? It’s like saying “well done, great tower!!” after each of the single Lego blocks your child adds to the tower.

@Iknowforsure1 it’s nothing like that. Of course children don’t need praise and acknowledgment for every single thing they do. But I don’t think it’s too much to ask that at 5/6/7 years old there can’t be a simple comment to show the child that the teacher recognises the effort they have put into doing homework. My daughter would far rather be building the Lego tower you mention than doing a worksheet on a Saturday morning and I think not acknowledging the effort and value of homework is counterproductive. And of course she reads for pleasure but that is books she’s chosen which take her interest at a time she feels like doing it, which is incomparable to homework. As I said, why set it in the first place for such young children? This is in addition to reading and spellings.

We definitely only set homework in primary because parents expect it...and complain if it's not set. Honestly we can't win 🤷‍♀️ It's too much, not enough, too hard, too easy, the wrong kind, we don't have a pencil, can they do it IN school (but still do it because we want them to do it, but don't want to do it at home! 🤦‍♀️)...the list goes on 🤷‍♀️

I honestly couldn't give a shiny shit if your child does their homework or not! I would never 'tell them off' for not doing it! But I'll keep sending it...because parents expect it.

I'm not marking it though, other than a green tick, a smiley face and a stamper that says 'Homework Checked by Miss Chaos'.

But please, KEEP READING WITH THEM 💗💗 That's really the key to success 🙌🏼

@SaveWaterDrinkGin
Why setting the homework? Because there are homework hungry competitive parents who are cross with the school they they do not set the homework. Ironically. That’s why. I still think that attitude to learning comes from home. Academic success is not everything, however my parents installed to me early on that it helps tremendously to live a better life and it’s cool to achieve things. One liner feedback doesn’t suddenly make maths more interesting for the child, and not at all different to a verbal feedback in a grand scheme of things. I loved to do the homework when I was a child and my sibling hated. And yes it was marked in the country where I lived, however you could be sent with a harsh negative feedback if you deserved it, saying exactly who you are lol. Are parents ready for that? Or only pleasant feedback?

@Iknowforsure1 any feedback would be fine. Like I’ve said I think it’s about acknowledging the effort a small child has put in during their own time.

Urgh my dc is at private school and has so much hw every night. I hate it. I can't see how productive it can reall be especially as their say is already 8:30-4 I envy your position. Can't you set your own hw of her a tutor who can feedback the one line that makes your dc so happy?!

Their day...

@SaveWaterDrinkGin
It’s not compulsory. Either don’t ask your child to do it (if it’s so distressing or detrimental to their time), or praise them yourself. Surely they are praised enough for their efforts at school during the lessons. And surely their book work in the school is marked continuously (taking about KS1 forwards). I see it as a non issue, but you can of course complain. It will be one of the millions of complains where parents are telling teachers how to do something better (because parents always know best).

I agree OP. I think that parents and children need to know if the work at home they are doing is correct and that can only be done if it's marked. I think the message it gives to children by not marking it is a bad one. If homework other than reading, and spellings is only set once a week then I do not think it's unreasonable for a class teacher to mark it.

As a teacher I can confidently say homework is a waste of time and teachers marking homework is nightmarish. Do you know how long it takes to mark 30 jotters for 5 different subjects EVERY SINGLE DAY?! Thats 150 one liners that need to be written outside of the hours you spend after school tidying, arranging resources for the following day, emailing parents, staff meetings etc. Its the reason the teaching profession is in the state its in. Teachers need some sort of work life balance, and i think expecting parents to oversee the work their kid does at home is fair enough! I hated homework. I sent a letter to parents at the start of the year telling them the kids would bring their reading home but if they wanted more to meet with me. Only one parent actually wanted more homework. Instead I gave the class a weekly challenge - bake a cake with your family or collect 10 different shaped leaves or whatever it might have been. So much more valuable. Kids don't need homework, they need life experience and to step away from the ipads and explore nature with their families!