tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184539467031647989.post1034039631270351928..comments2023-10-07T02:42:10.642-07:00Comments on Coalition for Kid-Friendly Schools: Pointless Homework of the WeekFedUpMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951858601020687242noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184539467031647989.post-51630944659474991082011-10-04T19:27:42.231-07:002011-10-04T19:27:42.231-07:00Anonymous: Sure, you can't please everyone. I...Anonymous: Sure, you can't please everyone. I don't think FedUpMom or any of us think that we're individually entitled to dictate what the teacher in any classroom should do. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't speak our minds, any more than we shouldn't complain to our Congressperson when we disagree with his or her votes. To the (admittedly small) extent that they have discretion over how to conduct the class, teachers are making educational policy decisions that affect our kids. It would be strange if people didn't speak up about it.<br /><br />So what do the teachers actually owe the parents? Not compliance with their every demand. But I do think they should at least think about whether the parents' arguments make sense. And I do think they should be willing to answer questions about why they've made the choices they've made. And I think they need to recognize that they can't just assume the parents will sign on to whatever approach they choose to take. (I would say the Congressperson owes those same things.)<br /><br />Nobody would think twice if you complained publicly about a decision that your legislator made, but when you complain about a decision that a teacher or school official makes, it's as if you've broken some sacred taboo. Nobody likes being criticized, but if you're making public policy, even in a small way, it comes with the territory. In the big picture, dissent (as opposed to silence or groupthink) can only help things improve. <br /><br />You should just think about parents' complaints, answer their questions, then make the best decisions you can make. Then you just have to put up with the fact that some of them still won't agree with you.<br /><br />I do appreciate it when a teacher tries to show some flexibility with individual kids/families. For example, we had a teacher who required the kids to get their parents' signature on their homework. When I objected, she didn't insist on it in our case. I don't see any reason to get into it with a parent over a requirement like that one.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07559356125770114400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184539467031647989.post-38368084389283425802011-10-04T18:32:35.976-07:002011-10-04T18:32:35.976-07:00I've got an update -- Older Daughter talked to...I've got an update -- Older Daughter talked to the teacher and then wrote a journal entry about why she's found Social Studies boring in the past, what history she'd like to study (for instance, the histories of countries we've visited), and history-related videos (e.g. "Horrible Histories") that she likes to watch. <br /><br />@Megan, the problem with the original assignment is that it was SO vague that Older Daughter got confused and couldn't think of anything to write. It was a little bit like saying, "write anything you want!" but the truth is that the kid didn't <i>want</i> to write anything in the first place. <br /><br />And the question the teacher really never answered was what the kids are supposed to learn from this exercise. That's what I'd like to know.<br /><br />I guess I'm turning into a complete curmudgeon, but I'd actually rather see "discuss the causes of WWI" or something. I could see the point, and I could see my kid is learning some history. If she writes 1 1/2 pages a week about her feelings, what exactly is she learning? It seems like there's no content, which is an ongoing problem with Social Studies.FedUpMomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00951858601020687242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184539467031647989.post-83261646999638379792011-10-04T17:38:59.748-07:002011-10-04T17:38:59.748-07:00I guess I'm failing to see what's so terri...I guess I'm failing to see what's so terrible about this assignment. The teacher is asking the kids to think about what they're learning in class and how it applies to them and current events. It may not encourage much content memorization, which I'm generally not a fan of for kids anyway, but it's asking teenagers to apply what they're learning to a bigger picture. What's so horrible about that?<br /><br />I enjoyed these kinds of assignments in school (well, as much as it was possible to enjoy homework), but I get that not everyone might. Still, I see value in it. <br /><br />For those of you who hate this, what sort of assignment do you think is appropriate for social studies?Megannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184539467031647989.post-65998810801081412632011-10-02T13:00:24.454-07:002011-10-02T13:00:24.454-07:00Do it all in class! That way parents don't hav...Do it all in class! That way parents don't have to get worked up over the homework!HomeworkBluesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184539467031647989.post-72784235939637655352011-10-02T12:40:38.252-07:002011-10-02T12:40:38.252-07:00It seems the teacher may have been trying to accom...It seems the teacher may have been trying to accommodate parents who bemoan a lack of freedom/creativity. The teacher may have been thinking "ok, I'll do an open ended assignment, so the kids can have choice, write about something they want to write about, and feel more involved in the work". I read often that parents are frustrated with the micro-managing of their children, and of the specificity of tasks that leave little room for personal preference. Yet when this is tried, it's now too vague.<br /><br />I'd honestly be interested to know what the sweet spot is between parents feeling that teachers dumb things down and micro-manage and kill creativity, and parents feeling like teachers are too vague and open ended and don't give specific enough direction. That is a sincere question. It just sometimes seems like teachers can't "win" with parents. I know teachers that work 70 hours a week on average, thoughtfully designing lesson plans and homework. And, no kidding, they get parents complaining on the one hand that they are too soft and don't give enough work, and parents complaining on the other that they are too hard and give too much work and need to back off. In the same year. In the same class. What are teachers supposed to do with these conflicting messages, when most of them genuinely want to help kids learn?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184539467031647989.post-25594999887940702942011-09-28T21:44:53.246-07:002011-09-28T21:44:53.246-07:00Absolutely. Those are the worst, most pointless a...Absolutely. Those are the worst, most pointless assignments. I remember in my own junior year, we were required to keep a journal, which was graded. I knew from older students that our teacher liked to read extracts to the other teachers in the lounge. Of course, she was a piece of work in general, but still.ChemProfnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184539467031647989.post-16349241737648149492011-09-28T11:06:11.996-07:002011-09-28T11:06:11.996-07:00Why would a teen/pre-teen girl feel comfortable sh...Why would a teen/pre-teen girl feel comfortable sharing private thoughts or feelings with a middle-aged man that will judge her entries in a written diary? <br /><br />Was this man ever young?Khttp://raisingthewreckingcrew.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184539467031647989.post-3116023229083036022011-09-28T06:07:47.101-07:002011-09-28T06:07:47.101-07:00That kind of homework would probably be one of the...That kind of homework would probably be one of the worst types of homework I could think of. If I wanted to share my opinion, I would (like I am now), but on most occasions I would be too shy to do so.Hienuri Kayleuetskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11706477882374399244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184539467031647989.post-26478568040774704172011-09-27T21:32:47.548-07:002011-09-27T21:32:47.548-07:00That line bothered me too. I'd want to respon...That line bothered me too. I'd want to respond, "Yeah, I wish she felt comfortable raising that concern with you too. Why do you suppose she doesn't?"Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07559356125770114400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184539467031647989.post-55737136046644406792011-09-27T20:37:25.703-07:002011-09-27T20:37:25.703-07:00Happy Elf Mom, I always get that line, because tea...Happy Elf Mom, I always get that line, because teachers don't want to deal with me. They'd rather deal with a shy, powerless, adolescent girl than a fed up middle-aged Mom. However, they're out of luck.FedUpMomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00951858601020687242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184539467031647989.post-81987596891543306432011-09-27T20:22:26.904-07:002011-09-27T20:22:26.904-07:00Ok the "I wish she came to me with her concer...Ok the "I wish she came to me with her concerns herself" type comment is concerning right there. It's almost as though he is saying he wants zero parental involvement and that shy kids can just suffer.Happy Elf Mom (Christine)https://www.blogger.com/profile/15047347624037697311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184539467031647989.post-20369542249910371882011-09-27T19:29:01.679-07:002011-09-27T19:29:01.679-07:00Yes, the idea that writing is best taught in the a...Yes, the idea that writing is best taught in the absence of content is whackarooni to the extreme.<br /><br />The other point is that my daughter, as a normal teenage girl, doesn't want to share her thoughts and feelings with her teacher, and I don't see why she should.<br /><br />I'm thinking that every week Sainted Husband or I will teach OD about a little event from history, and she can write it up in her journal. At least she'll learn something.FedUpMomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00951858601020687242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4184539467031647989.post-36285907144124100962011-09-27T18:57:54.058-07:002011-09-27T18:57:54.058-07:00My daughter had something like this in 9th grade. ...My daughter had something like this in 9th grade. It was so laborious, she went from a phenomenal writer to a mediocre one in a heartbeat.<br /><br />Alarmed, we just told daughter to do what she could (I should have stopped it entirely) and not to worry. We encouraged her to continue writing her novel instead.HomeworkBluesnoreply@blogger.com