Yo, parents of children attending some variation of institutionalized schooling and anyone else with an opinion

[JoCa]

7 minutes ago, Vort said:

It is the parents' responsibility to teach the "three Rs" of school, as well. Public schools are, or should be, an assistant to the parents' educational efforts. I realize that most people don't view it that way, but to be blunt, most people are wrong.

(No offense intended to you, JoCa.)

None taken.  I completely agree with you.

[Blueskye2]

21 hours ago, Backroads said:

Reading logs and homework. Do you actually like these things, like one but not the other, or would prefer to see them fade away into obscurity?

Philosophically, I don't much care for them and I am finally in a position where I could very well not assign them. But... I have serious concerns some parents would flip out if there were no homework/reading logs.

Reading logs...not something I recall when my kiddo was little. But, I like to read, and read to her since the day she was born. We both enjoy reading and sitting down to read homework assignments was fun for us.

Conversely my husband is dyslexic, and reading is No Fun at all for him. His elementary teachers called him lazy (seriously, it's there on his old report cards). No amount of reading log assignments would have caused him to read, but I think they would have helped his mother in what she needed to do at home in order to enforce what was being taught at school.

That was in the olden days, before the internet. Now parents tell me the teachers have everything online, and all a parent has to do is read the teacher's assignments online. So much easier for those kids  that "lose" or "forget about" things they don't want to do.

 

[zil]

Here are my thoughts on reading logs.  I prefer the second, but to each his own...

[JoCa]

3 hours ago, Blueskye2 said:

That was in the olden days, before the internet. Now parents tell me the teachers have everything online, and all a parent has to do is read the teacher's assignments online. So much easier for those kids  that "lose" or "forget about" things they don't want to do.

 

Surely you mean a student.  Why would a parent ever read the assignment their child has?  I already passed 3rd grade a long time ago-it's not my responsibility to read the teachers assignments it's my kids responsibility.

[Backroads]

1 hour ago, zil said:

Here are my thoughts on reading logs.  I prefer the second, but to each his own...

Well, that makes my decision for me. This right here.

[zil]

29 minutes ago, Backroads said:

Well, that makes my decision for me. This right here.

Glad I could help, seeing as how I have no earthly idea what you mean by "reading logs" - there was no such thing (as far as I know) when I was in school.

[SilentOne]

2 hours ago, zil said:

Glad I could help, seeing as how I have no earthly idea what you mean by "reading logs" - there was no such thing (as far as I know) when I was in school.

Kid is assigned to read x minutes per day or week and record it. Parent signs to verify they did in fact read. My log were usually incomplete because I hated timing myself. My logs did always exceed the time assigned, but the recorded minutes were nowhere near the amount I actually was reading.

[JohnsonJones]

On ‎8‎/‎23‎/‎2017 at 7:16 PM, Backroads said:

Reading logs and homework. Do you actually like these things, like one but not the other, or would prefer to see them fade away into obscurity?

Philosophically, I don't much care for them and I am finally in a position where I could very well not assign them. But... I have serious concerns some parents would flip out if there were no homework/reading logs.

Homework is controversial. 

For the student that grasps the concept easily and understand it fully...homework is actually not just a waste of time, but also an unneeded punishment hoisted upon them for no reason by many schools and teachers.

For the student that cannot grasp it, it's a terrible thing for one, and only one reason.  They go home to try to grasp the concept, but cannot, and as there is no teacher to continue to clarify it to them, they either practice doing something the entirely wrong way and learn how to do it wrong, OR they just get it incorrect.

For those that grasp it, but need practice, it is actually almost necessary.  These are the ones that actually need the homework so they can get the practice in and master the concept.

Unfortunately, all three are normally lumped into the same class, and so homework will punish some while helping others.

Personally, I've often thought that tests should be there to see what the child knows.  A homework assignment can NEVER bring down a grade.  If a student can score 100 on all there tests...they don't have to turn in any homework.  They obviously know the material and any teacher who deducts points for not doing homework of that kid...is an idiot (yes, there are teachers I consider idiots).  It's a punishment on the kid for no reason.  The kid obviously knows the material, the teacher just is either so stuck on tradition or custom (and rarely, but sometimes...a power trip) that they are punishing the kid because the kid doesn't do what they want...even if the kid has mastered what was taught.

On the otherhand, for the kids that truly struggle with a subject, homework and homework grades can be heavensent.  The idea that homework can actually raise the grade of a struggling kid, perhaps from flunking to at least barely passing, is wonderful.  It has the kid working to learn it, and in the process, hopefully come close to understanding if not mastering.

I would that we move beyond the need for homework and find better ways of educating children.  I think there are better ways for a majority of the children out there.  Unfortunately, I also recognize that there are some that absolutely need that homework as practice in order to put to use what they learned and start to understand and master the material.

On the otherhand, in regards to reading logs...as an older individual who is that old grump, I don't think our kids read enough today.  I think they watch far too much TV and play too many video games.  They need to read more, and in that way, need some way to be held accountable to that reading.  From what I understand a reading log to be, that's what keeps the kids accountable.

I can understand it's a pain for teachers though, as it takes a LOT of time to go through some of that stuff.

Edited August 25, 2017 by JohnsonJones

[mrmarklin]

On 8/23/2017 at 7:31 PM, Jojo Bags said:

I home schooled most of my kids instead of putting them into the public socialist indoctrination system.  I wanted my children to be free and able to think for themselves, not be told what to think, how to think, and be good little mindless sheeple.  This isn't a criticism of you, but of all public school systems.

I'm not a fan of home schooling, but if one can afford it, private schools can be very good. Unfortunately the area I live in has mostly socialistic public schools. 

Most areas do because the curriculums are approved at the State level. This process is very insidious. 

[Backroads]

6 hours ago, JohnsonJones said:

They need to read more, and in that way, need some way to be held accountable to that reading.  From what I understand a reading log to be, that's what keeps the kids accountable.

 

And I get this, but I don't trust reading logs enough. They're too easy to fake. 

[Blueskye2]

13 hours ago, JoCa said:

Surely you mean a student.  Why would a parent ever read the assignment their child has?  I already passed 3rd grade a long time ago-it's not my responsibility to read the teachers assignments it's my kids responsibility.

I didn't say the parent read it instead of the child. Nor did I say the assignments are for the parents.

 

 

[Backroads]

Well, I made my policy official. No regular homework other than the spelling list to study. I also explained I would not be officially tracking home reading minutes, I [and another teacher on my team, nice to have backup] are still offering tracking sheets for those who like to track such things. Mine is on the back of my class letter template with the explicit instructions I don't want the dang paper back. Instead, I'm going to assume wild reading and talk it up like I very well expect them to be reading at home.

[Snigmorder]

If I had kids I'd be afraid to send them to government schools.  As a kid I resented the school for making me go and I resented the school for sending homework home with me, basically invading my life outside of school. I resented the whole thing and it made me hate learning. It was a difficult resentment to get over, it even effected my early adult life.

The idea of being compelled to read and then having to prove it to the lousy teachers via a reading log sounds like garb. If I had to do this as a kid it would've been a grievous offense. I didn't want to read in grade school, and I had a 12th grade reading level (according to Accelerated Reader anyhow, probably a bunk program.)

 

[anatess2]

On 8/25/2017 at 11:59 PM, Backroads said:

Well, I made my policy official. No regular homework other than the spelling list to study. I also explained I would not be officially tracking home reading minutes, I [and another teacher on my team, nice to have backup] are still offering tracking sheets for those who like to track such things. Mine is on the back of my class letter template with the explicit instructions I don't want the dang paper back. Instead, I'm going to assume wild reading and talk it up like I very well expect them to be reading at home.

Brava, Backroads, brava!

You are now Master Jedi.

[anatess2]

16 hours ago, Snigmorder said:

If I had kids I'd be afraid to send them to government schools.  As a kid I resented the school for making me go and I resented the school for sending homework home with me, basically invading my life outside of school. I resented the whole thing and it made me hate learning. It was a difficult resentment to get over, it even effected my early adult life.

The idea of being compelled to read and then having to prove it to the lousy teachers via a reading log sounds like garb. If I had to do this as a kid it would've been a grievous offense. I didn't want to read in grade school, and I had a 12th grade reading level (according to Accelerated Reader anyhow, probably a bunk program.)

 

Both my kids are in government schools (except for 2 years that my youngest kid went to private school waiting for a spot to open at the government school).  But I live in a district where we have school choice.  I basically researched every single school in the surrounding counties and picked the schools from K through 12 that meet my requirements when my oldest kid turned 3 years old.  I then bought a house in that county and used school choice programs to get them into the schools we targeted.  Of course, at 3 years old, I really didn't know what my kids would be interested in but I listed schools for major tracks - Engineering, Medicine, Law, Agriculture, Art, and College Prep (general track).

But then, this worked for me because my husband is in IT and back in the early 2000's you can pretty much get an IT job anywhere.

[Backroads]

9 hours ago, anatess2 said:

Brava, Backroads, brava!

You are now Master Jedi.

Whoohoo! Glad for the promotion.

However, I admit I have ran into a new pickle: Explaining to the families the lack of homework. I just figured that the lack of mention of homework would be enough. It's not. I had to make explaining I would not have regular homework and the would be informed of any that-one-time home projects.

 

[anatess2]

14 minutes ago, Backroads said:

Whoohoo! Glad for the promotion.

However, I admit I have ran into a new pickle: Explaining to the families the lack of homework. I just figured that the lack of mention of homework would be enough. It's not. I had to make explaining I would not have regular homework and the would be informed of any that-one-time home projects.

 

All you have to do is tell the parents Reading a book daily is their homework.

[Backroads]

2 hours ago, anatess2 said:

All you have to do is tell the parents Reading a book daily is their homework.

Response: "What about the other stuff?"

Good grief, they're 7 and 8 years old. 

Seriously, the kindergarten and first grade teachers LOVE homework, so I'm doing some major reprogramming.

[anatess2]

18 minutes ago, Backroads said:

Response: "What about the other stuff?"

Good grief, they're 7 and 8 years old. 

Seriously, the kindergarten and first grade teachers LOVE homework, so I'm doing some major reprogramming.

The other stuff will be handled during class hours.  We need the children to have as much reading time as they can manage.  They get a prize if they can read 25 books at the 3rd grade reading level by end of quarter.  Get to it!  

[mordorbund]

18 hours ago, Backroads said:

Whoohoo! Glad for the promotion.

However, I admit I have ran into a new pickle: Explaining to the families the lack of homework. I just figured that the lack of mention of homework would be enough. It's not. I had to make explaining I would not have regular homework and the would be informed of any that-one-time home projects.

 

Follow-up question: Why are all the reading assignments from Homeschooling manuals and curricula?

Edited September 1, 2017 by mordorbund