School & Classroom Homework

[FI460]

My girlfriend is a 4th grade teacher. She has 26 students this year working at wildly different levels. Many students have an individual education program (IEP) that the school, parents, and student work to develop together. Many students that should have an IEP don't because their parents are either too stubborn to get one set up, or they aren't engaged with their child's education.

Her students have 15-20 minutes of reading assigned as homework 4 nights a week, and a few math problems that should take 10-15 minutes assigned twice a week. One of her teaching team assigns zero homework, another assigns more math so it comes out to around 30-40 minutes of homework 4 nights a week. Variable teachers, variable students.

The first step is always to engage with the teacher though when you have these sort of questions. They may not know that there is a problem until they're asked.

 

[44hunter45]

Mary Ann or Ginger?

Definitely Ginger

 

[DuncanDonettes]

Guys

Wanted to see how everyone feels about the current school system and to see if the amount of homework/ after school participation is required in other parts of the county. My oldest child is in grade school and just starting to get to that age of getting an hour or two of homework each night. I show my daughter full support and help her with all of her schoolwork when she needs it, but in the back of my mind I am constantly questioning the school systems need to send schoolwork home with students.

I didn't have a lot of homework until high school when I was a kid. I spent my time after school to hang out with my dad or grandpa outside tinkering around the farm. I learned a lot about work ethic and basic common-sense skills that I feel every kid should know (Change flat tire, build/ fix things).

I guess I feel like her schoolwork is taking away her ability to learn other important life traits and it bothers me. I see my younger brother in laws that can't work a power tool or read a tape measure and don't want my kids to lack those skills. Does anyone have these thoughts or have a different viewpoint on it that might help me come to terms with today's school system?

It's pointless to compare your kids to others or compare notes about homework loads. Everyone is different, some pick things up quickly, some more slowly, and some like to be accelerated and don't mind doing more academics at home.

You can look up your state's grade level standards on the state dept of education website and use that as a guide to figure out if they are on track or ahead or behind. Adjust the amount of academic work you do at home to get them where you, the parent, think they should be. Then spend the rest of your time teaching them the other non-academic skills that you, the parent, think are important. And then don't worry or think about what anyone else is doing. They've got their priorities and goals and you've got yours.

 

[morley.tyler]

Definitely Ginger

This is what I picture you two as a couple, looking like:

 

[Nick87]

Do you make the kids call you sammich freak?

If those kids only knew that guy at the teachers desk was telling strangers on the internet to show him their butthole..

 

[trb]

I teach 5th grade in CO at a Title 1 school, which has 70+% students that qualify for free and reduced lunch. Homework is an issue that I have waffled on internally for a while, but my conclusion is that our specific student population receives so little support and enrichment opportunity at home, that we want to provide (and frankly need to require) some extended practice outside of school hours. There is research that shows daily reading has a huge impact on kids' success at school and brain development. I pass out the below poster to parents and show it to kids. My students are not meeting these thresholds on their own.

I give out a HW packet per week. There is math practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays, a combination of reinforcement and new material practice, and a requirement to read 30 mins a night M-Th. No homework on the weekends. I get about 75% completion on the math, and MAYBE 50% completion on the reading log, and there is no way to evaluate the quality of that 50% outside of parent communication.

 

[44hunter45]

This is what I picture you two as a couple, looking like:

View attachment 254145

Which one am I , exactly?

 

[morley.tyler]

Which one am I , exactly?

I'm not here to judge... It depends on how you identify.

 

[GoGriz]

A little off topic, but maybe someone here can help. I have a 7 year old that is showing a large interest in math and science. I don’t want him to burn out on them, but I also don’t want him to get bored with the level he is learning those two items in class. We do lots of reading, tinkering, visiting aquariums and science geared places, but I am looking for a curriculum that he and I can work through, that touches on science and math, but also has lots of experiments and building activities. We already do this stuff, but I thought maybe someone has a book or website they have used that might fit this bill. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[44hunter45]

A little off topic, but maybe someone here can help. I have a 7 year old that is showing a large interest in math and science. I don’t want him to burn out on them, but I also don’t want him to get bored with the level he is learning those two items in class. We do lots of reading, tinkering, visiting aquariums and science geared places, but I am looking for a curriculum that he and I can work through, that touches on science and math, but also has lots of experiments and building activities. We already do this stuff, but I thought maybe someone has a book or website they have used that might fit this bill. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Sal Kahn. Free to users and limitless curricula

Khan Academy | Free Online Courses, Lessons & Practice

Learn for free about math, art, computer programming, economics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, finance, history, and more. Khan Academy is a nonprofit with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.

www.khanacademy.org

 

[TheJason]

Definitely Ginger

This is the correct answer. If you disagree, please refer back to the hot redhead in the danger zone of the hot crazy matrix.

 

[HuntTalk Freak]

This is the correct answer. If you disagree, please refer back to the hot redhead in the danger zone of the hot crazy matrix.

What if I’m the hot red head and need the short, country girl in shorty shorts to even the matrix out?

 

[TheJason]

What if I’m the hot red head and need the short, country girl in shorty shorts to even the matrix out?

Does Mary Ann know she’s living in the danger zone?

 

[HuntTalk Freak]

I’d like to apologize to sammich freak and the other teachers here if I offended them with my “public school drone” comment. Like I said, my wife is a public school teacher and I have utmost respect for teachers. I still remember my favorite teachers from grade school all the way through high school.
It wasn’t a dig at teachers but rather at the system in general. I deal with a lot of recent high school grads entering the workforce and sometimes I get hung up on the bad ones. There are a ton of great ones though too. I recently encouraged one to quit our job that was interfering with his college otherwise he’d end up like me. I hope that boy goes on to have a great life.

 

[HuntTalk Freak]

Does Mary Ann know she’s living in the danger zone?

She better. She knows what my call sign was…..Danger Six.

 

[BackofBeyond]

This is the correct answer. If you disagree, please refer back to the hot redhead in the danger zone of the hot crazy matrix.

False. Please refer to my personal rule prohibiting the taking a second bite of the same chit sandwich.

 

[trb]

A little off topic, but maybe someone here can help. I have a 7 year old that is showing a large interest in math and science. I don’t want him to burn out on them, but I also don’t want him to get bored with the level he is learning those two items in class. We do lots of reading, tinkering, visiting aquariums and science geared places, but I am looking for a curriculum that he and I can work through, that touches on science and math, but also has lots of experiments and building activities. We already do this stuff, but I thought maybe someone has a book or website they have used that might fit this bill. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

My students have really enjoyed Mystery Science. I started using it during virtual learning, but have continued using it on occasion in the classroom because the experiments are pretty great. I had it provided for me for free by the school district but it looks like you could do a free trial maybe?

Open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science.

Mystery Science offers open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science. The hook, visuals, and activity have all been prepared for you. Less prep, more learning.

mysteryscience.com

 

[rtraverdavis]

If those kids only knew that guy at the teachers desk was telling strangers on the internet to show him their butthole..

They’d think it was fire…
But hey, listen, when I use that phrase I am merely quoting one of the great literary minds of our time. HTM is a modern Shakespeare.

PS. Today in class I was Mr. Sammich Freak.

 

[Redmt]

Here's my daughters take on this discussion. She was home schooled.

"Yeah, it's nothing new though - just discussions about something no one can doing anything to change unfortunately. To your point, teachers aren't actually allowed to "teach" they are to do what they're told, when they're told, and how they're told by the administration. The administration which is forced to do what they're told, when they're told, and how they're told by the government who holds their funding. You won't see this in many private schools - which are funded by families. "

 

[gouch]

Here's my daughters take on this discussion. She was home schooled.

"Yeah, it's nothing new though - just discussions about something no one can doing anything to change unfortunately. To your point, teachers aren't actually allowed to "teach" they are to do what they're told, when they're told, and how they're told by the administration. The administration which is forced to do what they're told, when they're told, and how they're told by the government who holds their funding. You won't see this in many private schools - which are funded by families. "

You don't know very many teachers, do You.