School projects...ARRRRGH! (middle school, grades, classroom, exam)

[marylee54]

Well, I HATE doing crafts, so there! I managed to get 2 bachelor's and a masters without doing a single craft, unless your major is fine arts, what difference does it make?

My advice to anyone with a school aged child who doesn't know squat about crafts, learn. Take a course, something. Get a supply of scissors, glue, posters, crayons, whatever. Becasue that is what education is about. Forget about knowing your subject, just know how to make pretties. Really, that's all it is. Critical thinking, knowing the subject, that doesn't matter.

All we're graudating is a nation of "crafty" people.

[Aconite]

Originally Posted by marylee54

My advice to anyone with a school aged child who doesn't know squat about crafts, learn. Take a course, something. Get a supply of scissors, glue, posters, crayons, whatever. Becasue that is what education is about. Forget about knowing your subject, just know how to make pretties. Really, that's all it is. Critical thinking, knowing the subject, that doesn't matter.

Or if you're really unhappy with your child's education, you could make the effort to change how he's educated. Private school, magnet, charter, a different classroom, homeschool...the options are endless. Even if you live in BFE, there's at least one or two other options available.

[TouchOfWhimsy]

Originally Posted by Aconite

Or if you're really unhappy with your child's education, you could make the effort to change how he's educated. Private school, magnet, charter, a different classroom, homeschool...the options are endless. Even if you live in BFE, there's at least one or two other options available.

I agree. You (general you) as a parent are responsible to effect change in your child's education if you deem it necessary. It's your right, so exercise it if your kids are not getting the education that they need and deserve!

[psr13]

Originally Posted by NCyank

Middle school projects were very frustrating for us. DD is a crafty sort and so mostly enjoyed them. DS is very technical and being graded for 'color and creativity' rather than content was more than annoying for him. Not one of the projects was ever graded on content, NOT ONE. Most teachers didn't understand that he thought he was doing really good to add color to his various pie charts and graphs, that was him being creative, lol. Never mind that he showed a clear mastery of the subject and a neat and understandable presentation...they were looking for glitter and 'pretty'.

I'm so with your son. I have not one artistic bone in my body. I always hated the projects. Now, if we did them in class, they did see I put effort into it and graded accordingly. However, if we did it at home they thought i just didn't try. I had to take an art class to graduate. He claimed to grade on effort, but there would have been no way for him to know that. He never watched us. I tried extremely hard on the assignments, but the just never looked good. I was so happy when that class was over. Not everyone is artistic.

[psr13]

Originally Posted by Aconite

Or if you're really unhappy with your child's education, you could make the effort to change how he's educated. Private school, magnet, charter, a different classroom, homeschool...the options are endless. Even if you live in BFE, there's at least one or two other options available.

Most people can't afford private schools, not every district has charters or magnets, and most people can't afford to not work and homeschool.

[TouchOfWhimsy]

Originally Posted by psr13

Most people can't afford private schools, not every district has charters or magnets, and most people can't afford to not work and homeschool.

Oh, I think you'd be surprised at what people are able to do when they put their mind to it.

[psr13]

Originally Posted by TouchOfWhimsy

Oh, I think you'd be surprised at what people are able to do when they put their mind to it.

Not if you literally can't afford it. Private schools around here start at around 3500 for the Catholic schools to tens of thousands of dollars. Most of the Catholic schools aren't any better than the public schools.

[NCyank]

Certainly by the time the kid gets to middle school the parents can/should back off and let the kid do the project on their own. I would give the kids suggestions if they asked but they had to do all the work on their own.

And I hate to tell you that it doesn't necessarily end in middle school. DD (high school freshman) just had to do some kind of representation for a book she read. It was a poster board project with trees and waves and monkeys and I don't even know what all else. She worked on this thing for many hours for a 3 minute presentation in class. What ever happened to simple book reports?

[marylee54]

Originally Posted by NCyank

Certainly by the time the kid gets to middle school the parents can/should back off and let the kid do the project on their own. I would give the kids suggestions if they asked but they had to do all the work on their own.

And I hate to tell you that it doesn't necessarily end in middle school. DD (high school freshman) just had to do some kind of representation for a book she read. It was a poster board project with trees and waves and monkeys and I don't even know what all else. She worked on this thing for many hours for a 3 minute presentation in class. What ever happened to simple book reports?

We did "back off" and let our daughter do projects on her own, but they were someting a kid could do on their own. The projects assigned my son are literally impossible to do without some sort of parental intervention. How can he even get materials unless we go out shopping and buy them? its not like he has a car and can drive.

We help with the busy work, like the cutting, gluing, etc. I spent part of two days painting a box, because it dries unevenly and required two coats. A real mess to clean up afterwards. He came up with the idea and the planning, which I think is the "learning" part. But what on earth is to be learned with all the cutting, gluing, painting, etc? Why shouldn't I help him with that?

Many years ago I had a term paper (at least you learn something from that), I was diligently working on it but misjudged the time required to type it (back in the days of typewriters, not computers). At midnight I was still desperately trying to finish. My mother said move over, she sat down, and seemed like smoke came out of that thing! I had it all written up neatly, just needed typing, she could follow my final draft.

So, she should have said "if I do it you will never learn, yadda, yadda"? No, she just gave a last-minute hand. She said she usually got paid $2 a page for typing, but I could work it off by housework, etc. That was housework I gladly did!

Sometimes we all need a hand!

[NCyank]

Originally Posted by marylee54

We did "back off" and let our daughter do projects on her own, but they were someting a kid could do on their own. The projects assigned my son are literally impossible to do without some sort of parental intervention. How can he even get materials unless we go out shopping and buy them? its not like he has a car and can drive.

We help with the busy work, like the cutting, gluing, etc. I spent part of two days painting a box, because it dries unevenly and required two coats. A real mess to clean up afterwards. He came up with the idea and the planning, which I think is the "learning" part. But what on earth is to be learned with all the cutting, gluing, painting, etc? Why shouldn't I help him with that?

Many years ago I had a term paper (at least you learn something from that), I was diligently working on it but misjudged the time required to type it (back in the days of typewriters, not computers). At midnight I was still desperately trying to finish. My mother said move over, she sat down, and seemed like smoke came out of that thing! I had it all written up neatly, just needed typing, she could follow my final draft.

So, she should have said "if I do it you will never learn, yadda, yadda"? No, she just gave a last-minute hand. She said she usually got paid $2 a page for typing, but I could work it off by housework, etc. That was housework I gladly did!

Sometimes we all need a hand!

Now you are being ridiculous...I didn't say your 6th grader should drive himself to the store...

Why shouldn't you do it for him? Why should you? Your son has been in plenty of trouble, hitting you, hauled away by the sheriff, on probation and he's only 13!! Why the heck would you be helping him with projects that he should be doing on his own? If he's man enough to throw a punch at you he's man enough to paint his own box and cut out his own pretties.

You wonder what would be learned by making him do it himself? How about - If you treat people like crap not only do you spend a night in jail but they are less motivated to help you when you need it. No, I wouldn't help him, not one bit.