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Just jumping in on this discussion and I'm not trying to address all the issues presented here (I agree with the OP 100%!)
Just in reading through this thread I've come across several comments from teachers complaining about their work loads, bringing home work every night, spending 2-3 hours/night grading assignments, etc. I have one comment for them---why do they assign so much busy work to their students? The teachers aren't the only ones up all night with "school work". Students are assigned so many piddly projects which teach them nothing and take time away from any learning process they might otherwise be involved with. Its work for the kids, too. Yes, I know I'll get bashed here for helping my kids, but the assignments are truly impossible for a child to complete without some help. I've spent many a night helping my kids do absolutely worthless , mindless tasks that are more arts-and-crafts than anything. How much paper is a kid supposed to cut up and color? Seems that's all we do is cut and color! At least if you're going to assign a task think of something more than baby-work! BTW, my kids are 10 & 12, way too old to be fiddling with pieces of paper! I recently took my son out of public school and homeschool, he was so far behind it was ridiculous, could barely write his name, didn't know what a number line was, and yet was on the honor roll! He's learned more in a few months of homeschooling than the public system taught him in 6+ years! My daughter has fared better with public school along with intense help from home. But still, I find myself helping her with "fiddle faddle" projects this weekend, all for the poor, overworked teacher to grade.
Teachers, please, you're not the only ones up half the night doing "school work". Please, at least assign something worth the time involved and get over crayons, markers, scissors, drawing pictures, gluing, etc. That was for pre-school!
Just jumping in on this discussion and I'm not trying to address all the issues presented here (I agree with the OP 100%!)
Just in reading through this thread I've come across several comments from teachers complaining about their work loads, bringing home work every night, spending 2-3 hours/night grading assignments, etc. I have one comment for them---why do they assign so much busy work to their students? The teachers aren't the only ones up all night with "school work". Students are assigned so many piddly projects which teach them nothing and take time away from any learning process they might otherwise be involved with. Its work for the kids, too. Yes, I know I'll get bashed here for helping my kids, but the assignments are truly impossible for a child to complete without some help. I've spent many a night helping my kids do absolutely worthless , mindless tasks that are more arts-and-crafts than anything. How much paper is a kid supposed to cut up and color? Seems that's all we do is cut and color! At least if you're going to assign a task think of something more than baby-work! BTW, my kids are 10 & 12, way too old to be fiddling with pieces of paper! I recently took my son out of public school and homeschool, he was so far behind it was ridiculous, could barely write his name, didn't know what a number line was, and yet was on the honor roll! He's learned more in a few months of homeschooling than the public system taught him in 6+ years! My daughter has fared better with public school along with intense help from home. But still, I find myself helping her with "fiddle faddle" projects this weekend, all for the poor, overworked teacher to grade.
Teachers, please, you're not the only ones up half the night doing "school work". Please, at least assign something worth the time involved and get over crayons, markers, scissors, drawing pictures, gluing, etc. That was for pre-school!
It may be that the OP is talking about high school (hopefully cutting and pasting has died down by then) but I agree as a the mother of a first grader that much of what my son does is busy work and he's perceptive enough to know it. There's nothing like having your six year old ask "this assignment makes no sense, why are they having me do it, it's just dumb and wasting my time!" How does one respond to that? It would be somewhat subversive to answer that he is absolutely right.
Just jumping in on this discussion and I'm not trying to address all the issues presented here (I agree with the OP 100%!)
Just in reading through this thread I've come across several comments from teachers complaining about their work loads, bringing home work every night, spending 2-3 hours/night grading assignments, etc. I have one comment for them---why do they assign so much busy work to their students? The teachers aren't the only ones up all night with "school work". Students are assigned so many piddly projects which teach them nothing and take time away from any learning process they might otherwise be involved with. Its work for the kids, too. Yes, I know I'll get bashed here for helping my kids, but the assignments are truly impossible for a child to complete without some help. I've spent many a night helping my kids do absolutely worthless , mindless tasks that are more arts-and-crafts than anything. How much paper is a kid supposed to cut up and color? Seems that's all we do is cut and color! At least if you're going to assign a task think of something more than baby-work! BTW, my kids are 10 & 12, way too old to be fiddling with pieces of paper! I recently took my son out of public school and homeschool, he was so far behind it was ridiculous, could barely write his name, didn't know what a number line was, and yet was on the honor roll! He's learned more in a few months of homeschooling than the public system taught him in 6+ years! My daughter has fared better with public school along with intense help from home. But still, I find myself helping her with "fiddle faddle" projects this weekend, all for the poor, overworked teacher to grade.
Teachers, please, you're not the only ones up half the night doing "school work". Please, at least assign something worth the time involved and get over crayons, markers, scissors, drawing pictures, gluing, etc. That was for pre-school!
In addition to teaching 170 seniors in high school, I am also the parent of a 3rd grader, kindergartener, and soon-to-be-kindergartener. I'm very familiar with the homework level of elementary school age kids, and am working with my own children every evening and then doing my own grading. While some of it is busy-work, I think the majority of it is worthwhile.
I can assure you I'm not assigning "busy" work. I don't have time to grade busy work, nor am I interested in wasting the time of my students. I have 170 students - it takes me many, many hours to grade each writing assignment, quiz, test, etc. I don't assign (or correct) worksheets or busy work. The sheer number of students ensures I always have stacks of writing with me. It's not just grading though - every weekend I am working on lesson plans (my AP requires that I have a 5-E lesson plan on my desk each day that I teach), making the materials I need for that week's lessons, not to mention the special education paperwork I fill out weekly for my inclusion student, letters of recommendation I write for my students for college/scholarships, professional development/accountability reports I fill out, etc.
I'm not trying to whine or complain, but I wanted to clarify that it's not as simple as "assigning less busy work" in addressing our workload. Much of my work is mandated for me by district guidelines and expectations, and I suspect that's the case for the majority of teachers.
What tracey13 said. The work that the kids do in class still has to be graded by the teacher, so the teacher is doing that work times however many students in however many classes, really. And if he or she is a good teacher and assigns substantive work, in class or out of it, then the grading is not as simple as checking off right or wrong answers - reading essays and grading them appropriately, with comments, is time-consuming work, even if it's 4th or 5th grade level essays (what my sister taught). Given that the teacher is otherwise occupied during class time and often with other school-related activities after class time, when exactly are those papers going to be graded even if the work is done in class?
I grant you that there's WAY too much homework assigned in many schools these days. They've lost the concept that these are OUR children and, yes, they, and we, have lives outside of school. An hour or two of homework a night, total, depending on grade level, might be acceptable, but not more than that. But, as stated above, the teachers' hands are tied in many cases.
My children, by the way, didn't bring home homework from the private schools that I sent them to. They also managed to learn MORE in those schools than they did in the public schools that assigned much homework every night. But the teachers had a freer hand in deciding how and what to teach, which makes a big difference. Of course, you have to luck out and get the good teachers or it could be a disaster.
I think the key is to read to your kids A LOT when they're growing up. I don't remember reading MOST of those books listed in a classroom. Often times, they would bring in a TV and show a movie of the book because they knew no one would read it! But, I read them on my own. Usually years and years before they taught them. (Hell, I read Huckleberry Finn when I was about 8. I think it was banned from our school, 'cause they never taught it)
I'll slightly echo this. I actually went to some pretty decent private schools, but I was kind of a disinterested student (especially by 8th grade when music took hold!). And even though I half-*ssed my way though High School and undergraduate, my reading, verbal and writing skills were always very advanced. I attribute this to my mother reading to me, encouraging me to read, ALWAYS correcting my grammar and capping my TV watching when I was a kid. When I decided to go to graduate school (and take it seriously) I excelled because I knew how to LEARN and teach myself.
Quote:
Originally Posted by traceyr13
I can assure you I'm not assigning "busy" work. I don't have time to grade busy work, nor am I interested in wasting the time of my students. I have 170 students - it takes me many, many hours to grade each writing assignment, quiz, test, etc. I don't assign (or correct) worksheets or busy work. The sheer number of students ensures I always have stacks of writing with me. It's not just grading though - every weekend I am working on lesson plans (my AP requires that I have a 5-E lesson plan on my desk each day that I teach), making the materials I need for that week's lessons, not to mention the special education paperwork I fill out weekly for my inclusion student, letters of recommendation I write for my students for college/scholarships, professional development/accountability reports I fill out, etc.
I'm not trying to whine or complain, but I wanted to clarify that it's not as simple as "assigning less busy work" in addressing our workload. Much of my work is mandated for me by district guidelines and expectations, and I suspect that's the case for the majority of teachers.
You're not whining at all. I don't think a lot of people realize how much work teachers do, especially High School. It's one of the reasons I never wanted to teach High School. Well, that and overbearing parents
I teach a few sections of a college music theory course. It's a difficult and tedious subject and the only way to learn it is through a lot of repetition and hard work. The other day, some of my students were harping a bit about their brains hurting, and I reminded them that I have to do all of these exercises first and then I have to tediously go through about 30 student assignments. And it's ALWAYS a bloody mess! I spend the same amount of time - if not more - outside of class preparing and grading as I do directly teaching. I've taught this course many, many times and it's always a lot of work. So I told them "we're all in this thing together"
I think the MOST important thing I learned in high school (suburban Connecticut high school, would be real similar to the OP's experience) was critical thinking. Perhaps there's something cultural here? Where conformity and discipline is valued in Texas, free thinking and creativity are valued in the northeast?
Where conformity and discipline is valued in Texas, free thinking and creativity are valued in the northeast?
I need to chime in here. I lived in Newport and Providence for five years and I sure as hell never found either of those (free thinking and creativity) valued. I feel like it is easier to be "me" here than it ever was up there. Same thing with uberliberal Seattle - what a bunch of lemmings there.
I need to chime in here. I lived in Newport and Providence for five years and I sure as hell never found either of those (free thinking and creativity) valued. I feel like it is easier to be "me" here than it ever was up there. Same thing with uberliberal Seattle - what a bunch of lemmings there.
I can't speak for RI, but in Connecticut we had whole educational departments (fine arts, creative writing, drama, etc...) dedicated to creativity. Creative writing, journaling, essays, critical thought were all taught and encouraged in English classes. There were no dress codes, standardized curriculum, or ROTC.
I respect your opinion, but mine is the polar opposite.
Oh I realize what teachers assign is not their decision, its mandated by the teaching district, including the busy work. Hopefully it becomes more "real" as they advance grade-wise. Its a sore point for me, especially this weekend, ans I grapple with overlapping projects for my daughter. It amazes me they think kids their age can do such projects without any adult assistance, I spent two afternoons driving around just to find the materials! And they're so picky about just the exact materials, no substitutions! If they's so picky, why don't they ask us for the money and buy the materials themselves, then they will get exactly what they want? They give a project with 15 specific materials requirements, 21 specific items to address, then say "use your imagination, be creative". Huh?
Also, please try to be more realistic with the grading. Nothing's more discouraging than spending hours working on a project, proudly presenting it to the teacher, and having it returned slashed to shreds grade-wise. We have had points taken off for nit picky things, like a small tear on the side of the project board ( I mean a tiny tear, not more than 1/8 of an inch and probably happened while taking it in to class) she took off a point for neatness, took off another point for not coloring evenly, although it was neat, stayed in the lines, just crayon was somewhat lighter in some areas than others, not a scribble, also took off points for too much white space on the pictures she cut out, although the white space was no more than perhaps 1/16 inch, you'd need a magnifying glass to see it. Poor child was in tears over her project, now she asks us to "neaten it up" our hands have better resolution. We help because we know the teacher isn't looking to grade it so much as nit pick it. So what's that teaching the kids? You'd think she would have something better to do with her time than pick projects to death, BTW, said teacher once sent home flyers about an upcoming meeting, the flyer had a small tear on it and a typo!
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While some of it is busy-work, I think the majority of it is worthwhile.
Funny..
