Who among us still have those re-occurring dreams (more like nightmares) where you can’t find your classroom, or don’t remember the combination to your locker, or worst yet, taking an exam that might as well be in Japanese? I do, I do!! But I was always relieved when I realized it was all a dream. Even during the dream, I would pray to god it was only a dream. Now, though, I’m wondering if it wasn't really a premonition…. Just when you thought it was over, all the hours stressing over homework and grades, swearing that school was the worst thing EVER! It’s BAAAACK! I am here to reaffirm that school IS the worst thing ever! I am totally stressed, and that’s just with the 4th grade work. My oldest (6th grader) just informed me that WE have a project due in two weeks on Greek mythology. "'We', meaning your class," I hesitantly asked, hoping it came across as an obvious rhetorical clarification. But NOOO, "we" meant the "we" in the room. As my son understands it, homework is something that is truly assigned to the "home", and includes all those who reside there. I truly don’t think my son understands the concept of “been there, done that”. I think he just figures, been there? Great. Then you (meaning, me) should be able to just do it…..
In fairness to the kids today, I don’t remember having the quantity of homework that my kids are bringing home. And that’s just the work that they remember to bring home. Which brings up another conundrum. Truly, how hard is it to write your assignments down for each class, especially when the teacher says,
“ok everyone, take your assignment books out. Today is Monday. Tonight’s homework is….Make sure this is written in your assignment book NOW.”
Could it be any clearer? Is there really room for any mis-interpretation? What am I missing???? Because, every afternoon when I ask the same standard question, “what do you have for homework,” I inevitably receive the same “deer in the headlights” response of “not sure.” “Not sure?” because you wrote it down and just forgot what the assignment is, or “Not sure?” because nothing is written down AND YOU HAVEN’T A CLUE? There is absolutely no excuse for the latter, but be that as it may, I have since sunk to a new low. I have now offered money for each day my kids write their assignments down. I mean, do you hear me? Forget about doing the assignment. Just for writing the “bloody thing” down earns them money. This is crazy, right? Crazy? Yes. Stupid? Quite possibly. Even on days when no homework is assigned, they have to note it in their book. I figured, if they have to expend energy to write “no homework”, at least I know that truly “nothing” was assigned. I know, I know. This is by no means “fail-safe.” I’m waaaay ahead of you. So, for every day that they fail to include a notation in each class’ homework section, I take money away. We’ve only been doing this for about a week now, and I’ve already started receiving IOU’s…..
When our oldest entered 6th grade (this school year), he was placed in an IM (Impossible Math) math class. However, even though he typically excels in math, he had difficulty grasping the material due to the speed within which it was being taught. According to his teacher, our public school system dictates how quickly the concepts of this math level is to be taught, which seems to be based on nothing more than the day of the week rather than the class' level of understanding. If its Monday, its must be statistics....In other words, for many in the class there truly is no time to grasp the material, just possibly, memorize it. Within the first week of school, we (and I mean, WE) were thoroughly overwhelmed, and totally over-stressed, and that was just with math. By the end of that first week, our son had convinced himself that he would never “get it”, and more importantly, that he didn’t need it. How do you respond to, “When would I ever use Venn Diagrams as an adult?” Not an easy question to answer when I had just then been introduced to the concept by my child. I had never heard of Venn nor his diagrams, and most likely, as an adult, neither would my son. That wasn't the point, though, was it??? I had to think fast before the moment was lost. Forget about the "right of passage" theory. The fact that we had to endure the same nonsensical concepts and so should they, would have proven futile. "You're right", I succumbed. "You may never come across 'Venn' as an adult, but how you process the material will always be relevent." As brilliant as that sounded, and to this day, it still does, it didn't matter. Mentally, he was gone, and he wasn’t coming back. To him, it was all a waste of time…..
Just an aside, though, after spending some time on Google, I totally “got” Venn and his Diagrams (just saying….). Is school wasted on the young, or what????
I fully recognize that homework is not a "waste of time" as my son would argue, but it does take time, and, to them, its time that they don't have to waste. Actually, I am convinced that part of the problem is that kids today don't have time to be kids today. Their days are way too structured with so little time to just play. Between school 5 days a week, religious school 2-3days a week, homework every night, and possibly 1-2 regularly scheduled after-school activities, who has time to “chill”? I get it, I really do, BUT when homework is included in the overall point system for grades, whether you do it correctly or not, I might add, that, to me is a "no brainer". YOU DO IT! Get your 2 points and move on. How do I impress upon my son that these are "free" points? It's like getting an "A" for just showing up. You just show up! All that time "wasted" on debating the purpose of the assignment or the obvious stupidity of the class could have been better spent just doing it, getting the 2 points, and not reducing the eventual hour to a very heated sparring between parent and child.
According to my son, he is the ONLY person in the entire 6th grade that endures this type of schedule. NO ONE, not one other person, is assigned this much homework, or attends religious school as often as he does. First of all, how could he possibly know how much homework he gets when his assignment book is empty? Second, HELLO, does he not notice the other 15 kids in his Hebrew or Sunday school class each week? Do they not attend 6th grade as well? Is this information not available to him? “ PROCESS the material, PROCESS”….
There is no denying that between our public school system and us parents, we have become too consumed with surging ahead in class levels, in course material and certainly with grades, that our kids haven’t the time to process the information that they are given. Actually, I'm not convinced they are given the opportunity to "process", especially when they can’t even ask questions unless they elect to come in during their lunch period or prior to the morning bell (breakfast period). I ask you, when are these kids suppose to eat??? When did “being on grade level” become the failure mark? And what is so darn special about IM and AP classes? As an aside, does anyone really know what “IM” stands for?! Isn't it too soon to be so stressed about grades. I don't think I have the energy for High School.
I don’t recall our parents being as entrenched in our work or as demanding with our studies at this age. And, do you know why??? They didn’t have EDLINE to mess with their minds! Is that like the WORST thing EVER (apart from school itself)??? Who came up with this theory that parents wanted to know EXACTLY EVERYTHING? There is something truly unique when opening your child's report card, not knowing what to expect. It's like not knowing the sex of your child until the very moment he's born. I want to go back to those times!
Is this truly what the “founding fathers (or mothers)” had in mind when they created Edline? Each time I log off, I’m like an addict waiting for my next fix. Do you think someone secretly keeps count as to how often a parent logs on? How embarrassing for me if they do. There should be a limit as to how often a parent can sign on during a seven day span. I would propose that once you reached the limit, you should be zapped with every future attempt. And, to make matters worse, they have added new letters to the grading system. I found a “Z” posted next to one of my son’s assignments. “What does that mean”, knowing full well that it couldn’t be good. It took my 4th grader to tell me that that must be the lowest letter possible….
”Processing the information”. That’s what I’m talking about.
In fairness to the kids today, I don’t remember having the quantity of homework that my kids are bringing home. And that’s just the work that they remember to bring home. Which brings up another conundrum. Truly, how hard is it to write your assignments down for each class, especially when the teacher says,
“ok everyone, take your assignment books out. Today is Monday. Tonight’s homework is….Make sure this is written in your assignment book NOW.”
Could it be any clearer? Is there really room for any mis-interpretation? What am I missing???? Because, every afternoon when I ask the same standard question, “what do you have for homework,” I inevitably receive the same “deer in the headlights” response of “not sure.” “Not sure?” because you wrote it down and just forgot what the assignment is, or “Not sure?” because nothing is written down AND YOU HAVEN’T A CLUE? There is absolutely no excuse for the latter, but be that as it may, I have since sunk to a new low. I have now offered money for each day my kids write their assignments down. I mean, do you hear me? Forget about doing the assignment. Just for writing the “bloody thing” down earns them money. This is crazy, right? Crazy? Yes. Stupid? Quite possibly. Even on days when no homework is assigned, they have to note it in their book. I figured, if they have to expend energy to write “no homework”, at least I know that truly “nothing” was assigned. I know, I know. This is by no means “fail-safe.” I’m waaaay ahead of you. So, for every day that they fail to include a notation in each class’ homework section, I take money away. We’ve only been doing this for about a week now, and I’ve already started receiving IOU’s…..
When our oldest entered 6th grade (this school year), he was placed in an IM (Impossible Math) math class. However, even though he typically excels in math, he had difficulty grasping the material due to the speed within which it was being taught. According to his teacher, our public school system dictates how quickly the concepts of this math level is to be taught, which seems to be based on nothing more than the day of the week rather than the class' level of understanding. If its Monday, its must be statistics....In other words, for many in the class there truly is no time to grasp the material, just possibly, memorize it. Within the first week of school, we (and I mean, WE) were thoroughly overwhelmed, and totally over-stressed, and that was just with math. By the end of that first week, our son had convinced himself that he would never “get it”, and more importantly, that he didn’t need it. How do you respond to, “When would I ever use Venn Diagrams as an adult?” Not an easy question to answer when I had just then been introduced to the concept by my child. I had never heard of Venn nor his diagrams, and most likely, as an adult, neither would my son. That wasn't the point, though, was it??? I had to think fast before the moment was lost. Forget about the "right of passage" theory. The fact that we had to endure the same nonsensical concepts and so should they, would have proven futile. "You're right", I succumbed. "You may never come across 'Venn' as an adult, but how you process the material will always be relevent." As brilliant as that sounded, and to this day, it still does, it didn't matter. Mentally, he was gone, and he wasn’t coming back. To him, it was all a waste of time…..
Just an aside, though, after spending some time on Google, I totally “got” Venn and his Diagrams (just saying….). Is school wasted on the young, or what????
I fully recognize that homework is not a "waste of time" as my son would argue, but it does take time, and, to them, its time that they don't have to waste. Actually, I am convinced that part of the problem is that kids today don't have time to be kids today. Their days are way too structured with so little time to just play. Between school 5 days a week, religious school 2-3days a week, homework every night, and possibly 1-2 regularly scheduled after-school activities, who has time to “chill”? I get it, I really do, BUT when homework is included in the overall point system for grades, whether you do it correctly or not, I might add, that, to me is a "no brainer". YOU DO IT! Get your 2 points and move on. How do I impress upon my son that these are "free" points? It's like getting an "A" for just showing up. You just show up! All that time "wasted" on debating the purpose of the assignment or the obvious stupidity of the class could have been better spent just doing it, getting the 2 points, and not reducing the eventual hour to a very heated sparring between parent and child.
According to my son, he is the ONLY person in the entire 6th grade that endures this type of schedule. NO ONE, not one other person, is assigned this much homework, or attends religious school as often as he does. First of all, how could he possibly know how much homework he gets when his assignment book is empty? Second, HELLO, does he not notice the other 15 kids in his Hebrew or Sunday school class each week? Do they not attend 6th grade as well? Is this information not available to him? “ PROCESS the material, PROCESS”….
There is no denying that between our public school system and us parents, we have become too consumed with surging ahead in class levels, in course material and certainly with grades, that our kids haven’t the time to process the information that they are given. Actually, I'm not convinced they are given the opportunity to "process", especially when they can’t even ask questions unless they elect to come in during their lunch period or prior to the morning bell (breakfast period). I ask you, when are these kids suppose to eat??? When did “being on grade level” become the failure mark? And what is so darn special about IM and AP classes? As an aside, does anyone really know what “IM” stands for?! Isn't it too soon to be so stressed about grades. I don't think I have the energy for High School.
I don’t recall our parents being as entrenched in our work or as demanding with our studies at this age. And, do you know why??? They didn’t have EDLINE to mess with their minds! Is that like the WORST thing EVER (apart from school itself)??? Who came up with this theory that parents wanted to know EXACTLY EVERYTHING? There is something truly unique when opening your child's report card, not knowing what to expect. It's like not knowing the sex of your child until the very moment he's born. I want to go back to those times!
Is this truly what the “founding fathers (or mothers)” had in mind when they created Edline? Each time I log off, I’m like an addict waiting for my next fix. Do you think someone secretly keeps count as to how often a parent logs on? How embarrassing for me if they do. There should be a limit as to how often a parent can sign on during a seven day span. I would propose that once you reached the limit, you should be zapped with every future attempt. And, to make matters worse, they have added new letters to the grading system. I found a “Z” posted next to one of my son’s assignments. “What does that mean”, knowing full well that it couldn’t be good. It took my 4th grader to tell me that that must be the lowest letter possible….
”Processing the information”. That’s what I’m talking about.
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