Hey...Teacher...leave those projects at school!!!

[Missy1961]

Exactly this.

And sometimes the important lesson in all of it is that you have to learn to navigate difficult situations. Today it's her teacher. Tomorrow it will be her boss.

She's not the only kid balancing the school projects with extracurricular activities. If it gets to be too much, our choice would be to cut back on the extracurricular activities.

Yep. Better to learn these skills now than on the job. I forgot how old the child is - maybe she could do some of the running around to free up her parent.

 

[mom2rtk]

These things were always why I hated group projects though, because even if I didn't do any activities the other persons could impact us being able to do something. If I did a reasonable amount that wasn't too much (even one thing) the chances of that are even higher, espeically if someone is going away for the weekend. So even cutting back on activities may not help. Espeically if you got stuck being paired with someone that had uncooperative parents or ones that had transportation issues. Most of the time I just ended up doing the entire project and claiming they helped because it was easier then dealing with that AND wondering if the other kid would do decent work. I specifically when we could pick partners tried to pick the slackers just because I knew they would allow me to do this.

In college it was a bit better because most of us at least lived on campus and you had the option of meeting later at night because its not like college students really have bedtimes. People always claim these issues teach you how to work things out in real life but it really doesn't.

If I had a coworker that did no work and didn't respond to my inquiries trying to work with them, my response would be to go to their boss and explain the issues. If it was because they had too much other stuff their boss would be expected to deconflict that. If they just weren't working they would be told they would be facing disicplinary action for not doing it. I have had to do this in the past. However most instructors don't want to deal with it and tell the kids to just work it out themselves which is bull.

Also at work everyone is expected to be here for the same 6.5 hours of core time (we can flex around that) so there is a much higher chance of schedules aligning.

People always claimed these things were to prepare us for work but frankly work is 1000 times easier then what we put kids through.

Oh, I agree with that. When I said it would help her navigate a difficult boss later, I didn't necessarily mean that the boss would assign group projects like this. I just meant that there would be things the boss assigned that seemed unreasonable and eventually you have to find a way to deal with it.

 

[mom2rtk]

Yep. Better to learn these skills now than on the job. I forgot how old the child is - maybe she could do some of the running around to free up her parent.

According to another thread by the OP, she turned 156 months old just recently.

 

[DanceswithDisney]

Same song, next verse. Sometimes part of the project is being able to carefully (and accurately) follow the teacher's instructions and work as a team. These are valuable skills.
Maybe you should consider homeschooling.

This whole thread is about stupid useless take home projects which involve the PARENT's time and money. I don't do the work for the kid, but I have to do the shopping and driving around.

Homeschooling is just NOT an option!

 

[DanceswithDisney]

She's not the only kid balancing the school projects with extracurricular activities. If it gets to be too much, our choice would be to cut back on the extracurricular activities.

Cutting back on extracurricular activities is also not an option really. We could miss some practices but not matches. We put just as much value on what will be learned in the class room as on the soccer pitch!

 

[mom2rtk]

Cutting back on extracurricular activities is also not an option really. We could miss some practices but not matches. We put just as much value on what will be learned in the class room as on the soccer pitch!

Actually I'm not talking about cutting back on practices or matches. I'm talking about taking some time off from the sport completely if it's causing this much of an issue with school projects.

 

[DopeyDame]

So I was just informed last night of a new SCIENCE project which will require two of the kids to get together. This means more time, shopping, money for materials! This is something that cannot all be done via Text or Facetime. One of the kids will be out of town this weekend and it is due next Thursday. Between practice, ODP tryouts, games and tutoring for math I have NO idea when they will get together!

*roll eyes*

Given that school projects are such an issue, it sounds like your daughter is either way overcommitted to extracurriculars or is enrolled in classes for which she isn't prepared.
Some kids can handle intense extracurriculars and still succeed in school, some kids need fewer outside obligations, and some kids need to take less challenging coursework. There's no shame or harm in stepping back from sports, taking different classes (if there's still time to change to the lower level class), or whatever else might enable her to handle all of her obligations when needed.

 

[DopeyDame]

This whole thread is about stupid useless take home projects which involve the PARENT's time and money. I don't do the work for the kid, but I have to do the shopping and driving around.

Homeschooling is just NOT an option!

If the issue is your time, then what does her soccer practice have to do with it? Surely you don't sit and watch all her practices, right? Can't you go shopping after dropping her off? If it's a money issue, that's entirely different, and in that case I really would encourage you to talk to the school guidance counselor as they absolutely have resources for kids who need it.

 

[DanceswithDisney]

If the issue is your time, then what does her soccer practice have to do with it? Surely you don't sit and watch all her practices, right? Can't you go shopping after dropping her off? If it's a money issue, that's entirely different, and in that case I really would encourage you to talk to the school guidance counselor as they absolutely have resources for kids who need it.

It has EVERYTHING to do with it when it is a group project. It is finding the time to get together because of out of school activities for everyone in the group. I am telling teachers to leave the projects in school. It matters now how much time I devote to practices. I don't need to spend time driving around looking for materials for the project. I put this back on the district to provide them as well as the time to complete during school time.

 

[DanceswithDisney]

Actually I'm not talking about cutting back on practices or matches. I'm talking about taking some time off from the sport completely if it's causing this much of an issue with school projects.

Also when committed to a non refundable money and time commitment, time off from the sport is not happening. I knew my commitment coming into soccer. At no time during curriculum nights were outside projects mentioned. Not once.

 

[mom2rtk]

Also when committed to a non refundable money and time commitment, time off from the sport is not happening. I knew my commitment coming into soccer. At no time during curriculum nights were outside projects mentioned. Not once.

I probably would not pull them mid-season. I'd help them get through the current season then take some time off.

It has EVERYTHING to do with it when it is a group project. It is finding the time to get together because of out of school activities for everyone in the group. I am telling teachers to leave the projects in school. It matters now how much time I devote to practices. I don't need to spend time driving around looking for materials for the project. I put this back on the district to provide them as well as the time to complete during school time.

How's that working for you?

 

[LilyWDW]

Also when committed to a non refundable money and time commitment, time off from the sport is not happening. I knew my commitment coming into soccer. At no time during curriculum nights were outside projects mentioned. Not once.

Outside projects have been happening since I started school and I am in my 30's. It's not the schools job to tell you that these projects would come up. They are common place in any school district I have ever had experience in (which is many over the years). Seems you had unrealistic expectations.

 

[DanceswithDisney]

And reading back posts from the beginning, I am not the only parent that resents their TIME and MONEY being impinged upon for these projects.

 

[DanceswithDisney]

I probably would not pull them mid-season. I'd help them get through the current season then take some time off.

We will never give up soccer. We put as I said just much value on the lessons taught out of school.

 

[DopeyDame]

Also when committed to a non refundable money and time commitment, time off from the sport is not happening. I knew my commitment coming into soccer. At no time during curriculum nights were outside projects mentioned. Not once.

Here's a BTDT Pro-tip: Your child will basically always have outside projects in school. They will also almost certainly have homework, course tests, and standardized tests. That's part of school, and not something I would expect to be outlines at curriculum night unless it was a majority of the curriculum for the year (as science fair projects sometimes are)

 

[mom2rtk]

We will never give up soccer. We put as I said just much value on the lessons taught out of school.

So what's your plan for making things work better going forward?

 

[Snap Crackle Pop]

We will never give up soccer. We put as I said just much value on the lessons taught out of school.

Then you need to deal with the fact that there is going to be an excessive amount of time towards school projects, and needing to buy materials for that project. It's school, and school is more important than a sport.

 

[DanceswithDisney]

Then you need to deal with the fact that there is going to be an excessive amount of time towards school projects, and needing to buy materials for that project. It's school, and school is more important than a sport.

No school is NOT more important than a sport. But nice try.

Secondly I am just venting about at home school projects that take my time and money and trying to coordinate with a group to get this done. If this is SO important to the curriculum it should be done in school. With the materials provided by the district AND the TIME provided by the district.

 

[DanceswithDisney]

So what's your plan for making things work better going forward?

I don't have or need a plan. There is nothing about these boards that require anyone to do more than vent when making a post.

 

[Snap Crackle Pop]

No school is NOT more important than a sport. But nice try.

Secondly I am just venting about at home school projects that take my time and money and trying to coordinate with a group to get this done. If this is SO important to the curriculum it should be done in school. With the materials provided by the district AND the TIME provided by the district.

That's not how it works, doing projects at home is nothing new and will probably never change. It's not your job to coordinate with a group it is your daughters, and her being busy with soccer is no excuse.
Do you think anyone likes to have to spend money on school work? No, but it's a fact of life that needs to be dealt with.