Must be the season (a vent)...

[agnes!]

for complaints about teachers.

I'm sorry but I guess I'm in the brigade tonight. I support them, think many are underpaid and unappreciated, think they do a job that most folks have no idea how hard it is.

That being said...

Tomorrow is the nationwide PSAT, important for college aps, scholarships, etc. Locally, the sophomores take it for practice & the juniors take it for real. Ever since *before* the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, we have been hearing about the October 14th PSATs, don't take your kids out, make sure they have plenty of sleep, blah, blah, blah.

All the teachers kind of lay off for tomorrow, no big assignments due, no quizzes, the kids' job in those two grades for that one day is to only take that test. Except *one*. One of DD's teachers decided to have an *assignment* due tomorrow, 20+ pages of textbook-reading complete with notes *and* this teacher always has quizzes for the reading. $%&#*!

So she spent probably at least 2 or more hours doing the reading and taking notes, time she could have spent maybe reviewing some concepts or, oh, I don't know...actually getting some SLEEP?

Ok, I'm done, vent over.
agnes!

 

[teacups]

for complaints about teachers.

I'm sorry but I guess I'm in the brigade tonight. I support them, think many are underpaid and unappreciated, think they do a job that most folks have no idea how hard it is.

That being said...

Tomorrow is the nationwide PSAT, important for college aps, scholarships, etc. Locally, the sophomores take it for practice & the juniors take it for real. Ever since *before* the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, we have been hearing about the October 14th PSATs, don't take your kids out, make sure they have plenty of sleep, blah, blah, blah.

All the teachers kind of lay off for tomorrow, no big assignments due, no quizzes, the kids' job in those two grades for that one day is to only take that test. Except *one*. One of DD's teachers decided to have an *assignment* due tomorrow, 20+ pages of textbook-reading complete with notes *and* this teacher always has quizzes for the reading. $%&#*!

So she spent probably at least 2 or more hours doing the reading and taking notes, time she could have spent maybe reviewing some concepts or, oh, I don't know...actually getting some SLEEP?

Ok, I'm done, vent over.
agnes!

You deserve to vent.

 

[Disney Doll]

Clearly a teacher who doesn't believe in "teaching for the test".

 

[mjkacmom]

Clearly a teacher who doesn't believe in "teaching for the test".

While I don't agree with teaching for the test, there is a big difference between regular standardized testing (where good scores benefit the school district) and PSAT's/SAT's (where good scores benefit the students). I think it was wrong for the teacher to schedule the assignment at this time.

 

[bethbuchall]

I think that deserves a vent, too! Our students take the PSAT on Saturday morning. DD has to be there at 6:55 am. That sure isn't conducive to her doing well on the test! My dd is definitely not a morning person.

 

[adkkev]

So she spent probably at least 2 or more hours doing the reading and taking notes, time she could have spent maybe reviewing some concepts or, oh, I don't know...actually getting some SLEEP?
QUOTE]

I don't understand how this assignment interfered with your daughter's sleep ... she had no other homework, right? What made this particular evening's homework more intrusive on her sleep than any other night?

I always thought that the PSAT was a preparatory tool, designed to give students an idea of what the SAT would be like. What colleges look at PSAT scores for admission? (just curious)

 

[FireDancer]

I often have multiple projects the collide. Sounds like a teacher that thinks you are never to young to learn to multitask.

 

[december]

So she spent probably at least 2 or more hours doing the reading and taking notes, time she could have spent maybe reviewing some concepts or, oh, I don't know...actually getting some SLEEP?
QUOTE]

I don't understand how this assignment interfered with your daughter's sleep ... she had no other homework, right? What made this particular evening's homework more intrusive on her sleep than any other night?

I always thought that the PSAT was a preparatory tool, designed to give students an idea of what the SAT would be like. What colleges look at PSAT scores for admission? (just curious)

Unless things have changed since 1990, the PSAT is the qualifying exam for National Merit Scholarships. We don't normally take the SAT here, ACT is the norm. I took the PSAT at school, and ended up with a free ride to the most expensive college in the state (Mississippi College). My family had no money, and no college fund, so this was a very big deal for me!

As a high school teacher, I don't think the teacher was exactly evil to do this, but it would have been nice for her to lay off for one night!

 

[agnes!]

While this particular standardized test is not quite used for college-admission, the PSAT is HUGE in getting consideration for some scholarships, it's not just a preliminary SAT that doesn't count except to practice. I just think it's funny, the school has been pushing the PSAT since *before* school started - don't miss school that day, get plenty of sleep, eat a good breakfast, be on time, blahbahblah - so for one teacher to assign work and to have a possible quiz on the same day? Doesn't make complete sense to me.

Yes, yes, multi-tasking is a good thing (when one is taking AP courses and all Honors classes in my DD's case), but the students already know how to multi-task at this point in their high-school careers - if not, they're in some serious trouble. (Btw the teacher in this case also seems to be somewhat careless in other classroom matters.)

And I don't think any high-school kid gets enough sleep. It just would have been nice for DD to have been able to relax. And "holiday" weekend? Lol, that's a good one...homework the entire three days.

agnes!