Son's math teacher and homework notebook

[luvmy3]

OP, I had an issue with my ds supposedly handing in papers yet the teacher not getting them. I decided to start saving everything he ever brought home that was graded. His teacher sent home a folder every Monday with the HW, tests and classwork she graded the prior week. I got a nice basket for hanging files that ds was supposed to put his work in every Monday when he got home and after I looked at it. That way if he claimed he handed it in, I could go back and look to see if it was graded. I would save all the papers until the marking period ended. It took him a few weeks to get used to the new routine, but it just became part of it and it worked out well. Good luck

ETA I leave it in my livingroom because its decorative so its not like my ds has possession of it. Maybe if you did that it would be more like you saving it and not him, at least to him for the sake of the progress he is making.

 

[SeaShelley]

Guess how many times I pull out my dd's homework to go and show it to the teacher when they are claiming "she never did that" at the end of the quarter. Several.

Heck I had to photocopy sometimes because we had teachers that lost things.

Of course this is middle school, where it gets a little crazy.

We had to do this once my son was in MS. Parents had given us a "heads up" about one particular teacher who was always claiming that students hadn't turned stuff in. We kept everything in a folder and he brought back in several assignments that she claimed never to have received, but did - cuz her handwriting was all over them!

You'll find what works for you & Jack!

 

[We_Love_Disney]

The cumulative homework folder is an great tool. Especially in math. When the quarter ends, and DS says "we never learned that" he will have a notebook full of proof that he did.

Throughout my daughter's education, she has had to correct the mistakes she makes on homework and tests, regardless if it is required by the teacher. It is required by me. I want to be certain that she understands where the mistake occurs and why.

Organization is a skill that we all need. It is certainly one of the life skills needed for success. Having your DS be organized will never hurt him, and will only help him. When he gets home from school, have him empty the backpack and together begin the organization process.

 

[tiggger1]

would it be possible to have him bring the homework home and then copy it into a notebook? then you can either save or throw away the actual homework but you still have all the answers in the note book?

 

[sunnyday123]

((((sigh))))) I suppose, but truly...... this will be an assignment for me. He already has a weeks worth of homework that he has no idea where it is.

Sometimes being a parent is about not taking the easy way out. Let him be responsible.

 

[kirstenb1]

Guess how many times I pull out my dd's homework to go and show it to the teacher when they are claiming "she never did that" at the end of the quarter. Several.

Heck I had to photocopy sometimes because we had teachers that lost things.

Of course this is middle school, where it gets a little crazy.

Thank goodness we're not the only ones!!! I hate clutter, and tend to throw everything away, but dd's 4th grade teacher broke me of that. She constantly lost dd's papers, and would give her zeroes for assignments. I swear I photocopied everything that entire year!!

Several parents have warned me to expect the same with the 7th grade math teacher....sigh....

 

[golfgal]

Just get a 3 ring binder and a 3 hole punch and file it away every night. It'll take about a minute.

It'll help teach organization.

I actually think it is a great idea for an unorganized kid.

I agree-make it even easier and use loose leaf paper-already has the holes, slip it into a binder when he gets home every day-keep it on a bookshelf all nice and neat. Our kids have to do this with their AP Biology stuff-except they have to keep it for the year. They have 2 binders, a 1" one for every day use (current chapter) and a larger one at home on a bookshelf to transfer stuff into when they are done. They often have to bring in old units that relate to a current unit so this is easy-and it helps in studying for the AP test.

 

[design_mom]

My son's 4th grade teacher is also recommending that they keep all assignments in a notebook till the end of the grading period. She said they can use the old homework as a study guide for their exams. (She did not say anything about there being a "what was the answer to question 6 on assignment 4" test over the homework. If the kids don't keep the assignments, they just don't have a good study guide. In 3rd grade, the teacher sent home a "study guide" paper before each test. I get the impression they won't be doing that in 4th grade.)

Keeping organized will be challenge for my 4th grader, too, and I expect he'll need a lot of reminding to keep it neat and in the notebook -- and not all over his backpack, bedroom, closet, etc. Sigh. I am not looking forward to it (we also try to purge as soon as possible), but if it works it'll be great in the long run.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Thank goodness we're not the only ones!!! I hate clutter, and tend to throw everything away, but dd's 4th grade teacher broke me of that. She constantly lost dd's papers, and would give her zeroes for assignments. I swear I photocopied everything that entire year!!

Several parents have warned me to expect the same with the 7th grade math teacher....sigh....

You know, sometimes you have to do it.

 

[Michelle and crew]

He saves, labels and receipts, flyers and junk mail. He saves empty wrappers! I don't see the point in saving the already graded homework. I fail to see the point.

Perhaps you van use this to show appropriate organization. Utility vs disorder.

 

[ChrizJen]

He saves, labels and receipts, flyers and junk mail. He saves empty wrappers! I don't see the point in saving the already graded homework. I fail to see the point.

The point is that the other stuff is junk. His homework is something that he will need to refer back to at a later date. I'm not sure where the confusion is. Do you throw away a recipe after you've made it once? Most likely not. You probably keep your recipes tucked away in a neat place where they can be accessed when you need them. Think of his homework the same way.
I understand your policy that you throw things out when they're no longer needed. But he will need these things. And when they're no longer needed, he can thrown them out.

 

[tar heel]

The keeping all the assignments in a notebook doesn't strike me as unusual. My sons have had several classes that required that. My youngest turned in his notebook earlier this week with an assignment that wasn't due yet -- and hadn't been done. He had to scramble but managed to get the questions from a classmate. The class -- Honors US History.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

The majority of both of my children's classes require that all work be kept neatly until the end of the class YEAR. US History requires the work to be kept for 2 years. I think it would be detrimental to your son to not allow him to keep the work, and I would start out helping him in the beginning, but make him responsible after a few weeks.

If keeping it a home is a problem for your son, ask the teacher if after the work is collected and your son has the process down, that it be done in the classroom after it is handed back. The teacher could keep the binder in his room. But I still can't fathom how your son studies for tests if all the work has to be thrown out??.

Hope you find a system that works for you.

 

[Hannathy]

I don't think it is that unusual or that big of a deal. He will be doing this later on in classes or if he doesn't his grades will suffer because the homework is usually needed to study for exams.

In later grades he won't be told to do it they will assume he knows to do it and expect him to be able to study off those questions. good time to learn how to do it.

 

[onelilspark]

It's really a good idea to keep all your work for the semester. I had it happen on a couple of occasions in both HS & College that the teacher didn't record a grade for me, and I had the graded assignment in question I was able to show and save myself from a zero. After the semester or school year, I'd toss everything.

Not to mention, if there's a question on how to do something again, I could turn back in my notes and remind myself how to complete the problem.

 

[Nancyg56]

To Jack EVERYTHING is important- it's very frustrating.

Kady is like that. She would keep every darn thing because it all means something to her. She is a "rules" kid though and if there is nto a rule in place she make one to follow. Perhaps you can help Jack to understand that keeping homework is a rule and is not part of getting rid of things he is done with. I understand that after he finishes his homework he is "done" therefore he must follow the rule to throw it out. I do not envy you as you teach this difference to him.

So, do you guys think I should just do it for a week- make sure he "gets it" and then leave it up to him OR do it with him/for him all quarter?

I would enlist the teacher. Another poster suggested it and I think asking for her support would be helpful. If she can help hi, to put the graded homework in the binder and then he can show you the binder when he gets home it may help think that he is not finished with the papers yet. I would not leave it entirely up to him if you know that this is going to be a challenge, it is going to be too confusing for him at first.

 

[NotUrsula]

Another mom of an Aspie here; same gender and same age. Mine isn't a hoarder, but I have another point for you to consider: the papers may be needed for later therapy.

It sounds like your DS has some of the same executive function issues that are common with most Aspies; they tend to have real issues with organization and "natural" routine. (For the onlookers, this means things like knowing that in the morning in the first two hours that you are up, you ALWAYS need to use the toilet, shave and brush your teeth -- every single day.)

The thing is, every therapist DS has ever had has asked for copies of his school papers when trying to plan his therapy -- they need examples of what he is failing to do. In our case, failing to put his name on his paper, not dating it, etc. What we do with them is keep them in a binder in hard copy for the grading period, and then scan them to be kept on a backup hard drive in case a teacher or therapist needs them for planning reasons. All report cards and teacher emails are saved the same way.

 

[Scurvy]

I always think it's a good idea to keep homework and any other graded assignments until the class is over. I've known many teachers over the years who require that, and who have notebook checks over the course of the year to be sure the students still have everything. It helps for the students to have the work to refer to as they study, and it also helps if there's a question of whether something was turned in or not. Plus, sometimes teachers get in a hurry when jotting down grades and record the grades on the wrong line in their book, and it's good to be able to pull out an assignment to prove that the grade that was recorded was incorrect.

would it be possible to have him bring the homework home and then copy it into a notebook? then you can either save or throw away the actual homework but you still have all the answers in the note book?

If the teacher is truly only going to have tests where she asks for specific answers from previous homework then that should work. But unless he's going to copy down all his work and all the questions, it won't help with the studying. Also, there will be no proof that the homework was turned in if there's ever a question of that, since it won't be the actual graded copy.

OP, you say you throw things out when you're done with them. Since these papers are still necessary, it seems like this would be a good lesson on the difference between junk that you can throw away and something that's important to keep because you still need it. That's something that everyone needs to know. I've known people who were so opposed to hoarding that they threw everything away - receipts, bank statements, warranty information, etc. - and that makes everything much more complicated. It's good to learn which things should be kept for your records and which you don't need, and it's really important to learn how to organize the things you do need to keep. Maybe this will be a good learning experience for your son.

 

[Magic Mom]

Right. He doesn't have to do the work again- just know the answer was 16 (or whatever).

That's another good reason. They will have to correct their mistakes in order to get the answers right on that final test. I don't see an issue with it at all.

 

[Mermaid02]

Thanks for the input everyone!

I'll start saving and then we can hash it over at the 504 meeting and see what we can come up with- I'm sure the school psychologist will have some ideas. My son is already pretty overwhelmed being in the "regular" classroom this year- so we'll have a lot to talk about I'm sure!