What is the possible reason for stupid projects at school?

[TallyLassie]

In School i NEVER factored in time spent shopping, being online and such. This is quite a stretch.

When I was in school there was no such thing as "online". Projects didn't nearly as long, and the expectations were not as high.

 

[barkley]

dd has gotten the same project at least once per year since 1st grade-and i see the value in it but boy can it be a p.i.t.a.! it's called 'book in a bag'-the kids have to read a book (teacher picks a topic but kids choose the book) and then locate 10 or 12 items that are mentioned in the book and put them into a paper bag with a tag on each that indicates how the item was mentioned/used in the story. i learned realy quick to make sure dd did'nt pick a title with obscure object references in ("mom do we have a mutton bone? mom where do you keep spare anvils?" ). it's a nice break for the kids from the standard written book reports but it can get challenging.

the projects that are realy hard for us to complete are ones that involve doing surveys or interviewing a certain number of people. my surviving 'older' family members can only be reached by phone and their hearing/memory is such they can't realy help out. with the non family ones it's just plain hard-everyone i know has thier own kids who they spend evenings with working on THEIR homework/projects so i hate to have my kids calling them up and taking all their time (and with the younger ones it takes so long-the person on the phone has to repeat the answer several times so the child can write out the responses word by word).

 

[MushyMushy]

the projects that are realy hard for us to complete are ones that involve doing surveys or interviewing a certain number of people. my surviving 'older' family members can only be reached by phone and their hearing/memory is such they can't realy help out. with the non family ones it's just plain hard-everyone i know has thier own kids who they spend evenings with working on THEIR homework/projects so i hate to have my kids calling them up and taking all their time (and with the younger ones it takes so long-the person on the phone has to repeat the answer several times so the child can write out the responses word by word).

You see, there's this little thing I like to call "creative writing..."

(my kids haven't had to do it yet, but I have in college )

 

[MUFFYCAT]

The reason teachers give those projects?

to drive the parents crazy and make them wish for the end of school already!

 

[golfgal]

A BIG part of this project is about time management. I hate projects too. Just wait until you have to do a science fair project, yuck. One thing you probably could have done with your DD is pointed out that she shouldn't be taking so long to put this together. In my opinion she went WAY over the top in doing this project, which you know. There is a point to which doing it "right" becomes doing it wrong and taking 20+ hours to do a 1-2 hour project is at that point. There is going to be a time where your DD is assigned a lengthy project and won't be able to complete the project because she hasn't learned to prioritize, which is also part of this current project.

When the kids were in 3rd grade and taking timed math tests were a big deal, DS11 struggled to get the tests done in the allotted time not because he didn't know the answers but because he was trying to do it neatly. We finally sat him down and told him that this assignment/test was not about being neat, it was about doing it fast. We told him that he had to put one line through a mistake and no erase them. Once he got used to doing that, he flew through the tests.

It sounds like your DD has some perfectionist tendencies which can be good and bad. As a parent you need to point out that 5 pictures instead of 20 is OK.

 

[Southern4sure]

A BIG part of this project is about time management. I hate projects too. Just wait until you have to do a science fair project, yuck. One thing you probably could have done with your DD is pointed out that she shouldn't be taking so long to put this together. In my opinion she went WAY over the top in doing this project, which you know. There is a point to which doing it "right" becomes doing it wrong and taking 20+ hours to do a 1-2 hour project is at that point. There is going to be a time where your DD is assigned a lengthy project and won't be able to complete the project because she hasn't learned to prioritize, which is also part of this current project.

When the kids were in 3rd grade and taking timed math tests were a big deal, DS11 struggled to get the tests done in the allotted time not because he didn't know the answers but because he was trying to do it neatly. We finally sat him down and told him that this assignment/test was not about being neat, it was about doing it fast. We told him that he had to put one line through a mistake and no erase them. Once he got used to doing that, he flew through the tests.

It sounds like your DD has some perfectionist tendencies which can be good and bad. As a parent you need to point out that 5 pictures instead of 20 is OK.

Great post! As I understand it, the 20 + hours includes time at Michaels picking out materials and time looking at magazines for the right pictures. How long it took to complete the box once the materials and pics were out of the way is unknown.

 

[disneyjunkie]

It's pretty much a year round thing, but it does go into overdrive the first few weeks of school.

This year it's not just on the community board. I've seen school vents posted on the budget board and family board.

 

[Teacher03]

About the time it took. That included the amount of time she took to get her stuff (she loves Michaels) and looking through magazines and tons of computer clip art to find the best pictures. She then had to cover the box, put the pics on, label them, she added glitter glue and arts and crafts things. This was a big project. She probably has over 75 pics of things. And for the poster that "questioned" my dd's intelligence because she took a while.....well so not cool. Maybe smart kids take longer because they think more. She wanted it just right. Would this have been an OK post if I hadn't mentioned she was in the gifted class? "Cause that seems to be what everyone is focusing on. Ok I agree it should have been a 10 hour project but it is still annoying. Sorry I whined.

My oldest daughter always took forever on these projects because she wanted them to be perfect. My son would start and finish and one night.

As a teacher, I see a reason for this project. As pointed out (in greater detail) by another poster, each child learns differently. It not only helps the teacher to learn about each student, it also helps to access each student's learning style.

 

[Buckalew11]

Also, I think a child needs to learn which projects need to be done more "perfectly". For instance, this project about the child compared to a report on, say, a province in Canada. Spend the 20+ hours on such a report but don't be such a perfectionist when it comes to covering a box about yourself. Going out and spending $$$ on supplies to cover a box? Just use what supplies you have and use magazines etc. from home. I am sure the teacher couldn't care less if you spent $$$ in the scrapbooking department to make a perfect box. This should be a fun, sole searching project NOT a chore type project. Learn where to keep some fun in learning.

All that said, I have a child like yours who always wants to go above and beyond for everything she does. I have learned that you have to decide where the time and $ goes and help her to see that also. Personally, I think it is a valuable life lesson. All do her best but she doesn't have to go nuts trying to make the perfect box. JMO.

 

[froglady]

I didn't mind them so much with DD, although I hated storing all the shoeboxes, etc because I knew they would keep on coming.

DS has hand deformities, so his fine motor skills are lacking. I let his teachers know this (as his scars have faded, and you might not notice them unless you examine his hands) I don't expect them to let him off the hook for these projects, but I do expect them to realize that he spends a lot more time than someone else to produce a so-so drawing/cutting/pasting assignment. In his case, that may be the best he can do.

Now that he's in middle school, he has more projects that include using the computer and printer. That's made things much easier for him.

He has a Science Fair project coming up, and is supposed to have an adult expert mentor for it. It can't involve any animals, and any biological studies or projects involving dangerous chemicals must be cleared and involve special safety classes. He has family members who are in the medical and engineering fields, but no...he wants to do something involving plants.

I have also seen enough reports requiring arts and crafts that have involved the parents doing a bit more than running the kids to get art supplies. Fortunately, most of my children's teachers were able to see the difference, and graded accordingly. The projects didn't impress anyone but the other parents; even the students could tell you that "Johnny's mom must have done all the work."

 

[froglady]

My oldest daughter always took forever on these projects because she wanted them to be perfect. My son would start and finish and one night.

As a teacher, I see a reason for this project. As pointed out (in greater detail) by another poster, each child learns differently. It not only helps the teacher to learn about each student, it also helps to access each student's learning style.

It also lets the teacher know who has the most artistic parents so he/she can call upon them for class projects, such as decorating bulletin boards, play scenery, etc.

 

[momof2inPA]

I agree with the OP. Fourth graders in the gifted classes should be spending their time on more meaningful projects than decorating shoe boxes. For some reason I can't picture fourth grade Japanese or Chinese students wasting a bunch of time cutting construction paper and crafting. It's fine if you want to do that in your spare time or in Art class, but when our country's academic performance is falling behind that of other technologically advanced countries, you would think that schools would focus on developing computer, Math, Science, and communication skills. I wouldn't let my kid waste much time on a project like that, unless he/she was really enjoying it. Why would the school require that every student do this, anyway? Is the principal going to keep several hundred shoe boxes for posterity? Does he or she think that the parents are going to keep 12 years worth of shoe boxes? Why not write a little getting-to-know-you paper and be done with it?

 

[isyne4u]

***note to self*** call parents before assigning projects and make sure they approve of said project. Include all follow up activities and be sure to explain the curriculum/city/state objectives said project will address. If parent thinks said project is stupid, cancel it immediately and allow parent to design project based on curriculum/city/state objectives and then have them teach it. ***got it***

 

[Planogirl]

I usually defend teachers but some of these posts bother me. I'm getting the impression that it's NEVER OK for parents to vent.

I personally don't like some of the projects either. I've seen my son work painstakingly on cutting out stick figures and gluing them to boards and so on. I've also seen other projects that looked like professionals did them (I wonder who actually did the work?) and then seen my son not get a top grade due to sloppiness. Um, he is NOT an artist!

I'll admit to having helped him at times. He creates, designs and writes everything but I'm more than willing to help him glue stuff. Sorry if that's bad but the artsy stuff is a little ridiculous sometimes. I guess that I am also a bad parent.

 

[littleclover]

Sorry, I have to step in now because a few posts back you indicated you were just whining because you have to keep on your daughter, you were not doing the work and you felt it was just too much. You even mentioned how you don't care for when "Little Timmy's" parents do the work for their child. Now on another thread you actually have stated you typed your daughter's paper for her????? How is that not doing the work for her? Won't "Little Timmy's" parents be upset you did some of the work? You said you did this or it just would not have been finished, well then you should have let it be and if she didn't finish the project then she would have learned a valuable lesson - time management.

I do not mean to be rude and my apologies if that is how you will take this post but either you let your child do the work or you don't. Maybe some guidance here and there, suggestions etc, but actually typing her paper? I know you said you typed it exactly how she wrote it but you still did the work for her?

 

[barkley]

i found out the best thing about shoeboxes-our local payless shoe stores always keep a small supply on hand (about a dozen) to give to kids for school projects. i mentioned to the store clerk what a nice practice it was and she said that if a teacher calls them with a few weeks notice they will even get enough together to supply them for an entire class (apparantly they get lots of people who choose not to take the boxes when they buy the shoes).

 

[tw1nsmom]

***note to self*** call parents before assigning projects and make sure they approve of said project. Include all follow up activities and be sure to explain the curriculum/city/state objectives said project will address. If parent thinks said project is stupid, cancel it immediately and allow parent to design project based on curriculum/city/state objectives and then have them teach it. ***got it***

No, you shouldn't seek parental approval for class projects. However, I think it could really help for some teachers to send a note home explaining what skills the children will learn from doing certain projects that could look fluff like from an outside observer.

Many of the activities that DS has done in OT, PT, and Speech are so simple that they seem as though he couldn't possibly be getting anything from them. Fortunately, his therapists have always taken the time to briefly explain to me how these activities help him. I'm always amazed and completely supportive.

You (meaning all teachers), might find that you have more parental support if the parents understood what the educational goals of some these seemingly fluff like activities were. Sure, you'd still get some that are PITA, but you would get the support of most.

Oh, and BTW, for those of us with either perfectionist kids or kids with motor/developmental delays, it would be very helpful if you let the parents know how detailed and artistic you expect these projects to be. Sometimes we, as parents (and the kids as well), read too much into what is expected and that adds to the performance anxiety.

 

[Planogirl]

No, you shouldn't seek parental approval for class projects. However, I think it could really help for some teachers to send a note home explaining what skills the children will learn from doing certain projects that could look fluff like from an outside observer.

Many of the activities that DS has done in OT, PT, and Speech are so simple that they seem as though he couldn't possibly be getting anything from them. Fortunately, his therapists have always taken the time to briefly explain to me how these activities help him. I'm always amazed and completely supportive.

You (meaning all teachers), might find that you have more parental support if the parents understood what the educational goals of some these seemingly fluff like activities were. Sure, you'd still get some that are PITA, but you would get the support of most.

Oh, and BTW, for those of us with either perfectionist kids or kids with motor/developmental delays, it would be very helpful if you let the parents know how detailed and artistic you expect these projects to be. Sometimes we, as parents (and the kids as well), read too much into what is expected and that adds to the performance anxiety.

I agree. If parents are supposed to be involved and help the kids, it would be helpful to know at least something about what the purpose is and what the expected outcome is. A pain I know but sometimes parents are just groping around.

Another example: our son is weakest in math but that is my best skill. The kids were never allowed to take books home until I intervened and asked for permission to borrow a book. The school thinks it's great for the parents to help the kids but I never had any idea what the kids were doing or what methods they were using until I got my hands on a book. The math teacher was of course busy and was not helpful.

 

[eeyore45]

Upfront declaration... I was a full time teacher (now a perm. sub.) I have 3 kids, and a wide spread between the first 2 and the last one...

I get the projects, I get the venting - btdt!!

First I found out with the older ones the teachers may give letter grades, but the report cards just has check systems, so I let it go.. its ok to "fail". Both (ok probably all) boys were "gifted" on the IQ, but both were special needs, and were denied entry into the coveted "gifted" program... I learned to let that go too, because I found the gifted program in our school district (not yours, ours) was mostly extra home projects, and extra writing assignments, which meant less time for social activities, both boys need (or lacked) social time (sporting events, band, etc) So I gave up!!

BUT, because I sub, I also learned all the styles of lots of different teachers - and some have unrealistic expectations. For DD I realize she needs to engage her mind, so instead of games, or tv, projects help engage her... BUT one tool I try to help her with, that the teachers have to give is a RUBRIC...

Having the rubric helps her focus on what the teacher is grading, or how they weigh certain aspects of the project. For instance, I find dd surfs the web looking for just the right picture - so time management - I now limit her surfing time, and I have asked the teacher for site reccomendations... like enchantedlearning.com and she has to stay there - or find it in a magazine.

I do think its easier for me to say, than for me to do - let it go!! I think that venting is a great release, and I'm still learning that art!!

eta the link to enchanted learning http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.html

Some teachers do buy the membership, if you scroll down and look at the categories on the side bar, there are lots of free materials you can access!! hth

 

[froglady]

No, you shouldn't seek parental approval for class projects. However, I think it could really help for some teachers to send a note home explaining what skills the children will learn from doing certain projects that could look fluff like from an outside observer.

Many of the activities that DS has done in OT, PT, and Speech are so simple that they seem as though he couldn't possibly be getting anything from them. Fortunately, his therapists have always taken the time to briefly explain to me how these activities help him. I'm always amazed and completely supportive.

You (meaning all teachers), might find that you have more parental support if the parents understood what the educational goals of some these seemingly fluff like activities were. Sure, you'd still get some that are PITA, but you would get the support of most.

Oh, and BTW, for those of us with either perfectionist kids or kids with motor/developmental delays, it would be very helpful if you let the parents know how detailed and artistic you expect these projects to be. Sometimes we, as parents (and the kids as well), read too much into what is expected and that adds to the performance anxiety.

Extremely well put! That's exactly what the problem is! A little note to let a parent know why the project is being done, and what is considered adequate, would be helpful. Knowing that they are being graded on content rather than an elaborate presentation might be helpful. On the other hand, if artistic ability will be a major part of the grade, it would be helpful for parents to know that, also.