Would you care what time an assignment was completed...

[Mkrop]

if it was before the due date?

DS in 5th grade has to complete two reading assignments via the internet for school each week. They read an article and answer questions and write journal entries, each one can take 15-20 minutes.

Over Christmas break, two of these reading assigments were assigned. The kids have been out since 11:45 on Dec 23 until today.

DS did his during the week, but the teacher commented on how disappointed she was that many kids did not do them until last night (Sunday).

Is it more important that they are done, then when? I mean it was Christmas vacation, people were most likely traveling and visiting family. I am not sure what the big deal is.

Comments?

 

[MeghansMommy]

As long as it gets done - that's all I'd worry about.

I think it's a shame that the teacher felt the need to assign work over a holiday vacation. I understand with the need to keep kids "sharp" but for most people, this was a holiday. We barely had time to breathe let alone do homework.

 

[harleyquinn]

I don't know why that would disappoint me. I think it could start a discussion about procrastination. There was a study on the news about the effects of procrastination. It could have been an interesting discussion, but I don't see the need to be disappointed.

I was a HUGE procrastinater in school. I always did my best work that way. Whenever I did something early, I always got a lower grade. And I was Valedictorian, so !

 

[Mkrop]

As long as it gets done - that's all I'd worry about.

I think it's a shame that the teacher felt the need to assign work over a holiday vacation. I understand with the need to keep kids "sharp" but for most people, this was a holiday. We barely had time to breathe let alone do homework.

Well supposedly the prinicpal wanted them to do six over vacation but the teacher talked her down to two.

 

[It's A Happy Day]

As long as the assignment was completed BEFORE the due date then the teacher has no valid complaint.

I would be disappointed that the teacher felt the need to criticize the class for completing an assignment on time especially over what is to many a VERY busy holiday.

 

[Kirby]

I think that the teacher should be glad that the assignments were done, forget that they were done at the last minute. Most kids don't do school work over the holidays until the last day or so anyway. I'm so thankful our semester ended before Christmas and no work was assigned over the holidays.

 

[Freyja]

As a teacher I don´t care at all when my students complete their assignments as long as they do and hand them in before the deadline.

 

[dairyou]

I wouldn't want assignments over the holidays either. My DS is a freshman in high school and had a project of turning a book he read into a 6 page newspaper. What a pain.

Now he is a procrastinator and in a project like this you can't be. So not that I am defending the teacher but I can see her point. Maybe she is preparing them for what is to come. I wouldn't critize students though. It is true, as long as it's done! Maybe she should say it next time in a positive way!

Deb

 

[Macca1111]

As long as the assignment was completed BEFORE the due date then the teacher has no valid complaint.

On the nose. If she wanted them done earlier, there should have been an earlier due date. That's why it's the due date - things have to get done by then, not some nebulous time before then. I'm saying this as a teacher too - though we don't have many assignments in orchestra.

 

[cabanafrau]

It would be interesting to submit a question to the teacher and the principal, asking them to recommend what time frame would be best to schedule a vacation, as you hesitate to plan a trip or visit to family during the breaks so that your children can keep up with the projects scheduled over the breaks in a timely manner. A flood of those on the principal's desk might achieve a change in projects assigned over school breaks.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

I'm surprised they had an online assignment at all...in the 5th grade?

What do families without internet access do?

 

[Mom2Satan&Daisy]

I guess you as a parent should have asked the teacher to be more specific.

Maybe there was a miscommunication.

Are you sure she didn't tell the kids that they had to do one each week?

 

[minniecarousel]

Funny - since the teacher attended college!

I'm sure my sons turned in plenty of internet assignments just before the due time. (like by midnight - I always wondered if ALL assignments came in at that time?!)

 

[mjkacmom]

I'm surprised they had an online assignment at all...in the 5th grade?

What do families without internet access do?

Ds10 has online assignments all of the time, like Study Island. I guess kids without internet access are expected to go to the library? He also had to write a page in his journal every day over the vacation.

 

[Mkrop]

I'm surprised they had an online assignment at all...in the 5th grade?

What do families without internet access do?

This a private catholic school so I am not sure but I would think the majority of the families have internet access and if they didnt I am sure it would be discussed btw the teacher and the family and arrangements would be made to work on it during lunch or after school. I am not aware nor should I be of this situation. No child was identified as to when they did them, or if they completed them.

Although I am sure if people are traveling over the holidays, having access to a computer might not be that easy, I know my ILs do not have a computer, although for us DH would bring his laptop, but this might not work for everyone. Also if a family went away, not all hotels have internet access or charge for it.

This is a new reading program that was put in place for grades 5-8 (k-8 school). It is to replace the reading boxes in the classroom so this way kids can work at their own pace, other kids dont know what level the student is reading (esp if a student is struggling), and although they are all reading the same articles, they are tailored to that child's reading level.

I like the program, DS enjoys doing them, I just didnt realize the teacher would care "when" they were completed, just that they were. Unless of course the kids crashed the system at 9pm last night

 

[Mom2Satan&Daisy]

My 12yo had a teacher try to do online assignments.
Until She found out only about 60% of the class had internet access, and only 10% of the rest had access to the Library ~it's NOT close and it closes at 5pm and closed on Sundays.
So working parents can't get the kids there.

 

[Diva of Dragons]

I think the teacher's comment is silly! Only because we now have the internet do teachers have a clue when things get done. Let's face it, the majority of people do assignments the night before and always have.

I'm sure the teacher was no exception wen she was in school. School can be hard enough these days without teachers finding ways to chide kids for getting their work done on time! Geez!!!

 

[Mkrop]

I guess you as a parent should have asked the teacher to be more specific.

Maybe there was a miscommunication.

Are you sure she didn't tell the kids that they had to do one each week?

DS had his done in time. He did one the day after Christmas and one on NYE before we headed out.

The assignment was on her website, complete two Kidbiz by 1/5/09. No other instructions.

DS just commented on this when he came home, and I found it odd.

 

[richmond282]

Perhaps the teacher was disappointed b/c she wanted to grade the assignments as she went. Since everybody waited until the last minute she wasn't able to do that. Just an idea.

 

[Mom2Satan&Daisy]

DS had his done in time. He did one the day after Christmas and one on NYE before we headed out.

The assignment was on her website, complete two Kidbiz by 1/5/09. No other instructions.

DS just commented on this when he came home, and I found it odd.

I would just ignore the teacher's comment then. I guess she didn't want to have to do all that work at once.