Homework Hell

Some of you may know I’m a teacher, but I never blog about work so I’m writing this as a parent. I was always hopeless at it, leaving homework to the last night and in some cases the morning before it was due. Despite this I managed to get by in school. My foster son was impossible to get to do homework and in the end, I used just let him get in trouble at school, which he did a lot.

My two step sons are better at it. The oldest is a bit like me and dose everything last minute while his younger brother is more organised.

Although we are both happy to help them when asked, their mum and I have taken the approach if they don’t do it then it’s their fault if they get in trouble in school. We do remind them to check occasional, so far this approach has worked.

I do question the usefulness of the some of the home work set. When both boys where in year seven they had to make a Norman castle. The first one we spent weeks on. The oldest step son came to my classroom after school and we built a papier-mâché model. Being very particular about history I made sure is was historical correct. I was livid when it was marked for its artistic merit. He had to beg me not send a stroppy letter to the school. With the youngest one I did a much quicker job, although still historical correct.

The youngest got a very good homework the other week. He had to make a book about the wife’s of Henry VIII. Tudors are one my subjects so I could help him. I sent several nights with him sat on the kitchen steps with a laptop telling him about each wife while I cooked. He printed his finished book of on my parchment paper. His mum made him a textile cover and I showed him how to put wax seals on. When he gets it back he will probably get a high mark but is fair?

He’s lucky to have a step dad who is History teacher with a Harry Potter obsession (hence the seals) and a mum who is a crafter. I suppose he could got the info from Wikipedia but the fancy cover would be hard to do himself. It will again highlight the differences between the haves and have nots in his school something they do quite a lot. But has it helped him with his learning? I’m not sure.

Anyway, I ‘ll stop being miserable, the finished product was very cool and he felt very good about it.

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