Update on homework discussion

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2003
Update on homework discussion
4
Wed, 11-03-2004 - 2:46pm
About a week or so ago, some of you will recall my concern about a 6th grade level homework assignment my daughter (who is in 3rd grade) was getting. Well I met with the teacher on Monday afternoon and we discussed it.

Bay- thanks for your advice on handling the issue. We did spend most of the conference talking about C's progress and how she was getting along with her new classmates (new school, new district).

Towards the end we talked about the Wordly Wise assignment. He said it was the first year he was trying it. His goal was to get the kids to think more and challenge them to use their analytical skills rather than to just assign busy work. I told him I admired his goals but questioned why he would choose a text that was meant for 6th grade.

Well, guess what. He didn't know it was a 6th grade level text! He asked me how I knew and told me he assumed it was a 3rd grade level text because it was book 3 of the series. I pointed him to the publisher's website where it tells you what book goes with what grade level and asked him to consider an alternative assignment for Christy. Needless to say, he was open to the idea. Christy won't be doing assignments from a 6th grade level text anymore.

I have to say, out of all the reasons I could have gotten from him as to why he was using a book meant for 6th graders, the last one I was expecting was that he didn't know it was for 6th graders. I am a bit disappointed about that, but otherwise, I think he has good ideas and this has been a lesson learned for all of us.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 11-03-2004 - 7:01pm
HOW EMBARASSING- for him!! He didn't KNOW it was for 6th grade? Hadn't he opened the book? I'm so glad that you have some resolution on this!! Worksheets and workbooks are always busy work...when you set up a hands on thematic unit based on what the students want to learn, THEN you've got critical thinking.
Avatar for cl_tcranky1
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Thu, 11-04-2004 - 11:34am
He didn't know? That's even scarier than the fact that he's giving them those assignments.

I am glad you were able to come to some kind of compromise and hopefully you won't have any problems like this in the future. Your daughter must be relieved too.

Hugs

Tara

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2003
Thu, 11-04-2004 - 12:32pm
The funny thing is that he showed me the book during the conference, and nowhere in the book does it say what grade level it is for... but still! wow.

He sent me a nice email this morning...

"Gabriella,

Thank you

>for the link and the heads up about book 1. You'll be pleased to hear

>that

>the night after our conference I went to the bookstore and found a more

>grade level appropriate Wordly Wise book. It is one level less than "Book

>1" It is level "C" and it is much better. We will be beginning this new

>book on Monday. Thank you for all you did to help me discover my mistake.

>Josh"

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2003
Thu, 11-04-2004 - 12:37pm
What really gets me is that he is a certified teacher, he has gone to school and has been certified to teach this level of school. He is supposed to be the expert in his field, yet he couldn't tell by just looking at the assignment that it was way beyond 3rd grade, but I could?

This has taught me that I can't just assume that he knows what he's doing and I have to keep my head up. He is very young and I'm thinking he is in his first couple of years of teaching, so he is learning from this too, I suppose.

I'll try to be easy on him. :)