This is just as an aside, but technically anything that doesn't decrease a behavior isn't a punishment, and anything that doesn't increase a behavior isn't a reinforcer, so if a behavior continues unchanged, then it has been neither reinforced or punished. I may think that I'm punishing my child, but if their actions continue, I haven't.
I didn't say you said that. I do, however, get the impression you think the responsibility for ensuring a child understands the material also rests on the parents in one form or another (be it helping themselves or hiring tutors). My point is that no teacher can assume that a parent is able to help. Therefore, teachers must assume full responsibility for ensuring that a child gets the concepts and monitoring his/her progress. Why should I pay a tutor out of my own pocket to do the teacher's job? What if I couldn't afford to pay for a tutor (someone who doesn't understand many of the concepts being taught in school may also be someone who is not able to afford a tutor, after all)?
Fwiw, my kids are not actually struggling in Swedish and, other than Swedish, we are fully capable of explaining all of the concepts presented in school. My kids are very very lucky in that regard. Others are not so lucky, and they shouldn't have to fall through the educational cracks because teachers expect parents to make sure the kids get help with the concepts at home.
Starting in about 3rd grade here, they are checked for correctness. Almost always. Occassionaly a teacher will assign something for a "participation grade", but it's noted ahead of time and it's not worth as much (i.e. participation grade may be 10 pts; the same worksheet as a real grade may be worth 50 points).
"This is where the parents need to step in and eaither teach it themselves (what my Dad did) or get the kid to a tutor or something similar, not sit back and marvel at how diligent their child is even in the face of failure."
But if the parents are neither able to help the child themselves nor get a tutor for their child, that child could be just allowed to fail if the assumption is that it is ultimately the parents' responsibility to ensure that the child understands the material. This is the main problem I have with the concept of parents being responsible for over-seeing their children's homework.
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Of course it was hard! I sucked at Math LOL.
I guess it depends on what you mean by "regular basis".
she is one of the youngest in her grade. Her bday is July 29.
If she were progressing at the "normal" rate, she'd be fine.
Ugh. That's what the teacher is paid to do.
I didn't say you said that. I do, however, get the impression you think the responsibility for ensuring a child understands the material also rests on the parents in one form or another (be it helping themselves or hiring tutors). My point is that no teacher can assume that a parent is able to help. Therefore, teachers must assume full responsibility for ensuring that a child gets the concepts and monitoring his/her progress. Why should I pay a tutor out of my own pocket to do the teacher's job? What if I couldn't afford to pay for a tutor (someone who doesn't understand many of the concepts being taught in school may also be someone who is not able to afford a tutor, after all)?
Fwiw, my kids are not actually struggling in Swedish and, other than Swedish, we are fully capable of explaining all of the concepts presented in school. My kids are very very lucky in that regard. Others are not so lucky, and they shouldn't have to fall through the educational cracks because teachers expect parents to make sure the kids get help with the concepts at home.
but it's certainly not necessary to travel great ends of the earth to get it.
"This is where the parents need to step in and eaither teach it themselves (what my Dad did) or get the kid to a tutor or something similar, not sit back and marvel at how diligent their child is even in the face of failure."
But if the parents are neither able to help the child themselves nor get a tutor for their child, that child could be just allowed to fail if the assumption is that it is ultimately the parents' responsibility to ensure that the child understands the material. This is the main problem I have with the concept of parents being responsible for over-seeing their children's homework.
That makes sense, from a technical point of view. But I think it may get a bit messier when applied to real humans.
Edited 2/23/2009 3:26 pm ET by laura_w2
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