The teacher gives too much homework. To me. I’ve been valiantly trying all year long to keep up but my motivation is gone. Each week Jillian has spelling words to practice (hard ones!), vocabulary words to learn, a poem to memorize, two math timed tests to take, reading minutes to record, a math story problem to write and illustrate, a story to read three times (one of those must be aloud to a parent) and then write and answer questions about, as well as extra projects like book reports, dioramas, and other extension activities. Each of these things are due on specific days. (secret word: rant) Her organized teacher sends home planner pages each week with spaces for parents to sign indicating that our child completed each item each day. If ever I forget to sign, the next day I find the blank signature lines circled in red with a question mark next to them. The teacher is very clever. This way I am the bad guy--the homework police--instead of her. Grant had this same teacher three years ago and I thought she was tough then, but she expects even more this time around.
Jillian spends 1-2 hours on homework each night, even on Fridays. (Although it seems like much longer because of the extra time spent complaining about all that she has to do and whining that her friends, and her 5th grade brother, barely have any homework.) A few weeks ago I decided I was tired of having Jillian correct all of her mistakes from every language and math assignment (only two or three per page but those add up in a week!) so I just started throwing them away. I felt a twinge of guilt, but shrugged and thought, “so what’s going to happen? She probably won’t even notice.” A couple of weeks later I read this paragraph in the teacher’s weekly online newsletter. “Some children have not been turning in their corrected papers. Please remember that correcting assignments is part of our weekly homework. Help them understand their mistakes and make sure they fix them accurately.” Arrggghhh! In my defense, let me point out that in order to correct the homework it is necessary to log on to the class website and view the photographs of the white board to see the math and language assignment for that day.
Last week I forgot to write the secret word (from the newsletter posted on the teacher’s website—her way of making sure that parents are checking the site each week) on Jillian’s reading/math log. And I turned in the log a day late! I just finished reading the newsletter from the past two weeks and was reprimanded, “I expect to see the secret word on every reading log!” Without the secret word on their paper, the kids are not eligible for the prize drawing that week. Sorry, Jillian. And I discovered that the teacher still needs more parent volunteers in the next two weeks to help with Water Day, Dinosaur Fair, a field trip, and T-shirt painting. Sign me up. Again.
Two more weeks. Will I make it? Will I pass second grade? At least Jillian will, and that’s all that matters! I, on the other hand, am expected to complete second grade two more times.
PS—Please remember to include the secret word in your blog comments if you wish to be eligible for the weekly prize.
