OPINIONS, PLEASE! ESPECIAALY FROM TEACHERS

[KrazeeK120]

So, a ton of study and work on the weekend before Christmas break? Seems counter-productive since kids are checking out this weekend. I know around here the kids go on break this Friday and are out til Jan 3. Everyone knows they won't work the week before Christmas, so no point ruining their or their parents' week.

Smart teachers would have tested everything earlier this week and last and planned a unit study for the last few days/week before break (note, I didn't say videos to waste time). It's a perfect time to dive into a Lit book (which there is never time for), Math games/drills (for the computation that always seems to lag), Science Labs (again, these are always lagging to the book learning), or with WWI, it could have been the book and events surrounding the 1914 Christmas truce.

They should probably learn not to "check out." What are they going to do when they get to high school and have final exams the week before Christmas? That's 6-7 comprehensive exams in 3 days! I'd be willing to bet they have wrap-up type exams at the end of the grading period even at the junior high level, which is next year for the student in question.

 

[TwoMisfits]

They should probably learn not to "check out." What are they going to do when they get to high school and have final exams the week before Christmas? That's 6-7 comprehensive exams in 3 days! I'd be willing to bet they have wrap-up type exams at the end of the grading period even at the junior high level, which is next year for the student in question.

Our public high school finals are all the last week of January here. When I was in high school, they were MLK week (and in college, they were Dec 8-15). Not every school system or teacher fails to plan around holidays. I'd lobby to change the plans if your school system really plans 6-7 finals for the week of Christmas - what a miserable way to prepare for the season for the child and the family.

 

[AZMermaid]

Our public high school finals are all the last week of January here. When I was in high school, they were MLK week (and in college, they were Dec 8-15). Not every school system or teacher fails to plan around holidays. I'd lobby to change the plans if your school system really plans 6-7 finals for the week of Christmas - what a miserable way to prepare for the season for the child and the family.

Interesting... our school system purposely starts around Aug 7-10 in order to have finals before winter break because it's a natural break. I see the break as downtime/reward for studying hard. I guess it's just a different way to look at it.

On a side note... we get out tomorrow. My first graders had a very normal day filled with reading, writing and math. We have a math test tomorrow. Yes, we have done some fun things this week... but it's not at all a wasted fluff week since they are all "checked out."

 

[KrazeeK120]

Our public high school finals are all the last week of January here. When I was in high school, they were MLK week (and in college, they were Dec 8-15). Not every school system or teacher fails to plan around holidays. I'd lobby to change the plans if your school system really plans 6-7 finals for the week of Christmas - what a miserable way to prepare for the season for the child and the family.

When I was in high school, finals were MLK week and we hated it. Always felt like I had those exams hanging over my head all break. I'm not trying to sound conceited, but I graduated high school in the top 5% of my class. I studied over break. I would have much rather had everything wrapped up for the semester than to study over the holidays. That's much more miserable to me. They changed the school calendar after I graduated, and the students were much happier. My sister was in high school during the change and she really liked it.

I know the college I went to has exams through tomorrow.

 

[Disney_traveler]

I'd also like to add that at some schools (mine included) there is a set requirement for number of grades each week. It's not just something generic like "4 grades a week" it's more like "3 daily assignments, 1 quiz, 1 unit test, etc). If that is what I said required of each class/subject, then that is what's you have do, whether you are 1 teacher doing both math and science with an AM/PM split or not.

 

[laughinplace199]

It seems pretty normal to me. DS is in 4th grade and they've had a lot of tests and quizzes lately. One thing that helps is that for last week and this week, they have no written homework. This way, the kids have time to study/review for tests and quizzes and the teachers don't have to assign and correct written assignments in addition to the tests.

 

[Mainemama]

When people are talking about poor teacher planning, I just want to throw out there that in most cases, unit and curriculum design/timing is not determined by classroom teachers. There is typically an administrator determining the sequence of units during the year, and assessments have to be completed by certain dates. If you are bothered by the timing, as your child's teacher for a contact person to discuss the timing of the curriculum.

 

[DopeyDame]

Doesn't look terribly unusual.
Also important to note that while you listed them all back to back, the first two assignments were last Friday and the rest are this week, so there was a weekend off in between to study and do the project as needed.
Also, in fifth grade, there shouldn't be a ton of studying for individual tests assuming the child has kept up with the work all along - if they've learned the material as they're supposed to a quick review the night before should be sufficient.

 

[scrapquitler]

Doesn't look terribly unusual.
Also important to note that while you listed them all back to back, the first two assignments were last Friday and the rest are this week, so there was a weekend off in between to study and do the project as needed.
Also, in fifth grade, there shouldn't be a ton of studying for individual tests assuming the child has kept up with the work all along - if they've learned the material as they're supposed to a quick review the night before should be sufficient.

Yes, this I don't think I actually studied for anything except spelling/vocab tests before high school, and neither did my kids.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

Yes, this I don't think I actually studied for anything except spelling/vocab tests before high school, and neither did my kids.

The WWI test was pushed back till this week. My daughter is taking it tomorrow. The science test got pushed back to Thursday. Teacher is always changing dates of things, postponing tests especially because she says "kids need more time and she doesn't think they "get it" yet."

 

[okeydokey]

Very normal. There is a lot of content learned in fifth grade. Here in FL, this week is the final week of the second grading period so a lot of things are being finished up.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

Definitely normal. Next year they will be in middle school and taking that many cumulative final exams the week before Christmas break.

 

[gatormom2tots]

Totally normal...teacher here. It is the end of the quarter- final summative grades are due.

 

[keiraliz]

Yes, this is very normal. I teach grades 6 - 10 with two other teachers (small private school), and our 6th graders had a load very similar to your fifth grader, if not more, right before we let out for break. It was the end of the quarter, and grades are due the Friday we get back from break, so we had to wrap things up.