Somebody waiting to share my ice lolly.

This weekend the weather is going to be mad. For a start it’s dry (which is mad for Yorkshire). But the temperature. Midday today it was 21C (70F). Midday tomorrow is due to be 2C (35F). On the Yorkshire temperature scale that’s going from a string vest to two jumpers.

This week it was a 4 day school session. Definitely into a pattern now. Some subjects working well using an iPad and online resources. Some lessons not working well. But what have we learnt this week from the school at home project.

  • School are looking at how to enforce social distancing when they reopen. They are doing this without any help or information or resources from the so called Government. The only way they have managed to find a practical way is to split the existing classes up. Maximum Class sizes have to a third of what they are now. This basically means that it only works if many kids are homeschooled for at least part of the week.
  • The secret with about teaching is understand the particular needs of the child. With our Son and a subject like a History, it’s not about getting new information into him. Already he has a staggering encyclopaedia stored. It’s finding ways to get that knowledge out of him.
  • It’s basically impossible to free hand draw a circle and a pentagram on a tablet.
  • Even at home we have a stationary leak. Pens, pencils, erasers, rulers …. are going missing. I can understand losing them at school but at home …. really. Where are they?
  • When did long divisions become so complicated.
  • Son is enjoying having a regular school lunch. He says that his work on an afternoon has improved. He’s less tired. At school because of too many kids trying to use overstretched catering facilities, Son often doesn’t eat or drink. It’s certainly not helped by government pressure to cut break and lunch times.
  • Kryptonite won’t count when you are trying to name inert elements.
  • Son, the IPad and I do not agree on how most words are spelt.
  • One of the great feels is Son completing a lesson with 30 minutes to spare. Son can go outside and I can hover.
  • I am becoming a bit of an expert in Russian geography. Begs the question why I was so rubbish at Geography when I was at school.
  • The French I learned (or thought I learned) is fundamentally different to the French Son is learning now.
  • In all the weeks we have done this thing at home, most subjects have not set additional homework. Yet we are told that the kids are keeping up on the curriculum requirements. So what is the point of setting heaps of daily homework when they are at school

And the last thing we have learnt. Ice lollies during subjects like Drama really do ease the pain.

82 thoughts on “Lollies and homeschooling”

  1. I work in education (for my sins) and it’s pretty well-known that the benefits of homework are questionable. Like a lot of things in education, homework is set because it’s always been set but it’s one of a lot of outdated methodologies that is never really questioned because the likes of Ofsted and certainly the current government (but all UK governments really) seem to value accepted wisdom over evidence-based research. Done in the right way there are some benefits of homework to some students, but it’s actively detrimental to others and in any case, it’s rarely ‘done the right way’ because to most teachers it’s become a box-ticking exercise more than anything else. Not that I’m in any way cynical about my chosen profession…

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  2. There is this one program all my kids have to go on to do some different lessons – and it’s a pain! They want us to write sentences using a mouse. We all know how hard it is to sign our signature with one of those pencil things on a screen and now we are trying to write whole sentences with a mouse? I get so frustrated I let the kids skip some of those.

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  3. I love this blog piece and adds insight into homeschooling I feel it will increase empathy between teachers and parents and parents to teachers also while also seeing how education tools need to be adapted to suit the individual child young person x

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  5. I am so very impressed with all you and your son are accomplishing! I’d be a frigging mess! Wishing you wise muses to assist you and saints to help with patience (with the school, not your son).

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  7. Ok, so at the risk of sounding like an American idiot…what is an ice lolly?

    As for the weather, we’re having exactly the same thing on my side of the pond. 70 during the day, then below freezing at night. It’s insanity.

    The school situation boggles my mind because I honestly thought it was just our system that was so broken. I’m not real fond of where my daughter has to go since we moved, but one thing I can say is they have a hot food cafeteria and she rarely comes home starving. The other school prepared thousands of meals and trucked them in every day so half the time they were cold and the portions were tiny.

    As for your Geography pondering, my theory is, when we are forced to learn things we don’t find interesting when young…it does not stick. But when we get older and choose to learn, well, our minds are more open to retaining the info because it is a choice, not being forced on us.

    That’s my two cents’ worth, anyway. Have a great weekend with your son. 🙂

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  8. I am surprised you don’t know why schools give out homework. Some fool a long time ago decided that idle minds created happy children, and that could not be allowed. As long as children were home doing schoolwork, they could not be outside meeting friends and getting into trouble. Having fun is not a good work ethic. Nose to the grindstone prepare children to become wage-slaves.
    It also helps to slow the numbers of teenage pregnancies (supposedly). After all, idle minds also create idle hands. And idle hands become exploring hands.
    (Observations of an Idle Mind)

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      1. Methinks you try to trust your governing bodies, and that means not looking for ulterior motives. I am not a conspiracy theorist, I have no use for them. But I am a realist as well as an idealist. There is always an ulterior motive, lol.

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  9. ~ Smaller class sizes would definitely be better for teachers and students.
    ~ Having a fixed place or receptacle for storing pens, pencils, erasures, etc. should reduce misplacement/loss.
    You’re doing a fine job, Dad 🙂

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  13. I totally cracked up at “Son, the IPad and I do not agree on how most words are spelt.” L-O-L.

    If you and Son need any help with these French exercises, just let me know. Anytime. I’d be glad to give a hand 🙂

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  14. I’m curious to know… what does he think about homeschool now? Or possible half and half?

    It’s obviously been a odd experience for everyone… but he kinda seems like he likes it? Does he?

    He’s had a chance to get used to the change somewhat?

    I think it sounds like he does amazing? But what does he think?

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      1. Wow! That’s quite a little man you have … well then, enhance his desire to succeed with whatever his little heart desires …

        I love that he aims to succeed and wants that!! That is awesome! Good job!

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      3. Yes I will agree with you from how you describe.

        However… look at the little fighter in him wanting to master that!! That is awesome and amazing! Knowing won’t cater, but yet he wants to master it… I think that’s pretty awesome

        Maybe he change that world one day?

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  15. It’s also practically impossible to write your signature on a tablet. The dentist force me to do it each visit and it sheets looks like a dying spider! Keye at the home schooling, sounds like you are doing better than me!

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  18. I am a retired teacher and I couldn’t agree more regarding homework. It really is not necessary. Kids are at school for enough hours in the day. They need time to chill and play. Parents are tired at the end of the day and homework causes them and their child more stress.
    When the school I taught at stopped homework the kids’ progress actually improved. The only thing they were required to do @ home was to read for 20 minutes. And they did!

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  19. Cap’n is adorable! No wonder he gets away with all his mischief.
    I’ll bet you didn’t have Schoolhouse Rock as part of your cartoons. You missed out!

    We just finished a week of 90+F. It isn’t dropping dramatically, but thank goodness we can turn off the money sucking AC units.

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  21. I am impressed re the Russian Geography. I could not count to save myself at school but see the second the younger girl was doing the fancy math challenge stuff and struggling, suddenly I could solve every algebraic equation going…

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  24. My youngest child left secondary school ten years ago…and long division was starting to annoy me too. The teaching of “strategies’ instead of memorization drove me nuts. I learned by memorization and managed to hold down a 30-year job, balance my bank account and not become a serial killer. Sheesh!

    Fun fact – we had three straight days of triple temps last week: 104F, 102F and 104F. And it’s only May.

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  26. I have been home schooling my 12 year old Autistic son. He is bright, but has a moderate learning difficulty. I decided, in the end, to just focus on maths and english. We did 2-3 hours a day max. It amazed me the level of the stuff he is learning!! I had to google half of it lol. And I was a teacher back in the 90’s!

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