Like Plants, Students Can Be Over-Watered
Having been in independent schools for fourteen years, the most popular way in this venue for getting students to be more accountable and responsible for their work is to have every teacher sign the student’s planner.
This is the way the planner method works: Student presents planner to teacher, who in turn determines if what the student has written accurately describes the assignment to be completed. Teacher then signs it. When the student arrives home, parent confirms that all assignments written in the planner have been completed, and signs off as well. Two days ago my division head tried to sell this loser to me in order to solve the problem of one of my student’s not submitting his assignments.
The fundamental issue with the planner method is that it does nothing to promote accountability, responsibility and ownership on the part of the student. First, every teacher has to follow behind the student. Second, it relies on certain assumptions: 1. it is assumed that the student will approach the teacher with the planner for signature, but, on too many occasions, it is the teacher reminding the student; and 2. The parent is going to match the work completed against the work assigned; and sign the planner; and 3. The student is actually going to bring both the assignment and the planner to school the next day.
Seeing that the work is completed is the parent’s job, not the teacher’s. Accountability, responsibility and ownership for learning is part of the home training process. Furthermore, many schools now have homework bulletin boards, blogs, etc. where it is very easy for the parent and child to check the work to be completed together.
Anyway, I told my division head that given the school year is two-thirds over, what purpose would the planner method serve now, in addition to the fact that it does nothing to promote greater accountability and responsibility?
In this case, the parent needs to step it up at home.
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Another problem I have with this is when the student interrupts the class to get the notebook signed.
Jackie - April 6, 2008 at 11:53 am
Right on! ” Accountability, responsibility and ownership for learning is part of the home training process ” Sadly this is happening less and less frequently. We need to work as a team- teacher, parent and child. Accountablity, responsibility and ownership cannot be just on the shoulders of the teachers. Perhaps parents need help doing this. We can’t assume that all parents know how to support their children at school. I think that most parents would like to be a more active part of the team- at least that’s been my experience.
Love your title, by the way. I wrote a post called “Don’t Blame the Lettuce”. Gardening and teaching have a lot in common.
Elona Hartjes - April 7, 2008 at 7:57 am
Jackie: I hear you; really disrupts the learning and teaching process.
Elona: Unfortunately, households - many of them middle and upper middle class - are very disorganized and in evoke varying degrees of ineffectual parenting. I do agree with the team approach to helping students, and I believe, as you do, that most parents want to support teachers in the best interest of their children. Thank you for the props of my post’s title. Just kind of came to me.
missprofe - April 7, 2008 at 4:48 pm
I really do not like this idea; it seems that a student should be left to his/her affairs without too much hand holding. Moreover, this is a really bad idea for a high school student. I put my syllabus on my webpage and hope that people will read it.
Edward Carson - April 7, 2008 at 6:44 pm
When I taught middle school, my team agreed to do this with several kids. I cannot think of ONE example where they actually turned in more homework as a result. Often, the only ones following through on it were the teachers. In my more cynical moments, I felt that it was more CYA than anything. As in, “OK, ‘parents’ we’re doing everything short of doing their work for them, and they’re still failing. . . hmm. . . it might be your turn to do something. Like consequences at home for failing grades?”
If you’re forced to do it, here’s what I did to minimize disruption of class time: I would only sign it as they were on their way out the door of my classroom. Not during class, not as they were packing up, but at the doorway of the hall.
Rebecca - April 16, 2008 at 12:13 am
Hi Miss Profe — I understand your frustrations with what sounds like an overly-burdensome process (and its potential shortcomings), but please remember that some kids (particularly in middle school) need additional scaffolding when it comes to organization. Those students are really punished when educators take an inflexible “they need to take responsibility for their own learning” stance.
I’ve got one child whose executive functions just aren’t ready yet for “sink or swim.” For him, his teachers’ diligence with checking his assignment notebook have been the difference between success and failure — simple as that. I’m so grateful for those superstar teachers and appreciate every day the extra effort they take with him. We’re working in partnership to slowly remove the need for the extra steps so that my son can be fully independent. In the meantime, he’s doing his work and learning.
Cheryl vT - April 16, 2008 at 12:57 am