Independent Work and Realistic Expectations

[CalicoKat]

What can I realistically expect from a 6th grader?

[Jean in Newcastle]

It depends on whether this 6 grader has ever done any independent work before.

 

My ds is going into 8th grade now. But when he was in 6th grade, he had a daily schedule. We would look over the schedule first thing together so that I could note any trouble spots or new information that would need more input from me as a teacher. Some subjects (like math) required at least 5 min. of me looking over the lesson with him daily. It would be more if it was a new concept.

 

I was aware of when he started each subject. He did most of it independently (he chose to sit in the living room and use a clipboard) but I would check in on him unobtrusively as I would go by to make sure that he was on task and wasn't getting progressively more and more frustrated. He handed his assignment in to me: we had a spot on my desk. We had basic break times. If it was close to break time and he had an assignment on the list that I knew would take longer, I would have him take his break early. I broke writing assignments up into one day for research, one day for writing, one day for revision.

[CalicoKat]

I've been giving her a daily schedule of work to be done since she was 5. She likes to cross of the work that's been done. She's OK doing the work and getting her questions answered when I'm not teaching one of the younger kids it's the getting started on her own and moving onto something else while waiting that's become a frustration to me.

 

Unless I tell her to get started, or am starting with the younger kids she just won't get started. Even though what she's doing isn't what everyone else is doing. She gets up very early in the a.m. and I've asked her to just go ahead and get busy with her school. No, she prefers to just sit and stare out the window until everyone is up. Yes, I'm thankful she's not requiring me to get up at dawn. But she could have 3-4 hours of work done before breakfast!

 

But I would like to make sure that what I think could be done is a realistic. She's starting 6th grade and she's 11 years old. She's your average student who loves to draw.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I've been giving her a daily schedule of work to be done since she was 5. She likes to cross of the work that's been done. She's OK doing the work and getting her questions answered when I'm not teaching one of the younger kids it's the getting started on her own and moving onto something else while waiting that's become a frustration to me.

 

Unless I tell her to get started, or am starting with the younger kids she just won't get started. Even though what she's doing isn't what everyone else is doing. She gets up very early in the a.m. and I've asked her to just go ahead and get busy with her school. No, she prefers to just sit and stare out the window until everyone is up. Yes, I'm thankful she's not requiring me to get up at dawn. But she could have 3-4 hours of work done before breakfast!

 

But I would like to make sure that what I think could be done is a realistic. She's starting 6th grade and she's 11 years old. She's your average student who loves to draw.

 

Dd8 does get up and gets work done before breakfast. Ds13 gets up and stares out the window until everyone is up. I think it is a personality thing.

 

Ds13 will start at our formal starting time because he must start by then. If he doesn't there would be a consequence. I have had to make very clear that once school is formally started then he is to keep himself busy with school. If he's waiting for me on something or done with one subject then he moves on to another one that he can do. Or (and I hate doing this but this child needs these kind of reminders) there will be a consequence. I will say though that I think I've only had to give a consequence maybe once or twice before he realized that he could adapt to this new routine. I've made this a hill to die on because I do think that this is important for him to be able to succeed in a work environment as well as a school one.

[Daisy]

I've been giving her a daily schedule of work to be done since she was 5. She likes to cross of the work that's been done. She's OK doing the work and getting her questions answered when I'm not teaching one of the younger kids it's the getting started on her own and moving onto something else while waiting that's become a frustration to me.

 

Unless I tell her to get started, or am starting with the younger kids she just won't get started. Even though what she's doing isn't what everyone else is doing. She gets up very early in the a.m. and I've asked her to just go ahead and get busy with her school. No, she prefers to just sit and stare out the window until everyone is up. Yes, I'm thankful she's not requiring me to get up at dawn. But she could have 3-4 hours of work done before breakfast!

 

But I would like to make sure that what I think could be done is a realistic. She's starting 6th grade and she's 11 years old. She's your average student who loves to draw.

 

This sounds a bit like her personality. She may need that time in the morning just to wake up. LOL. I know my 8yo son is very much like that. He would never start school until I tell him to.

 

My daughter (going in 6th grade) is a morning person and she'll be up at 5am doing school work sometimes. She works independently unless it is a new concept that she isn't getting or it is a subject that we all do together (history).

 

Both kids have a daily list of work required. My daughter writes her own down from our weekly meeting. I write out my son's assignments.

[hornblower]

My 12yo ds I have to practically sit on. Definitely be in the room.

 

I'm planning to tape myself saying:

 

Don't stare out the window. Start the next question.

If you didn't flail around every 3 seconds you wouldn't drop your pencil constantly.

Well, of course you can go sharpen it.

Just don't drop it again.

WHY are you staring out the window again?

Work!

WORK!

Would you just get this done?

HeLLO? You could have finished an hour ago!!!! I'm getting very old here waiting!

 

I'm going to put it on his mp3 player on an auto replay loop.....

[elegantlion]

My 12yo ds I have to practically sit on. Definitely be in the room.

 

I'm planning to tape myself saying:

 

Don't stare out the window. Start the next question.

If you didn't flail around every 3 seconds you wouldn't drop your pencil constantly.

Well, of course you can go sharpen it.

Just don't drop it again.

WHY are you staring out the window again?

Work!

WORK!

Would you just get this done?

HeLLO? You could have finished an hour ago!!!! I'm getting very old here waiting!

 

I'm going to put it on his mp3 player on an auto replay loop.....

 

:lol: I coined the phrase "go,sit,do" last spring. My ds12 hates to work independently. I'm slowly weaning him by working on my stuff while I'm in the room. I can shush him and tell him he's distracting the class when he should be working.

 

We start school later. Last year after some experimentation he determined he needs to be up at least two hours before starting school. I agreed, we're not morning people. By 10am we're ready to talk to each other. But work independently? No, he'd rather do other things than school. We'll see how this year goes, we're not starting until September. :glare: