A bit of light relief

At 11.45pm, when I realise that I haven't got a photo for today, I turn to the beloved and find that he is expecting his photo to be taken. This is his most sensible pose of the brief portrait session! He is playing some sort of driving game on the XBox. I don't understand. It's boy stuff.

Crap night's sleep. Awake till 2am, uncomfortable and worrying about work. Eventually gave in to painkillers. Busy day, hit the ground running. Mostly good. Won't let the negatives outweigh the positives.

Came home and started to do some work then somehow merged into a huge bust up with James about his school books again. The bust up being about things that he had promised to do - taking a bit more care, sticking worksheets in...simple things.

However, once we got past the bust up we had a proper conversation about it all and we ended up back on the subject of Maths. Cue further upset. The fact that so far, since his return on September 4th, his book has not yet been marked. This conversation was devastating because it appears James feels that there is absolutely no point asking for help because on the odd occasion that he does, he gets the same explanation as he got the first time, that he didn't understand. I understand that this might be James interpretation of his teacher's style. However, there is no misinterpretation to be had from a complete absence of any marking. It's not the only subject either.

The books James is most proud of I haven't seen, because his teachers mark them regularly and keep them in school. I have asked him to bring them home so that I can see them.

In the spirit of balance, I have also asked him to take responsibility for making a massive improvement to the effort he makes particularly in relation to his presentation and the detail he puts in his work.

Yes, I sound like a teacher. But I am a parent. Unfortunately I am a parent who is a teacher which means that James might get a bit of a bum deal in terms of my expectations of him.

This is what annoys me - the expectations that I am trying to reinforce are not even on the radar in terms of school policy and practice, from what I can see. If it is to do with James not putting in enough effort, then I should be reading comments as such in his books, I would expect communication from school. I am not getting any of this. I received his interim report this evening that tells me that his effort is good, his attitude, motivation. He is on target. I am getting mixed messages or no messages at all and I have a boy who is desperately unhappy in one of his subjects because his efforts go unacknowledged and he feels he isn't getting the help he needs. His teacher would, if they marked his book, SEE that he is struggling.

So, I have written a well balanced letter which is going in tomorrow morning. I have addressed the issue of marking, with reference and quotes from the updated marking policy that the school kindly publish on their website. To ensure that I have been balanced, I have also made it clear what I have asked James to do as well.

To say I am furious is an understatement, particularly when I know the value of quality marking and I know how much difference it makes to James when he receives it. Which is why, even though it is burdensome, I do my best to feedback to my students in the way I expect others to feedback to my child. Seems only fair.