I’m well aware that I may be poppin’ open a can of worms here, but nonetheless…
My daughter’s 2nd grade teacher has just earned prominent hero status in my book –
for questioning the value of homework.
for questioning the value of homework.
There is no way, with my left-over laryngitis, that I could sing hallelujah loud enough right now.
Here’s the skinny. After reading The Homework Myth by Alfie Kohn, Ms. D decided that if all the traditional justifications for homework didn’t fly, then maybe it’s not such a hot idea to keep plugging along as before.
In her letter to us parental types, she declared that kids need a break afterschool (hooray!) and that she’d still assign monthly projects (in-depth efforts like family trees and book-report dioramas – hooray!) and that all her students should still read nightly but they should read WHAT THEY LIKE and FOR AS LONG AS THEY’D LIKE TO (hip hip hooray!)
She also said she wanted our input and feedback, and what she got was a deafening show of support. Who knew that we were a classroom ready to raise a revolution with just the slightest push?
Here’s the thing, I’ve always facilitated my daughters’ homework assignments because I want to support and respect their teachers’ efforts, and I’ve never found it to be so overwhelming as to warrant protest. But I am, in my heart-of-hearts, anti-homework. Seven hours in school takes it out of a kid. I believe those few, precious hours after school are for fresh air and exercise; creative endeavors and play; family chit-chat and cuddling; and reading for pleasure.
When we were kids, we rode bikes for hours everyday afterschool – no worksheets required – and we lived to tell about it.
Those larger projects we’ve still been promised – interviews, science fair projects, genealogy? They offer up rich opportunities for individualized critical thinking and exploration, and I’m on board all the way. (I still remember making a fabulous topographic map as a kid with rows and rows of chocolate chip mountain ranges. I got a little sick off of the sweetened coconut I used as snow, but it was better than eating paste.)
And reading? Look, I totally recognize the need to bone up on reading comprehension. My daughter’s been bringing home little mimeographed books all year that she reads and then is “quizzed on”. They’re fine – just this side of dull – and she’s gotten pretty good at them. But has anyone ever noticed those aren’t what kids want to read by flashlight at bedtime? That’s when Junie B. and BabyMouse and the Capital Mysteries Series come out. Technically they don’t “count” for anything, but you could have fooled me.
Now, all our at-home reading is being returned to us and our whims. How delicious.
So I’m offering a deep bow and a tip of the ol’ hat to the divine Ms. D, for her willingness to think this through so deeply… to be flexible and creative enough to change course mid-stream… and to put her thoughts out there and ask for input. I don’t know that many teachers – or professionals in other fields, for that matter – who would be so amenable to opening up the thought process, risking controversy and change, and putting the effort into revamping a practice that’s become standardized.
This is how systems evolve – one classroom at a time.
This is how systems evolve – one classroom at a time.
That is excellent! I am not a homework fan either. I posted a huge rant about it last summer.
Our school sends home summer, spring break and winter homework packets too! (I’d guess because of NCLB pressure). I’m also anti-summer homework. I think it’s a time for kids to explore new things, play, be kids, learn what THEY are interested in learning.
I think so much of it is NCLB pressure — and I’ve no doubt there are lots and lots of teachers who’d like to see it otherwise. I’m just so happy when someone goes out on a limb like this…
Maybe you can pass the Alfie Kohn link on to a few choice folks at your school? Rabble rouse 🙂
Wow. I would definitely be interested in hearing how things turn out. My second grader gets homework usually three days a week that take her less than 20 minutes to complete. She also has weekly spelling tests of 15 – 17 words she needs to study for and 3 weekly reading books. Every month so far, she has had a science related project.
I actually don’t mind the homework because we tend to get it out of the way early so they can go out and play.
With that said, I agree with your comments about the reading. It would be nice to toss those things aside and get some real interesting stuff. And it is sometimes just plain torture having to help with homework. I just keep saying to myself…she’ll thank me later…
Vivian
http://hipwritermama.blogspot.com
We actually weren’t overburdened before — she came home with a folder each Monday that needed to be handed in Friday morning — but between the reading, the spelling and the math drills, old Jack could become a dull boy…
Tonight (under the NEW PLAN!!!) she sewed! It was a rainy afternoon and we all hung out in the dining room — younger daughter playing with horses on the floor — and she sewed. No spelling required. Yea!!!!
That must have been so fun. Eight year old wants to learn to sew, so its been on my list to find a sewing class. I can sew buttons, but am seriously challenged when it comes to fun, creative sewing projects.
Yeah, this homework thing is definitely interesting. Especially now the good weather is starting to crop up. More playtime would certainly be appreciated.
Second grader’s class is ramping up for more. The 15-17 spelling words are cumulating into a spelling test of over 75 words every five weeks. Actually, the kids have to study these 75+ words and then get a spelling test of 20 random words.
In Massachusetts, the kids take this yearly MCAS test starting in third grade. The pressure is on the kids, and they have to pass this test to graduate from high school. So you know they’ll be getting lots of homework to reinforce the stuff they should be learning. I’m really not looking forward to this.
Vivian
http://hipwritermama.blogspot.com
You’ll be happy to know that homework is being questioned even at the high school level at CMHS in C. Springs. Some of our first year teachers seem to think that piling on the homework proves that they are good, tough teachers. Our principal has declared no more homework for homework’s sake!
WOW! Hooray — maybe the tides are starting to shift a little.
Homework
Oh, how I wish my son’s class would follow your teacher’s example! I am anti-homework in my heart of hearts, too. Especially now that the weather is turning nice again, the children need to be outdoors.
I feel like my son has learned more looking out the window at the bird feeders than he has from filling in the blanks on worksheets.
Susan
Chicken Spaghetti
Re: Homework
You’re not kidding. Fresh air is like good food — it recharges the battery. The lack of outdoor time is literally hog-tying their little brains…
Hooray for Ms. D!
She’s reading professionally, she’s thinking, and she’s willing to change her practice…even MID-YEAR! Now that she’s not spending all her free time finding, thinking up, copying, and grading, she’ll have even MORE time to be a reflective, well-balanced teacher.
Next mission: during reading time at school, kids should be allowed to READ! For a half an hour or more! What they want! (minor restrictions apply occasionally)
Mary Lee
A Year of Reading
Re: Hooray for Ms. D!
This means a lot coming from you, Mary Lee, thanks! I’m really struck by how nobody seems to be in the MORE homework camp. Maybe the emperor’s been naked all this time and we’ve all just dimly watched the parade go by. I’m really gratified by this conversation — and this shift.
a different teacher’s view
At the school where I teach (high-poverty rate and many first-generation immigrant families), the parents, in general, love homework. Despite my own reservations about homework, I’ve learned that it provides parents with a valuable role that they know how to assume. Even folks who don’t love books, or who don’t speak or read English, can be great Homework Enforcers. My students get a little extra math practice and 30 minutes of choice reading time, but what’s more important, I think, is that their parents have a way to be part of their education.
Ms. Simbe
4rth grade
my 4rth grade daughter is getting lots of homework. She is told it should take 45 minute but can take up to 2 hours because she was never taught how to do solo timed work. She is GT nominated by her own teacher by the way. BUT the message of the homework itself is that it is an assignment in learning how to think of it as unimportant and unfun content.
i.e., there might be 5 questions on a paragraph she reads, #5 question is often something like… “re-read the passage and visualize the location. What things might you see? Hear? what other things might be going on?” Well my daughter loves to write so her response on this one might be a thoughtful paragraph or two, or if she gets inspired a page who knows? But that’s wrong for the assignment, she is supposed to answer briefly, almost cryptically (even though they have to write the questions out AND answer in complete sentences!)
For instance, this example is one of 5 questions on one of four sheets of homework and the teacher predicts 45 minutes. To me this is a task in organization and time management not learning content. Which is fine but it isn’t taught as such, it is taught as go practice your content. My daughter loves to practice her content, I don’t need her to be taught to dispose of it. I know she needs organizational and time management training and if they would call it and treat it as such it would be so much clearer. They don’t give simple training first like 1)how to select a good homework environment, 2)choose the time of day 3)do the least that you must (yuck), second-guessing faulty instructions (language worksheets are notorious for this) etc.
Here’s where the teacher and I bumped heads though (she IS a good teacher over-all), incomplete homework, including from instruction confusion, is considered a behavior issue and she is made to work on it during recess. They have her 7 hours and recess is 25 minutes. AS I try to teach her focus and organization do yo think it helps or hurts that she hasn’t been outside or playd and it’s getting dark. I had to put my foot down and make a side deal with the teacher (who was pretty good about it). My daughter WILL be attending recess. If there are homework problems we will train her more but recess is recess and is at least as important as 25 minutes of homework I think.
sorry so long, les
Re: 4rth grade
Good for you for making the side deal. I think it’s so key that we advocate for our kids…
And I also really like your thoughts on what they haven’t been trained to do. They like to leave the bad cop stuff to us, I guess…