Re: I'm considering a change this coming school ye... - Page 5

CouponQueen · ‎10-21-2010

Can we keep our replies based on the actual question/topic and not WHO posted it. Pretend you never heard of the poster. Even if there is an underlying 'get it' in there..and I 'get it.' and get where she is coming from..on both points.

I often see it all the time here. Replies are never based on true opinions but in response to WHO.

That said. I am in favor of the homework not for 'busy work' but more for those that may already get IT..to have a review anyway to maybe reinforce the information. Who knows maybe one or two will surprise you and come back with it completed.

I don't have the patience to be a teacher with a room ful of children, any age, lol..but I am sure it is frustrating being made to follow all these state rules (Commom Core for example..) and not be able to teach in a manner that works for you and the end result should be the only thing that matters..they retain and pass.

As for the parents..unfortunately you are not going to change them but who knows maybe a couple will wise up over the school year. I am sure you have reached out with negative effect but at least the children have their Teacher who cares.

flickerbulb · ‎03-09-2010

I draw the line on assigning homework on Fridays. Everyone needs a break.

I have 150 students starting out and I do not have enough time in my day to grade all of that work.

You must have very low numbers to grade that quantity of work.

PamfromCT · ‎05-22-2014

I don't know what grade you teach, but I am wondering if your entire class is being taught on just one level. My children were taught in sub-groups in elementary school. The children reading well were in group; the other group were children who needed some extra help. That seemed to work very well, and homework assignments were different for the two groups.

Does your school have resource people to provide extra help to any children? If a child is not completing their homework assignments, are the parents contacted?

If my child was not completing homework, I would want to know. How strict are the guidelines for passing a child to the next grade? I think if a parent was told their child might not be passed to the next grade, it would get their attention.

I might add that placing a child in the lower level group for math or reading is not a punishment for a child. It would put them in a setting to get more help.

Mellie32 · ‎03-13-2010

@PamfromCT wrote:
I don't know what grade you teach, but I am wondering if your entire class is being taught on just one level. My children were taught in sub-groups in elementary school. The children reading well we're in group; the other group were children who needed some extra help. That seemed to work very well, and homework assignments were different for the two groups.
Does your school have resource people to provide extra help to any children? If a child is not completing their homework assignments, are the parents contacted?
If my child was not completing homework, I would want to know. How strict are the guidelines for passing a child to the next grade? I think if a parent was told their child might not be passed to the next grade, it would get their attention.

I might add that placing a child in the lower level group for math or reading is not a punishment for a child. It would put them in a setting to get more help.

The reading lessons from the reading program is taught whole group -- all on grade level. During RTI, the children are divided into groups based on reading and math level and taught in small groups. Yes, we have resource people -- they don't help with homework. Yes, I contact parents when homework isn't turned in. No, the guidelines for moving onto the next grade aren't strict at all. I've tried a few times to keep kids back because they were so behind --- nope -- gotta move them on.

Mellie32 · ‎03-13-2010

@flickerbulb wrote:
I draw the line on assigning homework on Fridays. Everyone needs a break.

I have 150 students starting out and I do not have enough time in my day to grade all of that work.

You must have very low numbers to grade that quantity of work.

I'm an elementary teacher -- first grade. Only 18 - 25 students.

stevieb · ‎03-10-2010

@Mellie32 I think there are a few factors maybe you're not considering... First, my parents always cared very much about my school performance. That said, my weakness was always math. Neither of my parents were strong in math and so they simply couldn't help me... It wasn't that they 'wouldn't' or that they weren't caring or interested...

What some teachers seem not to 'get' is that if a kid doesn't 'get it' in the classroom, a mountain of homework isn't necessarily going to facilitate them 'getting it', it's just going to frustrate them...

It appears you're talking about elementary kids where ostensibly most parents should be able to help, but even that might be making innacurate assumptions in some cases.

The bottom line is that if a kid isn't 'getting it' while at school then in some instances there needs to be some mechanism to help him or her understand. Parents aren't always the answer. Sometimes parents don't 'get it' either and while there are clearly some parents who simply aren't that interested, there are others who simply can't help. It might also be considering that if parents wanted to be teachers they might have chosen that career path...

In my pantry with my cupcakes...

jackthebear · ‎03-11-2010

@Mellie32 wrote:
Homework --- I assign it every night (even Fridays). It's usually a page of math and a page of reading. However, if I was to look back and reflect on WHY I'm assigning that homework, I'd have to say that it's to help reinforce the lessons we learned in school that day. But the problem is that the kids who don't need that reinforcement (they have already "got it") are the ones who do the homework and bring it back. The ones who DO need the reinforcement are almost always the kids whose parents aren't around much, don't care as much -- and those kids usually don't bring their homework back or it's very hit and miss.

So my question to myself is --- is it worth it? Should I be giving "busy work" to the kids who already get it? Should I be sending home work to parents who don't care anyway? Is it really making any difference at all? I honestly can't say it is. How can it be helping when the same kids who are behind stay behind -- no one is helping them at home. And the ones who already have it don't really need it and it just creates busywork for the kids and parents.

So --- most of you are parents --- how do you feel about homework?

personally give the kids and families the weekend off from homework.

Totally agree on your assesment, half way through grade school my daughter and her friends figured out to get it done during school.

But to me the real question is how much can dispense with homework within the framework and policy of your school, not what you might want to do in your classroom.

I think if it can't be covered in class then there's too much of something

CelticCrafter · ‎03-09-2010

When my daughter was in school, every year at the general assembly for parents night we were told homework should only take 10 minutes per grade level, first grade 10 minutes, second grade 20 minutes, etc.

What a crock that was. I don't know how or where they learned to tell time, but it wasn't the same way I was taught...come sit at my kitchen table and see how long that really takes.

Mellie32 · ‎03-13-2010

@stevieb wrote:
@Mellie32 I think there are a few factors maybe you're not considering... First, my parents always cared very much about my school performance. That said, my weakness was always math. Neither of my parents were strong in math and so they simply couldn't help me... It wasn't that they 'wouldn't' or that they weren't caring or interested...

What some teachers seem not to 'get' is that if a kid doesn't 'get it' in the classroom, a mountain of homework isn't necessarily going to facilitate them 'getting it', it's just going to frustrate them...

It appears you're talking about elementary kids where ostensibly most parents should be able to help, but even that might be making innacurate assumptions in some cases.

The bottom line is that if a kid isn't 'getting it' while at school then in some instances there needs to be some mechanism to help him or her understand. Parents aren't always the answer. Sometimes parents don't 'get it' either and while there are clearly some parents who simply aren't that interested, there are others who simply can't help. It might also be considering that if parents wanted to be teachers they might have chosen that career path...

We don't have any strange math in our math program that parents don't understand. Yes, sometimes parents don't get it when it's vastly different than what they learned in school or they don't understand the language. Neither of those things is true in this case.

I'm not assuming parents don't care --- I see it. They don't come to conferences and meetings -- they don't answer my phone calls or emails. I even had a student this past year whose mother did his homework FOR him. She literally wrote the answers herself. When I asked the student why she did that, he said, "I don't know. She just took it out of my backpack and did it while I was watching TV." And, no, I'm not talking about every parent --- it's maybe 4 - 5 every year.

Now, naturally, I don't know about the parents I'll have this coming year. I'm basing my observations on past years.

equss · ‎07-03-2012

I think it depends what grade you are teaching. I taught gr 3 thru college level (Im retired now) and I handled it differently at different ages. I agree though that the kids that need it often do not have the parental support/follow through! Some really bright/motivated kids do like having work out of school. If there is a way you have the time to individualize it can be a good thing, but I would never feel like it needs to be everyday for all students. For instance, for 3rd graders when they were learning multiplication I had different packets for those working on the 1X's -10X's, so they moved to the next level at their own rate(I just kept a check list of those passing the various levels through assessment). The bright kids loved challenging themselves and those that struggled often were motivated by seeing other progress. Another thing would be just letting them keep a reading list and turning it in so they pick what they read...maybe two readings a week mandatory and anything more than that just meant a 'way to go!! message' wrtitten to the individual or the priviledge of checking out more books. 'I seraches" are great because kids pick their own topics and that can be a longer term assigment culmination in sharing what they learned etc. Plus you only need to see and grade the final product or perhape a presentation. Don't punish yourself though with coming up with things daily!! It's too easy to burn out so consider yourself in all this! PS If it is tedious for you it proabably is for them....you sound like a conscientious teach and I am sure you are doing an excellent job!!! Never hurts to try a new way of doing things so shake things up and unburden yourself of daily homework! Look at the larger picture when looking at goals and objectives and reinforce the larger overall goals of the lesson vs each part(hope this makes sense and excuse my typos!!!)