As a teacher I am very hesitant to send home work that needs a great deal of explanation or assistance because I don't want to confuse my students. Most of the work I send home is work that is self-explanititory or work that is basic memory or commutation work. However, I know that this does not give a great deal of insight into the concepts we are learning in class. I do like the act of having my class be responsible for taking something home, working on it, and bringing it back. I believe just the act of turing in assignments teaches accountability and independence. But, is a worksheet or spelling practice the best way to do this?
I'm curious what others think about homework. Should it be something that is done as a family? Is it something that should be done completely independently? Is homework relevant in the 21st century? Can we think of other ways to help kids at home without the "drudgery" of an assignment, or would they be willing to work with parents if nothing was officially assigned?
Any thoughts?
In my opinion it totally depends upon the child. My oldest has been doing homework 100% independently since 2nd grade and he enjoys it. But for Tate it is a source of frustration. Sometimes I think he has to work so hard during the day at school (not as much now that he is at Noble and learning in a way that fits him). So when he gets home I feel like he really needs chill out time just to relax and decompress. I still like having something small to do with him just so we can continue having positive experiences working together.
ReplyDeleteLori, Thank you for the thoughtful comment. I never thought about homework being a positive experience for families regarding academic work, but I can completely see where you are coming from. That is something important for me to keep in mind, and that changes how I will think about assignments. Please let me know if homework is no longer productive.
ReplyDelete