Saturday, April 12, 2014

Satuday Sayings: Avoid the Pitfall



"How much crying do you allow before you just stop making your 8 year old do homework? I feel like the only thing it is accomplishing is making him HATE creative writing."  These are the words I found on Facebook this last week from a sweet cousin of mine.  My heart sank when I read this.  I thought to myself, "We've done it again."  I apologized to her on behalf of all teachers.  I might have also commented "Homework, schmomework."  Sometimes we teachers miss the mark, and as a result, our kids can suffer.  Later on down the line of comments, she said this:   

"I think it's a combination of the bulk of homework he is assigned.  He's given a packet of math homework for the week and he's supposed to do an online math assignment daily. The online math doesn't take any time, and he doesn't mind it - but the paperwork is usually a large math sheet, which I could consider 'busywork' and a creative writing assignment which is supposed to be a paragraph.  It's not that he isn't creative.  It really is that he gets SO mad about having to do it.  He spends most of his time angry, frustrated, crying, anything but just writing.  The thing is...I think he would be awesome at writing, if he could write more freely.  He is endlessly creative and really intelligent. I feel like these writing cues bore him."

First off, I cringe whenever I hear the word "packet" used in an educational setting.  It oozes the thought of busywork.  I'm unsure of what packets and homework accomplish in the lives of little ones, except for, in too many cases, anger, frustration, and tears, like in the situation explained above.  I only ask my children to read every night, and I don't even call it homework.  It's just what readers like us do.  Sooner than later they'll be faced with homework of all shapes and sizes.  I don't see the need to place similar demands on them at this age.

Secondly, this little guy is immensely talented, creative, and intelligent.  He's my third cousin, and I've spent enough time with him and heard enough stories to know this is true.  He has a wonderful way with words and the writing I've seen from him proves it.  But from what I can tell, forcing him to write to prompts has turned writing into something it was not meant to be - busywork.  Like many young writers, his creativity is stifled when pushed into writing about something he has no personal connection to.  The whole experience is obviously stealing his love for writing and learning, instead of igniting a passion for how these things can benefit his life.  

As Regie reminds us, what we ask of our students must be worth their time and contribute to their growing literacy.  It's fairly obvious, neither of these things is true for this little guy in this particular situation.  We simply must tread carefully.  The pitfalls of busywork will bring out the worst in our students, not the best.


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24 comments:

  1. ...and then there are the children who will do busywork all day, ask for extra, and prefer to write to a prompt. When asked to do inventive, creative work that requires initiative and thinking, they are confused. Packets are certainly easier, for the teacher and many kids. I agree, we must be mindful of what we are teaching, and be sure that our assignments reflect that. (Some districts prescribe homework beyond reading every night).

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    1. Suburban Pies, thank you for joining the conversation. My sincere hope and experience is that asking children to think creatively in writing from day one builds their confidence. They end up embracing the freedom that all writers should experience. It's a wonderful thing to watch.

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  2. I always have parents who want more homework and parents who want less homework. It's really tough to strike the right balance. I haven't had many parents bring it up this year, so maybe I'm starting to get it right. But writing a paragraph to a prompt? Yuck.

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    1. Lee, yep balance is a good thing. I tell parents at the beginning of the year what to expect and not expect, so I rarely get questions. Thanks for your comments. Keep them coming.

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  3. I am more and more in favor of no homework at all. I find the kids who would benefit most from the extra practice are the least likely to get it done!

    Thanks for hosting this link up! Looks great. This is my first time visiting your blog, can't wait to check out more of it!

    Tara
    The Math Maniac

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    1. Tara, you're very right about this, which is why our instruction during the day better be meeting their needs since they most likely won't get the extra help at home.

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  4. When I started this job last August, I was shocked that homework was mandatory on a daily basis M-Th. Kindergarten. Then I saw what was being sent home-- all worksheets, to homes without electricity or a working pencil.

    I'm a fan of monthly calendars with suggestions for all learning styles, placed in the daily folder, for parents to use if they feel it is necessary. (because many of them do, especially in a private setting) But I have found it necessary to follow the norms of the other K classrooms, mostly because we have sets of twins amongst us. What I see is that homework is completed by roughly 70%, with some work being completed by other family members. (I'm not stupid. I can recognize my students' handwriting.) In the other K classes, students are automatically placed on "red" if they do not return homework on the next day. I refused to go that way. When my students return the work, they receive a star on the data chart (because I'm supposed to be tracking all sorts of data, you know ;-) and we celebrate that accomplishment. And I choose my own homework now.

    Sorry if I sound a bit snarky… homework has been a sore spot for me in this position. Great topic, Tammy!
    Chrissy at ReadWriteSing



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    1. Chrissy, bring on the snarky. It sounds like you are managing the frustrations of homework better than I would in that situation. Ugh!

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  5. For my 2nd graders, I used to send home a math worksheet page - and also ask them to read for 15 minutes. Then I saw that our district says no homework for 2nd grade. Relief! Now when parents ask, I just say - read at home and work on basic math facts.
    I was looking at getting a Reggie book of my own - is there one you'd recommend as a starter?
    Sara

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    1. Sara, smart thinking from your district. :) It's hard to narrow down Regie's books to the best. If you'd like a book overall about teaching, go with Teaching Essentials. If you'd like a reading one, go with Reading Essentials. If you're interested in writing, go with Writing Essentials. Once you read one, you'll want the rest though. :)

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  6. This is a great topic for teachers to reflect upon. I think Tara said it well that the kids who need the extra practice are the least likely to do it. So what are we teaching those who don't need it, but will end up doing it anyway? Districts that require their teachers do assign homework need to revisit that policy. Do the students really need the homework and is the practice something applicable to the real world? How many of us after a long day of work want to come home and sit at the table until we can think of something to write to a prompt that doesn't inspire us? I think we would dread it and start refusing to do it too. :)
    Lori
    Conversations in Literacy

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    1. Lori, yes, how many of us adults would find this kind of thing inspiring. That is a great point to make. Actually, you made many great points!

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  7. Oh that's sad to me too. We are required to send homework as well-mine doesn't always make it home. :) My favorite was these huge packets over sent home over Spring Break that just went in the trash because it would have taken too long to correct (poor trees!). Those same teachers very quickly admitted that they didn't do any work over the vacation because they needed a break. I think kids do too sometimes!

    NotJustChild'sPlay

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    1. Miss Trayers, "Mine doesn't always make it home." I'm giggling. I love that. Oh, and there's the "packet" word. You know exactly what I'm talking about.

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  8. I like your idea of just asking kids to enjoy reading at home.

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    1. Connie, yep if we ask them to do anything, something enjoyable, like reading, is the way to go.

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  9. Oh Lordy, I totally agree with you and Regie. I feel very sad for your little cousin. He's 8 for goodness sake. Let him play and be a kid after school. I'm so thankful we don't have to assign homework until grade 4!

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  10. Tammy:
    I am a math coach at an International School (we teach most of the xpat and American kids living in New Delhi) and I have been following your blog, and enjoying your posts for a few months now. Our ES school did a lot of research and moved to a policy of "Home Learning" about 5 years ago - it is the best thing we ever did! Children are still asked to read at home daily. A group of teachers and parents recently made this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFfmeLxUqr4&feature=youtu.be) about the shift! I thought you might be interested.

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    1. Robyn, thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts, as well as sharing this video. Good to "meet" you.

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  11. I have mixed feelings about homework...and something I've noticed after reading another blog post this week concerning "high-stakes" testing has shown me that districts are handling homework and test preparation differently all over the country. And the ones who are going to "extremes" seem to be giving the rest of our schools a poor reputation. When I hear about hours of homework, of course I think it is ridiculous...especially if it is a test prep packet as I read about on the other blog. However, I see some good in homework as well--at least for my kids. My kids are asked to read a decodable on Mondays (parent signature), and on *most* Tuesdays and Thursdays given a math page that should take less than 10 minutes. That seems to work well and most of my kiddos do it on a regular basis. I see it as a chance for parents to see what we are working on and get involved with their child's education. I don't want it to feel like a punishment or become a source of stress for a family. I do want parents--who might not otherwise--to sit down and spend a few minutes involved in their child's education. Sorry this is so long! I've gotten a little fired up this week because thankfully I don't feel the pressure of "high-stakes" testing as a teacher or a parent in my district. As for homework, I think as someone posted earlier it is about balance and common sense...no need for those "extremes."

    Again I'm sorry this is so long! Always love your posts that make us think!

    Crystal

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    1. Crystal, no need to apologize for the length of your response. I'm so glad you feel comfortable joining the conversation here on my blog. I welcome your thoughts. You're very right that extremes will get us into trouble and give some of us a bad name as well.

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  12. Homework annoys me because we've all been working all day and now instead of enjoying our families, we have to fight with them to do more work. Reading at home is the single best way to help children. I know this is true because my kids consider it a punishment if I take away bedtime reading. They are both so well read that even my little one (6) said to her teacher when she pulled out a Junie B Jones book, "oh, I've read all of those two times. But there won't be any more because Barbara Parks passed away last year." She's a reader and a connector, and a very smart little girl. If we spent 1/10 of the time getting good books in families homes as we do getting packets in their homes, we'd be growing kids who can't wait to come back for their next book instead of praying for snow days.

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    1. Kimberley, I love how you put it. Our time would definitely be spent better by putting our energy and resources into books rather than packets. Thank you for adding this!

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