This is a response for a class I was taking. We were discussing how to support students and homework! A new to the profession teacher was talking about parents needing to provide a quiet space, setting aside time to work with their child, setting up a schedule-20 minutes then a break then continue, checking assignments, etc which as all well and good in a perfect world.
I am a mother against homework and also a (special education)teacher against homework. I do not give homework to my students. My students are significantly below grade level with moderate disabilities. If what I have to deal with in class all day is any indication of what is going on at home, I don't want to put any added stress on parents. I do provide educational websites students can check out, and suggest parents read to their children, spend time together playing a game, but I do not send home homework. Many of my parents are working full time, some even the overnight shift, or going to school themselves. Evenings are rushed with getting dinner on the table, going to appointments, and getting ready for the next day.
As a mother of a child with ADD, anxiety, and Aspergers, it is VERY difficult to get her to do her homework. Your ideas are great in theory and BELIEVE ME we have tried, but it doesn't work that easily. By the time it's homework time, ADD meds have worn off for the day. You can't add another dose, she will never sleep at night and it will increase her anxiety. Her anxiety doesn't allow her to be left alone, so someone needs to be sitting with her for company and to keep her on task, (remember the ADD meds have worn off). The ASD kicks in with her lack of executive function and having to complete everything perfectly. Lack of executive function means she probably doesn't have her assignment written down, (Ok, here's a great idea, try taking a pic of it with your iPod...she forgets to do that!) next she won't have the book at home even though she's supposed to have a second set at home, she gets upset that it takes her twin sister no time at all to do her homework and have free time. By now we have sat and done homework for 4-6 hours. It's 10:00 at night, she hasn't showered yet, or gotten her clothes or lunch ready for the next day. I'm tired and frustrated, she's tired and frustrated, and it's ONLY 8th grade! :sigh:
I tell you all this because this has been going on since 1st grade. As a parent, I have been doing this for a long time and I have tried a lot of different strategies. Maybe by the time a student gets to you, the parents are tired, maybe they have already tried all that you suggest and more and they haven't had success, so it's more of the same. If you keep trying the same thing you will keep getting the same results. If they have tried it before and before and before and it didn't work, they need something different.
I give you this from the perspective of a parent. We have talked a lot about communication being important, I hope this helps.
Thank you sharing a very personal part of you! I've taken what you have written to heart. A beautifully written first blog. Your site is visually appealing as well. Thank you...Irene
ReplyDeleteWhat a refreshing change to hear a teacher consider something from a parent's perspective!
ReplyDeleteI totally relate to all you have written and am too a parent who faces the constant stress of homework. Beautifully written and I'm just about to retweet for you to all my followers :)
Heidi,
ReplyDeleteYou are right on target. I am also a special education teacher and a parent of a child with similar concerns. When I started teaching at the high school level for students with emotional impairments I was often questioned about homework. Parents want their child to be doing the same thing as "normal" high school students. I had a tough time assigning typical kinds of homework for kids who had to use every once of their being just to walk through the doors to school in the morning! I had some parents complaining that this wasn't challenging enough for their child because they didn't have pages of homework to do, while at the same time other parents appreciated that they didn't have to worry about getting homework done every night. Finally I asked myself what purpose does homework serve for my students and for myself. It came down to a few basic ideas:
1. To allow students to work/practice new skills or concepts independently
2. To give students a chance to make attempts to complete work on their own and return to school with questions about the assigned work (self-advocacy)
3. To provide immediate feedback to the teacher to see if further support is needed on a new skill or concept(not wait for a quiz or test)
4. To foster good time-management,study skills and responsibility
To reach the purpose of these ideas I do not have to assign a tremendous amount of homework. Many of these ideas can be started in the classroom and then shared at home.
For example:
1. Practice of new skills and concepts can easily be a regular routine during class time after instruction. Students can work collaboratively to support each other during this process and the instructor can travel around the classroom to check on progress.
H.W. In a sentence or two explain a skill or concept you learned today to someone at home.
2 and 3. When assigning worksheets or questions allow for possibly 10 min of class time at the end for students to work independently on the assignment.
H.W. If you were to have a quiz on this material tomorrow, which problems do you feel confident about? Which problems do you have questions about? Code your paper for tomorrow.
4. The suggestion for numbers 2 and 3 would also be true for 4.
H.W. In your agenda book copy down each class assignment. Be sure to include the date assigned, the date due, and your plan to get it accomplished. Share your agenda with your parent/guardian.
As you can see, this type of homework is not designed to get to material we didn't have time to cover in class or to give students busy work. There is a clear purpose to what I hope to accomplish. As students become increasingly independent then homework could be increased if necessary, but I strongly believe that if you build confidence in your students that they will amaze you with the work they will do outside of school all on their own.