This is the news article that has been the topic of much discussion today.
http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Calgary+family+signs+homework+deal/2241272/story.html
A family in Calgary has won the right for their children not to be assigned daily homework.
I think this is an amazing thing. I actually contemplated not assigning homework myself this year. However, I was told that my board has a policy on homework and that I had to follow the policy by assigning homework and keeping track of who has done it.
I don’t think that teachers should assign homework because of a policy. Homework for homework’s sake misses the point.
The parents in this case really do get the point and I applaud them for it. They make sure that their kids are learning at school and at home. I really like the fact the parents in question actually do work with their children and help them study for tests and further their learning at home.
That is what homework should be about.
Learning does not have to start and end at school.
Parents have a responsibility to teach their children just as much as parents do. Teachers cannot control this by assigning homework. Instead, we should suggest things that our students can work on and I do that every month with a detailed newsletter.
So perhaps it is time that we rewrote those policies that we all seem to be blindly following.
I think we should make sure that the students are accountable for doing their work at school and if they choose to waste their time, they should then be assigned that work to do at home.
And of course, students should study for tests, practise learning their math facts, and read. These things go without saying. And the family in this case seems to agree with me. What else do we need?
3 responses to “No Homework Please”
Hi Chase, I followed you back here because you talked about not having comments on Blogging without a Blog.
But now that I read what you have to say, I do have a comment on this topic.
I think that homework for the sake of homework is wrong. If there is learning taking place, great! But just to have to fill out worksheets doesn't help. I think learning should be exciting and fun for children because in my mind, I think our goal should be to create lifelong learners. If children see learning as drudgery, they will grow to hate it. You can't excel in what you hate. Passion is what makes us want to learn. I still want to learn. I do it everyday through books, blogs, other people, and resources. Thoughts?
Hi Chase!
Saw you on Barb's blog and I feel your pain! Comments at least let you know if they resonate with what you said, or give you further ideas/discussions on a subject. Hang in there! I just started my 2nd blog (it's really embryonic at this point) but the target audience would be teachers and home-schooling parents as well as the kids. Perhaps we can help each other? I sure believe in the power of networking.
Hi Julie,
Thanks for stopping by.
I try to share my passion for learning with my students. Like you said, learning is a life-long experience. I hope that I can get my students excited about learning and not just doing busy work.
Hi SuZen,
I don't want my blog to just be about teaching. I have a lot of things I like to share here like my writing, hip-hop, observations, and some editorials.
But I appreciate being able to network with like-minded individuals. Thanks a lot for stopping by. I will check out your blog.