Saturday, February 05, 2005
Homework Realities
There are always a few parents who ask for MORE homework. Their students are usually ones that don't take the time and care to do their best on the homework that WAS assigned. For many of them (and presumably their parents) it's all a competitive, how-much-can-you-produce type of game. We teachers usually placate these requests by throwing a little extra work--to everyone.
As an excercise in irony, however, I thought I'd share with you MY OWN comments to my own child's teacher about homework. (And you don't have to ask where I am until 5pm everyday. I'm still at school working, of course.):
"We talked briefly in November about modifying X's homework load but never got around to it. Most days she is really stretched to complete it--even when working on it during Extended Day until around 5pm. I feel that in many cases she is sacrificing getting to sleep by 9pm to attempt work that she would be better equipped to accomplish in school the next day anyway. One night a few weeks ago, she even managed to awaken herself from sleep around 10:15pm to get up and finish something she had not completed. At a certain point, trying to squeeze brain power out at 7:30--after a long day, with meds wearing off, and dinner digesting, and bathing to do--becomes counter productive to the goal of learning. My comments aren't meant to belabor the point or appear sarcastic. I am just trying to give an accurate portrait of her homework experience."
As an excercise in irony, however, I thought I'd share with you MY OWN comments to my own child's teacher about homework. (And you don't have to ask where I am until 5pm everyday. I'm still at school working, of course.):
"We talked briefly in November about modifying X's homework load but never got around to it. Most days she is really stretched to complete it--even when working on it during Extended Day until around 5pm. I feel that in many cases she is sacrificing getting to sleep by 9pm to attempt work that she would be better equipped to accomplish in school the next day anyway. One night a few weeks ago, she even managed to awaken herself from sleep around 10:15pm to get up and finish something she had not completed. At a certain point, trying to squeeze brain power out at 7:30--after a long day, with meds wearing off, and dinner digesting, and bathing to do--becomes counter productive to the goal of learning. My comments aren't meant to belabor the point or appear sarcastic. I am just trying to give an accurate portrait of her homework experience."
