I teach foreign language. It's vital for kids to have homework so they get some exposure to the language outside of class. My students can expect 15-20 minutes nightly, and that's just the way it is.
I also teach reading to struggling readers. Their homework is to read, keep a log and obtain parent signatures. Sometimes parents sign-off without holding their kid accountable. That is disappointing, but I don't let it bother me too much and I have no problem telling parents that I'm on to them. Ultimately, my assignment benefits the kids who stick with it and do it earnestly, and that is what matters most.
I can also tell when the parents do the work. Of course the student first denies it, but eventually the truth comes out. But my favorite is when the handwriting is so completely different.
What gets me is that homework comes back as if it were done in 5 seconds. Written assignments are not edited or revised even when the assignment calls for it. That is why all my writing workshop is done in class with some follow up assignments at home.
Unfortunately many of the parents do not have the time to sit and help their children like our parents did. They work long hours while some parents take no interest at all. I have had students who still didn't hand in homework after personally meeting with the parent about it many times.
The rule of thumb in elementary school is to assign 10 minutes times the grade level. So fifth grade gets 50 minutes. However they are required to read 30 minutes each night and keep a reading log that is signed by the parent.
I just check my school's math scores from last year on the link from the Times, and overall it was pretty good.
However the ELA results were about average. Children I expected would get 4s got high 3s instead.
My 5th grader sometimes gets very little homework, but other days is deluged. I think it's a good idea to make a sort of routine.
Right now I'm afraid to let her get involved in any more extra-curricular activities because on the odd high-homework days, she'll be overwhelmed.
Math is not a spectator sport and the only way to learn it is through practice, practice and more practice. I give homework that should take about 20 minutes a day to complete. It practices what we did in class and helps review old material.
Ahh, a pet topic. In elementary school, I really don't see the point of most homework. I think there should be math homework daily -- but something along the lines of 10 minutes (10-15 problems) WITH a clear example of how to do it at the top, so that any helpful parent isn't at home further confusing an already confused child by explaining an entirely different method.
Reading is fine, though I think the logs are foolish. You just know that parents'll sign it anyway. I'm not sure how to get around that. Perhaps
having a stack of books (with the teacher having a sense of how long it should take them to read them if they read say, 15-20 minutes a day) and assigning a book to a kid with a due date on it, for a little (very short!) book talk with the teacher would suffice. Or worst case, a worksheet.
Maybe some spelling words to be tested weekly. Perhaps assignments based on pre-test scores?
BUT, all of this shouldn't take more than 30 minutes ANY night. Really.
Around here, some of the schools have had another 45 minutes tacked on to the day, and honestly, how many 5-10 yo can sit and learn for nearly the equivalent of a full work day...and then have to take work home with them too?
Homework doesn't hurt the kids that are already getting the material, but study after study shows it does nothing for the kid without an able adult at home to help, nor does it help a kid that didn't get the concept in class to get home and not get it again, minus the presence of the teacher to help.
Note, that I said elementary school above...
I have no problem with gradually increasing assignments -- in middle school, something along the lines of 30-45 minutes, a day, total should be fine. However, there should be some sort of tallying that accounts for projects which ALWAYS take longer than they should, demand materials that are not in the home and fall due when all the ink cartridges have turned up dry.
By HS, longer assignments are fine, though again, some attempts at evening out long, involved projects with every day sorts of things are appreciated.
I agree with the general emphasis on writing in class, too. Better that they actually work and do while they're in school, rather than (as my son complains from time to time) the class being all going over old homework, assigning new homework, and Oh!, look at that, there's only 5 minutes left for teaching. Be sure, kids, to read that chapter in your book carefully so you learn it on your own.
For that, my kid could go to cyberschool! Though he'd miss all the social stuff and he'd hate that.
I tend to agree with all the above comments.
For ESL, it's important to make kids talk--to acquire a language, they have to touch it, feel it, and use it. At home most of my kids can't use English with anyone, and many tend to form social groups with kids who speak their first languages.
So I try to give them a non-threatening environment to use the language. It's often the only chance they get, as they wander from biology to history class where they comprehend and retain little. Writing (not composition) practice can often be done at home.
Even in hs, kids should not be overburdened with homework. Give them enough to reinforce what they learned but don't overdo it or they will do nothing.
One of my ESL kids told me she learned English by watching cartoons with close caption on. This might be a fun assignment. Have you ever tried it?
I teach special education students for the Math A regents. I give about 20 minutes of homework after I've thoroughly introduced a new topic; I may not give homework to my learning disabled/emotionally handicapped/retarded (whoops I'm not supposed to say that any more) class directly following introduction to a new topic. I may reteach it the next day, walk around the classroom and remediate, and then assign some homework. I spiral back so they remember some remnants of what they've previously been taught, so homework is very important. You can't "catch up" in math by reading or studying. Math is very much a proactive hands on subject where sheer practice helps a student to learn the material. Homework is absolutely essential in math, and there's no getting around it. Anyway, what would most of these kids be doing? Playing a video game? Watching TV? Math homework may be minimally time consuming, but the rewards should be stressed: success in school, preparation for jobs that use math, or just passing that math regents or RCT.
It's tough to achieve that perfect balance.
I don't assign that kids use captions, as I think they learn differently, but I encourage them to watch TV in English, which I believe is very helpful.
I've met two kids who learned Spanish from watching the Spansih soap operas, neither of whom had any other exposure to the language.
It's also true that what may take some children 10 minutes to complete, may take others longer.
I also hate when a 5 minute (or something I hoped would only take 5 minutes) for hw review turns out taking much more time.
I just read another blog (Jules--"Froozen") who has come to realize--and these are her words--that kids are not smart. Well I have to agree with her that many of the decisions made at the elementary school level have not been the best. The new math program really needs to be supplemented as does the reading/grammar. But teachers in many schools are not allowed to do it.
I'm grading final writing assignments at the moment (empowerment school=6 marking periods, so the first one wrapped up yesterday), and I'm embarrassed and disappointed to find that out of 20 students in a class, I've received 7 pieces of writing, 2 of which came in late.
My posse don't do homework, indeed.
Wow! Maybe it's the kids that are really empowered to do whatever they want.
I heard a rumor that all schools will be empowerment schools next year. I hope it's just a rumor.
I heard the same rumor, Schoolgal. However it came out of the mouth of the Science RIS for Region 7; as in "next year when all of your schools wil be empowerment schools"... this tends to freak out all of the ROC people because they won't have a job next year and should freak out the principals and assistant principals because they don't have the skills to run a building.
The article in the Times about Tweed looking into hiring companies to run groups of schools was instructive. The reporter noted that those companies can be 'fired', while the principals can't be fired. An unnamed spokesman said these companies don't know anything, but neither do the administrators we have now. Very often it seems like talking with Tweed people can be very helpful-some even appear to be on our side. Once it winds it's way down to the building it's a warped and twisted policy as interpeted by the building administration.
Klein is playing a dangerous game. As soon as Crew realized the principals were the problem he was out.
This is not our fight. Managing a building is someone else's problem. We are impacted by management because a bad decision makes our job, which is teaching, impossible. Maybe, it's time to let the chips fall where they may and hope people who do know what they are doing be allowed to do so.
I send all my 1st grade kids home with a packet of homework on Monday that is due the following Friday. One night they're supposed to practice their sight words, another night is reading practice, and two nights are math activities. For the advanced kids I tell them to skip the sight words and phonics readers, and give them 2nd or 3rd grade material instead.
Parents really like the packets because they can skip nights when they have other things going on and double up on light nights.
I like that idea very much.
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