My Take on Homework

Rethinking Homework

When I started having battles with my daughter over doing her homework, it made me really rethink why I give homework.  And the answer I came up with was simple-because I’m a teacher and I’m supposed to.    

Not a good enough reason.  So I decided to ask my colleagues why they give homework.  Same answer.  So last year, I decided to survey parents to see what their thoughts were on homework.  Funny thing, 21 parents surveyed said that I gave just the right amount of homework.  1 parent said that I gave too much and 1 parent said that I should give more.  Hmmm.  My thoughts on that?  Parents are much like teachers and are just “accustomed” to their kids having homework.  But when they really stop and think about it, what do they really think? 

At the time of the survey, I was giving reading, spelling and math homework each night, Monday through Thursday.  I gave 15 minutes of reading homework per night.  My on-level and above-level students could read a selection of their choice and my below-level students were assigned a selection that was at their reading level.  I was giving 20 spelling words per week, in which my students had to write the words on Monday night, use them in a sentence on Tuesday night, write them twice on Wednesday night and write them two more times on Thursday night.  I also gave a math worksheet that related to the lesson that I taught that day.  For some kids, they would quickly breeze through the homework, I’m sure.  For others, it might have taken them a longer time to complete it, especially for those kids that needed more than one repetition on the math skill that I just taught that day.   

Some might say that I should believe the responses of the parents that I surveyed.  I disagree.  I think that parents are just used to their children having homework and my amount of homework was pretty normal with what they were used to seeing. 

Anyway, the next year rolled around and homework continued to be a nagging argument in my head.  To give it or not to give it?  I decided to do what I thought was the responsible teacher thing to do and I kept giving it. 

That lasted all of 3 months.  Then, the homework that my daughter began bringing home, the annoyance of having to find a quiet place for her to do it and the fit that she threw every night got to me. 

So I got rid of homework in my classroom.  I no longer sent the math worksheet home, instead we completed them in class.  I gave them their spelling list and suggested they practice throughout the week, but didn’t require any worksheets or written assignments from it.  I offered the free pizza through the book-it program, if they wanted to read for 15 minutes a night at home, Monday through Thursday nights, but didn’t require it. 

The fact of the matter is kids spend 7 hours a day at school.  If a teacher can’t teach all that is necessary in that 7 hours, then they need to be fired.  Kids spend 7 hours working their tails off.  They don’t need more work at night.

What they need at night, is to BE A KID.  Play outside, run around, play board games, watch movies.  No homework!!!  Just relax and enjoy life with no worries, because we all know that in a flash, life changes from hopscotch and candy to writing reports and eating salad.  LET THEM ENJOY THE WORRY-FREE WORLD WHILE THEY CAN!

Your child’s education is not down the tubes simply because their teacher doesn’t give them homework on a nightly basis.  Remember, they are still getting 7 hours of learning (well, about 5 hours and 45 minutes, if you don’t count lunch and recess!  But they’re still learning there too-social skills, how to play organized games, etc)

I think in 10 years we’ll be seeing a big shift in the amount of homework that students are given.  And when that time comes, I’ll be the first one to say I told you so.