A classroom teacher’s view on homework

When considering homework, teachers discover it useful to communicate their policy with the families of their trainees. After just recently finishing a Learners Edge course, Jennifer Lindsey, a fourth grade instructor from Pennsylvania, reviewed her research viewpoint that includes the purposeful functions teachers and households play.

LE: What is your position on the problem of homework?
I address as an educator and as the moms and dad of school age children when I answer this concern. I do see homework as having a function in the academic process and I do not concur with Alfie Kohn (see article), who appears to believe homework is useless, or worse, has an unfavorable effect. While Kohn asserts there is almost no research that proves research to be helpful, I did not see a convincing quantity of tough data to support getting rid of all research.
Yes, the quantity of research need to be based upon the students age and grade level. As many Kindergarten-3rd grade teachers are self-contained, it needs to be fairly simple to provide math homework one night, spelling or checking out one night, and so on to avoid straining 5 to 8-year-olds. If teachers are imaginative with projects and in interacting the purpose of the assignment, trainees must not become bored or frustrated. Those are my objectives as a fourth-grade teacher. I see research to extend learning. Would I appoint 30 mathematics issues to trainees who I know would deal with them, or to trainees who have shown their understanding of the skill? No, in those cases, it is my task as the teacher to modify the tasks.
Our textbook points out it can take 24 repeatings of an ability for a student to reach 80% proficiency. Kohn points out how trainees might become much better at remembering, but not believing. I see this as two different things; we need students to keep in mind particular realities and then move on to using those skills as thinkers and problem solvers.
As a parent, it can be difficult to squeeze in research some nights! We do the best we can, and if we have issues or issues, I reach out to the instructor. Again, great teachers make it a point to know what some house situations might be like and to modify appropriately.

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Research can be a dissentious subject in the education neighborhood, and we hope you can appreciate this instructors viewpoint. We want to hear your ideas about research. What is your philosophy? How do you interact with households about homework?

I do see research as having a function in the educational process and I do not concur with Alfie Kohn (see short article), who appears to think homework is useless, or worse, has an unfavorable effect. While Kohn asserts there is almost no research study that proves research to be beneficial, I did not see a persuading amount of difficult information to support doing away with all research.
Yes, the amount of homework need to be based on the trainees age and grade level. As most Kindergarten-3rd grade instructors are self-contained, it should be relatively simple to provide mathematics homework one night, spelling or checking out one night, etc to prevent straining 5 to 8-year-olds. Homework can be a divisive topic in the education neighborhood, and we hope you can value this instructors point of view.

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