A classroom teacher’s view on homework

When believing about research, teachers find it helpful to communicate their policy with the families of their trainees. After just recently completing a Learners Edge course, Jennifer Lindsey, a fourth grade teacher from Pennsylvania, reviewed her homework approach that includes the purposeful functions instructors and households play.

LE: What is your position on the problem of research?
I address as a teacher and as the moms and dad of school age kids when I answer this question. I do see homework as having a function in the educational process and I do not concur with Alfie Kohn (see short article), who appears to believe research is useless, or worse, has a negative effect. While Kohn asserts there is nearly no research that proves homework to be helpful, I did not see a convincing amount of tough information to support doing away with all research.
Yes, the quantity of homework ought to be based upon the students age and grade level. As most Kindergarten-3rd grade teachers are self-contained, it must be relatively simple to offer mathematics research one night, spelling or checking out one night, etc to avoid overloading 5 to 8-year-olds. If instructors are creative with tasks and in communicating the purpose of the task, trainees must not end up being bored or disappointed. Those are my goals as a fourth-grade instructor. I see research to extend knowing. Would I designate 30 math problems to students who I understand would have a hard time with them, or to students who have shown their understanding of the ability? No, in those cases, it is my job as the instructor to modify the tasks.
Our book points out it can take 24 repetitions of an ability for a trainee to reach 80% competency. I think practicing skills is rewarding. Kohns comparison with tennis does not make sense to me. There are abilities in tennis you should practice to improve. There are fundamental math skills kids should practice to develop a solid structure before proceeding to higher-level mathematics abilities. Kohn explains how trainees might progress at remembering, but not believing. I see this as 2 different things; we require students to keep in mind specific truths and after that move on to utilizing those abilities as thinkers and problem solvers.
As a moms and dad, it can be tough to squeeze in research some nights! My own kids have actually brought house tasks I thought too prolonged or improper for one night. We do the best we can, and if we have concerns or issues, I connect to the teacher. Understanding some students have little or no support at house need to be acknowledged by teachers. Once again, good teachers make it an indicate understand what some house situations might be like and to customize accordingly. When possible, colleagues can interact, as described in 2 additional course articles, by establishing a finding out laboratory or integrating “Drop-In” times during the school day
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Research can be a dissentious topic in the education neighborhood, and we hope you can value this instructors point of view. How do you interact with households about homework?

I do see research as having a role in the instructional procedure and I do not concur with Alfie Kohn (see post), who appears to think homework is useless, or even worse, has an unfavorable impact. While Kohn asserts there is almost no research study that proves homework to be advantageous, I did not see a persuading amount of tough information to support doing away with all homework.
Yes, the amount of research ought to be based on the students age and grade level. As the majority of Kindergarten-3rd grade teachers are self-contained, it should be fairly easy to offer mathematics homework one night, spelling or reading one night, and so on to avoid overloading 5 to 8-year-olds. Homework can be a divisive topic in the education neighborhood, and we hope you can value this teachers point of view.

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