A classroom teacher’s view on homework

LE: What is your position on the problem of homework?
When I answer this concern, I answer as an educator and as the parent of school age kids. I do see research as having a role in the instructional process and I do not concur with Alfie Kohn (see short article), who appears to think homework is worthless, or worse, has a negative effect. While Kohn asserts there is almost no research study that shows research to be useful, I did not see a convincing amount of tough data to support doing away with all homework.
Yes, the amount of homework ought to be based on the students age and grade level. As the majority of Kindergarten-3rd grade instructors are self-contained, it should be fairly simple to give math research one night, spelling or checking out one night, and so on to avoid straining 5 to 8-year-olds. Trainees need to not become disappointed or bored if teachers are imaginative with assignments and in communicating the function of the task. Those are my objectives as a fourth-grade instructor. I see research to extend knowing. Would I designate 30 mathematics issues to trainees who I understand would battle with them, or to trainees who have shown their understanding of the skill? No, in those cases, it is my job as the instructor to modify the projects.
Our textbook points out it can take 24 repetitions of a skill for a trainee to reach 80% proficiency. I think practicing skills is worthwhile. Kohns contrast with tennis does not make good sense to me. There are abilities in tennis you must practice to improve. There are standard mathematics skills children should practice to construct a solid foundation before proceeding to higher-level mathematics abilities. Kohn points out how trainees might end up being better at keeping in mind, however not thinking. I see this as two different things; we need trainees to keep in mind certain truths and then move on to utilizing those abilities as thinkers and issue solvers.
As a parent, it can be challenging to squeeze in research some nights! My own children have actually brought home tasks I believed inappropriate or too prolonged for one night. We do the very best we can, and if we have problems or issues, I reach out to the instructor. Understanding some students have little or no support in the house should be acknowledged by educators. Again, great instructors make it an indicate understand what some home circumstances might resemble and to modify accordingly. When possible, coworkers can work together, as described in two extra course posts, by establishing a discovering lab or integrating “Drop-In” times during the school day
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I do see homework as having a function in the educational procedure and I do not concur with Alfie Kohn (see article), who appears to believe research is worthless, or even worse, has an unfavorable effect. While Kohn asserts there is almost no research that shows homework to be helpful, I did not see a convincing quantity of tough data to support doing away with all homework.
Yes, the amount of research need to be based on the students age and grade level. As the majority of Kindergarten-3rd grade instructors are self-contained, it ought to be reasonably basic to provide math homework one night, checking out or spelling one night, etc to prevent straining 5 to 8-year-olds. Research can be a dissentious topic in the education community, and we hope you can value this teachers point of view.

Homework can be a dissentious subject in the education neighborhood, and we hope you can value this teachers point of view. How do you communicate with families about research?

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

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