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Home : 2008 : Jul : 5
1. Non-fiction Matters: Reading, Writing, and Research in Grades 3-8 by Stephanie Harvey Or 2. “The Battle over Homework: Common Ground for Administrators, Teachers, and Parents” (Corwin Press, 2001).2. by Harris Cooper (I love this book, he actually presents both sides) Please understand--I am not advocating that students like my fourth graders spend all their free time engaged in endless hours of rote practice that have little or no correlation to the real world or improving achievement. All I said (in both my previous posts) is that people should not dismiss the concept without thinking of the quality, not the quantity of activities they want their students to spend their time doing. And kids should own this process as well--by asking them to write an essay in class regarding weekend homework I am asking them to think for themselves. Will you work harder in class? Will you keep up with your goals? I believe as teachers we need to focus on the needs of our students, not their parents complaints. I had a parent once who wrote a very insulting note on a homework packet because she thought I had assigned it over a weekend. The packet was meant to be turned in the following Friday, giving them almost 10 days to complete--we were doing a unit on plants, including plenty of hands on activities, inquiry, and background building. She said "I can't do this over a weekend!!!" My response was: "I was not aware you had to do it. I gave the packet to your daughter." The homework did not require parental support or supervision. It had simple, straightforward directions that were discussed in class. There were no outside materials required. She never even read that. What message does that send to the child? Weekend homework may be as enjoyable as making observations, reading or watching a news story or documentary, or describing a fun personal experience in a piece of writing. Teachers may not enjoy working on weekends either, but a lot of us do and I am a repeat offender. I enjoy the quiet and the ability to think things over before I make decisions. I can focus on what I am grading and my planning is better researched. This is also the time to catch up on some professional reading. For example, I never assign a children's book without having read it first. Do you really think it would help my students if I didn't? What I would resent would be to spend my weekend on repetitive, bureaucratic tasks. However, I don't begrudge any effort that makes me a better teacher, and if that means working the occasional weekend, so be it. Now, why would we deny the same work ethic example to kids on a reasonable basis? Sorry for the vent--we are looking for balance here, right?;)
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