To stay in or to go out?

Home

Chat

Blogs

Collection

Directory

Home : 2001 : July : 16

To stay in or to go out?
By JES

Here's my opinion:
I teach 4th and 5th graders. I agree that the same little batch of students consistently are on the list of incomplete work. I keep those students in at recess to get work done. If students choose
not to OR are unable to do what's required for homework, then the natural consequence is that they stay in to get it done -- not because they are in trouble, but to help them stay caught up with assignments.
Here's why I feel this way:
I realize that as students grow and progress, they have to take responsibility for getting assignments completed; however, some kids get NO help

at all at home. I am not talking about help with their homework; I am referring to the environment in their home which may be in NO way conducive to homework completion or learning. I remember witnessing a 3rd grade child (a child very close to me) who stood on the sidelines as her parents yelled and fought openly in front of her. It was almost 10:00 pm on a school night, and I was pleading with her parents to let me take her home with me for the night. They refused and yelled repeatedly at her to just go on to bed. I have a vivid picture of that 8 year old child standing at the top of the stairs crying and saying, "I can't go to bed; I have homework to do." Well, she didn't get her homework done. I seriously doubt she got very much sleep that night, and to add insult to injury, I bet she was in trouble the moment she walked into her classroom without her work.

Teachers can't control home environments. We can't make parents follow through with plans for getting homework done. However, we can create a safe place for our students in our classrooms and help them learn and develop responsibility.