tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post1443442177310254434..comments2023-07-30T06:56:42.018-07:00Comments on Parenting is Political: There’s Too Much F***ing Homework, Part 1StepfordTOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08340282997915000608noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-74348928734747340552015-01-24T11:53:39.759-08:002015-01-24T11:53:39.759-08:00Anonymous: As, Trixie points out, the assumptions ...Anonymous: As, Trixie points out, the assumptions you make about parents like me who protest against excessive homework are just that: assumptions unsupported by any knowledge about homework routines and screen time rules in my or anyone else’s household. And such assumptions—along with the points you make and conclusions you draw on the basis of them—are irrelevant to the argument I was trying to make (anecdotally via a recounting of our meeting with the VP) in my post. As Trixie has noted, our board has a detailed homework policy limiting the amount of homework teachers can assign to kids of all grades; as Chris points out, the policy was brought into being and implemented by democratic means. Schools are mandated to adhere to the homework policy, yet our school is not adhering to it, and that was the point I was trying to make in the meeting with the VP. If the board has a homework policy and it’s not being followed, I don’t understand why parents whose kids are struggling with excessive homework shouldn’t “look into the rules” and make their voices heard. (As Trixie notes, the policy encourages parents to do so.) In the context of my phone meeting with the VP, the issue of kids’ or parents’ (bad) attitudes towards homework is a red herring. <br /><br />I’ll grant that it’s a red herring administrators and teachers seem to be fond of: a common response of teachers and principals to a parent’s complaint about homework is to blame the kid or the parent, the former for lacking time-management skills or “grit,” and the latter for not pushing their kid(s) enough (despite all we know about the ineffectiveness of extrinsic motivation). I understand that response: it’s easier to blame the kid or the parent than to acknowledge that the problem might stem from teachers’ practices or from a lack of proper oversight on the part of administrators. It’s simpler to blame the victims than to point the finger at the institution or the system. But I do believe, as I said in the meeting with the VP, that homework stress due to objectively unreasonable homework loads is a systemic problem that no amount of chiding of individual parents or kids is going to solve. <br /><br />If you do a bit of homework on homework, you will find a lot of research debunking the many myths about homework: that it’s correlated to “achievement,” for instance, or that it teaches effective work habits; you’ll also find that notwithstanding such research, homework loads have increased steadily over the past several decades to the point where many high school kids in North America are now putting in 55-hour workweeks. You won’t have to look too hard to find studies documenting the harm that such work loads are inflicting on kids. (See <a href="http://people.hofstra.edu/Esther_Fusco/ENC204view.pdf#page=55" rel="nofollow">Hazardous Homework?</a>)<br /><br />A final note on your comment about the changing world and kids needing more in their “suitcases”: I agree, but I would argue that what should go in a kid’s suitcase is different from what should go in a middle manager’s or corporate lawyer’s suitcase (briefcase?). Free time and free play and free choice: I think kids need more of these things in their “suitcases.”<br /><br />Thanks for your comment. <br />StepfordTOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08340282997915000608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-20275011500959692152015-01-23T14:24:13.279-08:002015-01-23T14:24:13.279-08:00So if your kid spends any time playing a game or t...So if your kid spends any time playing a game or texting friends, then you can't complain that there's too much homework? That's really warped.<br /><br />Anonymous #1 sounds like someone who thinks the school is always right, no matter how much homework is assigned, no matter whether the homework is beneficial, and no matter whether the school is blatantly violating a democratically-enacted policy. <br /><br />Don't "look into rules" -- just follow them, whatever they are. Great lesson for the kids.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07559356125770114400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-52694716950940354012015-01-23T09:05:03.087-08:002015-01-23T09:05:03.087-08:00Well, you didn't use a swear word, so I don...Well, you didn't use a swear word, so I don't think it qualifies as a rant. :) But you're right. Why have the policies if they are not to be studied and followed by teachers/admin and parents alike? Unfortunately, I think my experience with the homework issue has taught me that "parent engagement" is not welcome unless it's on the school's terms.StepfordTOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08340282997915000608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-81987391498338785442015-01-23T07:31:41.203-08:002015-01-23T07:31:41.203-08:00It is unfortunate when, as parents, we look into t...It is unfortunate when, as parents, we look into the rules and get familiar with policies created by the decision-makers... try to observe and take guidance from the rules and then find that adherence to policies created isn't consistent or expected ... so unfortunately, rants and frustration can be the outcome. Did I just rant? :)Sheila Stewarthttps://twitter.com/SheilaSpeakingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-57846758014232246562015-01-23T07:06:25.991-08:002015-01-23T07:06:25.991-08:00You are making a LOT of assumptions here about par...You are making a LOT of assumptions here about parents who don't push homework. Here's where you are wrong, at least in my case:<br />1) saying parents are not spending time helping our children. We are, but my time and effort goes into doing other things that will also them 'to have more in their suitcase' than school (especially busywork homework) alone can provide.<br />2) that we don't push them to do the homework that is necessary for them to learn. My children are doing well in school, the homework is usually just busy work, but any homework that is of value is pushed on them. They don't get out of all homework just because I think some of it is a stupid waste of time.<br />3) I hate seeing parents using technology as a babysitter as well and that part of your argument has nothing to do with whether or not homework is valuable.<br />4) parents are not supposed to be helping students with homework! ask teachers, look at research, and you'll see that students who do best are the ones where their parents are more hands off when it comes to homework. So all this time you think we should be spending with our kids on homework is actually NOT helping them learn.<br />4) According to our school board's policy the work that she is doing (fighting back against homework) IS the work she is supposed to do. The section under parental responsibilites includes limiting homework if it is too much, balancing school/home/extracurriculars, and interacting with staff to deal with the problem. If the staff didn't blatently ignore their reponsiblities in the policy, we wouldn't have to use up any of our time trying to enforce it.<br />-Trixie DoyleAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-43450600787413092462015-01-23T04:19:05.399-08:002015-01-23T04:19:05.399-08:00Maybe if you spent your time helping your children...Maybe if you spent your time helping your children (this is sort of a parenting aspect) instead of looking into the rules and spending all your energy ranting. Your children hear you mention that they are getting too much homework so they push back-thinking they are overworked. Just because guidelines are setup doesn't mean we shouldn't push our children. The world is changing very fast, and to keep up- isn't it better to have more in your suitcase. I have seen how many children spend their spare time (video game, texting friends-even if they are in the same room). If this time was put towards getting homework done then maybe you wouldn't see it as "too much Fucking homework", its not the teacher but the free babysitter that is the problem in many cases (video games, computers and phones).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-80698817066652749452015-01-19T08:17:13.364-08:002015-01-19T08:17:13.364-08:00You make so many good points, I wish I could use y...You make so many good points, I wish I could use your comment as a guest post!<br /><br />All of the problems you list are ones we have encountered and at various points raised with teachers and administrators. Well, except the one about Principals not knowing about the policy--that is really quite unacceptable, as they are given specific instructions (from the board, I believe) to go over the homework policy with the teachers at the beginning of each year. Our own VP claims he does this periodically throughout the year, but that not all teachers are receptive. (Hmm, then maybe there should be "consequences"? A project perhaps on how harmful excessive homework is for kids?)<br /><br />But <br />-- homework on material not covered in class? Check.<br />-- teachers not providing feedback? Check. (Last year my daughters were assigned a geography project *over the Christmas break* that ended up never being marked or returned!)<br />-- teachers not taking time to do the simple math. Double, triple check. This is a point we brought up in the two meetings we've had with the VP at my kids' current school: the homework limits specified in the homework policy are for *total* homework, not homework per subject. And since daily homework doesn't come to a halt (it never comes to a halt) when projects are assigned, it doesn't take superior math skills to figure out that the limits are going to be reached and exceeded pretty quickly when there are projects being worked on at home (as opposed to in class, where I believe most of them should be worked on).<br />-- assignments requiring resources or help from parents? Still check, even in high school. This is where the homework issue becomes an equity issue, since not all parents are equally equipped to supply the resources or the help.<br /><br />I hope you keep raising these issues with the principal and teachers at your son's school. I have found that many parents are fearful of complaining or are simply resigned (and I totally understand why), but I do wish more would speak up, because I think it does or can help in the long run, my ranty post notwithstanding. :)<br /><br />Thanks so much for your comment.<br /><br /><br />StepfordTOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08340282997915000608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-17122750596592468752015-01-19T06:39:44.132-08:002015-01-19T06:39:44.132-08:00Fortunately my outbursts and swearing only occurre...Fortunately my outbursts and swearing only occurred in emails that I deleted and rewrote before sending :) but I've also had a child who found homework to be torture and uttering "I hate school." Our problem was mainly his core teacher and with help from the Principal we were able to help him through the year and he's enjoying school more now, but I'm still woried because the problems go well beyond his old teacher.<br /><br />The schools do not seem to be set up to even attempt to meet the requirements of the homework policy. They can't reasonable tell us they are trying to their best to meet the policy when they have:<br />- teachers and Principals who do not even know the policy exists (many still use the 10 minutes per grade rule).<br />- teachers who are supposed to coordinate homework, but they don't check to see what other teachers are assigning and there's no system in place to share information amongst teachers.<br />- assigments (like the many projects you mention) still requiring resources provided by parents, which is against the policy and makes them difficult or impossible for lower income or busy families to complete.<br />- homework on material that has yet been covered in class (they didn't have time to teach it, so they sent it home), which is also against the policy.<br />- teachers not providing feedback on homework (my son's teacher was too busy to check/mark it)<br />- teachers who don't take the time to do the simple math: if I can only give 1 hour of homework a night and assign 1/2 hour of reading and 1/2 hour of questions on the text, I can not assign anything else for that night, including<br />work on any on-going projects.<br /><br />I get that sometimes assignments may take longer than teachers expect, or that scheduling projects amongst teachers may be difficult, but too many teachers and P/VPs blatently disregard the policy. If they actually valued the policy and want to meet its requirements, they wouldn't set up a system in their school that essentailly guaranteed failure.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com