tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.comments2023-07-30T06:56:42.018-07:00Parenting is PoliticalStepfordTOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08340282997915000608noreply@blogger.comBlogger301125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-67751293142061226652019-05-15T02:19:20.683-07:002019-05-15T02:19:20.683-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.vasanthanjuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07931012435433131967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-66762729513899996602019-04-19T06:28:57.968-07:002019-04-19T06:28:57.968-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Jack Johnnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09933608625883364901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-90859946374618341582019-04-10T03:22:58.621-07:002019-04-10T03:22:58.621-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.gohar KHAnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15039427069834862805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-32529168063324661572018-09-25T11:39:27.415-07:002018-09-25T11:39:27.415-07:00Hi: I just stumbled over your blog again after a ...Hi: I just stumbled over your blog again after a couple of years of absence...how opportune! My daughter has just started the final year of HS and I cannot wait for it to be over. I practically begged her not to go ....hoping that we could be brave enough to do something else..but the pressure was just too great. It's only week 4 and the chimes go off every morning.."I hate school" "I don't want to go to school"...how will I last til June? We need a Wizard of OZ moment, you know, where Toto pulls back the curtain to reveal a mere mortal as the great and powerful oz. In this case, we need to reveal the banality of our education system and the whole university charade..<br /><br />Thanks for writing your piece...I love my child dearly and feel bad that I couldn't save her from high school..Shirleynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-51572128985119348232018-04-15T04:24:00.889-07:002018-04-15T04:24:00.889-07:00Gender neutral. I like that! Not just girls waitin...Gender neutral. I like that! Not just girls waiting to be asked!mariaconzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11934140133901962872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-473725559417800412018-03-16T22:08:12.581-07:002018-03-16T22:08:12.581-07:00Thanks, Tracy. It does feel incredibly freeing to ...Thanks, Tracy. It does feel incredibly freeing to be disentangled once and for all from high school and from the education system in general. (My experience of school the second time around, as a parent, was in many ways worse than the first time--and that was pretty bad!) I look forward to hearing your thoughts next year when you're finally "emancipated." :) In the meantime, hang in there...StepfordTOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08340282997915000608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-56952794909623763822018-03-16T07:37:15.349-07:002018-03-16T07:37:15.349-07:00Excellent. You've nailed it. Everything I want...Excellent. You've nailed it. Everything I want to say, and more, but can't - until high school is finally over for us next year. I'm counting the days... bachwordshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09667025295433857506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-15788151504965278802017-11-02T05:20:08.840-07:002017-11-02T05:20:08.840-07:00This blog let me felt delighted with its sensible ...This blog let me felt delighted with its sensible writing. When I started to read first line I got to know that there is something to learn when I will touch its bottom. And yes I learn a lot.<a href="http://theplannereducation.com/home/%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%99-ielts/" rel="nofollow">เรียน ielts ที่ไหนดี</a>mrkdvsnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09327782819628187575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-21277240984506243592017-08-26T04:33:52.783-07:002017-08-26T04:33:52.783-07:00Brilliantly communicated.Breath taking quality. Wo...Brilliantly communicated.Breath taking quality. Worth Reading.<br /><a href="http://essaywriters.us/" rel="nofollow">https://essaywriters.us/</a><br />Rockethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10731517671016296799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-7779387303273124692017-03-07T11:13:41.902-08:002017-03-07T11:13:41.902-08:00Positive site, where did u come up the information...Positive site, where did u come up the information on this posting?I have read a few of the articles on your website now, and I really like your style. Thanks a million and please keep up the effective work. <b><a href="http://kidscampaustin.weebly.com/" rel="nofollow">SUmmer camp</a></b>Harishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05056305160259118509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-50916178419279735982016-09-23T07:30:10.649-07:002016-09-23T07:30:10.649-07:00Hi Aviva,
Thanks so much for your comment.
That&...Hi Aviva,<br /><br />Thanks so much for your comment.<br /><br />That's a really good point about better or increased parent engagement possibly mitigating parents' demands for homework. Though I also think that ideally homework could be slightly more differentiated--so, given to those who (or whose parents) want/demand it, but not seen as the default for all kids. I do agree that a moderate amount of homework for math makes sense. The problem, especially at the secondary level, is that the math homework takes 2-3 hours/night, but then kids also have homework from their other 6 or 7 courses. It's definitely a problem and one that I do believe has implications for students' mental health, but I concede that there are no easy solutions.<br />StepfordTOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08340282997915000608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-62378356161413102932016-09-23T03:09:51.332-07:002016-09-23T03:09:51.332-07:00I am very eager to listen to this interview. I def...I am very eager to listen to this interview. I definitely have many of my own concerns with homework, and this is a topic that I've thought about a lot over the years. Some parents really want homework, and I think that this might be because they want to know what's happening at school. With increased parent engagement, would the desire for homework, decrease? I don't know how all of this plays out at a second school level. Also, how do all subjects play into this discussion? If we think homework is necessary for language or math, what about The Arts or physical activity? If students were encouraged to move more and get outside more for "homework," would this make a positive impact on their mental health, and ultimately, on their academic achievement? I'm definitely still wondering a lot on this topic. I'm curious to hear what others say too. <br /><br /><br />Aviva Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09476677338722814010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-22011415503557990822016-08-26T02:03:03.909-07:002016-08-26T02:03:03.909-07:00Link exchange is nothing else but it is simply pla...Link exchange is nothing else but it is simply placing the other person’s website link on your page at suitable place and other person will also do similar in support of you. <a href="http://www.bricks4kidz.com.sg/" rel="nofollow">Birthday parties singapore</a>Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10116558347774163480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-46833383888058853992016-03-06T22:43:07.988-08:002016-03-06T22:43:07.988-08:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.MarkShitamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12118349597102593470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-49724299248489373942015-12-09T10:05:44.490-08:002015-12-09T10:05:44.490-08:00Hi FedUpMom!
I too think (and despair) a lot abou...Hi FedUpMom!<br /><br />I too think (and despair) a lot about the constant judgement and its negative effects on kids. I remember even in elementary school, every single thing the kids produced was judged and graded--even their Mother's Day card to me, one year! And, of course, it's worse in high school because of kids' sense (encouraged by schools and teachers) that the stakes are way higher. I was hoping university would be a kind of escape from this prison of mindless, needless competition, but probably not. Sigh.<br /><br />Thanks for your comment. It's great to hear from you again.<br />StepfordTOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08340282997915000608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-17610071059923505132015-12-08T06:05:45.772-08:002015-12-08T06:05:45.772-08:00High school. What a nightmare. I've been thi...High school. What a nightmare. I've been thinking recently about the amount of judgement we subject kids to, all the flippin' time. There's nothing remotely like it in adult life. I've never heard of a workplace where every piece of paper you produce comes back to you with a grade on it. No wonder kids have anxiety and depression. And then they begin their adult lives with a stack of rejection letters from colleges! Hmmm ... this could be a blog post ...FedUpMomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00951858601020687242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-90406991883816156412015-10-21T01:39:46.397-07:002015-10-21T01:39:46.397-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11963129215000742834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-29069798081251474492015-04-28T18:51:33.091-07:002015-04-28T18:51:33.091-07:00Hi FedUpMom!
Sorry about Google eating your comme...Hi FedUpMom!<br /><br />Sorry about Google eating your comment, but thanks for trying again.<br /><br />What a terrible, sad story, and what makes it worse is that it's not as surprising or shocking as it should be. So frustrating that even when faced with evidence of the horrific consequences of school policies and practices, administrators continue to focus their attention on kids' mental health—the problem is always with the kids, never the system.<br /><br />I agree, too, that the "kids need to advocate for themselves" line is disingenuous. My kids rarely bother even trying to self-advocate. The few times they've tried (including over homework scheduling conflicts), they've gotten nowhere. Kids have no real power in school, and they know it.<br />StepfordTOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08340282997915000608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-50255896578714129192015-04-28T11:13:26.770-07:002015-04-28T11:13:26.770-07:00Arg! Google ate my comment! I'll try again!
...Arg! Google ate my comment! I'll try again!<br /><br />Our district recently had a tragic suicide of a 13-year-old boy. He had just gotten an email from one of his teachers saying the boy would fail his class if he didn't turn in his overdue homework. The result is various experts giving presentations about our kids' mental health, but no actual change in what the schools do.<br /><br />And I see you've gotten one of my least favorite standard bureaucratic responses: telling the student to advocate for herself. When it suits the bureaucrats, they like to forget the huge power imbalance between teacher and student. It's like telling the chickens they should approach the fox and advocate for themselves. <br /><br />I have the same goal these days: trying to get my teenaged daughter through high school with mental health intact. It's not easy, and she won't be competitive with her high-performing peers. Sigh.FedUpMomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00951858601020687242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-2336516238316615612015-02-27T20:12:48.356-08:002015-02-27T20:12:48.356-08:00Sex education is very important... With the improv...Sex education is very important... With the improvement with technology we have to care about this.. <br /><a href="http://gasajamukuat.com" rel="nofollow">Gasa</a> | <a href="http://foredipriaperkasa.com" rel="nofollow">Foredi</a><br />Seo Mediahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14398852132713710282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-71259472897888132712015-02-16T08:43:29.652-08:002015-02-16T08:43:29.652-08:00Great article about agendas! (sorry, I posted as a...Great article about agendas! (sorry, I posted as anonymous again). I do keep track of homework after all the problems in the past, knowing I can't just leave it to my word vs. the teacher's. <br /><br />My youngest son's teacher does seem to follow the homework policy, so there's very little of it (thank goodness!), but she STILL insists on using agendas. My son doesn't see the point of having to write out "read for 20 minutes" every day or "pizza lunch tomorrow" when he doesn't eat pizza. I don't bother signing it because it's just busy work for both of us. He also doesn't think the paper agenda system works for him (why do they think one system will work for everyone?) and wants to do it online, because the homework they do get is all done in Google drive anyway.<br />-TrixieAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-33232520131986920202015-02-15T18:47:37.960-08:002015-02-15T18:47:37.960-08:00Anonymous: Don't get me started on agendas! I ...Anonymous: Don't get me started on agendas! I think they're a symptom of so much that is wrong with contemporary schools—actually I once wrote an entire post arguing as much (see <a href="http://www.northtomom.blogspot.ca/2011/11/life-in-21st-century-classooms-agenda.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>). But I agree that no elementary kid should have so much homework that he or she needs a planner to keep track of it. I didn't even need one in high school! That said, I think it's a great idea to document how much homework is coming home (either via Edmodo or by some other means) because often teachers don't seem to realize how much kids have (especially if there are multiple teachers involved) or how much time it takes kids to do it. Maybe if more parents (or kids) did this, teachers would clue in and start assigning less homework. But I also wonder why we should have to go to so much trouble when, as you say, the homework policy is supposed to prevent too much homework from being sent home in the first place.StepfordTOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08340282997915000608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-69527690433170386072015-02-15T18:27:11.527-08:002015-02-15T18:27:11.527-08:00Julie V.,
Thanks for commenting. I agree that it...Julie V.,<br /><br /> Thanks for commenting. I agree that it would be interesting to compare homework loads across classes and schools, but I also think that no matter what is considered "normal," if it's too much for your son, it's too much, period. To say nothing of the fact that, as you point out, the new "normal" with respect to homework really isn't (normal). It bugs me that despite all the recent research showing that homework in elementary school is not very effective (by any measure), huge amounts of it are still being assigned. When will teachers and administrators stop equating quantity with quality?StepfordTOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08340282997915000608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-73869744111007817972015-02-15T11:49:01.870-08:002015-02-15T11:49:01.870-08:00Sorry, that should have read "How did the sch...Sorry, that should have read "How did the school board (especially one that CREATED A POLICY WHICH SHOULD minimize the amount of homework in elementary school)"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844167015224368882.post-38677705201639898632015-02-15T11:45:52.367-08:002015-02-15T11:45:52.367-08:00I was so glad the one of my son's classmates p...I was so glad the one of my son's classmates posted their (grade 6) nightly homework on Edmodo (an online classroom program) each day. It created a record I could print to show the teacher/principal just how much homework was assigned. To see it written out actually suprised them, as they thought there wasn't much homework going home. It blew my mind that they didn't have any record of their own of the homework they had been giving.<br /><br />On a different note, I knew homework was going to be an issue as soon as the my kids' teachers had to teach the students ways to keep track of the homework. As an elementary student I didn't need a student agenda or Edmodo or any kind of 'system' to keep track of homework. The only homework we had (in elementary grades) was to finish up anything we didn't do in class, the occasional project, or reading. No need to keep track of anything, as we just brought home the incompleted worksheets/notebooks and knew that's what we had to do. Or the teacher reminded us of the project we had to work on and since it was the only homework, we didn't need to create a list. Or we just read more of the book we were studying and needed nothing more than the teacher telling us what chapter we should be on. How did the school board (especially one that minimizes the amount of homework in elementary school) create such a chaotic system that 7 year olds needs to keep day planners to organize the work they do at home? If they followed their own homework policy then agendas, day planners, and organizing skills (that many adults haven't mastered) would not be necessary for elementary students.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com