School & Classroom Homework

[JLS]

and I grew up on farm and remember more Flintstones & Gilligan's Island than I do homework

Mary Ann or Ginger?

 

[Redmt]

This may not be a fair comparison from then to now as my "youngest" is 44 and my son 47. BUT!!! The school system then was so bad that we home schooled with direction of the school district all through 1-8th grade. My daughter would spend an hour or so a day to complete the assignments. My son would knock it out in a few hours one day a week! They both graduated with nearly all straight A's . They both graduated highschool with straight A's also. They both went on to be independent business owners. My question here is what the hell are these kids doing all day in school, getting mediocre grades, when home school kids are so unbelievably advanced in much less time spent?
Homework? Is that the make-up for the lack of what they now call teachers inability to "teach" in class?

 

[Northwoods]

Meanwhile in China…

 

[Lilhowie83]

This may not be a fair comparison from then to now as my "youngest" is 44 and my son 47. BUT!!! The school system then was so bad that we home schooled with direction of the school district all through 1-8th grade. My daughter would spend an hour or so a day to complete the assignments. My son would knock it out in a few hours one day a week! They both graduated with nearly all straight A's . They both graduated highschool with straight A's also. They both went on to be independent business owners. My question here is what the hell are these kids doing all day in school, getting mediocre grades, when home school kids are so unbelievably advanced in much less time spent?
Homework? Is that the make-up for the lack of what they now call teachers inability to "teach" in class?

I echo your thoughts exactly. We home schooled our 4 oldest until 6th grade and they could knock out their days work in a couple of hours.

 

[rtraverdavis]

So, how are your kids doing on math and English proficiency? Oregon as a state overall looks awful.

My daughter had AP papers all the time as homework, and math homework every day.

I'm not saying it has to be hours a night, but I just don't see a plan to stop dumbing down our kids. From remote learning, which smarter parts of the world knew was wrong very quickly, to lowering standards for "equity", to "opting out" of testing (we'd rather not know) which you know Oregon did, there seems to be no end to chasing mediocrity.

It does look awful. My students are doing okay relative to Oregon averages. Online learning was incredibly destructive for most kids, and the worst for those in lower socioeconomic groups.

The thing about homework and middle school is, for the most part, even fairly studious, self-motivated kids generally won’t do it unless they have parents breathing down their necks to make them. I try to run a reasonably tight ship while in class to give kids the content and skills that they need, with plenty of practice to master the material. Piling on homework every night would certainly give them more practice at those skills, but it’s not going to expose them to more skills than they’re already exposed to. And busy work can be soul crushing. Maybe I’m too soft.

I do know that I have far too many students and not enough time in the day, and there is always more to do to help them improve. Speaking of which, time to go try and do that and get the heck off of HT for now.

 

[Nick87]

Public school teacher here.

I don’t assign homework. If a student doesn’t finish an assignment in the allotted class time, then it becomes homework. Waste time in class, pay the price at home.

I hate hearing that folks think that public school turns kids into drones. Should be the opposite. My whole focus is on teaching kids to be independent, critical thinkers.

OP, I’d shoot your kid’s teacher an email and kindly ask for a rationale behind the amount of homework.

I wish more teachers around here did it that way..I dont mind some homework. I just wish that the teachers made sure that the children understand it before they send it home. I try to help best I can but the majority of what they bring home I don't remember and haven't used since middle/high school, frustrating at times to say the least.

 

[Redmt]

I echo your thoughts exactly. We home schooled our 4 oldest until 6th grade and they could knock out their days work in a couple of hours.

I see the same in my grand kids. One in 6th grade the other a freshman. They both are bored stiff. There's nothing to keep their interest. Both of them are not rocket science brilliant but they are smart enough to be on a level 2 years ahead of the education curve. It seems school now a days is little more than public funded babysitting.

 

[Nick87]

It does look awful. My students are doing okay relative to Oregon averages. Online learning was incredibly destructive for most kids, and the worst for those in lower socioeconomic groups.

The thing about homework and middle school is, for the most part, even fairly studious, self-motivated kids generally won’t do it unless they have parents breathing down their necks to make them. I try to run a reasonably tight ship while in class to give kids the content and skills that they need, with plenty of practice to master the material. Piling on homework every night would certainly give them more practice at those skills, but it’s not going to expose them to more skills than they’re already exposed to. And busy work can be soul crushing. Maybe I’m too soft.

I do know that I have far too many students and not enough time in the day, and there is always more to do to help them improve. Speaking of which, time to go try and do that and get the heck off of HT for now.

Do you make the kids call you sammich freak?

 

[Redmt]

Another side note,,,I personally know 2 teachers that have quit from 2 different school districts. Their reason for quitting was the politics forced on them from the school districts administration. That's a shame. Qualified, devoted teachers that chose to quit because of administration.

 

[JLS]

It seems school now a days is little more than public funded babysitting.

Sorry that’s been your experience. Our kids went through/are going through a public school district of thousands of kids. I’d call it anything but babysitting.

 

[Redmt]

Sorry that’s been your experience. Our kids went through/are going through a public school district of thousands of kids. I’d call it anything but babysitting.

How are your kids doing? Ahead? Behind? Average? One of the issues I can see is that all the kids are not on the same level. Some will struggle, some just skate on through and others sit there board to death.

 

[morley.tyler]

Mary Ann or Ginger?

Mary Ann.

What kind of question is that.

 

[Redmt]

X2 for Mary Anne

 

[Straight Arrow]

... board to death.

Bored to death ... when they should be working on their spelling.

(Spellcheck meant with humor; we all struggle.)

 

[Redmt]

Bored to death ... when they should be working on their spelling.

(Spellcheck meant with humor; we all struggle.)

Copy! And I'm the spelling Nazi! Oh the shame I have brought on myself!!

 

[thomas89]

I’ve got a daughter in the first grade, “homework” is reading 15 minutes a night, and every week a math packet comes home.

Anybody wanna start bagging on common core with me?

 

[westbranch]

Sorry that’s been your experience. Our kids went through/are going through a public school district of thousands of kids. I’d call it anything but babysitting.

Babysitters for that many kids would probably be paid a lot more...

 

[JLS]

How are your kids doing? Ahead? Behind? Average?

Yes to all of these

One of the issues I can see is that all the kids are not on the same level.

Not sure about there, but here the kids can take AP classes and/or Running Start college classes. It’s certainly not one size fits all.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Pandemic lockdowns left many kids behind where they should be. I expect the schools will be pushing the kids for a while to help get them caught up. It is what it is. I agree, sending little kids home with homework every night is nuts. Shouldn't be more than two nights a week. Homework does teach kids to be responsible outside the classroom and I think that's good. But don't overdo it.

 

[cwitherow]

How are your kids doing? Ahead? Behind? Average? One of the issues I can see is that all the kids are not on the same level. Some will struggle, some just skate on through and others sit there board to death.

Often referred to as the "achievement gap". This is something every state and district struggles with.

Regarding homework, look up Standards-based grading and learning. It is the trend (at least in my area) that education is going toward. Homework is referred to as "practice" and the weight of the grade is much heavier on the assessments. Know the content? No need for additional practice. Struggling? Use that material to get things figured out.