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• Elona Hartjes, MEd (Candidate), Ontario Certified Teacher

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There’s lots of controversy about whether or not teachers should assign homework.   I’ve written about the homework question before. My answer to the homework question is it depends on who the students  are.  New research also concludes it depends, but not on who the students are but on what the subject is the students are taking.  Homework in some subjects has little or no impact.

In an earlier post  about homework I argued

For some high school students, any amount of homework is too much. For others, no amount of homework is too much. I’ve had students tell me that they don’t do homework. They’re at school all day long, and they’re not going to take school work home with them at night. School’s school, and home’s home, and apparently the twain should never meet. I’ve had other students tell me they have no time to do homework. They have to work after school to help support the family. Other students tell me they want homework, the more homework the better. They want to do homework so they can earn those high marks that will enable them to get into the University of their choice and have the life they want.

Teachers are divided on the homework issue as well. Some teachers tell me their students should do lots of homework. There’s lots to learn after all, and there isn’t enough time in school to learn it all; consequently, students need to continue school work at home. Other teachers tell me there’s no point in giving homework to their students. Their students aren’t going to do it anyway, so why create more problems?

What do I say? I say that the amount of homework students should do needs to respect who the students are, their life circumstances and their goals. I don’t think a one-size- fits- all homework policy would be respectful of all students. My students who are disconnected from school and are at risk academically and my students who are headed for university need to have different amounts of homework. Students who are disconnected from school and are in danger of dropping out of school aren’t coming to class or working in class. Giving them homework would be pointless. Consequently,  the answer to the question of how much homework is enough is it depends on who the students are.

 

While my decision to assign or not to assign homework is informed by my students’ goals and their life circumstances,  research soon to be published in the journal Economics of Education Review suggests  the decision about assigning homework  should be informed by the subject the student is taking. Researchers determined additional math homework had large and statistically significant effects on math test scores but had little or no impact in science, English and history test scores. The study involved grade 8 students in the United States and used a method that controlled student and teacher traits.

What are we to make of this finding?

Some questions immediately spring to mind.

1. The participants in the study were grade eight students.  Would the findings be the same for students in other grades?
2. The study concluded homework had or did not have a statistically significant effect on test scores?  Is the only purpose of homework to improve test scores?
3. The study was conducted on students in the United States.  Would the data be replicated in other countries with participants of  same age?
4. What is the value of homework in the art, drama, dance or music?

 

I’m certain there are more questions to be asked. I’m also certain  this study will encourage more research on the  topic of homework.

If you are interested in reading the research paper, you can access it here.

What questions spring to mind as you read these results?

 

 

It’s getting near the end of the semester, and I feel as if I’m being buried in paper work. There seems to be an endless flow of emails to read and answer, forms to fill out, and reports to be written. I find it very stressful trying to keep on top of all the administrivia when I’m trying to cover course content before the end of the year and trying to prepare my students for exams.

You know how sometimes you can forget to do things that can be really helpful. Well, I forgot about the one minute rule.   The one minute rule is  an excellent strategy to help reduce the stress of dealing with much of the paper work I have to do that is trivial but deemed essential.  Of course, I have to remember to use the one minute rule.

What is the one minute rule?  It’s a strategy that encourages me to complete any administrative task that I can complete in a minute. Often, a minute is all  it takes to read an email and send a reply or complete a form and return it to administration or guidance.  The one minute rule  helps prevent small tasks from piling up and becoming  giant chores. I have to thank Gretchen Ruben for making me aware of the one minute rule.

The one minute rule is an antidote to stress and resentment. It helps me change the way I look at the demands on my time and energy. When faced with yet another administrative  task <sigh>, I tell  myself  it’ll only take a minute to complete the task  and  because a minute  isn’t a very big commitment  it’s no big deal.  I can relax. I don’t dwell on the fact that those minutes can add up.  That would be counter productive. Positive self talk is  important in helping reduce stress.

I think I’ll put a post-it note on my desk tomorrow  to remind me about the one minute rule.

 

photo thanks to  Morton Fox

Sometimes life get to be a bit much, and I need to take a few minutes to relax. I can’t go for a walk now because it’s raining.  Actually, it’s been raining for the last 6 days. 

Walking is my favourite way to relax, but I also like doing jigsaw puzzles to relax. I just get lost in the puzzle and forget everything.

I invite you to relax too for a few minutes too by completing the mini daffodil jig saw puzzle below.

There that’s better. Now back to work.

What do you do to relax on a rainy day when things get a bit much?

All school libraries are being closed by the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board. What a novel way to promote reading < sarcasm >. What a novel way to improve literary <more sarcasm>. The EQAO scores are going to soar <still more sarcasm>.

A school in Sudbury which no longer has a library takes its students to the public library twice a month. Bravo! <sarcasm>

Cathy Geml, an associate director of the Windsor Catholic School Board, argues that the act of walking to the school library, choosing books to read and returning to class wastes instructional time. No, I’m not kidding. Geml actually said that. The provinces  literacy and numeracy secretariat  maintains  every elementary classroom should have 1000-1500 books. Geml argues that is impossible,  but with the libraries closed one school has 200 – 250 books per classroom.  Teachers can help students choose books. Helping students choose books isn’t going to cut into instructional time. Keeping track of who had what book isn’t going to cut into instructional time?

Geml also says that after making a few calls to school libraries, she discovered that at one school a single book had been signed out. One book indeed <sarcasm>. Geml argues we need to be teaching 21st century learning skills, and the library space will be used for music, arts or drama. But, music, arts and drama programs are being cut too, so they don’t need space.

 

Small wonder the Ontario School Library Association called an emergency meeting.

Are kids going to be able to read books on their banned cell phones now?

You can read more about this in today’s front page of the Toronto Star or here and weep about the logic.

Is this happening where you are?

 

 

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