Question for teachers

Ema of 5

Wed, May 31 2023, 8:48 pm

Can a lower elementary teacher please explain to me the need for nightly homework? Sure, it’s only supposed to take 5-10 minutes for English and 5-10 minutes for Hebrew, but it usually takes longer than that. Students, especially lower elementary, should not be leaving a lesson without fully understanding the concept. Obviously if there is an issue (which the teacher should know about before school starts) that’s a different story, and that’s not what I’m talking about. If they understand the concepts, why must they review nightly? Why does it have to be something that parents have to enforce? Teachers say “stop after x amount of time” but if you do this on a daily basis your child will get in trouble for not completing their work. Why does it need to be a nightly struggle, if most of the students are really getting the concepts?

amother

Cornsilk

Wed, May 31 2023, 9:39 pm

Former teacher and current school leader here

Going anonymous because I don't want my username to be connected to my job.

The only nightly homework I am a fan of is reading, both English and Hebrew. There's nothing quite like 5-10 minutes of focused reading time with a parent. Other than that, homework really needs to be phased out of the school system.

That said, in collaborating with school leaders from a wide variety of communities, there are many parents who judge the academic rigor of a school on the amount of homework that the students have and parents have been known to pull children out of schools that don't give homework. Now, personally, I think that's absolutely insane, but I know many school leaders who keep homework in the school system to keep parents happy and maintain their student body.

bsy

Wed, May 31 2023, 9:49 pm

amother Cornsilk wrote:

Former teacher and current school leader here

It's supposed to be 5 to 10 mins. But when a kid is resisting it and there are other children and babies in the home and supper needs to be made and served, and baths given, and still have playtime.... I'm finding it very difficult and I only have one child with such homework right now ....

Ema of 5

Wed, May 31 2023, 10:09 pm

bsy wrote:

Exactly….only I have a baby and an 11 year old as well….and they both resist. My 7 year old was doing homework tonight at 8:30 :-( We do have a unique situation, in that no one gets home until 6:00, and THEN we have to do homework, dinner, showers, bedtime….two hours just isn’t enough time, and it’s not her fault. I mean, she also doesn’t like doing her homework, but it all plays a part.

Ema of 5

Wed, May 31 2023, 10:12 pm

amother Cornsilk wrote:

Former teacher and current school leader here

Yea, that’s not me. I judge a school by how much the students actually know. I’m sure there are parents like that in my kids’ schools, but it’s not something we talk about.

amother

Chartreuse

Wed, May 31 2023, 10:23 pm

bsy wrote:

Same here, only my oldest has homework so far and it's just too much!! I work a whole day and I need my evenings to do housework and laundry and cooking and dishes and cleaning and bath time and taking care of the toddler/baby. I can't spend my evening being a teacher!!

My second trader has ten minutes of English reading every night plus a double sided math sheet plus spelling words. The rebbi also gives kriah and chumash and shorashim practice. And he is usually not interested in doing it after sitting in a school from 9-430 and I don't blame him!!
Its insane and unfair!!

bsy

Wed, May 31 2023, 10:31 pm

amother Chartreuse wrote:

Totally relate. Next year will have 2 kids with homework and I honestly don't know when they will have time to play and go outside. Officially it's a few minutes but realistically it's closer to 20, at least for my oldest who " just" has kriah and reading

amother

Pumpkin

Wed, May 31 2023, 10:33 pm

As someone who has taught many grades over the years, as well as a parent who has struggled with getting her kids to do their homework, I can try to answer your question. There are a couple of points to consider:

1. Assigning small amounts of HW consistently trains children to develop good study habits for life, I.e. checking a HW sheet or planner every evening, finding somewhere quiet that's conducive to studying, being organized with their time and materials, etc.

2. Much of the HW that's assigned in younger grades is review in order to build skills, rather than learning concepts. While certain children might get these skills right away, many others don't and need the extra review. It would be hard, and certainly embarrassing or damaging, for a teacher to assign HW only to certain weaker students.

That being said, if there is a time limit to the HW (as there should be in younger grades), then there is nothing wrong with writing a quick note to the rebbe/morah that your child was stopped after working for 10 minutes and the child shouldn't be penalized for not finishing his work.

Hatzlacha!

GLUE

Wed, May 31 2023, 10:38 pm

amother Cornsilk wrote:

in collaborating with school leaders from a wide variety of communities, there are many parents who judge the academic rigor of a school on the amount of homework that the students have and parents have been known to pull children out of schools that don't give homework. Now, personally, I think that's absolutely insane, but I know many school leaders who keep homework in the school system to keep parents happy and maintain their student body.

I clearly hang out in the wrong crowd because I have never heard of anyone pulling there kid out because there was to little homework

Are you sure this is not an urban myth?

GLUE

Wed, May 31 2023, 10:42 pm

amother Pumpkin wrote:

Much of the HW that's assigned in younger grades is review in order to build skills, rather than learning concepts. While certain children might get these skills right away, many others don't and need the extra review. It would be hard, and certainly embarrassing or damaging, for a teacher to assign HW only to certain weaker students.

As a parent of weak and strong students it is a bigger punishment to give homework to week students.
This is the problem of the school system in a nutshell if a kid does not get it in school just punish him\her along with there parents and make them figure it out at home.

amother

Chartreuse

Wed, May 31 2023, 10:42 pm

amother Pumpkin wrote:

I don't agree with a lot of what you wrote.

Re 1-no, hw does not teach life skills. It is way overrated. I was a goody goody student and I always did my homework, but I have siblings and friends who were the opposite. As adults they are all responsible, hardworking and organized, even though they didn't do much homework
Forcing a 10 year old to sit and do homework after sitting for 7.5 hours just builds hatred and resentment towards school. It doesn't teach any life skills.

Re weaker students-the solution is not for them to do more homework. Who said their parents are even trained to tutor a child with learning difficulties? I have a brother with learning disability. Homework was a nightmare. My mom and dad were so frustrated trying to to practice the material with him and he wasn't getting it and they didn't know what to do.
Weak students need differentiated instruction, resource room etc. Not extra homework. So the whole "we need to give stronger kids hw so the weaker kids won't feel bad" is baloney.

And how can my child stop working after 10 minutes if he is required to read English for 10 minutes + double sided math sheet+ spelling words + 2 pages kriah+ some pesukim of chumash + sharashim review?
Which parts should I allow him to skip?

amother

Chartreuse

Wed, May 31 2023, 10:46 pm

keym wrote:

I don't object so strenuously to 2 minutes Hebrew, 2 minutes English homework in the winter. (My 3rd grader has 2 pesukim and 2 math problems a night, my primary son has 1 kriah page).
I don't love it, but I understand the concept.

After Pesach, I 100% object.
It's beautiful outside. The kids were inside for 7,8 hours. They want to play outside, not be forced to read a perek of tehillim or review spelling words

Agree there should be no homework after pesach!!

And it is an absolute chutzpah to give homework on Thursday night!! If you give homework then you can come cook and clean for me. I work Fridays and I have zero cleaning help!!

amother

Candycane

Sun, Jun 04 2023, 1:38 pm

amother Chartreuse wrote:

And how can my child stop working after 10 minutes if he is required to read English for 10 minutes + double sided math sheet+ spelling words + 2 pages kriah+ some pesukim of chumash + sharashim review?
Which parts should I allow him to skip?

I'd allow him to skip everything except one kodesh and one chol assignment. Either you can choose which parts to skip or he can choose. It's probably better to choose different subjects to do each night.

smss

Sun, Jun 04 2023, 1:57 pm

Research does not support homework in elementary school.

Research does support reading every day in order to become a better reader.
For English- my preference is to help children find books they love and want to read on their own, rather than enforcing a specific amount of time/specific reading material.
For Hebrew- that's not really possible assuming kids are not Hebrew speakers. So I do think it's important for a child to practice kriah for a few minutes a day with an adult. This can happen at school with a low enough teacher/student ratio. Otherwise it might need to happen at home.

amother

Khaki

Sun, Jun 04 2023, 2:16 pm

I was a lower and middle elementary school teacher for 17 years.

I do not believe that parents should have to teach their kids at the end of a long day.

I had pressure from the school to give HW so I gave 1 or 2 chumash pesukim from 2 days ago that Everyone knew perfectly.

I had arrangements with many students who told me their mother is so busy at night... that the kid could sign it themselves.

After Pesach, I still assigned HW but left the last 5 minutes of class for them to do it and then I went around signing for everyone. It was silly and the kids Loved it!!

amother

Hibiscus

Sun, Jun 04 2023, 2:24 pm

I am in education (not a classroom teacher though) and I really do not like homework. The only homework I think is important is reading practice for young children (Hebrew and English).

I’m tired of battling with my bright son over doing his homework. For general studies he has to do a worksheet every night, which usually feels like busywork. I think the administration makes the teachers send it home. Can my son please spend some time playing outside? He spent the whole day in a classroom. I don’t think most of the work sent home is important for him (but I make him do it anyway).