Yes, with just 8 years under my belt, I’m considered a veteran to many colleagues. According to a 2011 Forbes education article written by Erik Kain, “46% of new teachers leave the profession within five years.” So yeah, I’m a veteran!
Back to my public service announcement to parents.
This is about homework: Please enforce the completion of homework on a daily basis at home.
Teachers are aware of the difficulty some face when working the task of doing homework into their already packed schedules, but there really is no other choice. As adults, we work on the clock and off the clock; on the weekends and late into the midnight hour. It’s a part of life to expect to do some type of work outside of WORK if you want to get ahead in life. Why not enforce this expectation with children early on?
It makes little sense to ignore homework with the thought, “My child works hard enough for you [teacher] during the day.” Yes. Believe it or not, this statement came from the mouth of a parent. I would hope parents and students are aware that homework is not for the teacher! It’s not for the parent either (so please stop doing your child’s work!). Homework is to reinforce skills previously taught, provide extra practice, and if for no other reason than to help students get into the habit of working outside of WORK!
Picture this scenario…young man comes into the house after a long day at school. “Hey Mom and Dad! We don’t have homework tonight,” says the child attempting to play video games all night. That statement should not matter one bit if homework time is worked into your Monday through Thursday schedule.
Solution: GIVE HIM WORK TO DO. Read and discuss a book. Make up math problems. Play an educational game. Find an old test or worksheet with mistakes, and correct them. The possibilities are endless. If possible, you should create a dedicated space in the home dedicated to homework to get them in the mindset. You can visit Writey for one example for products to make an inspiring work space for them.
And when you read quotes such as this, “There is no reason to believe that children would be at any disadvantage in terms of their academic learning or life skills if they had much less homework, or even none at all,” IGNORE THEM! I don’t believe in hours and hours of homework, but how can you go wrong with 30 minutes or so of enriching work and 15-30 minutes of reading for fun and increased knowledge?
Why not equip your child with everything he/she needs to be a future President, teacher, entrepreneur, entertainer…I could go on and on. No matter what profession your child chooses, he/she needs a strong work ethic to back it up. It’s not too easy to pick up on this habit as an adult, so why not start now?
Source for quotes: