Adapting

How could you adapt or change one of your current class/course policies to reflect a moving mindset? Is this a change you are willing to make? Why or Why not? When thinking about this question I had to ask myself where am I now? Am I Down With or Done With Homework? I am definitely down with it. My students are 4 - 5 math problems that either revisit the current concept being taught or act as a review for past skills. The problems are are a mix of computation and word problems. The other portion of the homework is centered around the spelling skill for the week. At the beginning of the year I give a sample homework assignment in class to gauge the amount of time it takes to complete. I take the average time and am able to tell my parents that the homework should not take more than (this year) 10 minutes to complete. In December I was mortified when a parent told me it was taking her son 2 1/2 hours to complete his homework. I could not understand how - he is a bright boy, somewhat distracted, but nonetheless bright. To solve the problem I decided to time him in class. It did indeed take him 35 minutes to complete two word problems. What I observed was that he was constantly looking around the room, tapping his pencil, talking to peers, trying his hand at the review work the other students were completing. When I finally called it quits I showed him my timer and asked his progress, he was disappointed in himself that he could not even complete the other problem. In his mind he told me only a couple minutes had passed. Mom and I met again and I shared what I had observed. During this second meeting I learned that in addition to the work I assign mom and dad were giving 5 - 6 worksheets for him to complete! Mom said she felt that more practice was good for him. She said she would buy books at a teacher store and give him pages to do along with his class work. I asked that she not give him any extra work until he could do my assignments in under 20 minutes. Within 3 weeks he was able to complete all my work in 12 minutes. What I am trying to get at is there has to be a balance. The work needs to be relevant, students need distraction free learning area at home, and as much as possible, at school. Am I willing to forgo homework? No/Yes. NO - The plain and simple truth is that with as much as we have to teach our little ones to prepare them for ISTEP and IREAD and whatever else lies ahead we need to send a bit of work home. Parents need to see what the expectations are for today's second graders. YES - I think that as I evolve as a 21st Century Teacher, I will learn ways to help my students foster a love of learning through creative homework. When this happens, I see myself assigning self-paced, inquiry based learning activities that will require an at home connection. To that end my Monday - Thursday homework would disappear.