Avoiding the Homework Hassle

Homework can be such a struggle at home.  I know that I am already dreading the battles at the kitchen table that we might have!  At every parent teacher conference I have been a part of, parents bring up the struggles and hassles of doing homework at home.  Today I ran across this blog that pretty much nails the ideal homework routine.  As kids get older and have more after school activities, this might be more difficult to accomplish, but it's a great plan to implement early.

If I had a dollar for every time a student told me they didn't have TIME to do their homework or it was too late when they got home to work on it....I would have a very fat shopping account!  As a teacher I tried to instill the value and importance to doing their homework.  It's part of their responsibility as a student.  Relating school to life is always a good thing so I would say, "What would happen if Mrs. Sieh came to school and didn't have her lesson plans done for the week?"  The kids undoubtedly say, "You would get fired!"  Well, it wouldn't be acceptable that is for sure.  Not completing their homework doesn't mean they would get fired from 3rd grade, but its the skills, lessons, and discipline they are learning in 3rd grade (or whichever grade they are in) that they will carry with them into adulthood.

Being disciplined to sit down and do homework before playing or going to special activities is a life long skill.  Students will only be set up for success by doing this and will be able to self manage a lot better.  It gets harder and harder to teach them that when they are in high school or college.

Sure there are times when I haven't always liked homework.  Even when I was taking graduate classes at UNL.  It is probably safe to assume everyone has not enjoyed it at some point.  Still, it is a necessary part to the learning process.  Students spend their day learning skills so homework is a chance to reinforce and practice those skills.  I tell parents even if students don't bring home assigned homework, they should be reading every night for at least 15 minutes and practicing some kind of math skill or flashcards.

So take some time as a family and sit down and come up with a plan for homework.  Let everyone get involved in creating an inviting homework space.  Try to make it a little fun so students don't mind sitting down to do their homework.  Read the link below to get some ideas on creating a great homework routine.

http://simpleasthatblog.com/2014/09/5-simple-tips-stress-free-homework-time.html

The Heart of a School

Sadly there is evil in the world. Bad things happen to good people. Children are struck with cancer or orphaned at a young age.  In a little over a decade, school shootings have become more frequent. A place that is happy and safe isn't immune from danger and evil. 

Despite the sadness and terror and heartbreak that results from such tragic events there is also hope and resurrection. Not that long ago we recall Sandy Hook. After some healing one parent gave thanks to the brave staff that risked their lives to save her child and others. 

I have read this article before but every time I read it, it brings tears to my eyes and my heart swells with pride to be a teacher.  I encourage you to read it. Schools have changed so much over the years. My intent on encouraging you to read this is not to say teachers are heros or more important than others. Rather the intent is to have you see that there is a lot more that goes on at school other than teaching kids to read, write, and add or subtract.  Teachers aren't there just to collect a paycheck. They can find a lot of other jobs with higher salaries than education for that. All the teachers I have know would risk their lives or turn into Mama Bears or Grizzly Bears to protect their student "cubs."  

Thanks for reading....

This article comes from edweek.org

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/09/06/03marquezgreen.h33.html

The Value of Handwriting

Handwriting.  With all of the demands placed on schools and teachers to make sure they are teaching the core classes due to state testing and requirements, there leaves little room for some of the other skills that have been taught in the past.  One of them being handwriting.  In fact, years ago, handwriting used to be a major part of a students’ day.  Although I am not terribly old, I remember my 3^rd and 4^th grade teacher making us spend hours and hours perfecting our loops and curves.  As a class we would groan when we had to rewrite an entire paper because of one little mistake at the bottom of the page.  Instead of doing workbook pages and circling the correct answer, we would have to write out the entire sentence with the correct answer inserted into the sentence.  At age 9 or 10 it seemed like torture!  Honestly, we couldn’t wait to learn how to write in cursive, but once we learned it, the assignments and perfection of it all seemed too much to take.  Despite what seemed like torture to a 9 year old, we practiced and practiced, and practices and soon became very good at cursive writing.  It didn’t take long before our papers were neat, organized, and we didn’t have to glance above the chalkboard for help when we forgot how to form a letter.  

  

By the time we got to be in high school, we could decide what style of handwriting we wanted to use.  Most of my friends still used cursive because we had been expected to use it for so long.  I remember experimenting with my handwriting in college.  Sometimes it would be cursive, print, or a little bit of both.  I stopped writing in cursive for a while and then I had a college class that required I show off my, by that time, less than stellar cursive writing for a grade for one of my elementary education classes.  I had to produce a portfolio of letters and words like I was teaching a class to 3^rd graders on huge piece of chart paper no less.  Well, I didn’t get an A on that assignment and I was very mad.  What did it matter that I didn’t make a perfect “m?”  I had stopped using that skill and so I was out of practice.  The assignment wouldn’t have gotten my students an ‘A’ so why should I expect an ‘A’ from my professor. 

For the last 4 years I taught 3^rd graders how to write in cursive.  They were always so excited to start learning the letters and I was excited to teach them a new skill.  However, like I mentioned before, handwriting is a skill that is slowly getting squeezed out due to the demands of reading, writing, math, and science.  I have always felt that handwriting is still a very valuable skill for kids to learn and use!  We practiced as much as we could, but just had a hard time dedicating the amount of time we needed to master the skill.  There had even been talk about cutting it out, but us teachers still thought it was a valuable skill to know and use.  If kids don’t learn cursive, how will they ever have a signature to sign a check (which may be obsolete soon) or a loan?

 A few years ago, a colleague of mine gave me an article that supports the teaching of handwriting and its’ benefits to the brain.  Handwriting is a great way to boost creativity, increase fine motor skills, and help with memory.  In the technology age we are in, studies suggest that students retain more information by writing down notes as opposed to taking notes via computer or other electronic device.  People are also starting to argue the benefits of keyboarding skills.  With so many iPads being used, some say you don’t need to learn how to type any more, you only need to know “the 3 finger claw” method for typing on an iPad.  I would also beg to differ on keyboarding skills.  There have been times that I have been typing at my desk and looking up at a student so I can finish a sentence and they are amazed that I can type that fast and without looking.  Years of practice, but yes, I can and it’s a lot faster and more productive than the hunt and peck method.  Here again, keyboarding class in junior high was painful sometimes, but it has served me well since then! 

I am sure many have opinions on whether or not handwriting is a valuable skill.  Maybe instead of spending less time on it in the classroom, we should be spending more time on it.  I encourage you to read the articles below before you decide one way or the other. 

“How Handwriting Trains the Brain” from The Wall Street Journal.  http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704631504575531932754922518

“What’s Lost as Handwriting Fades” from The New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/03/science/whats-lost-as-handwriting-fades.html?_r=0