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The Kids Need Homework
What made me change my mind: my own kids
I am a teacher of 20 years. I am also a mom of two. And recently, I changed my mind: the kids need homework.
I’ve switched sides a handful of times on this issue — before I had kids, I used to assign my high school English students homework regularly. Usually, it was sections of a book or continuing to work on an essay. But then, I stopped assigning it. Why? Many students weren’t doing it. And I wondered: if my class is rigorous and we use every minute in a purposeful way, shouldn’t they catch a break in the afternoon and evening? And: if students aren’t doing it, is it because they have challenges in their lives at home that may not permit homework as a regular routine? But that sort of thinking does students a massive disservice: we think they can’t — so we don’t. But doesn’t that thinking belong to a deficit mindset?
Every day this year, my daughter has had some form of homework. She’s in the fifth grade. Usually, it’s a math practice sheet; sometimes it’s finishing up on a piece of writing. Other times, she’s supposed to finish a section of reading for her reading group book. Here’s what I’ve noticed: this routine, of having something required of her in the evenings, has made her more invested. She has grown tremendously as a student this year, which I largely attribute to high standards held by her teachers…