"I CAN'T DO THIS!!!"
March 26, 2016 9:37 AM Subscribe
"Impossible" Homework Assignment? Let Your Child Do It. One of our biggest teacher headaches is getting parental emails excusing their child from doing homework because it was too hard.
For any number of reasons, students absorb the message to not try, to not push themselves, to not live in an uncomfortable moment. How should parents help when confronted with a child who says the homework is too hard?
Before firing off that email to the teacher, first look it over and determine if it is actually too hard.
“You’re looking for evidence that while it’s out of their comfort zone, it’s not completely out of their capacity zone,” said Madeline Levine, a clinical psychologist and the author, most recently, of “Teach Your Children Well: Parenting for Authentic Success.” If you, as a parent, catch yourself classifying an assignment as impossible rather than challenging, and getting ready to don your superhero cape and leap in, “break it down into chunks,” Dr. Levine said.
It's felt that resiliency aka grit in students has been on the decline in recent years. Recognizing the need for hard work and persistence has long been cited as a key factor in students' academic perseverance.
“[Students] haven’t developed skills in how to soothe themselves, because their parents have solved all their problems and removed the obstacles. They don’t seem to have as much grit as previous generations,” according to Dan Jones, past president of the Association for University and College Counseling Center Director, writing in a recent issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education.
According to Dr. Michael Hurd, instead of getting caught up in pointing the finger of blame, maybe the thing to do is start treating young people as if they have the proper tools for coping, thinking, and learning in life.
“You’re looking for evidence that while it’s out of their comfort zone, it’s not completely out of their capacity zone,” said Madeline Levine, a clinical psychologist and the author, most recently, of “Teach Your Children Well: Parenting for Authentic Success.” If you, as a parent, catch yourself classifying an assignment as impossible rather than challenging, and getting ready to don your superhero cape and leap in, “break it down into chunks,” Dr. Levine said.
It's felt that resiliency aka grit in students has been on the decline in recent years. Recognizing the need for hard work and persistence has long been cited as a key factor in students' academic perseverance.
“[Students] haven’t developed skills in how to soothe themselves, because their parents have solved all their problems and removed the obstacles. They don’t seem to have as much grit as previous generations,” according to Dan Jones, past president of the Association for University and College Counseling Center Director, writing in a recent issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education.
According to Dr. Michael Hurd, instead of getting caught up in pointing the finger of blame, maybe the thing to do is start treating young people as if they have the proper tools for coping, thinking, and learning in life.
This post was deleted for the following reason: Heya, I thought at first glance that bits of this post were just unmarked quotations, but after some searching of the links it seems like this is actually in significant part you sticking personal opinion about the issue on the front page, which isn't really how it's supposed to work with posts. -- cortex
If you, as a parent, catch yourself classifying an assignment as impossible rather than challenging,
What I see on Facebook from parent friends is a lot of complaining about the "impossibility" of common core math, especially subtraction, but sometimes mutiplication. It's pitiable for a couple of reasons. First, because their kids do understand the method using actual number sense and multiple ways of doing operations, where parents usually learned rote methods and become lost and frantic when they see numbers broken down into the parts an regrouped. But second, because it only takes a few minutes to demonstrate the method, explain why it works, and why it's superior to what they/we learned growing up. I have often thought schools should offer a few 30 minute "Here's what's coming up" classes to parents - even online - so they can be prepared to understand the work their kids are doing when it looks different from methods they were taught. If course, that's #moreworkforteachers and I can't condone that either, but it's a frustrating situation. I have a feeling this kind of thing is behind a lot of "too hard!!" commentary from parents - even as (being a former classroom teacher) I support the movement toward less homework. It's not healthy, doesn't assist learning, creates a lot of parent/child tension, and takes away potential outdoor or personal interest time.
posted by Miko at 9:58 AM on March 26, 2016 [13 favorites]
What I see on Facebook from parent friends is a lot of complaining about the "impossibility" of common core math, especially subtraction, but sometimes mutiplication. It's pitiable for a couple of reasons. First, because their kids do understand the method using actual number sense and multiple ways of doing operations, where parents usually learned rote methods and become lost and frantic when they see numbers broken down into the parts an regrouped. But second, because it only takes a few minutes to demonstrate the method, explain why it works, and why it's superior to what they/we learned growing up. I have often thought schools should offer a few 30 minute "Here's what's coming up" classes to parents - even online - so they can be prepared to understand the work their kids are doing when it looks different from methods they were taught. If course, that's #moreworkforteachers and I can't condone that either, but it's a frustrating situation. I have a feeling this kind of thing is behind a lot of "too hard!!" commentary from parents - even as (being a former classroom teacher) I support the movement toward less homework. It's not healthy, doesn't assist learning, creates a lot of parent/child tension, and takes away potential outdoor or personal interest time.
posted by Miko at 9:58 AM on March 26, 2016 [13 favorites]
Oh great, another blame-the-parents article.
I've told this story before but when my son entered public school in grade 1, we had a ton of homework. We had to read these lousy, boring leveled readers because that was The One True Way even though they started turning my son off books. We had math activities that clearly required parents.
And his first project assignment, October of grade one, I kid you not, was "design and create a new invention that really works, and complete this 10-page booklet about it. Then prepare your pitch for an invention convention!"
He got a B- because his diagram was not labeled. This is like...in the grade you finish learning to read. Also the assignment didn't ask for labels, but it was implied knowledge in the word "diagram."
As his parents we got the message, which was that we had to be directly involved _or_ he would get worse grades. Which, you know, a b in grade one isn't the worst...unless you see the other kids whose parents do the work getting As and decide you are just dumb. Which is kind of what happened.
The solution is actually really simple. Run classrooms so the kids can struggle with the hard questions there! Then assign homework that really is review for at home, at least in elementary.
posted by warriorqueen at 10:05 AM on March 26, 2016 [15 favorites]
I've told this story before but when my son entered public school in grade 1, we had a ton of homework. We had to read these lousy, boring leveled readers because that was The One True Way even though they started turning my son off books. We had math activities that clearly required parents.
And his first project assignment, October of grade one, I kid you not, was "design and create a new invention that really works, and complete this 10-page booklet about it. Then prepare your pitch for an invention convention!"
He got a B- because his diagram was not labeled. This is like...in the grade you finish learning to read. Also the assignment didn't ask for labels, but it was implied knowledge in the word "diagram."
As his parents we got the message, which was that we had to be directly involved _or_ he would get worse grades. Which, you know, a b in grade one isn't the worst...unless you see the other kids whose parents do the work getting As and decide you are just dumb. Which is kind of what happened.
The solution is actually really simple. Run classrooms so the kids can struggle with the hard questions there! Then assign homework that really is review for at home, at least in elementary.
posted by warriorqueen at 10:05 AM on March 26, 2016 [15 favorites]
My sister and I were laughing the other day at a question in my 6 year old niece's maths homework. We could not figure it out (they teach maths differently these days) but she was able to answer it. It sure is a great feeling to be outsmarted by a tiny human. As her teachers would know - last year one of her homeworks was a sheet with pictures of animals and she had to write down the number of syllables in the animal's name. 1 for cat, 3 for elephant etc. She got them all right except snake. Why had she put 3 for snake? asked her Dad. "It's a rattlesnake" she said, and you know what? It was.
posted by billiebee at 10:06 AM on March 26, 2016 [13 favorites]
posted by billiebee at 10:06 AM on March 26, 2016 [13 favorites]
What isn't great about homework that challenges students?
I mean, it depends on what you're talking about it. For me, the things that were most challenging were projects that we had to be artistic, because I have a muscle-related disability that makes it difficult for me to use scissors or use my hands in certain ways. It's just something that I am not capable of doing. For others, who may not have homes where they get a lot of sleep or attention or even a place to work in a quiet room, having something that challenges them without adult support may not be the best way to learn.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:07 AM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
I mean, it depends on what you're talking about it. For me, the things that were most challenging were projects that we had to be artistic, because I have a muscle-related disability that makes it difficult for me to use scissors or use my hands in certain ways. It's just something that I am not capable of doing. For others, who may not have homes where they get a lot of sleep or attention or even a place to work in a quiet room, having something that challenges them without adult support may not be the best way to learn.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:07 AM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
What I see on Facebook from parent friends is a lot of complaining about the "impossibility" of common core math, especially subtraction, but sometimes mutiplication. It's pitiable for a couple of reasons. First, because their kids do understand the method using actual number sense and multiple ways of doing operations, where parents usually learned rote methods and become lost and frantic when they see numbers broken down into the parts an regrouped.What kills me is that the "regrouping and reshuffling" approach is not just some fancy-pants whim on the part of academics: it's a real effort to help kids achieve numeracy and give them the building blocks they'll need for more advanced mathematics later. The alternative (rote math, with a brick wall that most students bounce off of when they have to transition to geometry/algebra/trig) is terrible.
posted by verb at 10:07 AM on March 26, 2016 [9 favorites]
Because we tend to treat every assignment as a summative assessment. Including assignments that are primarily intended for practice or to identify areas to focus on in upcoming lessons.
Everything became a high-stakes competition.
posted by schmod at 10:08 AM on March 26, 2016 [5 favorites]
Everything became a high-stakes competition.
posted by schmod at 10:08 AM on March 26, 2016 [5 favorites]
I've sometimes taught composition to college undergraduates, and I've noticed a lack of perseverance; it usually manifests as an inability to work with an idea to improve it, instead of throwing it out altogether and hoping that inspiration will hand them one that's better to begin with.
And it manifests itself in technical classes as well. They're used to working hard, but only on problems where they can immediately start to make progress. If there's no algorithm, they have a very hard time thinking about an issue on their own. They're not stupid. They're just unpracticed.
I'm not sure that homework in elementary school is the right place to practice these skills though. Isn't there a lot of evidence that homework for very young children doesn't help and might in fact be counter-productive? Do these things in class.
Students are afraid to fail; they do not take risks; they need to be certain about things. For many of them, failure is seen as catastrophic and unacceptable. (from the first link)
This seems like it's often a separate, although connected issue. Many of the students who come to my office hours to talk about their grades are worried about real, tangible consequences. They might lose a scholarship or have to repeat a semester, which they can't afford; they might not have the GPA they need to get into the business or medical school. They're concerned about their futures--and have good reason to be. They know that they've been born into a world where success is getting harder and harder to achieve.
I won't deny that there's an element of emotional fragility surrounding failure, and that some of them seem to be entitled and/or coddled, but if I had to speculate, I'd attribute that to their parents, teachers, etc all fearing the consequences of failure for them as well.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 10:09 AM on March 26, 2016 [11 favorites]
And it manifests itself in technical classes as well. They're used to working hard, but only on problems where they can immediately start to make progress. If there's no algorithm, they have a very hard time thinking about an issue on their own. They're not stupid. They're just unpracticed.
I'm not sure that homework in elementary school is the right place to practice these skills though. Isn't there a lot of evidence that homework for very young children doesn't help and might in fact be counter-productive? Do these things in class.
Students are afraid to fail; they do not take risks; they need to be certain about things. For many of them, failure is seen as catastrophic and unacceptable. (from the first link)
This seems like it's often a separate, although connected issue. Many of the students who come to my office hours to talk about their grades are worried about real, tangible consequences. They might lose a scholarship or have to repeat a semester, which they can't afford; they might not have the GPA they need to get into the business or medical school. They're concerned about their futures--and have good reason to be. They know that they've been born into a world where success is getting harder and harder to achieve.
I won't deny that there's an element of emotional fragility surrounding failure, and that some of them seem to be entitled and/or coddled, but if I had to speculate, I'd attribute that to their parents, teachers, etc all fearing the consequences of failure for them as well.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 10:09 AM on March 26, 2016 [11 favorites]
I always felt that a better approach for homework assignments was like reading in a book. Offer all the homework ahead of time, accept it as a bonus, and at any time.
posted by perianwyr at 10:09 AM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by perianwyr at 10:09 AM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
The biggest issue I have by far with homework the kiddo brings home is when the problems are poorly written or ill defined, which is surprisingly often. I think there's often an assumption that they're continuing on work that they've done in the class work and It's easy if they follow the same pattern, which since I wasn't in the classroom is a bit of a fucker if the kid wasn't paying attention. In terms of actual math content they are fine.
posted by Artw at 10:13 AM on March 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by Artw at 10:13 AM on March 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
I'm honestly really puzzled by parents who want homework to be a bunch of mindless cram-school backwash. Do we not subject children to enough soul-killing Fordist crap in schools to train them to be good, obedient little cogs? Is it just that parents have completely bought into the idea that the eleventeen trillion worksheets they're given to dutifully plow through actually do anything other than make them turn completely away from self-directed learning? Do not get it.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 10:14 AM on March 26, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 10:14 AM on March 26, 2016 [7 favorites]
Is it just that parents have completely bought into the idea that the eleventeen trillion worksheets they're given to dutifully plow through actually do anything other than make them turn completely away from self-directed learning?
Maybe it's more that even in grade one now, you're supposed to get perfect grades. And very often, both parents work, and very often, the child is doing extracurricular activities/sports/religious school after a long day at regular school. And so self-directed learning on a weeknight sounds like a terrible idea.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:16 AM on March 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
Maybe it's more that even in grade one now, you're supposed to get perfect grades. And very often, both parents work, and very often, the child is doing extracurricular activities/sports/religious school after a long day at regular school. And so self-directed learning on a weeknight sounds like a terrible idea.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:16 AM on March 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
Echoing what everyone else is saying, I think that part of the issue is that there's been a huge uptick in the amount of homework that is assigned to really young kids. A lot of six-year-olds just aren't developmentally able to do an hour of worksheets independently. They're not going to be able to get it done if they don't have a parent sitting there keeping them on task. And that establishes routines that are hard to break later on. If schools want kids to be able to do their homework independently, they need to give them homework that they realistically can do without a lot of supervision and help.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 10:18 AM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 10:18 AM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
Ever wonder where people get the idea that learning isn't fun? That learning is a chore, something to phone in while watching the clock? That you're a sucker if you enjoy any of your classes?
Time out of school is supposed to be time for play. Of course this changes as children mature and can do more complex things on their own.
This is where people get that idea.
posted by belarius at 10:24 AM on March 26, 2016 [3 favorites]
Time out of school is supposed to be time for play. Of course this changes as children mature and can do more complex things on their own.
This is where people get that idea.
posted by belarius at 10:24 AM on March 26, 2016 [3 favorites]
When I was a small child, I went to schools with no homework. They had really different ideological reasons for this, but there was no homework. I loved school and I wanted homework, but it wasn't there. When I got homework, I could manage it.
As an adult, I can see why this was a very good thing. I wish my kids hadn't had homework when they were small, because that way, the school made their learning my responsibility. And it is not something I am imagining, that is exactly how it was discussed at parent/school meetings. If one of my daughters was not sufficiently succesfull, the teachers would blame me for not working enough with them. To the extreme that they would not acknowledge that one child is dyslectic.
If had wanted to homeschool, I would have homeschooled. I feel responsible for teaching my kids to be polite, responsible, caring and kind citizens. I take them with me when I vote, I read with them, I show them how math applies in everyday life, we go to museums. It's not at all that I don't want to educate my children.
posted by mumimor at 10:24 AM on March 26, 2016
As an adult, I can see why this was a very good thing. I wish my kids hadn't had homework when they were small, because that way, the school made their learning my responsibility. And it is not something I am imagining, that is exactly how it was discussed at parent/school meetings. If one of my daughters was not sufficiently succesfull, the teachers would blame me for not working enough with them. To the extreme that they would not acknowledge that one child is dyslectic.
If had wanted to homeschool, I would have homeschooled. I feel responsible for teaching my kids to be polite, responsible, caring and kind citizens. I take them with me when I vote, I read with them, I show them how math applies in everyday life, we go to museums. It's not at all that I don't want to educate my children.
posted by mumimor at 10:24 AM on March 26, 2016
What isn't great about homework that challenges students?
Challenge without support is just setting kids up to fail, and feel frustrated.
posted by Miko at 10:25 AM on March 26, 2016 [8 favorites]
Challenge without support is just setting kids up to fail, and feel frustrated.
posted by Miko at 10:25 AM on March 26, 2016 [8 favorites]
Not bashing all parents, just the ones who don't even look over the assignment and instead of working with their child to talk to the teacher, they fire off angry emails.
As a special ed teacher, I've seen teachers give really stupid homework. I've advocated for meaningful assignments and not expecting parents to be teachers. I want kids to learn meaningful problem solving skills and I want them to know they can face challenges without immediately crumpling to the floor in despair.
There's no doubt that a lot of homework assignments are just plain dopey.
But there's also no doubt that I work with a lot of kids who don't know how to sit with discomfort and try to take apart a problem. Instead it's just "I can't do this" and they give up.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 10:25 AM on March 26, 2016
As a special ed teacher, I've seen teachers give really stupid homework. I've advocated for meaningful assignments and not expecting parents to be teachers. I want kids to learn meaningful problem solving skills and I want them to know they can face challenges without immediately crumpling to the floor in despair.
There's no doubt that a lot of homework assignments are just plain dopey.
But there's also no doubt that I work with a lot of kids who don't know how to sit with discomfort and try to take apart a problem. Instead it's just "I can't do this" and they give up.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 10:25 AM on March 26, 2016
Of course students should be willing to take risks!
Of course students should be willing to fail!
After all, that's why we grade them on effort spent, and not on whether or not they've achieved the correct answer, right? I mean, it's not as if we have a system in place that punishes every single mistake and constantly warns children that their mistakes will follow them forever on their permanent record. That system would be fucking insane, right?
posted by Myca at 10:28 AM on March 26, 2016 [21 favorites]
Of course students should be willing to fail!
After all, that's why we grade them on effort spent, and not on whether or not they've achieved the correct answer, right? I mean, it's not as if we have a system in place that punishes every single mistake and constantly warns children that their mistakes will follow them forever on their permanent record. That system would be fucking insane, right?
posted by Myca at 10:28 AM on March 26, 2016 [21 favorites]
AND if the solution to "this problem is really difficult" is "not if you have supportive parents," then we need to decide whether we're okay with a system that punishes the kids whose parents aren't supportive for whatever reason.
posted by Myca at 10:30 AM on March 26, 2016 [10 favorites]
posted by Myca at 10:30 AM on March 26, 2016 [10 favorites]
I have such mixed feelings about the grit thing, because I truly believe that it is an important characteristic, but I also think the whole conversation about it is fucked-up parent-blaming, snake-people-bashing, generation-warrior bullshit. So I've been trying to figure out ways to talk to my students more concretely about the habits that I think make students able to tackle things that are initially tough for them. I've been talking, for instance, about taking a break when you're really stuck on something and either doing something totally different (take a shower; go for a run) or doing an easier problem to get your mind unstuck. I've been talking about trying to cross-reference between homework problems and explanations in the textbook. Can you use the textbook to figure out *why* you're doing what you're doing, and not just the necessary steps to get the right answer? I've been trying to think about when it's helpful to do more problems, so you really cement things in your head, and when you need to stop doing problems and do some other task that helps you understand what you're doing. I've been talking about how it's totally kosher to seek out explanations via Khan Academy or google or whatever if your professor's explanation isn't clicking for you. I feel like we expect students to have this intangible thing called "grit," but we're not very good at helping them figure out how you actually get from point a to point b. And I'm not convinced that the right answer is always just to walk away and expect them to figure it out on their own.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 10:40 AM on March 26, 2016 [11 favorites]
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 10:40 AM on March 26, 2016 [11 favorites]
I saw Julie Lythcott-Haimes speak recently, and she's pretty great. Basically telling parents to back off and let their children learn and fail, and be independent people, and be there for support instead of controlling every little thing. It seems like such an obvious thing to say.
Project-based learning is also a thing that's being talked about a lot, at least in the my professional life. And it excites me so much, as someone who could knock out busy work with my eyes closed, and even though I got great grades as a kid I hated school and didn't have much intellectual curiosity about science and math and those subjects where there were just pages and pages of "right" answers. I went into art because it was HARD, and there were no obvious answers.
There's an interesting documentary, Most Likely to Succeed, about a school that's exclusively multidisciplinary project-based learning. It's pretty fascinating to see the awesome things kids create (and how hard they work while struggling). And it's full of parents freaking out because they're worried about deviating from the testing-based norm and "how will they get into college?!" It's worth a watch if you're interested in that kind of thing.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 10:48 AM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
Project-based learning is also a thing that's being talked about a lot, at least in the my professional life. And it excites me so much, as someone who could knock out busy work with my eyes closed, and even though I got great grades as a kid I hated school and didn't have much intellectual curiosity about science and math and those subjects where there were just pages and pages of "right" answers. I went into art because it was HARD, and there were no obvious answers.
There's an interesting documentary, Most Likely to Succeed, about a school that's exclusively multidisciplinary project-based learning. It's pretty fascinating to see the awesome things kids create (and how hard they work while struggling). And it's full of parents freaking out because they're worried about deviating from the testing-based norm and "how will they get into college?!" It's worth a watch if you're interested in that kind of thing.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 10:48 AM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
What isn't great about homework that challenges students?
Because the kids are set up to fail. I have had enough wailing and knashing of teeth because some impossible (sorry it's politically correct here to say "challenging"; that make it easier to do!) on Sunday evening because of some poorly constructed project.
The evenings and weekends are for play and family time, not making dioramas.
You want to challenge the students? Do it in class time, or for god's sake make sure the homework assignment makes sense. That's my beef as a parent. The teacher's reach exceeds their grasp. And then you have a homework assignment you're working on at 10pm on a Sunday night.
Sorry, speaking as a dad (and former trained educator) here!
posted by My Dad at 10:50 AM on March 26, 2016 [5 favorites]
Because the kids are set up to fail. I have had enough wailing and knashing of teeth because some impossible (sorry it's politically correct here to say "challenging"; that make it easier to do!) on Sunday evening because of some poorly constructed project.
The evenings and weekends are for play and family time, not making dioramas.
You want to challenge the students? Do it in class time, or for god's sake make sure the homework assignment makes sense. That's my beef as a parent. The teacher's reach exceeds their grasp. And then you have a homework assignment you're working on at 10pm on a Sunday night.
Sorry, speaking as a dad (and former trained educator) here!
posted by My Dad at 10:50 AM on March 26, 2016 [5 favorites]
AND if the solution to "this problem is really difficult" is "not if you have supportive parents," then we need to decide whether we're okay with a system that punishes the kids whose parents aren't supportive for whatever reason.
and
You want to challenge the students? Do it in class time, or for god's sake make sure the homework assignment makes sense.
QFT. What I see at the middle and high school level is there's lecturing, there's note-taking and sometimes there are discussions and labs. There's very little discussion of metacognitive processes.
I don't see many teachers actually assigning difficult work in-class and having the actual lesson be about HOW to problem-solve something that looks way too hard at first glance. They don't show kids how to sit with that discomfort and then, how to pull problems apart into what they do know, and how they can transfer the skills they have into this different assignment. They don't take the time to talk to them after the work is done to discuss how they were able to work through anxiety and face something they thought was too hard.
There's so much more teachers could be doing to set kids up for success, but with forced curriculum that teachers have to demonstrably prove they've taught, less of them have the time to do this.
It's fail-fail for everyone.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 10:51 AM on March 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
and
You want to challenge the students? Do it in class time, or for god's sake make sure the homework assignment makes sense.
QFT. What I see at the middle and high school level is there's lecturing, there's note-taking and sometimes there are discussions and labs. There's very little discussion of metacognitive processes.
I don't see many teachers actually assigning difficult work in-class and having the actual lesson be about HOW to problem-solve something that looks way too hard at first glance. They don't show kids how to sit with that discomfort and then, how to pull problems apart into what they do know, and how they can transfer the skills they have into this different assignment. They don't take the time to talk to them after the work is done to discuss how they were able to work through anxiety and face something they thought was too hard.
There's so much more teachers could be doing to set kids up for success, but with forced curriculum that teachers have to demonstrably prove they've taught, less of them have the time to do this.
It's fail-fail for everyone.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 10:51 AM on March 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
I guess we get fun project based stuff as well as the endless math, but by the time the math is done it's mainly just a half-assed afterthought the kid can barely be bothered to do.
posted by Artw at 10:52 AM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Artw at 10:52 AM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
I'm super skeptical that "grit" is a measurable, actual thing and not just the get-off-my-lawn sentiments of a college administrators.
"Grit" isn't a buzzword invented by a cranky snake-people-hating college administrator, it's a specific measure which is the subject of dozens of studies by Angela Duckworth and her collaborators, among others.
posted by escabeche at 11:00 AM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
"Grit" isn't a buzzword invented by a cranky snake-people-hating college administrator, it's a specific measure which is the subject of dozens of studies by Angela Duckworth and her collaborators, among others.
posted by escabeche at 11:00 AM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
AND if the solution to "this problem is really difficult" is "not if you have supportive parents," then we need to decide whether we're okay with a system that punishes the kids whose parents aren't supportive for whatever reason.
When my elder daughter was in secondary school, our home became homework basecamp. Because most of the assignments were at an academic level that required university educated parental assistance, and many among my daughters friends didn't have parents with phd's (strange that). The school even acknowledged that many of the teachers didn't understand the learning goals that were defined by the government.
Rich parents either got their kids to be friends with people like my daughter or paid for written assignments. I have heard it's gotten worse, as I expect to get back into the fray in September when the next child starts secondary education.
posted by mumimor at 11:03 AM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
When my elder daughter was in secondary school, our home became homework basecamp. Because most of the assignments were at an academic level that required university educated parental assistance, and many among my daughters friends didn't have parents with phd's (strange that). The school even acknowledged that many of the teachers didn't understand the learning goals that were defined by the government.
Rich parents either got their kids to be friends with people like my daughter or paid for written assignments. I have heard it's gotten worse, as I expect to get back into the fray in September when the next child starts secondary education.
posted by mumimor at 11:03 AM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
Homework is and always has been mostly a bad idea.
posted by brennen at 11:08 AM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by brennen at 11:08 AM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
Confidence in yourself is, at root, confidence in your own mind.
This struck a chord with me because my daughter had a learning disability that meant she needed extra lessons, and homework was taking hours longer than for other kids. But we were lucky in getting to work with a remedial teacher who basically believed that confidence, self-esteem, and having control over your own decisions about learning even when you're 8 years old or so, was the core of everything. She framed everything around preparing a set of 'strategies' that our daughter could apply to approaching a task, rather than seeing school work as a huge pile of complex crap being thrown at her that you either 'knew' or didn't know. Everything you did was an expression of how you felt about yourself. It taught me so much.
posted by colie at 11:13 AM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
This struck a chord with me because my daughter had a learning disability that meant she needed extra lessons, and homework was taking hours longer than for other kids. But we were lucky in getting to work with a remedial teacher who basically believed that confidence, self-esteem, and having control over your own decisions about learning even when you're 8 years old or so, was the core of everything. She framed everything around preparing a set of 'strategies' that our daughter could apply to approaching a task, rather than seeing school work as a huge pile of complex crap being thrown at her that you either 'knew' or didn't know. Everything you did was an expression of how you felt about yourself. It taught me so much.
posted by colie at 11:13 AM on March 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
In France, elementary school teachers aren't supposed to give anything to do but lessons to learn [especially not written work (exercises)] to the students. Through secondary school, though, the workload increases, and by classes prepa, which are elite sections designed to prepare students for admission into selective schools (engineering, medical, etc.), students are supposed to work until midnight or 1 am every evening of the week over very challenging work. I must add that primary and secondary schools are struggling to offer anything in the special needs range.
posted by nicolin at 11:15 AM on March 26, 2016
posted by nicolin at 11:15 AM on March 26, 2016
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The email I sent to one particularly blockheaded teacher was "My son will no longer do project-based homework, period. We welcome short homework assignments that reinforce learning, such as home reading, spelling quizzes, and math drills."
Time out of school is supposed to be time for play. Of course this changes as children mature and can do more complex things on their own.
posted by My Dad at 9:48 AM on March 26, 2016 [8 favorites]