tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825862861569609473.post657566547123247249..comments2023-11-20T03:37:18.313-05:00Comments on The Knitty Gritty Homestead: A Child's WorkThe Knitty Gritty Homesteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02890656094078973552noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825862861569609473.post-45827204128464946712012-01-28T11:09:05.505-05:002012-01-28T11:09:05.505-05:00I have to rush off to feed the horses this morning...I have to rush off to feed the horses this morning, so I haven't read thoroughly. But I just want to note that I felt the same way as a teacher about sending work home. I taught juniors and seniors in high school, taught them literature and use of language. There were two sides to that work coin - if I sent them home with work, they brought it back to me to grade; I spent my first year working eighty hours a week to catch up. But it struck me as brilliant: how much new information can be crammed into a kid's head every day of every week? I could teach an idea, a concept, then I could use classroom time as lab - they could write in class, giving them the chance to use me as a guide and reference, and I could - in my own turn - be working on the evaluation and grading of the work they had handed in before. It worked beautifully. Much better to have them write with help available (not TOO much help, as some parents might give) than to send them home without. And then to have them pass around paragraphs, analyzing in class - that was helpful, too. School is rarely efficient and it rarely bothers to bring an organic structure to study, which is why I taught my own at home for the first twelve or thirteen years of their lives. But it is also a blessing to have public education. Learning to find the best way to make open the world to a child - that is the parents' constant work.Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02040714440875408436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825862861569609473.post-33462924599028614142012-01-28T09:14:53.674-05:002012-01-28T09:14:53.674-05:00I really appreciated this post! My son is 7 and is...I really appreciated this post! My son is 7 and is/was having some difficulty in school keeping up. Each school day is generally very tiring for him so then to get home and have to do more work, in the form of homework, is very hard for him. For the last few weeks I haven't insisted on him doing the homework, but have spend the time reading together, looking a maps and the globe, dancing etc. On thursday his teacher came up to my husband and told him that recently there has been a real turn around in my son's work, and that he finds him much more motivated in class! By the way my son has a wonderful school teacher, even if he does give homework, who is always happy to discuss things with us and my son.EMMAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02900165967124695510noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825862861569609473.post-59973395350853048772012-01-27T14:13:20.565-05:002012-01-27T14:13:20.565-05:00I think you are right in your concerns and really ...I think you are right in your concerns and really support your decision to say nothing can come between him and the chance to move his body a few times a day. We expect boys to maintain certains standards but don't allow for their need for physical movement. I am hearing so much recently about boys being labeled with this and that because they don't enjoy school and basically don't behave like girls. The idea of elementary school children having homework is just baffling to me, what exactly are they doing in class all day? We homeschool so we are opting out of all these issues and, I have to admit, the way the schools are currently structured I hope I never need to send my children to school so that they are free of these constraints and can learn and live at their own pace. Btw my previous profession was, of course, a teacher and I always thought homework was a waste of time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825862861569609473.post-73321172305110565552012-01-27T07:32:25.258-05:002012-01-27T07:32:25.258-05:00Thank you all for your thought-provoking comments....Thank you all for your thought-provoking comments. I know families who take their kids to sports and music and dance etc. and happily travel the roads every evening to "enrich" their child's life. We're not one of those families. What I'm saying is that every family has their own personality as a whole, and is made up of lots of little personalities; Violet will likely thrive in school, and LOVES to do "homework" (she works at the table alongside Jude). I'm not saying that school and homework is right or wrong; it depends on your family. I'll be writing more on this, as I've been thinking a lot about it since yesterday morning!The Knitty Gritty Homesteadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02890656094078973552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825862861569609473.post-69625288726147099902012-01-27T07:27:24.708-05:002012-01-27T07:27:24.708-05:00Thanks for writing this post. I enjoyed it! Alfie ...Thanks for writing this post. I enjoyed it! Alfie Kohn's writings changed the way I taught - which sadly wasn't greatly accepted by my superiors... But I had the respect of my students AND their parents and that was what was important at the time.<br /><br />Now as a parent, I employ similar strategies with my own children that I home school. No bribes, no threats - respect for each individual helping them to be intrinsically motivated. I wasn't raised that way so I have to work on it myself. It's a much nicer way to get through life.<br /><br />Cheers!Kaylanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11093113911143784696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825862861569609473.post-26478047736136202522012-01-26T22:05:45.822-05:002012-01-26T22:05:45.822-05:00This is wonderful advice. We haven't faced thi...This is wonderful advice. We haven't faced this homework problem yet, but I was already dreading it. We are doing an evening reading program, where we mark down the name of the book we read each night, but I think that is great--Alyce is already a big reader but it's exciting for her to have this new project. I will cross my fingers and hope that Alyce has a teacher like you as she moves in school!Daniellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16432840953994166762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825862861569609473.post-76922472473082500522012-01-26T21:23:28.589-05:002012-01-26T21:23:28.589-05:00Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I have been battl...Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I have been battling with this very same dilemma and my daughter is only in JK! By the time the whole family is home; after a full-day of work, dayare and school; the last thing any of us wants to do is sit down and do more work! We want to cook together, read together, dance together, play games, craft, and simply be together as a family and enjoy the precious time we do have! As you said it is fleeting!Carrie's Catchall Cachepothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13230763578397839297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825862861569609473.post-70662656157006915022012-01-26T21:22:02.092-05:002012-01-26T21:22:02.092-05:00I am my daughter's teacher and supply her with...I am my daughter's teacher and supply her with homework Monday-Thursday. I think it provides valuable practice, gives her dad a chance to see what she's doing and how she's doing it, helps her with time management, and gives her a sense of pride in her work. However, I do not fight or cajole her to do it. It's been a routine since first grade. It's a part of our family life and doesn't take away from it. <br /><br />Thanks for the thoughtful post!Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17017181574951131381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825862861569609473.post-43581742930683733222012-01-26T20:29:10.921-05:002012-01-26T20:29:10.921-05:00Wonderful post, I love your rant!!! While my littl...Wonderful post, I love your rant!!! While my little man is not in school yet, and we do plan to "life school", I can understand where you are coming from.<br /><br />Children need down time to play, to chill and to have fun, and this is when some of the best learning actually occurs.<br /><br />Thanks for sharing!Kim https://www.blogger.com/profile/08476209107377395745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825862861569609473.post-66698869259547495932012-01-26T20:01:03.628-05:002012-01-26T20:01:03.628-05:00Oh I couldn't agree with you more. We homescho...Oh I couldn't agree with you more. We homeschool so I do not have to deal with these issues right now, but when I see 6, 7, 8 year olds coming up the street with bags that they can't even carry on their backs filled with more work to do it looks like they are little men and women frazzled from a day at the office ready to burn the midnight oil at home to get the job done. So sad! Children need to play, they need to explore on their own, they need to be children because despite the fact that they are humans as well, they are not little adults, they are different and need different things. <br />What incredibly lucky children (both yours and at school) to have you in their lives. I really wish more teachers thought like you and I wish more parents realized that their children don't need more work to thrive, they just need freedom.<br /><br />-fellow ranter (lol) @ dark blue dragonJenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03928760660207785587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825862861569609473.post-23798125554995282382012-01-26T16:54:49.869-05:002012-01-26T16:54:49.869-05:00Very good post, Stephanie! Especially the tips on ...Very good post, Stephanie! Especially the tips on communicating with your child's teacher. I feel that I have always communicated well with my girls' teachers which may come from having a Dad and a sister in the profession. I especially remember asking J's grade 3 teacher why there was just so much homework, compared to grade 2. My concern was that J was goofing off in class. Right away, the Mrs. L assured me that parents have the absolute right to decide how much time their children spend on homework. If it was a night where she was on a roll, then great. If it was a night when she just couldn't concentrate or was too tired, fine. She admitted there was more in grade 3 but that she would completely understand if I controlled the amount of time spent on it. If I had not spoken to her, we would have continued the drama every night! Now that the girls are in grade 5 and 8, I pretty much leave them to it. If they don't want to finish because they are goofing off HERE :) (as I hear them chasing each other around the table now), then they can explain it to their teachers tomorrow! They usually just do it quickly after school knowing that the rest of the evening will be theirs.<br />I wonder what high school will bring....Lanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06592532417364025009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825862861569609473.post-51103043728935754442012-01-26T16:01:11.164-05:002012-01-26T16:01:11.164-05:00Excellent post and thoughts. I would love to read ...Excellent post and thoughts. I would love to read a follow-up to what agreement you reach with Jude's teacher. I know I did not have homework in grade 1. I remember though when I did get homework that I felt "cool" to have stuff to do at home. That might have been in grade 4 or 5. High school was a whole other story but I won't go there. Our years as a child are fleeting. I think you are a wise mama and teacher ;-)Juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09144122216662029672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825862861569609473.post-8618668067175115102012-01-26T13:43:48.971-05:002012-01-26T13:43:48.971-05:00You are a thoughtful, caring parent and teacher.You are a thoughtful, caring parent and teacher.Stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05890380669792384430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825862861569609473.post-75978652232563562022012-01-26T13:28:27.345-05:002012-01-26T13:28:27.345-05:00I'm very scared for the time when little A. ha...I'm very scared for the time when little A. has to go to school...she's always been raised "free range," and her daycare provider operates in the same way. We have a balance between outdoor time, inside free play, reading/art, and 1 episode of Caillou daily :) I worry about how overwhelmed she might be....I keep thinking I should put her into preschool to prepare her better, but her home daycare is working so well. So many decisions...thanks for this, though, because I never thought about the homework issue.Misty Pratthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04107274364128577601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825862861569609473.post-32530041702326458352012-01-26T11:59:53.113-05:002012-01-26T11:59:53.113-05:00There is always this imperfect balance of work in ...There is always this imperfect balance of work in school and out. We happen to not be fans of work being sent home and don't have a strict protocal on when and how our child feels moved to complete it. That may sound like we don't support their schooling but, I totally agree with that if they spend 6 hours in school each day doing 'work' then why do they need 1-2 hours more at home? Their poor little bodies are tired, their brains need to recharge and go inward or outward, depending on the child. I find that my kidsin school ( I have 2 school age children and two preschool age children....and one on the way :o) )need to come home, feed their bodies, sometimes nap, sometimes go outside and run with sheep, walk in the woods, read, or just hang by me as I prepare our evening meal! Homework just never seems to fit into that natural desire to 'calm down'! I, too, am eagerly seeking how to make our home a fully homeschooled family.....we homeschooled for a time but then our new team of babies began to arrive and I couldn't figure out how to balance the socialization piece and tending to our newest arrivals! This is why I love being part of these wonderful communities of families on discovery! Thank you for this post!<br /><br />http://rhythmicsilence.blogspot.com/Marcyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02212930878661677339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825862861569609473.post-78224167261876321882012-01-26T10:13:07.297-05:002012-01-26T10:13:07.297-05:00Amen sister!!!! I'm a teacher, and I apprecia...Amen sister!!!! I'm a teacher, and I appreciate tips for parents wanting to speak with their child's teacher. And I fully believe worksheets are a complete waste of time! I've taken a lot of flak from parents and colleagues over the years, and thankfully education in Ontario is coming around to support my way of thinking. I can't believe the number of parents who WANT homework for their kid. Why???? And losing phys ed because of...well, anything...is just poor teaching practice. Teachers cannot withold curriculum areas for discipline.<br /><br />As a parent, my kids do very little homework. We spend our time at home playing Scrabble (my 16 year old is the undisputed champion and has been for several years), going to sports, reading and spending precious time together. I refuse to bend to what I have always considered poor teaching practices--luckily my kids get most of their work done at school and homework is rarely an issue.Nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06450443439870553260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825862861569609473.post-49775630184905839662012-01-26T09:21:13.151-05:002012-01-26T09:21:13.151-05:00I am in complete agreement. When I hear of what H...I am in complete agreement. When I hear of what Hazel's pals are up to when they get home from daycare - the part after school which also seems to cram in so much - and on weekends it boggles my mind! <br />I have three girls, two of which have been formally schooled from the beginning. And now that we are homeschooling Hazel I feel that the two older ones missed out.<br />What a great post!sheepishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08338525373968705776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7825862861569609473.post-71572342634053612792012-01-26T08:05:59.208-05:002012-01-26T08:05:59.208-05:00I was appalled when my four finally enrolled and s...I was appalled when my four finally enrolled and started attending "formailzed" school to see my then 8 year old with more homework time than we had spent homeschooling each day. It intruded on family life, meals and made for tense childrens and parents. I was able to quite quickly dialogue with her teacher and let her know we would not be enforcing that volume of work sent home. She was not pleased and talked alot about " parents role in education". I assured her our informal times of eating meals , doing chores, reading, artwork and play were very much as intrical apart of development of a healthy well adjusted person as worksheets were.To be honest if I had been in a position to do so again I would have pulled her out and continued to homeschool to highschool as I had her siblings! Thankfully as she passed into another grade the change in teacher made all the difference. One or two nights a week we had a short project to work on and that was it. Thank you for being one of those teachers who fully appreciates that life must be balanced. Everything has a time and place - we need more like you in our schools in Ontario!!cargillwitchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06948839908080737239noreply@blogger.com