The Benefits of Gratitude

Contributed by Rhonda Cratty, educator and writer

November brings a season of thankfulness.  

Teaching our children to be grateful is a lifetime gift.  Studies have shown the benefits of gratitude are powerful: physical health, more optimism, higher life satisfaction, and a real sense of connection to the world that continues through our children's lives.

Psychologists Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough have been working with scientific data on the nature of gratitude, its causes, and its potential consequences for physical health, well-being, and even improved mental alertness.  The knowledge of benefits of gratitude is recorded throughout history.  Emmons states, "Thousands of years of literature talk about the benefits of cultivating gratefulness as a virtue."

In his book Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier, Robert A. Emmons states, "Grateful people take better care of themselves and engage in more protective health behaviors like regular exercise, a healthy diet, regular physical examinations."  He continues, "Gratitude research is beginning to suggest that feelings of thankfulness have tremendous positive value in helping people cope with daily problems, especially stress."

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About the author:

Rhonda Cratty has been a Denver-area teacher and writer since 1983.  She has taught Kindergarten-Sixth grades, and then moved into an Instructional Coach position.  Rhonda now enjoys writing about ways parents can improve the quality of their children's educational lives.  She has been with the National Parent & Education at Examiner.com since December 2008.  

Read her articles at:  http://www.examiner.com/parenting-and-education-in-national/rhonda-cratty. 

Contact Rhonda at rcrattyexaminer@hotmail.com.

Bring the Election into Your Classroom!

Do you need a new strategy for bringing the election to life in the classroom? Are you concerned about the decline of Americans in civic knowledge and participation?  There’s a website devoted to turning that trend around.

Founded by Justice Sandra Day O’Conner, iCivics.org offers educational video games and teaching materials developed by a national leadership team of educational government experts. The website offers free lesson plans and curriculum units that include reading materials, questions and links to specific web resources to help students apply the topic to real-world situations. 

Media plays a big role in elections and civic life. Using icivics.org, teachers can introduce students to critical thinking skills, using simulations, vocabulary-building activities, real world applications and more in iCivics' Media and Influence Unit.

Use interactive games to keeps students engaged: In Win the White House, students can manage their very own presidential campaign by strategically raising funds, polling voters, launching media campaigns, and making personal appearances. There’s a map for monitoring progress as they battle over electoral votes and popular support. In Election 2012! teachers register for a free account and choose from a variety of specially-designed materials including games, lesson plans, and more to bring this year's election into the classroom! In Do I Have A Right?, students will run their own firm of lawyers who specialize in constitutional law.

Do you want to show your students how to make your community a better place to live? In Counties Work, students decide about the programs and services that affect everyone!  In Argument Wars, students can hone their debate skills and persuasive abilities by arguing a real Supreme Court case.

This site has much more to offer.  Teachers can use the curriculum finder to search for curriculum by state, course and grade level, and select from a variety of curriculum units. Step-by-step instructions for using the materials are included with each lesson or unit. The interactive games do not require any prior knowledge, and are designed to be playable during one class period.  They can be played on individual computers or a single computer in connection with a smart board or projector.

These interactive games help keep students engaged, and there are incentives for students to play the games, like earning points that they can spend on community projects (posted on the site).  Every 3 months, the project with the most points wins $1,000.  

The entire website is visually appealing and easy to navigate. There is also a button for site visitors to click to donate funds.  This is an excellent free resource for helping to prepare young Americans to become knowledgeable, engaged 21^st  century citizens! 

I AM JACK

Prevent  School Bullying:  Story Journey with I AM JACK

An Accessible, Teacher-friendly Methodology For Classroom Teaching

by Susanne Gervay

 www.sgervay.com

   

Bullying is an issue of social injustice and imbalance of power.  School is a microcosm of our democratic system where teachers, parents, students create their own society with a fundamental goal of education.  This society needs to be fair for young people to grow up with a belief in a just world and in themselves. Bullying stops this process. 

Successful anti-bullying programmes occur when all members of the school community participate and where the principal leads the school in an anti-bullying environment which includes: early intervention; teacher training which is not an additional compliance but integral to teaching practice; increased supervision of children at high risk times such as lunch time; clear and consistent anti-bullying rules; establishment of trust so that bullying can be reported; support systems for the bullied and redirection of bullying behaviour into positive roles; and involvement of  parents and teachers.     

Story Journey

One easily applied and successful strategy in countering bullying, is through story journey. Historically, the therapeutic use of books to heal has been used as far back as ancient Greece where the door of the library at Thebes welcomed readers with the inscription: ‘The Healing Place of the Soul.’ Aristotle advocated reading fiction as a way to purge illness, leaving the reader healthier and sounder of mind. ‘The Medicine Chest for the Soul,’ is found in the medieval Abbey Library of St. Gall, in Switzerland. 

Although the powerful effects of reading have been known since ancient times, it was only in the second half of the nineteenth century that youth literature for healing started to become a significant force. There was a recognition that story journey allows readers to identify with a third party -- the characters in a book.  Readers become emotionally involved in the story struggle, work through issues, and ultimately achieve insight into their lives. 

Relating to a story, or being emotionally engaged facilitates communication, questioning and learning. Readers become fellow travellers in a story journey and are reassured that other people experience the same problems they do themselves.

I Am Jack and Story Journey

‘I Am Jack’ was written when my son was bullied at school.  It reaches into real experience, taking adult and children on the journey with all its humour, sadness, realities. It opens the real opportunity for discussion and engagement of students, teachers and parents in effective communication. By taking students, on a journey with Jack, attitudes, feelings and strategies about bullying can be explored and discussed in a non threatening way. 

A successful cross-curriculum teaching unit using  I am Jack  was conducted with a middle school reading group at Winmalee Public School in New South Wales.  The class teacher, working with the teacher librarian, created a unit of work to achieve reading and viewing literacy outcomes, to address values and attitudes of interpersonal behaviours - specifically bullying,  and to use the library and computers as tools in student learning. The result was an effective unit of work that generated much discussion and empowered the teachers and students to work towards a safe school.

Through ‘I Am Jack’ the students and teachers were able to become problem solvers making their own decisions about social justice. They were able to discuss, question and develop strategies to counter bullying. Through the emotional engagement with ‘I Am Jack’ and a discovery approach, the students emotionally engaged in the process of bullying and were empowered to make choices. Students developed strategies such as group reporting bullying they saw to a teacher, or asking an isolated student to join their game or choosing not to follow a bully. They realised that their actions determined if bullying occurred in their school.

‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.’ (Edmund Burke)  Students are empowered to do ‘something’ through ‘I Am Jack’.

Life Education Australia commends ‘I Am Jack’ :

‘I Am Jack’ celebrates kids. Unique, valuable kids who deserve 

the right to take pride in their own special qualities. Bullying takes

 this right away from them. 

In the context of family and school life, ‘I Am Jack’ sensitively

explores how bullying attacks the very basis of a child's self esteem.

Bullying isolates and victimises children. ‘I Am Jack’ shows them 

that they are not alone and that they can win against bullying. 

‘I Am Jack’ is children's literature at its most effective. Beautifully 

written, revealing the quirkiness of kids, it is funny, loving, moving. 

It gives adults and children a remarkable understanding into an area 

that challenges children's belief in themselves.

This is a book children should read because kids are unique.

‘I Am Jack’ is recommended in anti-bullying programmes used in The Better Buddies  (www.buddybear.com.au) and Life Education Australia www.healthstar.com.au) programmes.  It is extensively used throughout Australian schools to meet PDHPE outcomes.

‘I Am Jack’ has been adapted into an acclaimed play and will be touring the USA January and February 2014 www.monkeybaa.com.au

About the author:

Susanne Gervay OAM, MEd, MA, DipEd, BA, is an award winning children’s and Young Adult (YA) author.  Her books are endorsed by The Children’s Hospital Westmead Sydney, Life Education Australia, The Alannah & Madeline Foundation, the Cancer Council, Room to Read, Variety and many anti school bullying organisations.

For more information about Susanne, including downloadable teaching units, visit:  www.sgervay.com 

References:

Literature Review on Bullying 2005, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, page 1, Retrieved from http://drs.dadeschools.net/Reports/Bullying.pdf *

Tips to Strengthen Parent Teacher Communication

By Myree Conway

One of my favorite movies is Finding Nemo. I am a big fan of Bruce the shark. He invites both Dori and Marlin (two little fish) to a meeting with his other shark friends, Anchor and Chum. The three sharks are meeting to encourage one another to stop eating fish. I especially love the part when they recite their membership pledge, "If I am to change this image, I must first change myself. Fish are friends, not food."

The relationship between the three sharks and two fish begins as predator and prey but ends in a lasting caring friendship. Sometimes relationships between parents and teachers can be like this. We can view each other as either the shark or the small fish. If we are to change this image, we need to change our own viewpoint, and realize we are all in the same big ocean. We must remember that parents are our friends, not foes.

A strong and positive relationship between parents and teachers serves the best interest of the student. Communication throughout the year is essential to support student success and well being. It allows parents and teachers to work together to support student learning and success. Parents give teachers insights to student strengths and weaknesses which can be used as a starting place when the teacher observes and forms relationships with the student. Children whose parents actively participate in their education tend to do better in school and students tend to have a better attitude toward school.

Here are a few tips to help create effective and positive communication between the parent and teacher.

Tips for Effective Parent/Teacher Communication

Stay Positive
Want parents to actually read what you send home? Be encouraging and positive.

It is so easy to send home notes to parents explaining the various inappropriate behaviors of Johnny, but how often do we send a note home saying what a great day Johnny had? What a difference it will make in Johnny when he hears you called or sent a note home saying he helped his friends or did a great job on his spelling test. You never know what a little positive praise will do.

Avoid the "Junk Mail" Syndrome
I hate junk mail and don't even take the time to preview. I immediately file these unwanted papers in file 13 (i.e. the trash). Parents will do the same. The idea is to catch their eye!

Use attention grabbers, upbeat graphics, bold headings, boxes, and other forms of "decorations". This will ensure parents will notice your communication. You could also include a personal note, highlight items of importance (such as dates), add illustrations or have students decorate a trim.

Note: this is a great transition project for students: decorating stationary for teachers.

Use Familiar Language
Teachers should also be careful to write informally. While many parents have degrees, not all are in education and will be unfamiliar with educational jargon. You can't effectively communicate if parents need a dictionary to look up specific terms (ex. Johnny is experiencing difficulty with his phonemic awareness). Huh?

All written communication should use simple, familiar language, and short sentences. Be direct. Always communicate with respect and appreciation for parents and families. Be sensitive to cultural differences. Have letters or memos translated to families' first language. Be persistent and use different methods of communication.

Personalize Your Communication
Greet parents personally as they drop off or pick up students: This is informal and increases the comfort level between parents and teachers. This is not the time to discuss problems, but can be a time to set up an appointment. Try to contact parents by phone or email at least once during the grading period. A positive phone call or email inviting parents to a special event will increase parent's comfort level.

Start a biweekly or monthly newsletter. You can personalize by having students decorate the border, feature a "star student", recent class activities, pictures, highlights, student achievement, and/or include tips to help in various subjects. Send home weekly folders with student including class work, homework assignments, quizzes/tests, and announcements.

I keep my smart phone handy at all times so I can capture special activities during the day. Then I will email the pictures to the parents with a little story explaining the photo. (Important to note: I have parents sign permission slip allowing photos to be taken at beginning of year.) Send out daily emails informing parents of daily activities, homework assignments, announcements, etc. Set up a class web page or Facebook page.

Tips for Dealing With Tough Parents

Every teacher has encountered a parent who has a tendency to lay it on pretty thick. Some are concerned about grades, others want to know the exact reasons for your teaching method. Below are a few categories that parents can fall under along with some tips to help deal with these tough parents.

The Overzealous Parent
This is the parent who has TONS of questions. Make sure to take control and address the concerns by setting limits. Arrange a time for the parents to meet and discuss concerns privately.

The Bossy Parent
This is the parent who wants to tell YOU how to teach. Listen first- count to 10!

Make sure to stay professional, do not become defensive. Explain how you teach, supporting your choice of techniques, make copies of materials that address the concern, consider inviting parent to observe the class and see the teaching "in action". If this does not help, ask administrator to get involved.

The Chatty Parent
This is the parent who wants to talk DAILY. Give several times when you can meet and be subtle but insistent. If possible, arrange for some volunteer time for these parents.

You get a little extra help and they get to be involved in their child's learning for an hour or two. Most of the time, this is a parent who just really wants to be involved in his/her child's education. Sending home family activities/projects that go with a lesson is also a good way to keep parents involved in student learning.

The Concerned Parent
The Parent who thinks you assign TOO MUCH homework: Arrange for a meeting. Explain that you assign only enough homework to show what students are doing and to reinforce the day's lesson. Ask about the routine at home and where homework is done. Offer suggestions if parent is open.

The Angry Parent
This is the parent who is UPSET about the child's grades. When you meet, have gradebook available. Discuss what you observe in class, test scores, homework assignments, and missed assignments.

You may want to share tips to studying or organizing. Remind the parent that you do care about each student's success.

Tips to Bridge the Communication Gap
* Parents will be more supportive if you contact them as soon as a problem begins.
* Keep parents updated on child's progress.
* You can say NO to parents politely, gently, but firmly. You can say no and survive!
* Always keep notes/records of your communication in student's file - this is so important!
* Be organized and ready to talk to parent. Have notes with areas of concerns with samples of student work.
* Always begin with what the child does well. Only say what you know.
* Don't feel you have to report on every aspect of the curriculum. It is okay to say you don't know but offer to get that information and report back.
* Share a story or brief anecdote.
* Parents appreciate when you show you know the child outside of academics.

Hopefully these simple tips will help bridge the gaps between parents and teachers. Remember, we want parents to be our friends, not foes as we continue swimming in the big ocean together.

Established by teachers, for teachers, TeachHUB.com offers educators recommended classroom tools, professional development, daily lesson plans, and education news. The website is dedicated to improving the quality of education and invests in the opinions of teachers when providing resources and support for both inside and outside the classroom.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

"Refocus Area" Classroom Management Technique (Elementary)

Not all parents are equipped to discipline their children properly, and teachers are left to deal with interruptions caused by students with behavioral and emotional problems. Are you ready to face the discipline challenges that are sure to come with the start of the school year? If not, there are some great online teacher forums and social network communities that share tips on classroom management.  

Jason Harris, an elementary teacher in southern coastal Maine who has taught kindergarten through grade 5 over the past 14 years (in Maine as well as Kansas), shared a unique classroom management tool with Teacher's Lounge group members on LinkedIn. 

Jason had this to say:  "I know what works in terms of discipline and keeping kids focused and giving them a sense of purpose by establishing goals through one on one and ongoing conferencing in literacy and mathematics."  He added, "As long as I spend the first few weeks teaching procedures and routines as well as being relentless and persistent, everyone eventually settles down."  One concept Jason uses in his classroom is the "refocus area," which he implemented as a result of participating in Larry Thompson's Responsibility-Centered Discipline training program (http://www.effectiveschooldiscipline.com).  The program is based around natural consequences and doesn't coddle children the way some school discipline plans do.  Mr. Thompson came to Jason's school in Wichita, Kansas and gave the staff there intensive training in Give 'em Five, which is used in conjunction with the "refocus area" concept.  Both are outlined below:   

Give 'em Five  

1.  A positive statement:  "Child's name, I'm so happy to have you as a student this year."  

2. Communicate the behavior breakdown: "I want you to be successful this year, so I'm going to tell you something that will help you.  Right now I  saw/heard you were...."  

3.  Communicate the behavior expectation: "What will make you more successful would be to....." 

4.  Check for understanding: "Do you understand what I'm saying?  

5.  Closure:  "Great! Thanks, (Child's name), I think you're going to be very successful this year."  

Refocus Area 

Jason says he introduces the "refocus area" on the very first day of class.  Here's how it works:  

Using color-coded foam mats that connect (found at Home Depot and Lowe's), connect the red, yellow, and blue mats (in that order) in a designated "refocus area."  On the first day, before anyone misbehaves, explain to all of the students what the "refocus area" is and how it works.  When a student is sent there, he/she first sits on the red mat, which means, "I'm not ready to work with you."  After a short while, the student can move to the middle mat (the yellow one), which means, "I'm thinking."  Jason notes, "I never talk to a student or look over there for more than a nano second if they are sitting on the red or yellow mats."  When a child is calm (and bored) and ready to rejoin the group or activity, he/she knows to move to the blue mat which shows the teacher, "I'm ready to work with you."  At this point, Jason says, "(Child's name, I see you're on the blue mat and you appear to be ready to work with me."  He then goes through the Give 'em Five routine outline above, repeating everything he already said before he was interrupted by the student.  

If the "refocus area" routine doesn't work, he keeps a huge smile on his face, and no matter what the student does (kicking chairs, cussing -- whatever) he and the entire class know to ignore him/her, and he calmly sends the student to the principal's office.   Jason's advice is to "disengage once you tell the child what to do."  He tells readers, "Hope this helps.  It's no silver bullet, but my office referrals plummeted (as did other teachers') once we all were consistent.  Consistent language is also crucial.  I used to practice in front of the mirror!" 

"The important thing is not to argue or get hooked into getting upset or angry.  It is so much less taxing and tiring.  My energy level and stamina have increased in the past 5 years of 'practicing' this; and it is definitely a practice.  I think it is amazing how the love for teaching can endure if discipline and classroom management can be kept under the teacher's control."

Free at Last!

I was reading through a newsletter for educators, and saw that there was a link to FREE printables and resources for teachers.  I decided to check it out. When I clicked on the link, it took me to a website that had a long list of links, each offering FREE printables or resources.  One by one, I clicked on each link. Many of these links required a membership fee of up to $39.95 in order to access the “free” printables; others boldly advertised products for sale right on the home page. Seriously? That’s like ordering a hamburger at the drive-through and the worker asking you if you want cheese on your hamburger (for an additional charge, of course).  Wouldn’t that make it a CHEESEburger?

Back to the printables:  I was guarded when I finally came across a link that promised “free printables and resources – free membership." I clicked on the link and it took me to the homepage to register for the Teachers’ Social Network.  It’s like Facebook, but for teachers.  Interesting….but still no printables. Maybe my free membership would give me access to the free resources.  I decided it couldn’t hurt to join,so I entered my profile information.  I got an error message on my computer screen (and wondered if I just downloaded a virus on my computer). Irritated, I went back to the home page and started over, but when I entered my e-mail address, it said I was already registered.  So, I logged in and clicked on my profile page.  It belonged to a different “Sue” who lives in New Zealand. I noticed that “Sue”-in-New-Zealand joined the community in 2010 and there was no activity or profile pic, so I deleted the profile altogether. Then I realized I never did see that link to those free resources!  Another hour wasted on the internet!

At this point, I was even more determined to find a website that truly had free resources for teachers, so I Googled “free printables, no membership fee,” and I found a site that has worksheets, printables and craft projects.  As an added bonus, all of the freebies are organized by category, grade level and subject!  I crossed my fingers as I clicked through to a specific math worksheet and hit the “print” button.  I was so excited when it actually sent the page to my print que!  Then, I thought, "I can't keep this to myself -- I need to share it on all of our social media networks right away!" 

Here’s the link: http://usa-arts.com/

If you happen to be surfing (the internet) this summer, and run across a great website, would you please share it in the Comments section below?  We will pass the links along to our newsletter subscribers and Facebook fans. As for me, I've learned my lesson about clicking on website links that don't come highly recommended from a friend or associate.

Noah's Ark for the Internet Era

Wildscreen USA, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC, is  spearheading U.S. efforts in support of the ARKive project - the Noah's Ark for the Internet era. ARKive is a unique global initiative, gathering together the very best films and photographs of the world's species into one centralized digital library to create a freely-accessible, audio-visual record of life on Earth.

ARKive is a multi-media, award-winning website showcasing the world’s most threatened species through emotive film and photography.  The website is full of wonderful free resources for educators, and offers a range of methods to sort and retrieve data, helping users automate link creation to species information and multimedia content.

Here's a link to the different resources created for educators sorted by age range: http://www.arkive.org/education/resources.

A special thanks to Amber Koplow with Wildscreen USA, for sharing this with us!

 

http://www.wildscreenusa.org 

Promoting conservation through wildlife imagery 
SURVIVAL - download ARKive’s free mobile game today!
(Available on the App Store and Android Market)

In Honor of National Teachers' Day and Mother's Day

May 8th is National Teachers' Day and May 13th is Mother's Day. We would like to honor our teachers and moms by sharing this story, re-printed with permission from Robin Shope Jansen, teacher, author, mother and contributing writer for Chicken Soup for the Teacher's Soul:

Ode to My Mother

A New Take on Robert Frost

I love the poem by Robert Frost, two roads diverged in a yellow wood. I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference. It reflects my life.

When I was a senior, my high school counselor advised me not to go to college. She said with a C/B average my grades were proof enough that I was not college material. My mother didn’t agree with that assessment and gave me two choices; be a waitress or go to college. I already had enough of waiting tables at a pancake house so I ignored my high school counselor and filled out college applications.

My mother took me to see the college counselor to plan my courses at the Wisconsin State University Eau Claire. I will never forget. During the interview I was asked what career I had chosen. Of course I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life...I only knew what I didn’t want to do. When I opened my mouth to say these words my mother piped up and answered for me, “She wants to be a teacher.”

‘Interesting,’ I thought at the time as I nodded my head. And since the only class I had done well in was English, I suddenly had my major. And since I enjoyed Drama Club, I now had my minor. I was all set as I checked into my dorm room with an electric typewriter in one hand and my record player in the other.

Shakespeare held no interest for me and I was within a semester of graduating when everything changed for me. During my practicum, I was placed in a middle school special education classroom. I loved working with those students. We made clocks from paper plates to learn how to tell time, we told stories and then wrote them down, and the students learned about good nutrition by planning well balanced meals. Ah ha! Now I knew what I really wanted to be…a special education teacher. When I told my mother about this, she told me to continue with my laid out plans and wrap things up. I couldn’t do that when my heart was going in a different direction so I left school a semester short of graduating, much to my mother’s horror.

Back home again, in my old pink bedroom, I started working at a resort as a receptionist. For two years I did this thankless job, knowing my dream of teaching was slipping further and further away. I had to do something myself in order to change my destiny.

I stopped buying myself clothes, I rarely went anywhere with my friends and socked away nearly every dime I made until there was enough money to return to college. The first trip to college was on my mother’s money; going back I paid my own way. Now I enrolled at UW Whitewater. This time around I paid closer attention in class and took great pride in learning.

A year later I graduated with a double major in English and Special Education, with a minor in theater. Time hadn’t been wasted after all. I was able to use all my credits and apply them toward my goal. Since that time I have earned four teaching certificates and have taught every grade from kindergarten through high school. My career has spanned nearly twenty-five years. Presently I am the Special Education Coordinator at a state facility for at risk teens that have been expelled from their school or court ordered to be there. I also have three fictional books published because of my love of literature. My life is filled with meaning.

Way back in high school my school counselor predicted a constricted future for me based on past grades. Her vision was narrow. She never took the time to see what possibilities lay within me. I was blessed to have a mother who saw great things and pushed me in the right direction. Along the way I was able to catch my own vision. Two roads diverged, my mother’s insight and my determination, and that has made all the difference.

Robin's bio, in her own words:

It all started in the fifth grade when my composition teacher didn't read my essay outloud to the class. Ten years old at the time, I thought this stunk like the kid who sat behind me, but I took it along with a pinch of determination. Since then I have devoted my life to writing; and more than just grocery lists. Each week I am adding to my online narrative which is a compilation of different people I have known during my life journey. Every event you read is true. It may, or may not, have happened personally to me. But it happened to someone I know. The chapters are pieces of actual experiences. Each week I stare at the computer screen typing honest words that will reach across the miles to your computer screen in hopes you will come back to read more. I love to write. I hate rejection. This narrative is coming to life inside my brain, tapping me on the shoulder, asking to be told. Not only do I want it to entertain you but I am hoping it connects with you in some way. It changes me. Hand in hand, you are walking with me through my tale and for that I bless you and thank you with my whole heart (I think we are walking together on a beach)... and here is to you, Ms. Eckert.

Nowadays, no longer in 5th grade, I teach high school English.  I live within shouting distance of Dallas, Texas, although I grew up shuffling between Chicago and the shores of Lake Delavan in Wisconsin. I have two darling adult children and two even more precious grandsons. My mean rescue cat allows my cocker spaniel and me to live with her.

my sites:

http://write2robinshope.blogspot.com/ (about my writing and I tell little stories)

http://datingoversixtyproject.blogspot.com/ (about dating as a single lady after 60)

Befriend me on Facebook

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The Homework Dilemma: Part 2

Contributed by Harvey Craft

(See Part 1, posted 3-28-12)

My Opinion for What it’s Worth

Before continuing I am obliged to make it clear that I do not believe in the abolition of all homework. I believe that if it is well-conceived some homework can be useful. I believe in the abolition of bad homework assigned for the wrong reasons.

So how do we determine the value of homework as a teaching tool?  A simple question will suffice. “How do I know it works?” That straightforward query allows us to screen new and old instructional methods. If no answer is forthcoming then professional responsibility requires that we find one.

Disagreement on Homework is Common

Teachers don’t need to be researchers. They don’t have to commit to spending hours each week involved in reading journals and searching the Internet. What is needed is healthy skepticism about teaching methods that prods them to ask the question above.

Regrettably, many teachers believe that more homework is the answer to improving learning and pile it on. Some of these teachers have observed that students who do homework make better grades than those who don’t, but drawing a conclusion from that observation is not justified.

There is also the personal factor that is exemplified by teachers feeling that students have disobeyed by not completing an assignment. Kids are supposed to do as they are told, so not doing homework gets personal. The result is often a zero which makes some teachers feel better but does little to improve learning. Finally, there is a prevailing belief that many students will not complete homework unless it is graded. That is because we have taught many students that grades are more important that knowledge. This is the result of overemphasizing grades to the exclusion of learning.

These problems are entrenched, and I won’t attempt to try to solve them here. Part of the problem is the overuse of rewards and awards doled out for grades. In the U.S. we have come to believe in the power of the reward. Albert Einstein was no dummy. He said, “If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed.” I agree with Albert.

Real Problems with Homework?

Likely the most common error teachers make regarding homework is grading it.   Homework is a formative assessment. Formative assessments are those non-graded activities that students do while they learn something new.  If we believe — as experts generally do — you don’t test what you haven’t taught, then we use homework for diagnosis and practice.

“If I don’t grade it they won’t do it!” Well, perhaps not, but if teachers spent more time convincing students that homework has value as a learning tool by making sure that homework addresses standards and therefore will appear on test and quizzes, then the real value of homework will be more clearly established, and the homework is graded when the test is graded.

OK, are you sitting down? Many students can and do copy homework. That single fact renders homework as invalid for grading. Related to copying is the fact that some parents help and some don’t.  And as long as I’m talking about parents — please remain seated — some parents just aren’t very good at parenting. Some frankly don’t care whether or not Junior does his work. Knowing this, why punish Junior?

Aside from mom and dad, other factors can make home an unsuitable place for homework. Love and concern may be present, but the home can be collapsing under the weight of dad’s recent arrest, Uncle Bubba’s visits while under the influence, mom’s job loss, etc. Dysfunctional homes are all too common.

Thankfully, most homes function well, but homework is often boring. I know it’s true; some of my brightest students told me early on that homework was boring. How dare they! I never promised them a rose garden! Time for zeros! The problem is that negative grades don’t motivate students who aren’t motivated by grades, and they are the ones that are most likely to not do homework. That’s why so many students accumulate strings of zeros. It doesn’t matter! If teachers are interested in motivation, try — really try — to give interesting homework.

Homework should never be assigned as punishment. When my son was in high school he brought home an F for algebra on his first interim. He had an A average on tests and quizzes. His teacher told me that she thought a failing grading was proper punishment and would motivate him to work harder. Duh!

My son’s aversion to homework was born out of his need for down-time. How selfish! Don’t ruin weekends and holidays with homework. Students need and deserve time with friends and family. If you mess up parents’ time they won’t like you either. Remember that other teachers are assigning homework. One of my granddaughters is in the fourth grade. Two weeks ago she called my wife — a former math teacher — for help with a math problem. My wife asked me for help! After missing a new episode of House, we finished, and my granddaughter went to bed with social studies homework not yet done!

In using homework, apply compassion, be empathetic, and don’t let it get personal. A caring, kind, and congenial teacher will affect grades positively more than all the homework ever assigned. There are times when homework is needed, but have specific occasions for assigning it.

Of course you may choose to agree or disagree with the above. You can do all of that homework checking and recording homework grades and calling parents, etc.

But, “How do you know it works?”

Oh, The Things Teachers Do!

     
Oh, the things teachers do! There is work to be done!
There are tests to be graded. There are walk-throughs –NOT fun!


There is paperwork, schmaperwork. I must confess…how can we function with all of this stress?! Assessments, do-your-best-ments, parent meetings and such. Why are we expected to handle so MUCH?!


How can we teach our students to rhyme, when classroom management takes so much time?
Increasing demands are brought on by new rules. More work leaves less time for the teaching in schools.

Just when I think that I can’t carry on. I am finished -- exhausted – caput – I am DONE!”
I see a new light in the eyes of a child, and I know that my job is important – worthwhile.

Teaching is reaching them, prodding them on. Another child "gets it" – I’m still not quite done!
You see, teaching does not come from a store…maybe teaching means a little bit more.

          Contributed by Sue Price

The Homework Dilemma: Part 1

Contributed by Harvey Craft -- Retired educator, consultant, freelance writer, and blogger

My Opinion for What it’s Worth

Teachers give homework — it’s part of what they do. I gave it when I was a teacher back when the earth was still cooling.  Eventually I gave very little homework — mostly to encourage studying before tests, but sometimes not even then. Homework didn’t seem to work in the best interest of my students, and I thought I was using it incorrectly — based on what I now know, I was.

I stopped grading homework long ago. After all, it results in lots of zeroes and my students didn’t need those. Really, if an assessment is consistently producing zeroes, shouldn’t teachers wonder about its usefulness? In those days we didn’t talk about formative and summative assessments. Assigned work was about grades.

I know it is popular to assume that students are being irresponsible when homework is not done, but teachers are supposed to be able to find what works. We are not supposed to call the student irresponsible, stupid, bad, lazy, etc. and move on — we find a way, not a way out. Sometimes we fail and the student fails, but we must commit ourselves to get better and adopt better methods rather than apply the “same old, same old” and expect students to adapt to us. Teachers are the experts — or should be — where teaching methods are concerned.  

I never saw any real evidence that it made students more responsible, although some teachers continue to claim it is so. Research on homework is inconclusive. There certainly are no landmark studies that show unequivocally that homework is essential to teaching and learning, although there is some pretty good evidence that it is of little or no value for elementary students. There seems to be some benefit for high school students from homework, but it’s limited.

Let me be clear— I didn’t just ride into town on a turnip truck. I know the language of research. I understand correlation, meta-analysis, z-scores. I have read the works of Harris Cooper, Robert Marzano, Thomas Guskey, and many others. I have a well-founded professional opinion on homework and I have a personal one.

What do the Polls Say about Homework?

Although parents often hold opinions on education that don’t necessarily reflect best practice, their opinions must be respected simply because schools educate their children. Regrettably, a clear understanding of what parents think about homework is hard to ascertain. My experience as a teacher and administrator has convinced me that parents generally support, or at least accept, various instructional methods — especially those applied in the schools their children attend.

Surveys and polls produce a bewildering variation in results. A mumsnet.com survey from October 2008 had a reasonable sample of 1,036 respondents to the question “Are you happy with the amount of homework your child is required to complete?” Fifty-six percent responded, “Yes it's just about right,” while 27% said, “No they get too much.”

Mumsnet is a site for parents, and surveys offered by websites are generally not conducted with scientific controls for validity, but provide information of interest to a specific group at a specific time.

On the other hand, smartgirl.org,  a website that attracts a wide age-range of young females conducted a survey concerning  a number of school issues. The poll is over a decade old, but of the 484 respondents, 274 — about 57% — responded that they had too much homework. Interestingly, about 27% admitted to cheating on homework at least “sometimes.”

A November 18, 2011, Timeforkids poll was in close agreement with Smartgirls, with 57% claiming too much homework. Again, there are no controls on this poll to assure accuracy.

Harrisinteractive displays the results from a poll from March 2008 that seems to have some scientific controls, although an exact description of the polling process is not described. The results show that 60% of the parents and 81% of the teachers agreed that the amount of homework given was “about right.” There is also close agreement on the “importance of doing homework.” Fifty-six percent of parents said doing homework is “very important,” compared with 50% of teachers.

Polls don’t give us much information about homework. They lack validity and depth. The most important issues about homework concern how educators apply what they know — or should know — about teaching and learning.

That will be the topic for Part Two.

 

Harvey Craft  is a retired educator. He continues to research, consult, and write about education, and maintains an education blog — “Dissenting Opinions,” at  http://teachingdoneright.blogspot.com/.

Here's what Harvey has to say:  "The blog title reveals its purpose is to identify and remove or improve bad educational practices. I invite controversy and lively discourse.

I spent 31 years in education as a science teacher and administrator in schools and at the district office level. I returned to teaching for the last five years of my career and became NBPTS certified in Adolescent Science. I wanted to return to the classroom where I felt I could make the most positive contributions. 

I continue to research, write, and consult. I write freelance on a number of topics, but mainly education. I have over 125 education articles published on the Internet and in educational journals. I also read daily on some aspect of education.

I exercise with long, fast bicycle rides, heavy duty gardening, and going to the gym. My most enjoyable hobby is photography. I am a nice guy, and I am passionate about education. I enjoy lively discourse."

Pants on the Ground

Contributed by Michael Kalnbach, Administrator at Glenn Middle School, San Angelo, TX

     Do we really understand who we teach?  We spend a lot of time and money determining what to teach, and when and how to teach it, but how much time do we spend studying who we teach?  Nearly every other profession focuses primarily on the people it serves.  The business world spends billions in market research to understand everything about its customers.  Medical professionals would not dare progress with treatment without knowing everything there was to know about the patient.  Tech companies like Google are founded on understanding every tendency and online habit of its constituents.  Yet, we in education often continue with the same methods and decision making we have used since the 1930s without the effort to truly understand those who enter our classrooms every day.

     Students today are profoundly different than previous generations.  9/11, the subsequent cultural changes, and the rapid advancement of technology affected this generation in ways sociologists still do not fully understand. Their ideas about education differ from the adults in their lives.  Their moral compass does not have absolutes.  They hold to different views of respect, authority and leadership.  They exhibit many well documented positive characteristics, but they simply are not the same as their predecessors.  If we are to reach them, we must truly understand them.

     My department ran a comprehensive study of our 656 high school freshmen to gain a better understanding of our students.  We asked a series of questions to which the students' responses would give us a clear picture of their ethical and moral boundaries, their feelings about education, leadership and authority, and their ideas about life after high school.  We then gave the same survey to our teachers which gave us the ability to cross reference the data.  The study showed extreme differences between the students and teachers.  One example is the response to a question regarding cheating.  The question read, "Is it okay to cheat?"  100% of the teachers chose the response, "It is always wrong to cheat."  Only 22% of the students chose that response.   47% of the students chose the response, "It is okay to cheat when you have been treated unfairly (not given enough time to complete assignments, not given enough time to study, etc.)"  Another 21% chose the response, "It is okay to cheat if you have no other option to get a passing grade on the assignment."  This is one simple example of the insight we gained about the students' attitudes about situational ethics.  The most revealing aspect of the study was the discrepancy between the teachers' and students' ethical standards.  100% of our teachers chose this response to another question:  “those in authority deserve respect simply because of the position they hold.”  Only 14% of our students chose that response.  Over 75% chose the response:  “those in authority must earn my respect before I will give it to them.”  These examples represent the numerous differences in the way adults and students understand the world and our culture.

    After full evaluation of the survey data, our teachers began to see the profound differences between them  and  their students.  We teach from a certain perspective based on our life experiences, particularly our experiences related to our education.  Our students are listening from an entirely different perspective generated from their own experiences which we have established are much different than any other generation.  Often what we say and do from our perspective is received in a much different way, and the results are much different than what we as teachers intended them to be.  We then get frustrated and do not understand why our students are not learning, and why they do not seem to care.

     I was captivated by a goofy performance of a middle aged man in the early stages of the American Idol competition.  He sang a song called, "Pants on the Ground."  He was lamenting over the fact that the young guys sag their pants below their waist line.  It was hilarious.  It struck a chord with many educators.  It is a battle fought in almost every school in America.  The issue however is a glaring example of the disconnect between adults and young people.  Will we continue to complain about the attitudes and actions of the students, and forge ahead with the same methods based on our perspectives without an understanding of why they do what they do?  Can we commit to study them, to learn from them, to spend quality time with them, to fully understand them so that we will be able to engage them in learning?  Will we learn what motivates them, what inspires them, and avoid what alienates them?  Can we stop complaining about the clothes they wear and the attitudes they have toward leadership and responsibility and figure out why they think and act the way they do?  The stakes are high.  If we cannot change, we run the risk of these students choosing to raise themselves.  If we can, we will earn the right to be heard, and we will be given the incredible opportunity to teach them.