Comments for Thoughts On Teaching http://www.toddseal.com/rodin Challenge The Status Quo Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:27:36 -0800 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 Comment on Homework? During Break? by Anonymous http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/01/homework-during-break/comment-page-2/#comment-102409 Anonymous Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:27:36 +0000 http://www.toddseal.com/teaching/?p=47#comment-102409 On occassion over the years, parents have asked me why there hasn’t been any homework for the last 2 or 3 weeks. Going through the credential program at SJSU, I recall hearing from some teacheAdd Your Comment - Join the Fun!rs about a school homework policy that dictates the number of nights homework is required, with some schools going as far as requiring homework every night. To some, assigning homework means that you are a good teacher. Should teachers be considered less adept at what they do simply because they don’t assign homework as often as required? What if the lesson for the day doesn’t necessitate homework.As a student, homework can be REALLY annoying at times but overall it helps you succeed. I don’t really mind homework over weekends, but I do mind homework over breaks. I’m currently on the last day of Christmas break and it’s really a killer trying to concentrate on stuff that I haven’t looked at in weeks. I know I procrastinated but Christmas break is time off to enjoy yourself, and here I’m very much overwhelmed with all of this homework. This is probably the most homework I’vBen says: [1/9/2006 - 9:34 am] I actually had the same thought about homework over break Todd. As I contemplated our new homework policy for the rest of the year (no late You know, I got back and forth on this topic. Last year, I gave a lot of homework (mostly reading and answering two questions per chapter) outside of class, and few students did it. The second semester, I gave almost no homework and did a lot of in-class work. This year, I’m giving a lot of different homework. Most nights, my students have some kind of homework, but it’s only 10 sentences to label or 5 words to define or something like that. Plus, in most cases, I give them ample time in class to complete or almost complete it. It’s getting better. However, I don’t take work home. I do no grading or planning at home because I know I won’t do it. I stay after school pretty late (you know this) doing that stuff. I do write essays or short stories with students, and I do write the keys for assignments the night that the students have them assigned. But then, as you mentioned, I was one of those kids for whom education meant something. My dad never graduated from college, although he worked in the corporate world for good money, and my mom never used her teaching degree beyond student teaching, and became a SAHM soon after she graduated. I knew from age four that I wanted to be a teacher and that I would be in schools forever. However, I never did my homework at home in high school! I had computer games to program (on the C64) and movies to watch and books to read and people to call and naps to take and IRC to distract me. I did my homework the period before it was due almost exclusively, if I did it at all. I am walking testament that even the kids who care about school can successfully dodge the homework bullet.homework, period) I started to ponder as to how much homework I should Student says: [12/18/2007 - 7:51 am] Home work is annoying on weekends for those good students who actually get their work done. For those who don’t, it’s just anothe piece of paper they won’t make a mark on 16. Student says: [12/18/2007 - 7:57 am] And another thing, i really don’t mind homework, as long as it truly is helping a students academic ability, and not just busy work. Most teacher understaqnd this but some don’t and as a result assign enough homework for two nights or more on the weekend. I am not stereotyping or ethnicly grouping anyone. All i am saying is that teachers are human, and so are students, and we all deserve a little time off.give. While I didn’t come up with the homework policy (something the school does for middle schoolers), it is good to make students responsible for carrying on their leanring at home. However, I’ve found that the vast majority of homework is busy work that amounts to worksheets, reading quizzes, and take home tests. Throughout the first two marking periods I’ve tried to give homework in at least one of the three subjects I teach each night. While spelling homework is easy, a lot of my other homework was getting neglected, just as you said. Homework wasn’t getting done and grades suffered because of it. While I don’t actually remember any of my education classes talking about the efficacy of homework, or research that was presented on how homework reinforces the daily lesson, I have noticed one thing this year. Generally speaking, the students that do their homework perform better on tests. Perhaps it’s because I’ve been trying to shift away from the dittos and worksheets in favor of critical thinking homework questions and reflective essays. I have noticed another trend though. Students that perform poorly academically tend to perform poorly on homework, no matter how much I give them. While students that do the homework have more exposure to the material and are generally better prepared for questions on vocabulary, students without the necessary thinking skills don’t seem to build them with homework. I’m anxious to start focusing on more higher order homework to combat this. As for the feeling of “Must give homework every night,” if I’ve managed to get across the learning objective and the students seems to understand it (using assessments or other evidence), then there’s no real reason for the homework other than building good work habits and practicing skills.e gotten over break EVER. I approve homework, but not over breaks. Becca (Middle school student) says:When was the last time you completed something you assigned to your students? Every time I assign an essay, I keep telling myself that I should try to complete it at the same time my students are working on it. This is something that I’ve done before (about 2 years ago, I wrote the beginning of most of the essays I assigned to my students that year), but I certainly don’t do it every year. So if we expect our students to complete large amounts of work during a break (a 30-page packet, read an entire novel, complete a research paper), shouldn’t we have the same expectations for ourselves? # Homework? During Break?: In a stack of papers called Instruction. Comment feed. Add your comment. Trackback. Next: Work To Rule ’06 Previous: A Look At Coudal 50 comments 1. Ben says: [1/9/2006 - 9:34 am] I actually had the same thought about homework over break Todd. As I contemplated our new homework policy for the rest of the year (no late homework, period) I started to ponder as to how much homework I should give. While I didn’t come up with the homework policy (something the school does for middle schoolers), it is good to make students responsible for carrying on their leanring at home. However, I’ve found that the vast majority of homework is busy work that amounts to worksheets, reading quizzes, and take home tests. Throughout the first two marking periods I’ve tried to give homework in at least one of the three subjects I teach each night. While spelling homework is easy, a lot of my other homework was getting neglected, just as you said. Homework wasn’t getting done and grades suffered because of it. While I don’t actually remember any of my education classes talking about the efficacy of homework, or research that was presented on how homework reinforces the daily lesson, I have noticed one thing this year. Generally speaking, the students that do their homework perform better on tests. Perhaps it’s because I’ve been trying to shift away from the dittos and worksheets in favor of critical thinking homework questions and reflective essays. [2/18/2010 - 4:02 pm] I think that homework is necessary in some situations (such as Algebra). Usually, however, it is not. Students should study on their own time, and written homework should be unnecessary. I personally feel like I spend more time working over weekends than on school days thanks to weekend homework. The worst, though, is when I rush to get a project done in time, and then the teacher gets it back in, say, a few months. I think this is completely unfair. If I do my (hmm… I’ll see if that worked…) homework in time and I work hard, why shouldn’t they?! Homework is fine, so long as it is actually beneficial, it isn’t over a break, it isn’t an exact echo of what we did in class, it is clear that homework has been assigned, and it is returned in a reasonable amount of time. 40. Becca (Middle school student) says: [2/18/2010 - 4:04 pm] Also, in agreement with “Another High School Student”, teachers should take into account that they aren’t the only teachers assigning homework when they do so. 41. Alex says: [3/1/2010 - 3:48 pm] Funny thing is that my homework for today was to start our introduction on your presuasive essay, fyThis past week was our first week back from Christmas Break and I noticed that some teachers assigned pretty serious work during the time off. I wonder if that simply sets students up for failure. We all know that the majority of our students (99.9% of them) won’t do the assigned work until the last night before returning. Some of them will forget completely. I’d say a large number would fall into that last category and simply not do the work at all. This is the same reason that I try really hard not to assign work over the weekend. In the spirit of trying to maintain connections between my two worlds of teaching and Web design, I’ll point out that Cameron Moll points out the same idea. Look at “4: Avoid Monday Deadlines.” It’s just too easy to not do the work when there’s no daily reminder and when there’s a natural desire to take some time off during a weekend. Homework? And is there a pedagogical reason we are giving the work or is it assigned because it is expected and it feels like the right thing to do? If the work isn’t completed, will the student really be at a loss? If the work is completed, will the student actually be better prepared for the rest of the course? I know that I assign work from time to time simply because I feel like I haven’t given homework in a while and I should. But I fight that urge every time it creeps up and I cringe every time I realize I’ve already done it (UPDATE: An online homework survey will provide some good data for an upcoming book on homework; it doesn’t take long to fill out). On occassion over the years, parents have asked me why there hasn’t been any homework for the last 2 or 3 weeks. Going through the credential program at SJSU, I recall hearing from some teacheAdd Your Comment – Join the Fun!rs about a school homework policy that dictates the number of nights homework is required, with some schools going as far as requiring homework every night. To some, assigning homework means that you are a good teacher. Should teachers be considered less adept at what they do simply because they don’t assign homework as often as required? What if the lesson for the day doesn’t necessitate homework.As a student, homework can be REALLY annoying at times but overall it helps you succeed. I don’t really mind homework over weekends, but I do mind homework over breaks. I’m currently on the last day of Christmas break and it’s really a killer trying to concentrate on stuff that I haven’t looked at in weeks. I know I procrastinated but Christmas break is time off to enjoy yourself, and here I’m very much overwhelmed with all of this homework. This is probably the most homework I’vBen says:
[1/9/2006 - 9:34 am]
I actually had the same thought about homework over break Todd. As I contemplated our new homework policy for the rest of the year (no late You know, I got back and forth on this topic. Last year, I gave a lot of homework (mostly reading and answering two questions per chapter) outside of class, and few students did it. The second semester, I gave almost no homework and did a lot of in-class work.
This year, I’m giving a lot of different homework. Most nights, my students have some kind of homework, but it’s only 10 sentences to label or 5 words to define or something like that. Plus, in most cases, I give them ample time in class to complete or almost complete it.
It’s getting better. However, I don’t take work home. I do no grading or planning at home because I know I won’t do it. I stay after school pretty late (you know this) doing that stuff. I do write essays or short stories with students, and I do write the keys for assignments the night that the students have them assigned.
But then, as you mentioned, I was one of those kids for whom education meant something. My dad never graduated from college, although he worked in the corporate world for good money, and my mom never used her teaching degree beyond student teaching, and became a SAHM soon after she graduated. I knew from age four that I wanted to be a teacher and that I would be in schools forever. However, I never did my homework at home in high school! I had computer games to program (on the C64) and movies to watch and books to read and people to call and naps to take and IRC to distract me. I did my homework the period before it was due almost exclusively, if I did it at all. I am walking testament that even the kids who care about school can successfully dodge the homework bullet.homework, period) I started to ponder as to how much homework I should Student says:
[12/18/2007 - 7:51 am]
Home work is annoying on weekends for those good students who actually get their work done. For those who don’t, it’s just anothe piece of paper they won’t make a mark on
16. Student says:
[12/18/2007 - 7:57 am]
And another thing, i really don’t mind homework, as long as it truly is helping a students academic ability, and not just busy work. Most teacher understaqnd this but some don’t and as a result assign enough homework for two nights or more on the weekend. I am not stereotyping or ethnicly grouping anyone. All i am saying is that teachers are human, and so are students, and we all deserve a little time off.give. While I didn’t come up with the homework policy (something the school does for middle schoolers), it is good to make students responsible for carrying on their leanring at home. However, I’ve found that the vast majority of homework is busy work that amounts to worksheets, reading quizzes, and take home tests. Throughout the first two marking periods I’ve tried to give homework in at least one of the three subjects I teach each night. While spelling homework is easy, a lot of my other homework was getting neglected, just as you said. Homework wasn’t getting done and grades suffered because of it. While I don’t actually remember any of my education classes talking about the efficacy of homework, or research that was presented on how homework reinforces the daily lesson, I have noticed one thing this year. Generally speaking, the students that do their homework perform better on tests. Perhaps it’s because I’ve been trying to shift away from the dittos and worksheets in favor of critical thinking homework questions and reflective essays.
I have noticed another trend though. Students that perform poorly academically tend to perform poorly on homework, no matter how much I give them. While students that do the homework have more exposure to the material and are generally better prepared for questions on vocabulary, students without the necessary thinking skills don’t seem to build them with homework. I’m anxious to start focusing on more higher order homework to combat this. As for the feeling of “Must give homework every night,” if I’ve managed to get across the learning objective and the students seems to understand it (using assessments or other evidence), then there’s no real reason for the homework other than building good work habits and practicing skills.e gotten over break EVER. I approve homework, but not over breaks.
Becca (Middle school student) says:When was the last time you completed something you assigned to your students? Every time I assign an essay, I keep telling myself that I should try to complete it at the same time my students are working on it. This is something that I’ve done before (about 2 years ago, I wrote the beginning of most of the essays I assigned to my students that year), but I certainly don’t do it every year.

So if we expect our students to complete large amounts of work during a break (a 30-page packet, read an entire novel, complete a research paper), shouldn’t we have the same expectations for ourselves?

# Homework? During Break?: In a stack of papers called Instruction. Comment feed. Add your comment. Trackback.

Next: Work To Rule ’06

Previous: A Look At Coudal

50 comments
1. Ben says:
[1/9/2006 - 9:34 am]
I actually had the same thought about homework over break Todd. As I contemplated our new homework policy for the rest of the year (no late homework, period) I started to ponder as to how much homework I should give. While I didn’t come up with the homework policy (something the school does for middle schoolers), it is good to make students responsible for carrying on their leanring at home. However, I’ve found that the vast majority of homework is busy work that amounts to worksheets, reading quizzes, and take home tests. Throughout the first two marking periods I’ve tried to give homework in at least one of the three subjects I teach each night. While spelling homework is easy, a lot of my other homework was getting neglected, just as you said. Homework wasn’t getting done and grades suffered because of it. While I don’t actually remember any of my education classes talking about the efficacy of homework, or research that was presented on how homework reinforces the daily lesson, I have noticed one thing this year. Generally speaking, the students that do their homework perform better on tests. Perhaps it’s because I’ve been trying to shift away from the dittos and worksheets in favor of critical thinking homework questions and reflective essays.
[2/18/2010 - 4:02 pm]
I think that homework is necessary in some situations (such as Algebra). Usually, however, it is not. Students should study on their own time, and written homework should be unnecessary. I personally feel like I spend more time working over weekends than on school days thanks to weekend homework. The worst, though, is when I rush to get a project done in time, and then the teacher gets it back in, say, a few months. I think this is completely unfair. If I do my (hmm… I’ll see if that worked…) homework in time and I work hard, why shouldn’t they?! Homework is fine, so long as it is actually beneficial, it isn’t over a break, it isn’t an exact echo of what we did in class, it is clear that homework has been assigned, and it is returned in a reasonable amount of time.
40. Becca (Middle school student) says:
[2/18/2010 - 4:04 pm]
Also, in agreement with “Another High School Student”, teachers should take into account that they aren’t the only teachers assigning homework when they do so.
41. Alex says:
[3/1/2010 - 3:48 pm]
Funny thing is that my homework for today was to start our introduction on your presuasive essay, fyThis past week was our first week back from Christmas Break and I noticed that some teachers assigned pretty serious work during the time off. I wonder if that simply sets students up for failure. We all know that the majority of our students (99.9% of them) won’t do the assigned work until the last night before returning. Some of them will forget completely. I’d say a large number would fall into that last category and simply not do the work at all. This is the same reason that I try really hard not to assign work over the weekend. In the spirit of trying to maintain connections between my two worlds of teaching and Web design, I’ll point out that Cameron Moll points out the same idea. Look at “4: Avoid Monday Deadlines.” It’s just too easy to not do the work when there’s no daily reminder and when there’s a natural desire to take some time off during a weekend.

Homework?

And is there a pedagogical reason we are giving the work or is it assigned because it is expected and it feels like the right thing to do? If the work isn’t completed, will the student really be at a loss? If the work is completed, will the student actually be better prepared for the rest of the course? I know that I assign work from time to time simply because I feel like I haven’t given homework in a while and I should. But I fight that urge every time it creeps up and I cringe every time I realize I’ve already done it (UPDATE: An online homework survey will provide some good data for an upcoming book on homework; it doesn’t take long to fill out).

]]> Comment on Was This A Good Or Bad Year? by Anonymous http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2011/06/good-bad-year/comment-page-1/#comment-102405 Anonymous Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:58:01 +0000 http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/?p=1512#comment-102405 why are you in middle school for?:} why are you in middle school for?:}

]]> Comment on Was This A Good Or Bad Year? by Anonymous http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2011/06/good-bad-year/comment-page-1/#comment-102404 Anonymous Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:57:06 +0000 http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/?p=1512#comment-102404 i think that is missing in much pd i think that is missing in much pd

]]> Comment on Homework? During Break? by Anonymous http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/01/homework-during-break/comment-page-1/#comment-102402 Anonymous Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:50:22 +0000 http://www.toddseal.com/teaching/?p=47#comment-102402 http://homeworksurvey.com/t to assign work over the weekend. In the spirit of trying to maintain connections between my two worlds of teaching.If the work isn’t completed, will the student really be at a loss? If the work is completed, will the student actually be better prepared for the rest of the course? I know that I assign work from time to time simply because I feel like I haven’t given homework in a while and I should. But I fight that urge every time it creeps up and I cringe every time I realize I’ve already done it (UPDATE: An online homework survey will provide some good data for an upcoming book on homework; it doesn’t take long to fill out). I’m curious if we (teachers) assign work too often. What we’ve found at our school is that students are failing because they don’t do homework. Perhaps if there was less homework, more students would achieve academically. Should that be the reason that students don’t get the credits for a class, because they haven’t done work outside of class? Shouldn’t the credits go to a student if he or she has the skills the course requires? If we’re finding that homework is a huge reason for failure, if we’re finding that the current paradigm of homework isn’t working for a majority of our students, don’t we have an obligation to address that and seriously examine our homework policy? On occassion over the years, parents have asked me why there hasn’t been any homework for the last 2 or 3 weeks. Going through the credential program at SJSU, I recall hearing from some teachers about a school homework policy that dictates the number of nights homework is required, with some schools going as far as requiring homework every night. To some, assigning homework means that you are a good teacher. Should teachers be considered less adept at what they do simply because they don’t assign homework as often as required? What if the lesson for the day doesn’t necessitate homework.As a student, homework can be REALLY annoying at times but overall it helps you succeed. I don’t really mind homework over weekends, but I do mind homework over breaks. I’m currently on the last day of Christmas break and it’s really a killer trying to concentrate on stuff that I haven’t looked at in weeks. I know I procrastinated but Christmas break is time off to enjoy yourself, and here I’m very much overwhelmed with all of this homework. This is probably the most homework I’ve gotten over break EVER. I approve homework, but not over breaks. this is not fair because over the breaks we shouldnt have homwork http://homeworksurvey.com/t to assign work over the weekend. In the spirit of trying to maintain connections between my two worlds of teaching.If the work isn’t completed, will the student really be at a loss? If the work is completed, will the student actually be better prepared for the rest of the course? I know that I assign work from time to time simply because I feel like I haven’t given homework in a while and I should. But I fight that urge every time it creeps up and I cringe every time I realize I’ve already done it (UPDATE: An online homework survey will provide some good data for an upcoming book on homework; it doesn’t take long to fill out).

I’m curious if we (teachers) assign work too often. What we’ve found at our school is that students are failing because they don’t do homework. Perhaps if there was less homework, more students would achieve academically. Should that be the reason that students don’t get the credits for a class, because they haven’t done work outside of class? Shouldn’t the credits go to a student if he or she has the skills the course requires? If we’re finding that homework is a huge reason for failure, if we’re finding that the current paradigm of homework isn’t working for a majority of our students, don’t we have an obligation to address that and seriously examine our homework policy?

On occassion over the years, parents have asked me why there hasn’t been any homework for the last 2 or 3 weeks. Going through the credential program at SJSU, I recall hearing from some teachers about a school homework policy that dictates the number of nights homework is required, with some schools going as far as requiring homework every night. To some, assigning homework means that you are a good teacher. Should teachers be considered less adept at what they do simply because they don’t assign homework as often as required? What if the lesson for the day doesn’t necessitate homework.As a student, homework can be REALLY annoying at times but overall it helps you succeed. I don’t really mind homework over weekends, but I do mind homework over breaks. I’m currently on the last day of Christmas break and it’s really a killer trying to concentrate on stuff that I haven’t looked at in weeks. I know I procrastinated but Christmas break is time off to enjoy yourself, and here I’m very much overwhelmed with all of this homework. This is probably the most homework I’ve gotten over break EVER. I approve homework, but not over breaks.
this is not fair because over the breaks we shouldnt have homwork

]]> Comment on What Students Need, But Don’t Get by Anonymous http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/02/what-students-need-but-dont-get/comment-page-1/#comment-101382 Anonymous Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:10:19 +0000 http://www.toddseal.com/teaching/?p=6#comment-101382 I was one a teenager. As was every adult. Here is what you realize as adults: No matter how important things may seem to a person when they are a teenager, it not too deep into adulthood that the vast majority of those seemingly critical priorities, pan out to be comparitively trivial. For example, there is not a single friend from my teenage years who plays a major role in my life. I used to place so much importance on those people and what they thought of me. And by the time I was out of school, they were insignificant in my life. Here's the kicker; What soon became important as a responsible adult is STILL important today. Let me put it another way. I have likely lived half of my life-expectancy, yet the vast majority of what was important to me when I graduated from college remains a priority today. I consider myself in tune with a teenage mind. I remember being one. I understand the feelings. And I am not insenitive when I tell you that one day, you will look back at some of the drama you may feel today, and realize it was all just a learning experience, and not anything dire at all. You may even find yourself laughing at your former self. Understand, I am not talking about the real life events like divorce and death. Those are issues we all have to deal with and the pain and grief has nothing to do with your age. Take life one day at a time. Live to give to others while keeping true to your self. The popular kids will be forgotten and you may become the most popular person in your field because of your effort and accomplishments, not because of the way you wear your hair. And the number one thing you can do for yourself that will last you your lifetime and become more and more important each day on Earth...take care of your health! Peace. I was one a teenager. As was every adult. Here is what you realize as adults:

No matter how important things may seem to a person when they are a teenager, it not too deep into adulthood that the vast majority of those seemingly critical priorities, pan out to be comparitively trivial.

For example, there is not a single friend from my teenage years who plays a major role in my life. I used to place so much importance on those people and what they thought of me. And by the time I was out of school, they were insignificant in my life.

Here’s the kicker; What soon became important as a responsible adult is STILL important today. Let me put it another way. I have likely lived half of my life-expectancy, yet the vast majority of what was important to me when I graduated from college remains a priority today.

I consider myself in tune with a teenage mind. I remember being one. I understand the feelings. And I am not insenitive when I tell you that one day, you will look back at some of the drama you may feel today, and realize it was all just a learning experience, and not anything dire at all. You may even find yourself laughing at your former self.

Understand, I am not talking about the real life events like divorce and death. Those are issues we all have to deal with and the pain and grief has nothing to do with your age.

Take life one day at a time. Live to give to others while keeping true to your self. The popular kids will be forgotten and you may become the most popular person in your field because of your effort and accomplishments, not because of the way you wear your hair.

And the number one thing you can do for yourself that will last you your lifetime and become more and more important each day on Earth…take care of your health!

Peace.

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