My child says there's no homework in math. Is that true?Yes! It is absolutely 100% true! Your child will not be assigned daily homework. They should have plenty of time in class to learn, practice, and apply the concepts I am teaching them.
Like I tell the students, you pay taxes, which in turn pays me to teach your child math so you don't have to! |
Why is there no math homework?I could go on and on about the educational research I have studied to make the decision to go no-homework, but that would take waaaay too long, and I already say a lot of words. The short version is that homework has shown detrimental effects on students' love for learning, and since I value learning so much, I want to eliminate anything that could take away a child's desire to learn.
Leisure time is important for brain development. Constant stimulation prevents the brain from making meaningful connections with new knowledge, so having a break in the evening as well as good sleep helps students learn better than doing more work at home. I also believe strongly in down time. I value it for myself, and I value it for you and your children. I'd rather you spend quality time enjoying a meal, doing an activity, or just vegging in front of a good movie to let your minds wind down from the day. In other words, I want you to have family time. They have plenty of time with us at school. You deserve some quality time with your child as well! |
Doesn't math require practice to get better?While I want students to gain fluency in math so that certain skills become more automatic and efficient, the goal of math education is not to simply be able to do the same type of problems over and over again (like repeated practice on fraction division). The goal is to get students to apply their understanding of math concepts to solving problems, discussing mathematical ideas, and looking at multiple ways to approach problems. I have looked at the latest educational research to help me make this decision, and if you're interested in seeing a glimpse of it, please follow this link to find out more about why even math doesn't need daily homework.
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Doesn't homework reinforce skills learned in class? In the research I've studied and based on my experience, the problem with homework as "reinforcement" is that the only thing it continues to reinforce is basic, rudimentary skills. The other problem is that if a student doesn't understand how to do something in math, performing repeated problems using incorrect methods reinforces those incorrect methods, making it more difficult for me to get them back on track when they return to me. Ultimately, what I want students to be able to do is have authentic conversations about math and their deep understanding of concepts, and that cannot be accomplished by practice problems and worksheets.
The block scheduling gives plenty of time in school for students to get the practice they need, and in reference to my response in a previous question, it is unfair for me to demand time be taken away from you and your child at home when there should be plenty of time at school. Instead of working on a bunch of practice together, have a discussion about one of the problems they worked on in class and how they figured out interesting or creative ways to solve it (you can even see the actual problems by going to the individual class links on this website!). Discuss different ways to do the same type of math and compare pros and cons between the way you were taught and the way they're being taught nowadays. These conversations bring families closer together and make math an enjoyable topic rather than a source of stress and fights. |
Doesn't homework help my child become a more responsible, independent learner?Students get time in class to work independently as well as collaboratively in small-group and whole-class discussion, so they're already gaining skills in independence. Homework, even with the best intentions, does not actually accomplish having students learn independently. There is no empirical research supporting that homework actually leads to students becoming more responsible or independent. In fact, in my experience and in research studies I've looked at, the opposite effect tends to happen. Parents beg and fight with their children when they don't do homework; teachers fight and beg with students to turn in the homework; many kids find any excuse to avoid the homework. On the flip side, students who willingly do the homework did not learn those skills because of the homework; they gained that independence and responsibility separate from it and are now using those skills to complete the homework. Too many times, I have students who say they couldn't figure it out, so they just put something down on paper to complete it or completely gave up on doing it altogether, decreasing their desire to learn even more. This type of attitude is not one of a responsible, independent person.
So, instead of using homework, I teach responsibility and independence in class by having students take ownership of their learning. By having access to their grades and feedback on assessments, they see where they struggle and where they understand. If they choose to accept their current level of understanding without improvement, they experience the consequences of having low grades. If they choose to come in to receive extra help or participate in class discussions, asking questions when they're confused, students experience the consequence of increased knowledge, ingraining self-awareness and improving personal study and work habits. I'm not unrealistic. I understand that my students are still young and don't always know how to meet goals. I will work with the students to create realistic and attainable goals that are timely. However, even in the real world with adults, deadlines get adjusted and schedules get rearranged because life happens. I want these students to know how to take care of their work in a timely manner in a realistic and supportive environment when life starts to happen. |
Why isn't math being taught the way I learned it in school?The interesting thing about education, particularly math education, is that people expect it to stay the same as it always has been. Yet, we don't demand that of doctors, engineers, dentists, or bankers. With these professions, we like innovation, using the latest research to improve the profession. Education is no different. New methods (and sometimes old methods that have undergone an update ) for teaching emerge when researchers, teachers, administrators, professors, and other education professionals work towards finding ways to improve what isn't working. Teaching math the same way it's always been taught has left us with generations of people who believe "I'm just bad at math," not because they actually are, but because they were taught only the one way to do anything and to just memorize it.
I want to change this trend, so I have students explore multiple ways of doing the same types of problems not only because it's good to have options, but because one method may work for one student while a completely different one may work for another. I want to make sure your child has the best possible chance to learn math that's easy for them, and only providing them the "traditional" methods you and I grew up with limits those chances. Ultimately, math is moving away from memorization of disjointed facts to thinking logically using patterns and relationships and finding connections between different mathematical ideas. Having an open and flexible understanding of math concepts will help them be better mathematicians in the long run. If you're ever interested in learning about the different methods I've shown students, you can always have your child show you or swing by my room before or after school to have me show you. I love teaching, and I always love when parents show an interest in the math their child is learning in class! |
How will I know what my child is learning in math without homework?There are several resources for parents to know what's happening in the math class.
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What if I want my child to work on math at home?Go for it! I love the idea of parents working with their children together on math. However, if you wish to provide math support at home, I just kindly ask the following:
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How will this affect my child's grade?Since there is no homework, this does not directly affect the grade. For more information about grading, visit the "Grading FAQ" page of this website.
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What if I still have questions about homework?Please feel free to email me at [email protected] or call me at (405) 587-4935 and leave a voicemail if you have more questions. I am working in my actual classroom during virtual learning, so I check my messages regularly.
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