November 21, 2006
Parents and Students,
I’ve been reading a lot lately about the benefits and consequences of homework for middle level students. I had been thinking that perhaps our kids have been overwhelmed by the amount of work that has been given to them and I have a plan to perhaps change this.
Yesterday in class a lovely student named Trevin brought me an article written for the September issue of Time magazine by Claudia Wallis. This essay discusses several different viewpoints about the benefits of homework. Since the topic had already been on my mind, and then it was presented in such a concise little package by a student, I mulled it over and I’ve decided to implement a new plan: No more assigned homework. I will still be assigning essays and readings and projects, but I will not assign additional work specifically as “homework.”
Studies have shown that “students who feel overworked tend to lose interest in the topics and it may damage their interest in learning and natural curiosity.” (Wallis, 2006) While I do feel that it is important to instill a love of reading and writing in our kids, I don’t want to squash the current interest that they have.
So, for the next trimester I am going to test my hypothesis. Your students will still have work to complete at home but it will be work that we began in class and didn’t get finished, or longer projects that need additional time.
If you have any questions or concerns about this, please contact me at 509-228-4980 or sfilanoski@cvsd.org.
Sincerely, Sara Filanoski
