Little did I realize as the inspiration for this blog was swirling through my subconscious mind, I would find myself relaxing, releasing, letting go of it all and sleeping in? LATE! great for me not so great for the kids who needed to be at school at 9:05am and it was 8:40............so with that said I'm sure that my tardiness would not fit in with the required curriculum......and my stand on homework may not either..........
I have 3 children in elementary school and all of them have more homework than I feel should be required....reading, writing, arithmetic....here I find myself again at those 3 R's. Now, don't get me wrong as I stated before I understand that learning the basic concept of these 3 subjects is pretty much the basis of all learning and as such is the basis of life growth itself...for without the ability to learn in all capacities...we are stunted.
But, is all this homework necessary???????? kids are at school a minimum of 61/2 hours a day for a minimum of 340 days a year.......that's a lot of time, alot of life, alot of learning.....so why? then the need to impose additional homework on them during what used to be free time.....their life. Not only does it impose on the children by demanding more of their precious, valuable and personal time, it is also an imposition on the parent's. I work evening's and am unable to give them the required attention and assistance they need, leaving me feeling unproductive and guilty.....is that necessary.......considering the amount of time spent in a system that is set up to teach our children the exact studies which they are bringing home? This homework also interferes with outside interests and has been implicated as creating stress for many children.
Now I am not saying that the occasional assignment or special project does not encourage and teach children discipline, Independence and good studying habits and I also believe that if a child does not or is not able to finish their school work at school that it should be sent home. I also must state that if a child is falling behind in any subject or requires additional studying to keep them on track then as a parent we should be willing to play our part in helping our children to be competent and able in their studies. My concern is for the everyday child who is being overwhelmed by study and is losing interest and may even drop in their grades due to the overwhelming burden to always be learning.
On the flip side of learning my kids attended Italian summer school 2 years in a row at their own request. They attended classes for 2 1/2 hours a day 5 days a week for 1 month and everyday they fit in recess and a snack. They learned the Italian national anthem, all their numbers, the ABC's and even learned 2 major productions that they presented at the end of the summer session. How is that possible? no homework there?........because it was new, it was fun....they played Bingo in Italian...they learned through the arts by learning a play.....need I say more....
Children don't need more homework....we need a new system and a new curriculum......in this day in age it must be apparent that not everyone learns the same way and although there has been a slow shift in the schooling system it is not enough.....we need to speed things up and bring things into the 21st century......we need to begin teaching our children through mentorship, inspiring and motivating them to take that which they learn and use it to become mentors and teachers themselves in the future....everyone has at least one special talent that they can share.....why let anyone fall through the cracks......who knows what insight, knowledge, inspiration we may be missing.......we need to teach the children as they learn, some children learn through hearing, some through the written word, some through action.......but all need to be inspired.
Writers, Dancers, Artists, Scientists, Athletes, Motivational speakers all these and many more are the teachers we should be exposing our children to, not only occasionally but as part of the curriculum.....see how fast they learn....then they will not need additional homework for they will be putting their lessons to action.......that is learning.
My belief is that unbenounced to all of us the system is setting our children up not only to work 9 to 5 but to become accustomed to the fact their time is not their own and that in the future they will be more and more intertwined in the industrial world....as we supposedly go GREEN......is this what we want for our children?
I remember a Christmas holiday a few years back when one of my little one's was only in grade 1, she brought home her reading schedule and informed me that her teacher required her to read everyday during the break.........I immediately informed her that if she wanted to read then by all means read as many books a day as she liked, as for the required reading curriculum I informed her that this was our holiday, our family time together to relax and enjoy and that she was not required to do any reading at all if she did not want to. I told her I would speak to the teacher as soon as the break was over......she stuck to the curriculum as her fear of disappointing her teacher and feeling as if she had not done what was required of her was more impacting on her than her mother's words. Her choice and it is everyone's choice to decide whether homework builds more productive children? Unfortunately for those of us who are not happy with homework, we would seem to have no choice in the present moment.
I am not alone in this dilemma, not by a long shot, I distinctly remember several parent's discussing with me how when they went on their family holiday to Hawaii and Aruba, their children were required to take homework...........WAIT, STOP......DID YOU HEAR THE SKID MARKS.....now I would never say never because you know what happens as soon as you say never........NEVER happens.......but I see it to be highly unlikely that my family would be taking school work along with us to Hawaii........come on? am I crazy? Now that doesn't mean that their would be no reading or learning......I could see myself lying on the beach reading one of my many books on Yoga, Buddhism, Life..........and learning all the while.....I can see my children taking in the culture of another country.....their traditions, teachings..........all while enjoying the beauty and relaxation of much needed rest from school, work...and the everyday schedule....isn't that why people take vacations???????? to relax, unwind, let go and remember that their is life outside the everyday, their life........
This brings me back to the moment of inspiration of this story as my subconscious was imagining all of us on the beach, reading or just resting, lying in Savasana (flat out on our backs), on a beautiful beach, letting it all go.....I must of actually have gone there.........hence my early morning tardiness........Do you think it is because I never did enough homework?????
I think it's called required rest..........which everyone needs and I am sure that our children need it? What do you think?
I have 3 children in elementary school and all of them have more homework than I feel should be required....reading, writing, arithmetic....here I find myself again at those 3 R's. Now, don't get me wrong as I stated before I understand that learning the basic concept of these 3 subjects is pretty much the basis of all learning and as such is the basis of life growth itself...for without the ability to learn in all capacities...we are stunted.
But, is all this homework necessary???????? kids are at school a minimum of 61/2 hours a day for a minimum of 340 days a year.......that's a lot of time, alot of life, alot of learning.....so why? then the need to impose additional homework on them during what used to be free time.....their life. Not only does it impose on the children by demanding more of their precious, valuable and personal time, it is also an imposition on the parent's. I work evening's and am unable to give them the required attention and assistance they need, leaving me feeling unproductive and guilty.....is that necessary.......considering the amount of time spent in a system that is set up to teach our children the exact studies which they are bringing home? This homework also interferes with outside interests and has been implicated as creating stress for many children.
Now I am not saying that the occasional assignment or special project does not encourage and teach children discipline, Independence and good studying habits and I also believe that if a child does not or is not able to finish their school work at school that it should be sent home. I also must state that if a child is falling behind in any subject or requires additional studying to keep them on track then as a parent we should be willing to play our part in helping our children to be competent and able in their studies. My concern is for the everyday child who is being overwhelmed by study and is losing interest and may even drop in their grades due to the overwhelming burden to always be learning.
On the flip side of learning my kids attended Italian summer school 2 years in a row at their own request. They attended classes for 2 1/2 hours a day 5 days a week for 1 month and everyday they fit in recess and a snack. They learned the Italian national anthem, all their numbers, the ABC's and even learned 2 major productions that they presented at the end of the summer session. How is that possible? no homework there?........because it was new, it was fun....they played Bingo in Italian...they learned through the arts by learning a play.....need I say more....
Children don't need more homework....we need a new system and a new curriculum......in this day in age it must be apparent that not everyone learns the same way and although there has been a slow shift in the schooling system it is not enough.....we need to speed things up and bring things into the 21st century......we need to begin teaching our children through mentorship, inspiring and motivating them to take that which they learn and use it to become mentors and teachers themselves in the future....everyone has at least one special talent that they can share.....why let anyone fall through the cracks......who knows what insight, knowledge, inspiration we may be missing.......we need to teach the children as they learn, some children learn through hearing, some through the written word, some through action.......but all need to be inspired.
Writers, Dancers, Artists, Scientists, Athletes, Motivational speakers all these and many more are the teachers we should be exposing our children to, not only occasionally but as part of the curriculum.....see how fast they learn....then they will not need additional homework for they will be putting their lessons to action.......that is learning.
My belief is that unbenounced to all of us the system is setting our children up not only to work 9 to 5 but to become accustomed to the fact their time is not their own and that in the future they will be more and more intertwined in the industrial world....as we supposedly go GREEN......is this what we want for our children?
I remember a Christmas holiday a few years back when one of my little one's was only in grade 1, she brought home her reading schedule and informed me that her teacher required her to read everyday during the break.........I immediately informed her that if she wanted to read then by all means read as many books a day as she liked, as for the required reading curriculum I informed her that this was our holiday, our family time together to relax and enjoy and that she was not required to do any reading at all if she did not want to. I told her I would speak to the teacher as soon as the break was over......she stuck to the curriculum as her fear of disappointing her teacher and feeling as if she had not done what was required of her was more impacting on her than her mother's words. Her choice and it is everyone's choice to decide whether homework builds more productive children? Unfortunately for those of us who are not happy with homework, we would seem to have no choice in the present moment.
I am not alone in this dilemma, not by a long shot, I distinctly remember several parent's discussing with me how when they went on their family holiday to Hawaii and Aruba, their children were required to take homework...........WAIT, STOP......DID YOU HEAR THE SKID MARKS.....now I would never say never because you know what happens as soon as you say never........NEVER happens.......but I see it to be highly unlikely that my family would be taking school work along with us to Hawaii........come on? am I crazy? Now that doesn't mean that their would be no reading or learning......I could see myself lying on the beach reading one of my many books on Yoga, Buddhism, Life..........and learning all the while.....I can see my children taking in the culture of another country.....their traditions, teachings..........all while enjoying the beauty and relaxation of much needed rest from school, work...and the everyday schedule....isn't that why people take vacations???????? to relax, unwind, let go and remember that their is life outside the everyday, their life........
This brings me back to the moment of inspiration of this story as my subconscious was imagining all of us on the beach, reading or just resting, lying in Savasana (flat out on our backs), on a beautiful beach, letting it all go.....I must of actually have gone there.........hence my early morning tardiness........Do you think it is because I never did enough homework?????
I think it's called required rest..........which everyone needs and I am sure that our children need it? What do you think?
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