Beginning of the year recommendations

Today, I am reprinting the contacts of two recent blogposts, which I think you might find relevant at the beginning of the school year. The first is an email to send the teacher if your child had homework problems the year before. The second is a contract you can share with the teacher if you are asked to sign a contract at the beginning of the year promising that you will support the school. And don't forget to let the teacher know that through Friday, September 7, he or she can have a free Kindle copy of The Homework Trap: How to Save the Sanity of Parents, Students and Teachers.

EMAIL

If your child had difficulties with homework last year, I am recommending that you cut and paste the following text into an email and send it to your child's teacher. Enter the appropriate names where there is capitalized text. I hope this helps. Good luck with your efforts and feel free to contact me if I can be of further help.

Dear TEACHER’S NAME

Last year, homework proved a challenging experience for CHILD’S NAME and our entire family. There was very little gained, educationally or emotionally, from the efforts we made.

In researching the topic, I have come across a model that I believe will work. I would appreciate it if you would take a moment and follow this link, www.thehomeworktrap.com. Please read the section, The Homework Trap: A Model for Change. I would like to use that as a basis for our next discussion.

Sincerely,

PARENT’S NAME

PROPOSED CONTRACT

I, teacher for ______________________ have read and agree to abide by the following:

1. I will only assign homework that is important and meaningful for the educational process.

2. I recognize that the parents are the rightful heads of the home and that my homework assignments are made with their tacit permission, permission they can withdraw.

3. If educational problems arise, I will meet with the parents to address those problems with the understanding that I am the head of the parent-teacher team for matters going on at school (i.e. classwork and classroom behavior) and that the parent is the head of the parent-teacher team for matters going on at home (i.e. homework).

4. I affirm that I am familiar with the homework research and debate and will take that into account when assigning homework. If I am not familiar with the research and debate, I promise to become familiar with it during the coming year.