Wisdowm from a school principal

I would like to highlight this ground breaking article, Why Schools Should Get Rid of Almost All Homework, by an experienced high school principal, and focus specifically on his notion that time is our most important commodity.

 

One of the most destructive myths of homework is that homework, even though it may not pass muster, through research, as an educational technique, has the intangible benefit of teaching work habits, and specifically, time management. Nothing could be further from the truth.

 

Homework that must be done at all costs, lest the child receives poor grades and the parents go into a frenzy afraid for their child's future, teaches children to squander, rather than use time effectively. As the author here says, there are many other highly important things that children can do with their after school time.

 

But if are set on having some homework and one of our goals is to teach children how to manage time, we will only achieve that goal by placing limits on time, reducing penalties for work not done, and guiding children to increasing their productivity within the defined time frame. Isn't that what we do during the schoolday, which starts and stops by the clock? Why not the homework day as well?

THANKS TO ALL WHO HELPED COMMUNICATE THE OFFER FOR A FREE KINDLE DOWNLOAD OF THE HOMEWORK TRAP. THE OFFER ENDED SEPTEMBER 7. THE BOOK IS NOW ON THE KINDLES OF AN ADDITIONAL 1179 PARENTS AND TEACHERS.

Visit The Homewor Trap website

Dr. Kenneth Goldberg, is the author of The Homework Trap: How to Save the Sanity of Parents, Teachers, and Students, published by Wyndmoor Press.