A Teacher's Blog Post

I came across a teacher's blog post in which she calls homework "a necessary evil." She refers to time management as well. I posted a comment regarding what may be the true "evil" in homework and about misconceptions teachers having regarding time. Here's the link to the blog and here's the comment I left.

I think we sometimes overlook the number one "evil" about homework and that is that teachers are not taught the theory, research, and practice of homework-giving when they go to school. For a practice that has such large weight on the student's grade and has such a high potential of turning the child permanently off to education, the field actually gives it very little attention, in its schools of education, in its continuing education programs, and on its professional blogs and websites (although a little more on blogs and websites than elsewhere). If teachers studied homework the way they studied other aspects of teaching, there would be far less controversy.

Regarding the issue of time management, it is a misconception that homework teaches time management. It is like a credit card. If you know how to manage your money, you can use a credit card well. If you don't know how to manage your money, you need to give up the credit card and start working with the cash in your pocket, or in your checking account. Homework can only teach time management if students are instructed to stop working after a specific period of time. We need to distinguish our goal of teaching children good study skills for their future success from the notion that simply assigning homework and setting consequences for its not getting done is achieving that educational goal.


For more information on Dr. Goldberg's model, read other postings on this blog, visit his website, The Homework Trap, or read his book, The Homework Trap: How to Save the Sanity of Parents, Students and Teachers.