Homework Etc

Hello All,

You may or may not have heard the news that Brandi and I will not be sending home weekly homework this year.  It was met with a mix of excitement and disappointment.  I am sure you have seen several teachers in the news lately who have elected to forgo homework.  The reason is simple.  The research says very clearly, for students in early grades it has absolutely no effect on their achievement.   As a constructivist  school we focus on work that is meaningful to build knowledge and skills they will need and use throughout the year.  Homework is often disconnected because the the time frame it takes to get it done.   There are so many things to learn in this life.  I want a lot from them at school, I ask them to work extremely hard while they are here, I hope they can spend some time pursuing their interests while they are not in school.  I hope my students get a chance to play sports, do crafts, eat dinner with their families, bond with their siblings, go to the library, take advantage of the nature here in Portland, do chores, go to the movies, make movies, learn to code, decorate their bedroom and so many other things.  I want happy healthy kids who are able to put everything they have into school while they are here.

This being said, if they are not working hard during the day here I will reserve the right to send work home to be finished.

Here is a Washington Post Article that talks about homework and is linked to several studies.

Other things coming up soon:

Friday 23rd – Creative Arts Run

Wednesday 28th – Back To school Night – I will post a separate back to school night post with the nuts and bolts of the classroom so you an always go back and look for it and reread it if you need to.  I will also put the sign up for conferences in that post, that will go live on Friday the 30th.  If you need help with an electronic sign up let me now and I will help you out.