The kids weren't learning they were doing the problems wrong. Too many graduating seniors weren't ready for college-level math. That's how I was trained,” he says.īut gradually Anderson became convinced that something was wrong. “That was me, standing in front of the class, lecturing, handing out homework. In his first couple of years in the classroom, he was a self-described “strict traditionalist.” Anderson assigned homework - up to 30 Geometry and Algebra problems a night - because.well, that's what teachers did. “But I prefer to skip good and do great.” ‘It Wasn’t Working’Īnderson came into teaching as a second career in 2006.
“In certain circumstances, I guess homework can be good,” says Anderson. Scott Anderson, a math teacher in Juda, Wisconsin, believes a teacher doesn't necessarily have to be “anti-homework” to take the class in a new direction. My kids are happy, healthy, and learning!” I made a very simple decision: I would rather get through less material at a higher quality with less stress than keep giving homework. “They didn't have time for it, and very little actual learning was happening. “I got sick of a wide range of factors: overly stressed students, poor-quality homework,” he explains. Christopher Bronke, an English teacher at North High School just outside of Chicago recently scrapped homework in his 9th grade class. While most researchers agree that homework in elementary grades has no benefit, many believe it can be useful, in moderation, in high school, particularly in preparing students for college workloads.īut some high school educators are taking a second look. In particular, the practice of assigning homework to elementary students has been widely criticized. The scrutiny stems not only from homework's questionable academic value, but also its role as a stressor in students' lives. Others, convinced homework is a waste of time and even counterproductive, are phasing it out - a decision that is becoming less and less controversial with parents, school leaders, and researchers. Homework is still a staple in most classrooms, but even teachers who believe it has some value are scaling back.
Regardless of where you stand on the issue, there's no doubt that the anti-homework movement has been picking up steam.
0 kommentar(er)
