Throwing Out Homework by Maureen Eich VanWalleghan

Last night I watched the Race To Nowhere, a powerful film. As a later mom, it was easy to see my future self in the mothers who were interviewed. The desire to give one’s child every advantage and to know that they are fully prepared to move out into the world is a driving force in myself and in many moms.

There was so much that resonated for me in the film, but one particular moment really struck me. I believe it was an educator who was teaching AP Biology who wondered when it became acceptable that “school” dictated private life, which is what excessive homework does.

As an educator, I have been anti-homework for years, mostly because it turned into work I had to address once it came back. Essentially, homework would dictate my “private life” because it would quickly became work that overwhelmed me and would be the thing that I constantly had to deal with at home: piles of homework waiting for me. Thank you, but no thank you. It was interesting to hear this same perspective from another educator, but considering the student viewpoint. The notion that students could and are getting one hour of homework per class per night is absurd. Depending on the students’ age and their school, students could have between 5 and 7 hours of homework per night. That is a crime and mind numbing to consider. No wonder kids and parents are stressed out!

As a later mother, I am very invested in enjoying my child. I waited along time before having kids, which was not completely by choice, but that’s how it turned out. I relish time with my child. I enjoy her company and all the fun she brings and even the intensity of parenting when things are difficult. What seems crazy when it comes to homework is that suddenly relaxation time becomes nonexistent. Between homework and extra curricular activities the joy of just being with my kid is no longer there. In the end, I did not have my daughter so that someone else could dictate how I spend my time with her.

Since my daughter is in kindergarten this issue of homework has been on my mind. My husband and I picked a school with a half-day kindergarten and no homework. The Waldorf charter school where my daughter attends has been wonderful. And the school’s philosophy of no homework till about 4th grade is great. But, what happens after that. Seeing the Race To Nowhere was eye opening. This issue of homework for our daughter in the future is real and scary. I want to enjoy my daughter as she grows. I want to her to play and to have time to be a kid even as she is turning into a young adult.

For me, the Race To Nowhere is a call to action. Our thinking about homework needs to change. Even though as a society we hate homework, there is this insidious notion that both students and parents believe: without homework a course isn’t challenging and students aren’t learning. In the film, the book The Case Against Homework is mentioned. A book I am going to read. Also on the “End The Race To Nowhere” website (http://www.endtherace.org/)—a resource for parents who want to do more on change “school culture” to better serve kids—there are a number of other books that discuss the issue of excessive homework.

Right now, I think we need a parent rebellion: NO MORE HOMEWORK! If every parent walked into principals’ offices across the country and explained that homework is no longer acceptable then there might be some change. But, the first step is believing that homework is a detriment. Parents really have to check in with themselves on this issue. Checking the statics to back up the idea that homework is not needed could help.

Walking into the principal’s office alone could be daunting, but getting a group of parents together to get this discussion on the agenda of school boards would have tremendous impact. Really stopping homework is good for everyone: parents, kids and teachers. I can hear the chanting now: NO MORE HOMEWORK!, NO MORE HOMEWORK!, NO MORE HOMEWORK! When mothers want change to happen, it happens. Let's unleash the mommy factor and get rid of homework...

GUEST BLOG POST: Organizing Kids - by Ana Homayoun, author, That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week: Helping Disorganized and Distracted Boys Succeed...

Last week, after a book signing for my recently released book “That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week: Helping Disorganized and Distracted Boys Succeed in School and Life,” a mother approached me to lament about how even though she thought that she had tried everything her son was on the verge of failing the eighth grade

After speaking with this mother for a few minutes, it became clear that it wasn’t just her son’s struggle to be organized that was the problem. Every time I would say something positive and encouraging, she would become negative. When I made a suggestion, she batted it down as though it wouldn’t work, even though she had yet to try it. Though this mother clearly was well-intentioned (she was giving up part of her Thursday evening to hear me speak and buy my book!) her own attitude and approach clearly made it impossible for her and her son to move forward.

Between all the activities parents have to juggle – jobs, finances, home life, kid’s school, sports and activities – parents don’t always readily realize that the message they send through their actions – both verbal and non-verbal – have an enormous impact on their child’s ability to become encouraged to make long-term changes towards personal and academic success.

Through my work with families, it is abundantly clear that parental attitude and approach are some of the main factors of long-term student success – here are few quick tips:

Make a Fresh Start and Let Go of Past Mistakes – In my book, I give the example of the a boss who no matter what you seem to do, reminds you of past mistakes, short-comings or your general failing to measure up. Most adults would long to find another job FAST, and don’t realize that they inadvertently treat their kids the same way. In my work, I always talk about the win-win – that is, how getting better organized will make the student’s life easier so he or she can spend more time doing whatever it is they enjoy – and that this process is all about THEM. For most pre-teens and teenagers, that can be a powerfully motivating message.

Let Your Child Take Ownership of his Successes and Mistakes – Over my years of work, I see that the most successful parent/child dynamics are those where the parent allows the child to develop their own skills and react to their own challenges. Some weeks and months might be smoother than others, but the overall trend is that over time, these kids develop into reliable, competent and hardworking young people.

Remain Calm and Re-Group as Necessary – When I give talks to parents and educators, I often get nervous laughter when I exclaim how “No child sits up late at night strategizing how they can stress you out by forgetting their homework on the printer!” As with everything, learning is a process, and kids will struggle as they learn new techniques. Structuring a weekly re-group time in your home, where kids can go through their backpack, clean out any crumpled papers, update their planner and start the week off in a great way is probably one of the best long-term changes parents can make.

I encourage you to look at this upcoming week or weekend as a time to start fresh, re-group and help your child on his or her own path to success!

Ana Homayoun is the author of THAT CRUMPLED PAPER WAS DUE LAST WEEK: Helping Disorganized and Distracted Boys Succeed in School and Life. She is also the Founder and Director of Green Ivy Educational Consulting, an educational consulting firm that encourages junior high and high school students to create their own framework for academic and personal success. A graduate of Duke University, Homayoun also holds a Masters Degree in Counseling from the University of San Francisco. She lives in Northern California. Visit http://www.thatcrumpledpaper.com/.