Homework or Work at Home

 

Homework!

The one word that can cause immense amounts of stress, angst, and frustration the world over for children, parents and teachers alike.

I vividly remember getting home from school in my primary years, out to play, coming  home when it got dark (no mobile phones then!!!) to sit at the kitchen table completing homework whilst Mum was cooking.

 High school meant completing, or mostly completing, my homework in my bedroom whilst listening to the Top 40 on the radio, getting my tape recorder poised to tape my favourite songs off the radio (and if you don’t know what on earth I am talking about, ask someone over 40!!!!).

So, a new day and a new ‘study’ from another ‘expert’ about the why’s and how’s of homework.

As a student, I wasn’t overly impressed by having to do it, rather than watching Happy Days on the tele.

As a teacher, I must admit I am not a huge fan of homework for homework’s sake.

And as a parent, when I see what children are given for homework sometimes it sends me spare.

 

I believe that homework can be worthwhile BUT (and it is a big BUT) it needs to be relevant. Why give little Johnny a 6 page maths assignment when he is in Year 3 and hasn’t yet covered any of the strategies given.

Why make little Mary complete a ‘narrative’ about a fairytale when the class has not yet covered the structure required for that text type.

For me as a teacher I prefer that this children do the following:

1. Read EVERY night – this is so important. If your children don’t like books, find something they do like to read. My son wasn’t an avid reader of books (unlike his sister who I constantly had to stop from reading all night!), so we would go to the newsagent and buy football magazines.  He would devour these and be able to tell me all about what he read. He knew all the facts and figures, the life stories of the players, and he was reading. And that was great. My tip is to talk to them and find out what they really WANT to read, or discover, and it won’t be seen as a chore.

 

2. Speaking of chores, I often included this in homework. The children have to help complete a home chore and list it – wipe the dishes/feed the animals/learn how to put the washing machine on. This is about developing some life skills which to me are very important. Whenever I have been able to do this with my own classes, I have never had any negative responses and the families have always appeared happy for this to be completed.

 

3. Times Tables – OK so I am now very old school here but I firmly believe that the children need to learn their times tables. If we know our times tables, it helps with SO much. I still have vivid memories of standing up every morning in Year 6 and reciting all our times tables with Sister Kathleen ensuring we didn’t make one single mistake (she was tough).  I am no maths whiz but I know my tables and this has always been a great help. Stick them on the back of the toilet door if you have to, trust me it helps.

 

4. Exercise – I know not all children are keen on sports and that’s ok. However, every one needs exercise, including children. Part of homework might include listing some exercise they have done – walk the dog/ soccer training/ using the skipping rope/ riding their bike/chasings with friends.  Anything, as long as they get their bodies moving.

 

5. Cooking – I encourage the children to become involved in meal preparation. Whether it be chopping up some vegetables, stirring the sauce, or helping to serve, this is another life skill to be encouraged.

 

i know it is different for high school students and I will post about that at a later date.

But don’t let homework become a battleground.  We all lead such busy lives, as do the children at school, so if it is causing you lots of stress and arguments, maybe have a break from it.

 

Talk to your teacher about it. Homework is actually not compulsory, and most teachers should be approachable and understanding with this.

 

Do you like homeowrk or do you think it’s a waste of time? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

 

 

Private v Public

Private v Public! 

There has been much conversation in the media over the past few days about the age old argument of private schools versus public schools.

A recent research study has claimed that it makes no difference whether we send our children to private schools or public schools.

My opinion – DO WHAT SUITS YOUR CHILDREN.

I have read a lot of this research study and quite frankly I am yet again disappointed in that firstly, money which most schools desperately need, was spent on yet another ‘consultant’ doing yet another ‘study’ which tells us yet again that basically it is your choice.

I have worked in all types of schools – public, private and catholic systemic.

I can tell you that there are good and not so good in all.

There are brilliant teachers in all, and quite frankly, there are not so good teachers in all.

Yes, many private schools have amazing facilities that many other schools can’t provide. And yes, that is a shame.

But, it is also about the children. I know plenty of people who have sent their children to the school’s they went to. Forgetting that it has probably been 10, 20 or even thirty years since they were there. It may have improved, it may be the same, or just as likely it may have gone downhill.

For me, schools are about the people that make them. Not the government ministers who sit in their ivory towers, who have never been involved in the education process but seem to know how to spend desperately needed funds on idiotic projects.

And it also depends on the children. Some kids will blossom in a private school setting, other kids will despise it. Some kids will take every chance and opportunity given to them in a public school, and let me tell you I have seen first hand what incredible opportunities there are, and others will not find their feet.

 

It is also about how the parents or carers choose to spend their money.  Plenty of people sacrifice a lot to send their child to a private school. Others, who on paper can easily afford private school fees, choose to send their kids to the local government school.

 

And guess what?

Most of us try to do the very best for our kids. Whether we choose to sacrifice some things for our kids to go to a fee paying school, or we are happy with what our local government school offers, chose a school that suits YOUR child, not what some over paid consultant tells you!

I’d love to hear your opinion.

Did you go to a private or public school?

Where would you or do you send your own children and why?

Lunch Box Part 1

    Trying to prepare a nutrionally balanced, exciting and edible lunch box can cause tears, tantrums and that’s just from the adults!

Ah, the dreaded lunch box.

The bane of existence for Mum’s, Dad’s, Grandma’s and all carer’s.
And teachers!!!!

I know that when my not so little ones started ‘big school’ I tried to fit as much goodness in their little lunch box as I could.

Of course, not thinking that I was in fact packing enough for them and that if no one else in their primary school (this at a time when they went to a 300 + student’s city school) brought lunch in that day, their goodies could keep the whole school satisfied, including the teachers.

Lunch for 1…thousand

When the lunch boxes returned home day after day with only a small portion eaten I realised that I had forgotten some fundamental things of being at big school for the first time.

 The children are four, five or six. They only have little tummies, and a limited amount of time to eat. They actually don’t need a chicken and salad wrap, a wholemeal cheese and vegemite sandwich, a sesame roll with last night’s lamb roast leftovers carefully arranged inside of it, as well as a container of watermelon, a banana, two apples, three carrot sticks, four pieces of celery, two yoghurts, a box of sultanas and a cheese stick. And that’s just morning tea.

Seriously – for a five year old or a 25 year old?

There are so many things to do at break time. They want to run and jump and use the skipping ropes, and play chasings with their mates, and use the play equipment and play with their buddies.

They don’t want to remember Mummy (or whoever) saying when she kissed them goodbye that they must eat everything in their lunchbox.

Seriously- for a child???

Ensure they have a healthy breakfast. This is the most important meal of the day, I believe, and little minds (and big ones) can’t work effectiveloy if they have not been refulled).

Most primary schools now have a fruit break/crunch and sip time mid morning so they can munch on some fruit or vegies and keep their energy levels up. And sorry, roll ups DO NOT constitute a piece of fruit.

Again, don’t make it hard. I love mangoes but seeing a five year old trying to eat a mango on the floor whilst listening to a story then going to continue some word work does NOT work. If you desperately want to give them a mango, cut it up and put it in a container (Which you have labelled).

A morning snack. Perhaps a yoghurt, more fruit, a protein bar, some cheese and biscuits or a little pack of biscuits. Or, or, or. Not and, and, and. Don’t make them so hard the kids can’t open them.

Yes, when teachers are doing playground duty, their time should be spent on focussing on the student’s welfare and safety, not trying to open eighty five packets of chips. I used to cut a snip off the packets then it was easy for little hands to open.

Don’t send messy foods. I wish I had a dollar for every bag I have had to clean when a yoghurt has spilt in it. Buy them in the tubes, or put them in a container. PLEASE!

Make sure your child likes the food you are giving them. Only the other day I had to rifle through a garbage bin at school (yes, who doesn’t love that part as a teacher) trying to find a toy that an inconsolable child had inadvertently dropped in there.

I could not believe the amount of food that had not even been TOUCHED that had been thrown in the bin. Of course, there was half eaten sandwiches, over ripe bananas (why send something you wouldn’t eat) but also a beautiful array of salads, chicken, unopened packets of cheese and savoury snacks.

I for one, don’t want to see my hard earned money that I spend on groceries be thrown in the bin because I continue to send items my children don’t like in their lunchboxes.

A Five Year old could handle this

Ask your children what they like. If you cope with it, take them to the supermarket with you (maybe not EVERY time) and talk to them about the different types of foods.

Try and mix it up a bit for a bit of interest but I can tell you, I am not a parent who uses cookie cutters to cut cute shapes out of their sandwiches!!!! Looks great on pinterest but I don’t have the time!

Cookie Cutter Shaped Sambo’s (not by me!)

Do your children have any favourites for their lunchbox? I’d love to hear about them.