Picture Day TOMORROW plus some thoughts on homework...

Two posts in a weekend...yikes!  I must have a lot to say!   I did forget to remind you that it is picture day tomorrow.  They usually try to get through all the elementary classes in the morning.  The pictures are both for individual and for our class picture.  Send in the picture envelope tomorrow if you are planning on ordering...

Speaking of first grade pictures.  Check this one out circa 1974!   Tell the kids I'll punch their good behavior cards three punches if they can figure which one is me.   (The answer is at the bottom of this post.  If they get it right, they just have to tell me they got it right and I'll happily punch away.)

I also said I would start my philosophy on homework blog post.   I said start, because I realize it's going to take a couple of posts.   I have tried 18 different ways of doing homework over my 18 years of teaching.   I have never got it "right" for everyone.   I have learned making all parents happy with homework is very difficult...if not...sigh...impossible.    Take last year, for example, I send a survey home at the end of the year for parents to give me feedback.  I take the feedback very seriously.  I'm always striving to be a better teacher and without getting feedback...it's hard to get better.   So I asked, "How did homework seem throughout the year?"    Here are some comments I received:

• "Homework seemed a lot initially but I realized it was more of a concentration factor."
• "Loved the homework and folder organization."
• "I appreciated the routine.  It was just challenging enough but not overwhelming."
• "Homework was easy to understand--our only problem was getting in a routine to get it done."
• "It was a lot for my child to do and when math and reading were added it was very overwhelming."
• "The homework wasn't hard -- concept wise."
• "It was appropriate, but not challenging.  My girl likes to do it all on one night and then we are looking for other things to do on the other evenings."

So there you go....same homework, different families....very different feelings about it.  My goal this year is to make homework more personalized for your child and your family (more in blogs to come!) but for now know these are the parameters I'm working with....

Traditionally, you take your child's grade and add a zero to calculate minutes of homework expected each evening.  So for first graders, that would be 10 minutes.  For second graders, 20 minutes, etc.   However, as you know, we have all chosen to send our children to a school that raises the bar on "normal".  We have high expectations for our students.   But I also know that these are six and seven year old kids that work hard all day and deserve to play hard at night.   I asked about extra-curricular activities-- we have pianists, soccer players, baseball players, and dancers...just to name a few. They need time to pursue those activities as well as those family activities that we all cherish.  So I won't be asking for much more than the 10 minutes...probably more like 20 minutes.  I also want to insure that those precious 20 minutes are well-spent.  I don't want your child working on "busy work".    I want these minutes to add to their school experience not subtract from it.

So now knowing how I feel about time, how should we best spend it?

We have one given at North Star and that is timed math tests.  While I believe math is so much more than memorizing facts, I have found that when students have a good grasp on their facts, it frees up mental space to do the real deep mathematical thinking.   I LOVE teaching math and my hope is that your child will leave with a developed number sense and a love of problem solving after spending the year with me...:)   However, we do have timed tests.  Some of your children will thrive with the timed test program, others will struggle.   I will say without a doubt that if your child struggles, it does not mean that they aren't a strong mathematician.  In fact, some of the children last year who could do the most deep problem solving struggled with the timed tests.   I will say also that ALL children benefit from practice.  If they are going to struggle, they will struggle less with practice.  If they thrive in the timed test area, they will grow and thrive more.  I had students who made it through addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and mixed facts in ONE YEAR.   Taking it a step or a test at a time.  If they keep up the pace, it can be done.   It can NOT be done without practice.  So I do ask that your child practices once without being timed and once being timed each evening.   If done without stalling on your child's part, that is approximately 3-4 minutes of your time.

So now I'm left with only 16-17 minutes to be filled productively.   Obviously reading is our top priority in first grade.   I hope you read all the inspiring reading quotes this week!   I LOVE teaching reading (hey, what don't I LOVE teaching???  answer: nothing!!)!   You are going to see tremendous growth in your child this year.   Again, this only comes through putting in the time.   In order for your child to be motivated to read, we do have a reading challenge.   My challenge to them is to read 100 books this year outside of school.   Be on the lookout for the specifics this week in your child's STAR book.   These are books they may have at home, books from the library, and books I may send home as part of their reading group.    You decide how much time you'd like to spend each night reading.  I would like to leave you with this article that I read many years ago and has ALWAYS stuck with me.  It's one of those "ah-ha" moment articles that I hope also makes you realize the importance of establishing this daily habit early.  This is from an article, "Can I skip my reading tonight?"

Let's figure it out -- mathematically!

Student A reads 20 minutes five nights of every week;

Student B reads only 4 minutes a night...or not at all!

Step 1: Multiply minutes a night x 5 times each week.

Student A reads 20 min. x 5 times a week = 100 mins./week

Student B reads 4 minutes x 5 times a week = 20 minutes

Step 2: Multiply minutes a week x 4 weeks each month.

Student A reads 400 minutes a month.

Student B reads 80 minutes a month.

Step 3: Multiply minutes a month x 9 months/school year

Student A reads 3600 min. in a school year.

Student B reads 720 min. in a school year.

Student A practices reading the equivalent of ten whole school days a year.

Student B gets the equivalent of only two school days of reading practice.

By the end of 6th grade. . . if both Student A and Student B maintain these same reading habits:

Student A will have read the equivalent of  60 whole school days

Student B will have read the equivalent of  only 12 school days.

One would expect the gap of information retained will have widened considerably and so, undoubtedly, will the student's school performance.

How do you think Student B will feel about him/herself as a student?

Some questions to ponder: Which student would you expect to read better? Which student would you expect to know more? Which student would you expect to write better? Which student would you expect to have a better vocabulary? Which student would you expect to be more successful in school ....and in life?

Oh my goodness, this has gotten long.  I will quit blabbing at you...:)   And keep talking another day....

So did they get it right?

Also....I like I said before we spend a lot of time the first few weeks trying to get our "chattiness" out and our "focus" in.   Looks like I may have spent a few times back at my desk myself....hehehehehe....:)

Have a great week!  Look for more blog posts this week! Carin