Dear McCall Parents and Caregivers,
I would like to use this opportunity to discuss the topic of homework because we are at the middle of the school year when the contents of the courses are becoming more rigorous and academic demands are increasing. The winter and the pandemic may also be wearing on your students, so it may be harder for some to stay motivated on their work. Therefore, I would like to share some thoughts on this topic in the event that your students are struggling with getting their assignments done.
As stated in our Student Handbook, the typical amounts of time students are recommended to be spending doing homework are as follows:
6th graders – 1 to 1 ½ hours per day
7th graders – 1 ½ to 2 hours per day
8th graders – 2 to 2 ½ hours per day
If your students consistently spend more than the
recommended time on homework, it is important for you to communicate with their
students’ teachers or guidance counselors to let them know this is happening. Or better yet, I suggest parents and or
caregivers encourage the students themselves to connect with their teachers or
guidance counselors that they are spending too much time doing homework if the
students are ready to do so. Please remember our teachers and staff are not at home with your students, so what they are able to observe are the completed assignments not the struggles your students go through to get their work done.
When parents and caregivers do discuss their students’ homework completion difficulties with teachers and staff, I have often found that the conversation is focused on how much homework the teachers are assigning per day. However, there are many factors that may contribute to a student’s homework struggles beside the amount of work that is assigned. They include the following:
- Student does not understand the teacher’s expectation
for the assignment. For example, a
teacher asked the class to study for the upcoming test by completing a Study
Guide. The student completed the Study
Guide and spent an additional hour studying for the test by reviewing her notes
when completing the Study Guide was sufficient.
- Student does not understand the directions for
the assignment. For example, a teacher assigned
students to create four Google Slides for a presentation and the inclusion of animated
graphics are optional. The student spent
a lot of time focusing on creating the graphics because she thought they were
required.
- Student often does his homework in an
environment that is full of distractions.
- Student often starts the homework process when she is not in a physical or mental state to be productive. For example, the student often scheduled her homework time after taking part in extracurricular activities when she is hungry and tired.
Since the homework completion issue can be complicated, I suggest all parents collect some data by observing how their students' do their assignments before meeting with the staff to problem-solve through the issue. Important information for the teachers and staff to know include the following:
- What time during the day does your student begin doing his homework?
- What is the environment in which your student is doing his homework? Are there distraction-inducing elements in that environment?
- How much time does your student spend doing assignments from each subject?
- How does your student prioritize the assignments each night? Does he do the assignments that he finds more challenging first or later in the process?
- How much time does your student spend getting herself organized before starting to do her homework?
- Does your student know where to find the directions
for each assignment?
Homework battles with your students are no fun. I, as a parent, have experienced them and know firsthand these conflicts can negatively impact the entire family’s emotional well-being. Our teachers and staff want to help you work through these difficulties. However, we need your insights into how the homework process in order to make the problem-solving process productive. I encourage you to gather the information based on the questions I have posed previously to help guide your discussions with our teachers and staff.
Thank you,
James Lin
Principal
McCall Middle School
