(By Guest Blogger: Ciara Cheriese)
Who else was dumbfounded, when you discovered that having kids means doing homework again?
Well, I’m fine if I’m the only one raising her hand. All I know is I was totally caught off guard. It’s not that I had a problem helping my daughter with her homework. It was the fact, that I felt like I was being graded as well.
I’m mostly referring to “project time”. I always felt like the teachers emphasized the importance of the “student doing the work”…. Yet, the rubrics used to grade the work certainly required “adult assistance”.
Yes, we made it through the trenches “alive & well”… However, I do believe this is something that needs to be addressed, for the sake of posterity.
We end up having these “projects” that have adult like elements but we say “grade school hands & minds” are responsible (for the end result). This is absolutely problematic!
Children are becoming overwhelmed with the expectations placed on them. While being simultaneously told, they aren’t doing enough “globally” to keep up with “world standards”.
Learning needs to epitomize “growth & excellence” and not “perfection”. It’s ok if a project looks like a “4th grader” completed it, as it was a 4th grade assignment.
A teacher once told me, “If your child knew everything already she wouldn’t need to be here”. That was a beautiful poignant reminder, that has stayed with me over the years.
We must absolutely encourage our children/ students to strive for “growth & excellence”. However, it must be “age (and skill set) appropriate”. We need to primarily reinforce their self confidence, that strengthens their aptitude immensely. Additionally, we must constantly remind them that they are getting stronger by the day.
In my opinion this is the real purpose of “homework/ projects”. When we utilize homework (& special projects) as a tool for growth, the outcome is inevitably “success”.
Our children have these beautiful minds full of imagination and wonder. Let’s please safeguard those precious gifts, as much as humanly possible.
Do you have a funny homework/ project story to share?
Mine: We work on this “grade school project” for over a week…Ready to print the report around 9pm (past normal bedtime)…Printer 🖨 flashes “out of ink”. # of course it is