Sounds great, where do I sign up? But the key word is effective
Depending on who you ask even the usefulness of homework is called into question.
If parents undermine the lesson being taught are they being helpful?
How often do we go over homework problems or just move on to the next topic anyway?
What about flipped classroom? Isn’t that just a modern take on an old idea? How can we make it different?
At the end of the day homework becomes a chore to finish not a learning opportunity. It causes fights and makes school the bad guy.
Why is it when you do an image search for “busy work” most of the pictures are students doing homework? Instead of homework to practice, students can review lessons, watch videos, explain what they learned, or any number of activities that involved them putting their learning into their own words.
If homework isn’t really important and parental help with homework is detrimental to grades, then maybe this idea that putting homework on the web isn’t the main point of a web site.
I say the main point of a website is to communicate with parents.
Instead of putting homework out there teachers can summarize the learning concepts.
What is more effective, in terms of homework, is parents supporting students doing the work. Instead of putting the homework there and leaving it at that, we can put the conceptual ideas out there and let parents learn or have their children explain what they learned. Take the focus off doing work and onto taking ownership of understanding concepts.
Parents can support learning by being a partner in learning not a task master forcing children to do homework.
If parents only feel welcome during parent nights they aren’t comfortable. If the only time parents come to school is when their kids gets in trouble they don’t feel welcome.
My 3rd year of teaching I had the parent who pushed herself into every classroom whether the teacher wanted it or not. As usual in my first letter home I invited every parent to come visit anytime and if they could give me some warning I would include them in my lesson plan. This parent who was so pushy with other teachers almost never came to my class, instead she pushed into her daughter's teachers classroom all the time.
In that district most parents worked during the day and couldn't come to school. I know some districts have the opposite problem. In these schools schedules and even parent training help immensely.
Easier said than done. Parents will always disrupt the quiet studious atmosphere that is traditionally seen as the goal. (That isn’t to say classrooms with a lot of activity are bad, many educational leaders appreciate that kind of environment) The good news is when parents come to any event at the school we have the opportunity to create a community. Take off the suit and tie and engage parents and other family members in a more relaxed manner. Pretend to be human whenever possible.
Students don’t learn if they don’t do the work and who does any work if they hate the place? If parents are comfortable with the school and know they can interact beyond just discipline and forced interactions they become more positive about the school and in turn their children become more positive about the school. When families want to come to school to see what the student has done the student will do higher quality work.
How many people have heard, “Next year the teachers won’t be so nice” of something similar?
We all need to keep our eyes on the ultimate goal, not to get a job, not to make huge sums of money, but the important goals, life long learning, accomplishment, happiness, etc...
Yes, they can sound like ethereal goals and not very rigorous, but if students aren’t working for something they want will they actually put any effort into it?
The most important reason to engage parents is to help students understand the real importance of education. Growing up to be like mom or dad, or someone they look up to. Striving not just for a personal best, but a standard that is looked up to in the community. If they don’t have these standards at home, they probably won’t have them at school.
Communicate expectations - discuss learning - connected education to current events - Foster aspirations - provide a stimulating environment at home - teach critical thinking and good decision making skills.
A silly choice of words that minimizes reality. We aren’t just teaching students to try harder. Instead we want to teach them to work smarter. People at home can teach:
What are appropriate and desirable child outcomes?
Who is responsible for these outcomes?
What important group members (e.g. family, teachers, other parents) expect from them?
