Thinking about homework

This weekend, as many others, has proven to be very difficult for me to “time manage”. It is not that I am overwhelmed by incredibly difficult tasks but rather there are a number of requirements in order to meet the expectations of this program. Regardless of what is assigned, I will get it done but having a life outside of school and work is a challenge.

Prior to looking at homework for my inquiry project, I would have viewed this problem differently. I normally just have the attitude of “getr’ done”. Considering that I am exploring how work requirements at home affect the lives of our students I am taking a deeper look at the relationship between homework and homelife. Obviously I do not put myself into the same category as a student in elementary or highschool; and I do not bemoan the fact that I have work to at home but I can use this experience to understand some of the pressures that my assignments create. These same sort of pressures are placed onto children and families when gradeschool teachers extend assignments into the student’s home. As an adult, I feel like I can handle most stresses that comes up (at least as a result of my education). Ultimately I am the manager of my own time. Even though their are people in my life who want to do things, go places, and eat foods that take me away from my time to work, I have the agency to make the decision to say: “no, I am not going out… I have work to do”. My students, on the other hand, have no such authority. They are not in a position to control their environment like I am.

Students face all sorts of pressure beyond school. As teachers we have to understand that the pressure of completing homework often puts extra stress on a families (not just students). Creating more stress in the family puts even more upon the student.So, if this sounds like convoluted rambling… it kind of is. This has been a weekend where I have had to be at too many places at too many times (or something like that). Regardless, in the inquiry mindset it has given me a lens to think about how I will think about homework as I continue to study and read up.