To home-work or not to home-work

“You work that you may keep pace with the earth and the soul of the earth

For to be idle is to become a stranger unto the seasons
and to step out of life's procession
that marches in majesty
and proud submission
towards the infinite.”

Writes Khalil Gibran on work. In Montessori schools - every activity the child choses to engage with is referred to as work. Children take pride in doing work and derive meaning from a job well done. Building a work ethic and pride in ones work is not something restricted to school or home alone.

The problem with homework today - is that it is made out to be a chore. Work is joyful as long as there is motivation to work and buy-in from learners, when work is mandated it could become drudgery. When a teacher threatens to assign unfinished school work as homework - the students start to dread the word. Parents complain and schools start to adopt a no homework policy. The problem is not home-work - it is with the mandated nature of it, the judgement associated with unfinished work and the fear of catching-up.

To groom life long learners one must associate learning with fun, learning and work should be celebrated and made meaningful. Continual learning at home and school can be very beneficial for learning new concepts. A new concept when introduced in different modalities, reinforces and helps the learner relate better. Learning or work should not be viewed as something that is restricted to school. Independent time at home can also help with mastery of concepts - once a student grasps a concept practice helps perfect and seal the skill. Time at home can be conducive for new types of learning from parents and friends. Time at home can also give children the space to be solitary and creative. Children can get personal attention and mentorship from parents around their creative interests. This does not take away from the important of unstructured play or family time - all of which makes for a holistic experience.

What can teachers do?

Positive association
Home work should be a positive word - something children willfully and joyfully work on at home. A teacher should be mindful of not threatening children by assigning unfinished work as homework. If a child is challenged with a concept beyond their cognition - they are going to struggle with it at home or at school. Such concepts can be discussed with parents for their support if needed but children should not be judged for unfinished work or not keeping pace as long as they try their best.

Choice and freedom
It would be great if children could be given a choice on what they would like to work on. In assigning homework, teachers can strike a balance between what children have to work on and what they might like to work on. Work should be assigned only when there is buy in - any resistance should be understood and addressed at a deeper level. This way children who seek out more challenge can move at their pace, those who require more time can take time to practice, seek help and still enjoy their learning.

Creative work
It is great if children can establish a creative routine - something simple around their interests and take pride/find meaning in what they love to do. Any creative work children do at home can count as homework. Children have different interets and they don't come in sync with common curriculum - teachers should be able to appreciate creativity in different forms and encourage productivity/work ethic. When assigning common homework - allow room for improvisation and creativity - this itself can be a great motivation for students.

Mastery
Especially in elementary school - keeping homework light and generating a sense of accomplishment can help build home-work ethic. Practice problems can help children perfect a skill, develop a work ethic and build up their confidence to work independently.

Group sharing
During a common hour at school - teachers can encourage children to share work done at home. Voluntary sharing helps foster creativity, learn from each others efforts and helps make learning a communal exercise.

What can parents do?

Parents can help by staying plugged into their child's learning journey at least at a weekly granularity. They can help reinforce concepts the child is learning at school - or simply help the child know what they know. They can share their creative interests with their children and encourage independent/creative work time at home. Sharing information about the child's learning and creative instincts with the teacher will help them better personalize the learning experience for the child. Parents should also ensure children are not stressed out about homework - if there are family plans/illnesses that prevent a child from following their routine - they can communicate the same to teachers so children continue to have a positive association with home work.

Conclusion

Free unstructured time at home could be valuable to the child to unwind, especially when learning at school has been stressful/steep. When motivated and happy - children should be encouraged to have some independent work time at home.

This can be self-directed work, creative work, concepts children want to practice or challenges they may want to ponder over. Instead of swinging widely between being hardhanded with homework or no adopting a no homework policy - schools and parents should be open to the interpretation of home-work and allow room for personalization.

Homework should be relevant and fun for the child - something they could work on independently. Once the ethic is set - children will automatically seek our fresh challenge and stay creative.