Too much blogging?

Image by mamassage via FlickrIt’s been a long time since I blogged daily for a week, much less a full month. I gotta admit, it has been exhausting to do so. Researching, sketching out and then writing each of those challenges every day was much more work than I’d originally thought it would be. However, as I look back on it, I can’t help but think to myself… was I doing any more work than the average middle school student probably does for homework on a daily basis? And the answer is no.

Has ‘normal’ work and family life spoiled me? I don’t think so. I do think I have a pretty healthy balance in my life right now, but adding that extra hour or two that it took to hammer out those challenges definitely put a strain on things. I can’t help but think that this must be how many students are feeling every night.

The big difference is, I chose to do that challenge. And now I can choose to take a break from blogging if I want to. So my question to you is:

If a student came up to you and told you that s/he was getting burnt out and needed a night off, would you let them take a ‘balance night’ and skip that night’s assignment?

13 Comments

Steve Dembo
12/1/2008

Would you let a student ‘opt out’ of homework for a night? http://tinyurl.com/5sgg9t

Warren Lind
12/1/2008

I have always excused a M. S. student when they have come to me and spoken about a stressful situation which is affecting their ability to concentrate. I quite often offer to stay after school or come early to school to help them understand and complete the work. I do warn them that Uncle John or Aunt Suzie can only die so many times before I get suspicious!

Tek Zeno
12/1/2008

Yes, I would. I use to give out homework passes for students. They could pick 1 homework assignment a month to “skip”. Of course some students would use their pass right away but others would save it for when they needed it.

Tek Zeno´s most recent blog post.. Interactive Builds: Part II

Sandy Kennedy
12/1/2008

Actually, I have. I always gave out No Homework passes. Children could use them whenever for just homework, not big projects. Many of them never used theirs or held on to them until the grading period was almost over. Also gave them an extra sometimes if they went over and above for one homework assignment. Gave them a feeling of control I think and a way out if something at home interferred. Looks like others have done the same.

Mrs A
12/1/2008

i teach senior school (10-12) and i explain that homework is an option and used to make sure that students understand the content and skills being covered. Sometimes i set prep work and i will make sure that the students know its prep work and that it will help them in the next lesson. If they choose not to do the prep work then the next lesson will be difficult for them. I think we need to remember that a lot of our students have a lot going on in their lives and we should trust them to complete what they require to get the grades they want.

chopkins
12/1/2008

Yes, I would let them off for a night. I also let myself off for a night by not assigning homework!
I give out Homework Passes which students can use whenever they choose. Also, if students are unable to complete homework on a given night, I have told parents to write me a note telling me why with the understanding that it can/will be completed another night.

Lois Lindemann
12/2/2008

Hi Steve. That’s an interesting question. I’ve let students defer things before, usually when they have other big time demands – eg exams in another subject, rehearsals for a show etc.

I really like the idea of homework passes. I think I’m going to try that next term.

Christopher
12/2/2008

I agree… I’d probably grant the one night’s reprieve, but if I’m in a class where homework has been made an important part of our foundation, this may be hard to do. I think like some of the articles suggest, we need to tone back on homework “requirements.” In this economy, it’s hard to imagine families that aren’t stressed in more than one area, so compounding it with “busy work” is something we should consider. Toning back on homework requirements would also encourage the development of self-regulation and time management skills.

Theresa White
12/2/2008

I think that’s a great question, Steve. This is an easy issue to remember when we as teachers take classes after the school day. Feeling burned out becomes part of life and we are more likely to empathize with the students. It is always a good idea to keep this in mind when dealing with students who need the brain break.

Theresa White´s most recent blog post.. Mobilize Your Blog!

Frank LaBanca
12/3/2008

Steve, An interesting question, and here’s perhaps a different perspective. I NEVER give homework that is completed by the next day. I always have several days for students to complete it. I NEVER have an assignment due on a Monday (or the day after a holiday break, in case there are family obligations).

That being said, why don’t my assignments take one day? I firmly believe that homework assignments have to be meaningful experiences that challenge students to access higher order thinking skills. In the case of my discipline (Science), I want students to interpret information, create graphs of their data, draw conclusions, respond to each other on blog posts, or provide evidence-based writing. I want students to be creative, critical thinkers – and, done well by the student, that doesn’t happen overnight. I never give “Section 2.1, questions 1-5.” That generally only touches on knowledge/comprehension skills. If we want students to think higher on Bloom’s taxonomy, we need to give them the chance to do it!

Absolutes (never) are rare in education – but I firmly believe in the “nevers” I’ve used here.

Frank LaBanca
12/3/2008

I attempted, but failed, to attach a link for a bit I did on homework last month . . .

http://problemfinding.labanca.net/?p=133

Frank LaBanca´s most recent blog post.. Irony in the computer lab

Chad Lehman
12/16/2008

We should, but we don’t. This is similar to a student who tells about the busy night between music lessons, a sports practice, or some other function that takes up their time. In many cases, the homework can wait. Letting students wind down for a bid isn’t a bad thing – too bad we don’t let them do it enough.

Chad Lehman´s most recent blog post.. Finding a Blogging Balance

Question: To Blog or Not to Blog » Technology Vision Team
12/22/2008

[...] Dembo asks if the time spent is similar to homework expectations for students in his post Too Much Blogging (be sure to read his question at the end of his [...]

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