A teacher in a K-12 school in Wisconsin, who thinks homework cuts too much into her family time, asked me how to approach her son’s teachers, who are also her colleagues. I gave her a few ideas and this is what she wrote me back:
I just wanted to let you know I made it through conferences just fine. I hate to sound like a spoiled brat, but I did get ‘my way’. I simply told the teacher(s) that homework wasn’t going to interfere with our family time so when I deemed it appropriate, I would tell [my son] to close up his books and I would sign off on the remainder of the homework. A couple of teachers took issue, but I held firm. I did have to tell one teacher that her subject wasn’t the end all of the world and that she should consider teaching children and not her subject area. That was a bit ugly for a moment, but we got through it.
Stop Homework 
Just curious . . . what grade is her son in? Did the teacher indicate how this might effect her son’s grades?
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My son is in 7th grade. As far as any effect on his grades go, he’ll still have to do (most) of the work, but will be given an additional day or so to complete it. Family time is our utmost priority and I can’t afford to have anyone or anything dictate how our evenings are spent. I’ve decided that if I deem a homework assignment as busy work, I will place a ? mark in his agenda and will speak with the teacher the next day.
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I am a sixth grade student. I sometimes have homework in every subject, every night have and I have absolutly no problem with that! I finish all of it, each night, with time to spair! My secret is that i have a snack when i come home from school, then I get right onto my homework! It’s really that simple! I think the real question is, are teachers doing there job during the school day? If they are not, and they send the student home with some homework, the student is lost, and doesn’t know what to do! so, the basic two problems are that: The teacher is not doing their job, so when the student is sent home to do homework, they don’t know what ot do, OR the student is waiting until Sunday to do their homework, or the last minute to complete their homework! If neither one of those are your problems with homework, then you should see someone who can help you with the work in the paricular subject(s) you need help with.
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But Julia,
Is that how you really want to spend your afternoons after a full day of school? It’s great that you are so disciplined, but I am sure you have other interests that could benefit from that discipline.
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