I don't give a lot of homework, but the homework that I do give is actually important. I also offers kids choices and/or flexibility. For the most part, it's only as boring as you choose to make it. Despite that, there are still little buggers who won't/don't do it. Even the ones who go to homework club after school don't get it done. That's a real puzzler to me.
The consequence for not doing your homework is finishing it at one or more recesses. That means I miss my lunch "hour." I've been doing it for months and there are still the same few who are in every day. I suspect one of them of just wanting to spend time inside or one on one with an adult. While appreciate his issues, I've been getting tired.
So. I decided to get some other teacher friends to team up with me. I asked three of them if they wanted to take turns running a lunchtime homework club that would keep kids from all of our classes. Two were takers and since my class actually has two teachers we could cover all four days that we need to cover. Good news. We were up and running this week.
This whole set up got me thinking and then sent me off thanking the people who teamed up with me. I thanked them for letting me take their kids over my lunch time. Letting me do that is important because it really illustrates something about helping that I've know for a long time, but I feel like it's a big secret. The thing is that if you don't let me help you, then I can't ask you to help me, and I REALLY need help. If you're too strong to need any help, then I'm just a sad sucker who can't get by. That's too hard to live with, so instead, I try to be super strong just like you are and get by without any help.
The truth is though, I'm not super strong. I get tired, burned out and depressed when I'm on my own. While I need alone time, I don't want to move through life alone. I need a team. I suspect that you do too, but you don't want to be the sad sucker either. So, how 'bout this, you ask me for help, without keeping score, and at some time the seesaw will tilt and I'll need your help. Or, if you'd rather, I'll ask you for help now, trusting that eventually the balance will shift and I'll be the one giving help. Just promise me that my trust is well placed.
6 comments:
We already have this deal, right?
We're good.
Hey T :) This isn't a comment on your blog.. it's a comment to your comment on my blog... LOL :) Didja follow that??
I just wanted to say that since you are such a deep thinker, I think you would enjoy the challenge of The Shack. It really makes you think... or at least it did me :)
Let me know what you think once you've read it :) I found it to be an easy read... but I wasn't able to commit large blocks of time to it, so it took me a little longer to finish.
of course we have this deal. have had this deal since I was born and will always have this deal.
Once I head a speaker refer to "refigerator rights." Where do you have the ability to open up the fridge and rummage around? The speakers point was that people do not have places where they can do that anymore. I am lucky. I have 4 plus (excluding family) houses where I could. Where can you walk in unannounced, no knocking, or pre-arranged visits? I would much rather people make themselves at home. My Grandma Miner used to say "help-y selfie". So Tonia and all - welcome and help-y selfie!
You guys are a helluva team :)
Great idea. I think some of these kids stay in for that extra TLC....I wish we could say (not really), no homework/reading=no great big HUGS! That would be too cruel and I don't think I could hold up my end of the bargain anyhow.
Let me know how this works out. You have a team. You are a team, a force, someone who now all your kids tell me has major brain damage.
I quote:
Me: "If you (or your siblings, esp, under the age of 2) are watching mucho television/video games/computer, you will rewire the frontal lobe of your brain, in essence damaging it. Kids there is 25 years of research to support this."
Kids: "Did you know that we are damaging Mrs. Ettinger's brain?!" (Said Joey and Edwin and others with a smile.)
Me: "Please stop. She needs it to understand books!"
xx :)L
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