School's out for summer.

I was asked, "Is that good or bad?".

Both, really.

It will be hard to get my job done and get some time for myself. But, I am also committed to trying to give my kids that free, wide-open kind of summer that I had with time for cricket-catching and berry snatching, as well as the odd pickup athletic event.

Welcome

to all visitors from Stophomework.

Have a look around at my often-neglected little blog.

If you are a "local", I am a guest author for today's post at stop homework, check it out.

The kid was drunk...

With independence, that is.

It took B years to work up the courage to take out our kayak on his own. Last week, we had a party where every child from the soccer team and their siblings kayaked on their own - so T decided he was ready to do it.

Little tiny monkey T is 3.5 years old. He weighs 42 pounds and can't really swim. So, of course, I said "honey, maybe when you are a little bigger?"

And, J said "why not - I'll follow him in the row boat". Hmmm.


So, we put on his life vest, gave instructions, handed him the paddle, got the boat nearby, and shoved him from shore (and, I held my breath while J calmly followed him from a safe distance).


T tooled around close to the shore, figured out how to turn and go straight, and about burst into pieces over doing it all by himself.

Priceless.

Throw your kids out.

It is an absolutely beautiful day here.

So, in ten minutes when I finish writing here, I am going to throw my kid out.

No, not forever. But, I am going to drag him out of his pajamas, put him in shorts, slather sunblock on him and get him outside.

Can you think of any reason to take a beautiful sunny, breezy day in Junne and spend it rolling around on the couch reading? I didn't think so.

Throw yours outside, too! (and, physician, heal thyself as well).

No agenda

As a soccer mom, I should maybe be sad? The season ended last weekend.

Instead, it was glorious yesterday to have no agenda or hurry. We had a leisurely morning, then went out for a hike. We caught lizards, played in mud, found some insects and listened to birds. We also found about 100 ticks (the down side). Then, we picked up a lunch and had a picnic.

How glorious to let the kids loose on the trails and just be dirty boys.

What have you done lately with no agenda or timetable?

Um, how about a machete instead?

In the interest of practicing what I preach, I've been thinking about gettting my two older boys their own jackknives this summer. They might get cut, or not. But either way, they might learn to respect that some things require extra thought and consideration to use. They might do some independent exploration. They can learn some responsibility.

So, I thought that I would talk with them about the possibility.

I said, "I have been thinking that maybe you should learn some responsibility", insert eyeroll here. "I was thinking that, if you can demonstrate that you know the difference between tools and toys, I might be able to buy you a sort of tool". Now I had their attention.

I continued, "Toys are multi-purpose things that you can be creative and use in many different ways, where tools have a specific type of use. When you are done using a tool for its intended purpose - you clean it and put it back where it belongs".

They are still wide-eyed. "Mom, what kind of tool are you thinking about?" They are nearly jumping out of their table spots now.

"Well," I said, "I'm thinking that you may be old enough to own a jackknife - but, you'd have to show me that you know how to use a tool first".

My middle child jumps out of his seat "Oh, mom, then you could buy us one of those things".

"What?"

"You know, one of those things, the flat wall-like thing with the target so we can practice throwing the knives and they can stick in it!?!"

"Nevermind"...

Shouting, crying, rolling on the floor - full out tantrum.

And, that was just me. You should've seen Z, my eight-year-old, while we tried to get his homework done. It would be a bit more compelling if I really believed in the work he was doing. But, honestly, I feel like we are all wasting time could be spent outside - catching bugs and riding bikes (all of us).

I commented last week on StopHomework.com. Sarah, the owner of that blog, asked if I might guest post - and I'm working on it, I promise.

http://stophomework.com/a-college-professor-speaks-out/1265

Here is my problem: My philosophical problems with homework, both in general and in its usual implementation are all over the place.

I want to write:

• how education is screwing our children out of opportunities to be creative and innovative, I've already touched on that here.
• how ridiculous and wrong it is for our schools to simultaneously bemoan the obesity epidemic in the USA while having our kids sit behind desks plugging away at worksheets for six hours every day then sending them home with more work to do in lieu of playing outside.
• how traditional school assignments that spell out every last detail of the assignment (except for actually doing it for the kid) paralyze student's ability to create, modify, and respond to assignments that require critical thinking, judgment, and innovation.
• how appalled I am at how little outdoor exploration is included in education. Understanding the resources we rely upon and the world around us should be integral to our education. Short "nature walks" where we point at stuff is not a replacement for getting dirty, discovering wild nettles, poison ivy, ants, and other creepy crawlies. To further explore this, read Louv's "Last Child in the Woods" - he is far more eloquent than I am.
• how, under the guise of safety, we are restricting any independent exploration of children. To grow healthy and responsible, kids need to learn to be responsible for themselves (in appropriate doses and with instruction - of course). I regularly see college students that literally panic in situtations that require a little trouble-shooting (vans break down on college trip, airline delays, illness during test period, regular bumps and bruises, scary flying insects outside, etc.). Sometimes, I think that the most valuable thing my students learn on field trips is how to deal with everyday life-time nuisances without calling Daddy on their cell phones.
• why it is that teachers feel compelled to send some work home, whether or not it will provide a valuable learning opportunity.
• how my philosophy of giving assignments in the classroom has changed since I have seriously considered exactly what it will take to satisfy my demand and what they are expected to get out of the exercise. That is, be willing to either actually do (I have done this), or imagine doing the assignment yourself. That may change the amount or type of assignments that you require.
• how my philosophy of work has changed toward empowering students to make choices. Where possible, the students (all together) select assignment due dates, pick between possible assignments, or select readings (from a list of appropriate ones). It makes a task less onerous if students have been empowered to make choices.
• when we will include allowing children to learn independence in the list of educational goals, even if that requires sometimes letting kids make mistakes. When I was a kid (yes, I walked uphill, both ways) I took a chemistry class where we played with fire, threw sodium into water (it was FUN), made chlorine gas. In biology, we used scalpels to dissect animals, and grew E. coli. We went fishing for the fishing club. And, all of these experiences were in sixth grade! I was allowed empowered to be an indpendent person from an early age, with the caveat that being responsible went with the independence. So many of my college students simply don't know how to accept responsibility for their own actions, which also means that they can't fully appreciate their accomplishments either (how sad).

In answer to your burning question: I decided that I've already passed second grade - I don't need to worry about second grade homework. Does Yale University reject incoming students because they didn't write about Egypt in second grade?

I told Z, "Do it or don't do it. If you don't, you will fail the assignment and that would be your problem. Also, if you don't finish it you won't get to read tonight in bed (reading is his absolute favorite thing in life). But, it is up to you."

Then, I told him to ask for assistance if he needs it, but I'm going outside with B (younger brother).

He thought about it for awhile, then he did his homework.

And, my head didn't explode. What a mess that would have been!