This Week on Twitter

              This week Twitter has been flooded with conversations about two big P words.....politics and Pokemon.  I've never really been a big fan of either, so I focused instead on the trending topics in education. One particular topic that continued to show up this week and really caught my attention was whether or not teachers should assign homework. I was surprised to discover that there is quite a large group of educators in support of the no homework movement. But I was also relieved to find that many of the arguments made against assigning homework are many of the same arguments that I have as well.
            I myself have never been a huge proponent of assigning homework, nor have I ever seen any real value in the homework that my children bring home from school. In fact, I think that because I am both a teacher and a parent I have formed the opinion of homework that I have. As a parent I know the frustration of spending hours every night trying to help my children finish their homework. I myself have spent countless hours on the Internet trying to learn Common Core math just so that I can help my 3rd grade son.  Even then I'm pretty sure I have taught him wrong and done more damage then good. Not to mention the time it takes away from extracurricular activities and family time. My kids are already in school nearly seven hours a day, why is it necessary to add on another two hours for homework?
           The homework debate is one that will undoubtedly continue and I look forward to reading the arguments from both sides. Check out #NoHW to follow the conversation yourself.