University Times

'The dog ate it" is the classic excuse when the issue of missing homework arises on a television sitcom. But in the real world, the excuses teachers and parents most frequently hear from students who fail to do their homework are: "I lost it." "It's stupid." "Nobody is doing it." "I was absent that day." Many times, too, students will respond to a question about their homework with a simple "Huh?" Or at least it might seem like a simple "Huh." For, depending upon how it is used, "Huh" can mean "I don't know what you're talking about" or "Don't bother me, the assignment is stupid." Those were among the insights on homework that middle school teacher Greg Wittig shared during his Oct. 14 program, "Whose Homework Is This Anyway? Mine or My Child's?" Wittig teaches at Falk School, the elementary school that is part of Pitt's School of Education. He spoke on homework as part of "The Family Life Cycle: Issues for Parents" lecture series sponsored by the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program, Organization Development and the University Child Development Center.

"The issue of homework is huge," Wittig said. "It starts to deal with issues of self esteem. It starts to deal with issues of developmental needs, emotional needs, where the child is cognitively, emotionally, psychologically." Because of that mix, according to Wittig, it is probably an impossible task to make a blanket statement about homework problems. But one thing parents need to understand is that ultimately homework is the child's responsibility. At the same time, however, Wittig said, parents can't expect a child to solve his or her homework problems alone. If a child has not been handing in his or her homework, parents need to find out why by talking to the child's teacher, friends and others who may have some insight.

Although some children, especially adolescents, may not want parents getting involved, Wittig said parents need to learn what is going on with them. Once they understand the source of the problem, they can help in a number of ways.

"It may be simply a healthy reminder [to do their homework]," Wittig noted, "providing some time for them to do the work, getting them an assignment book, giving them some strategies on how to take notes. But more than anything, it is making yourself available for them if they need your help." When it comes to setting up a time for homework, Wittig said the best time is immediately after school. The later in the evening a child tackles homework, the tougher it is for the child to concentrate. He also suggested that parents check bookstores or the library for books on homework and develop a positive relationship with their child's teacher.

Helping a child with an assignment is fine, Wittig added, as long as parents don't become frustrated when progress is slow, then take over and do the assignment. A child needs to do homework because it is meant to reinforce, reiterate and practice what he or she has learned in the classroom.

One thing parents must not do is allow their own self-esteem to get involved with the issue of homework. Wittig said that can lead to a power struggle in which both sides dig in and everybody loses.

When children are not doing their homework, Wittig said, it may involve issues of self esteem or maybe it is because they can't do the work, don't understand it and are uncomfortable asking for help. Maybe, too, they just want to go out and play. Lying, saying their homework is done when it isn't, is an acceptable way of getting out to play with their friends in the minds of some children. When considering the causes of homework problems, Wittig said, parents should not overlook development. Many children cannot conceptualize the future and have no idea that not doing their work will catch up to them.

Other reasons children don't tell parents they have homework is because they might not know. A child could be in class and not be paying attention and miss the assignment, not write it down or be so disorganized they have no idea what they did with it.

"Anger, I think, is an inappropriate response to a child not doing what you think they're capable of," he continued. "An appropriate response is empathy, maybe a little bit of melancholy, telling them: 'I want you to do better. I wish you could do better. I am not really sure what to do with this.'" According to Wittig, anger is a sign a parent has become too personally involved and that the focus has shifted away from the child. If an assignment is unfair and the parent agrees, he or she should acknowledge such to the child, but explain that the work still has to be done.

Parents who feel themselves becoming resentful because their child expects help night after night should gradually withdraw so that the child is forced to assume more responsibility, according to Wittig. When homework becomes a power struggle, it is because there have been a series of missteps. Wittig said that parents actually might have to let a child fail to show that they are no longer playing the power game.

"I am not really sure what you can do at that point," he added. "You can say you love them. You can say that you think it is a bad choice on their part and point out what the consequences are going to be." Parents of a middle school child also might have him or her talk to a high school adviser about what their grades mean in relationship to the future. "You have an obligation to give that information, but you can't make them do the homework," Wittig said. "Of course, you can make it so miserable for them that it [doing the homework] is the better choice. But what's the cost of that?" Following are some of the excuses teachers regularly hear and what they really might mean.

* "I lost it." Very few students lose their homework, according to Wittig, but it is tough to verify that it is not lost. More likely, the child has not done the work or can't find it, due to an organizational problem. If the problem is organizational, Wittig said, parents should err on the positive side and help their child get better organized, possibly by purchasing more notebooks or folders.

* "I didn't know there was homework." That could mean the child was daydreaming in class, the teacher was not clear about the assignment or the child was preoccupied by a social issue (boyfriend or girlfriend) and missed what was said.

In such cases, Wittig said, parents must find out why their child didn't know an assignment had been made. If the child can't answer that question, parents need to ask a few more questions to try to pin down a reason.

* "I was absent that day." More often than not, that excuse is an attempt to get a one-day extension. It is often used even when an assignment was given much earlier. Such cases need to be judged on individual basis by talking to the child or the teacher, Wittig said.

* "Huh?" The "Huh?" excuse could indicate an attitude problem or simply confusion. Parents need to find out the source before doing anything.

* "It's stupid." A child may feel an assignment is stupid because they don't understand it or the teacher is not making the connection to the lesson. Wittig said parents should look at the remark as an explanation that they need to look into instead of an excuse. "Excuses cause us to stop thinking," he pointed out.

–Mike Sajna