School Life at STEAM

By Jeffrey Bernstein, Ph.D. A psychologist and the author of seven books.

Use these ten strategies to end the homework wars.

Parents must not let their emotions get the best of them when their kids are not getting homework done. The strategies below are for helping your teen get unstuck:

• Nix the nagging! Pestering creates an adversarial, shaming dynamic that backfires. Instead, try my Calm, Firm, and Non-Controlling approach. Gently empower your child or teen by supportively saying, "I see that you are frustrated. Let's think of ways to help you get back on track with your homework/schoolwork."
• Encourage effort over perfection. Be mindful that kids tend to get intimidated when they have a hard time understanding material. They may get into negative self-talk like, "I can't do this." Even if they're truly thinking this way, parents may instead hear comments like, "I hate this." or "This is stupid." Remind your child or teen that doing his best effort is better than not doing it at all.
• Prioritize. Coach and encourage the order that homework is done based on urgency, complexity, and workload. At the same time, realize that some students do better by starting with easier tasks and that this can help spark them to tackle more demanding assignments.
• Break it down. Reinforce breaking up homework time into manageable chunks and encourage taking regular breaks. Encourage moving around and walking away for a bit. Remind that an apple really does provide the same effect and is healthier than an energy drink.
• Think "15 minutes of pain." Have the student set a timer for only 15 minutes. Keep it lighthearted and explain that even if it "hurts" doing the work, she can stop after 15 minutes. Like most things in life, once we push ourselves and get going, it's not so bad.
• Don't be consequence-ravenous. Imposing consequences for homework not being done can backfire with defiant behaviour. If you use consequences, don't present them with yelling. Keep them reasonable and ask the student to help you be able to move towards rewards (don't go overboard) and minimize consequences. Remember that real, natural consequences are the best motivators.
• Encourage connection. Encourage the student to make or re-establish a connection with his teacher. I have seen hundreds of kids "shoot themselves in the foot" with incomplete homework if they don't have a decent relationship with their teacher.
• Change up the homework/study surroundings. Try putting an inspirational poster by the desk, moving to a different room, or silencing the cell phone. New changes can create more changes.
• Use those study halls. Encourage the use of them as much as possible. Some kids lose sight of that more done at school, which means less to do at home.
• Allow for some fun. Notice if your student is racing through the homework just to have fun. Fun time like TV, phone time, or surfing the web, is welcome, but make sure you put limits on it.

As part of the requirement for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma, every student who begins high school after the 1999 – 2000 school year is required to complete a minimum of 20 hours (until Sept. 2022) of community involvement activities. Community involvement activities develop a student’s awareness and understanding of good community citizenship, social responsibilities, and the contributions they can make to society.  Students may begin accumulating their 20 volunteer hours in the summer before starting grade 9 and must complete their volunteer hours while in high school.

Student volunteer activities that are eligible for community involvement activities are businesses, not-for-profit organizations, public sector institutions (including hospitals), and informal settings.

The Ontario Ministry of Education has developed a list of activities that are ineligible activities. Ineligible activities are activities that:

• Are a requirement of a class or course in which the student is enrolled (i.e. cooperative education portion of a course, job shadowing, work experience);
• Takes place during the time allotted for the instructional program on a school day. However, an activity that takes place during the student’s lunch break or spare periods is permissible;
• takes place in a logging or mining environment, if the student is under sixteen years of age;
• takes place in a factory, if the student is under fifteen years of age;
• takes place in a workplace other than a factory, if the student is under fourteen years of age and is not accompanied by an adult;
• would normally be performed for wages by a person in the workplace;
• involves the operation of a vehicle, power tools, or scaffolding;
• involves the administration of any type or form of medication or medical procedure to other persons;
• involves handling of substances classed as “designated substances” under the Occupational Health and Safety Act;
• requires the knowledge of a tradesperson whose trade is regulated by the provincial government;
• involves banking or the handling of securities, or the handling of jewelry, works of art, antiques, or other valuables;
• consists of duties normally performed in the home (i.e., daily chores) or personal recreational activities;
• Involves activities for a court-ordered program (e.g., a community-service program for young offenders, probationary program).

For more information, visit the Ontario Ministry of Education website.