Program Description
When we were young most of us just accepted the fact that we would have homework. How are kids today dealing with the educational demands placed upon them, and how can we help? (Share the devotional before discussing the possible service projects.)
Refreshments
As we focus on young students, prepare and serve the refreshments lunch box style.
- PBJ finger sandwiches
- Celery stuffed with cream cheese
- Apple slices with peanut butter dip
- Fresh baked chocolate cookies
- Juice boxes
It’s Just Homework
What’s all the fuss about? It’s just homework. When we were young, most of us just accepted the fact that we would have homework. It was not a question of do or not do. We were told to do it and we accepted the teacher’s request to work on the homework assignment. We also accepted the consequences of not completing our homework, either a drop in our grade or some other form of discipline. We were also strongly encouraged to complete it properly and on time.
Currently there is a lot of debate about the importance of homework. Is there a true purpose to the assigning of homework? Is there such a thing as too much? Does homework have adverse effects on students? How are parents supposed to do respond to it? Is there a balance between time spent doing homework and the loss of playtime? Does homework cause undue stress on students? Do teachers assign too much? How much is too much? Should parents participate in their child’s homework?
Studies on this subject show that homework improves a child’s thinking and memory. It helps young students develop positive study skills and habits that will serve them well throughout life. Homework encourages students to use time wisely.
The website blog.eskool.ca has listed 14 reasons why homework is important:
- It improves your child’s thinking and memory
- It helps your child develop positive study skills and habits that will serve him/her well throughout life
- Homework encourages your child to use time wisely
- It teaches your child to work independently
- Homework teaches your child to take responsibility for their work
- It allows your child to review and practice what has been covered in class
- It helps your child to get ready for the next day’s class
- Homework helps your child learn to use resources, such as libraries, reference materials and computer websites to find information
- It encourages your child to explore subjects more fully than classroom time permits
- It allows your child to extend learning by applying skills to new situations
- It helps your child integrate learning by applying many different skills to a single task, such as book reports or science projects
- Homework helps parents learn more about what your child is learning in school
- It allows parents to communicate about what your child is learning
- It encourages parents to spark your child’s enthusiasm
Are you are wondering what this has to do with me? I was intrigued by the list and felt that the Lord was calling us to share our life experiences by gifting our communities with our time, talents and energies. Are we are being called to give our time, encouragement and possibly actual instruction for the benefit of others. Giving pleases God.
Scripture reminds us that we are to help others, regardless of whether they are family, friends or just neighbors living in our communities. Romans12: 7 tells us, “If someone has the gift of helping others, then he should help. If someone has the gift of teaching, he should teach.” And
Hebrews 13 says, “Remember to do good and help each other. Gifts like this please God.” The Romans passage tells us to use our spiritual gifts of teaching and helping. But the Hebrew passage expands that thought by reminding us that doing good and helping others pleases God.
Our personal homework may not be sitting down and completing a specific lesson, but it is to help others through the gift of teaching. Our homework may not follow a specific lesson plan, but it is to remember others and do good to those who need us most. We are blessed that God has not totally defined our service of helps, but He allows us to determine our best course of action.
How will you respond to God’s call to help others today? I pray that each of you will find an avenue of service, a place of teaching, a way to give your time, skills and energies to others and know that God is pleased by your concern for others and by doing your homework by helping others.
Service Projects
Discuss the following suggestions with the group and decide how they would like to be involved. Some of these ideas can be undertaken as a group, others as individuals.
- Help out a local teacher with book supplies.
- Send appreciation cards to teachers in a local school.
- See if volunteers are needed at your local public school.
- Offer to tutor a child in your neighborhood or corps.
- Look into the corps sponsoring a homework club for kids.
- Invite a teacher or principal to speak about homework and how to get involved in education.
- Request a speaker from the Big Brother/Big Sister Program who can share how the group could get involved.
- Get to know the children/teens in the corps and how the women can help them with homework
- Check out opportunities for involvement in an intergenerational activity program. (Check the Internet for suggestions.)
