Homework often elicits a profound sense of anxiety among students, a phenomenon that we shall explore in depth in today’s discussion. Our esteemed guest, Ramona Russell, a school counselor at Birney Elementary, explains the challenges students face when confronted with homework assignments. She emphasizes that the root causes of this anxiety frequently stem from a lack of understanding regarding the material or the instructions provided. Furthermore, we delve into the critical role that effective communication between parents and teachers plays in alleviating homework-related stress. Through our conversation, we aim to give parents practical strategies to create a supportive homework environment, thus fostering a more manageable and less stressful experience for their children.

Guest:

Ramona Russell, Birney Elementary School Counselor

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Takeaways:

1. The episode emphasizes the importance of understanding a child's struggles with homework, particularly regarding comprehension of skills and directions.
2. Effective communication between parents and teachers is crucial for addressing a child's educational challenges and ensuring consistent support.
3. Implementing a structured homework routine can significantly alleviate stress for students and create an environment conducive to learning.
4. Parents should recognize the signs of overwhelming stress in their children and differentiate it from productive struggle during homework assignments.

If the mention of the word homework ramps up your stress, we've got some insights you'll want to hear today on the Inside Scoop. Hello and welcome back to the Inside Scoop. I'm your host, David Owen. If you hear something helpful today, please give us a click on that like button.

Let's jump straight into the subject at hand with someone who can actually offer some ideas on how to keep it from becoming a stress filled nightmare. Our school counselor from Birney Elementary, Ramona Russell. Ramona, welcome to the podcast.

Thanks for having me, David.

So let's just jump straight on in. What is the biggest challenge that you see students experience when they jump into the homework? What causes a student's anxiety?

I would say that one of the biggest challenges that may cause a student's anxiety is that they may not understand the skills.

Okay, so the homework without really understanding what was supposed to have been learned in the classroom, is that correct?

As well as sometimes kids also don't understand the directions and so they may need clarity on what to do to complete the task.

Yeah, I know in general, life in general, sometimes we say things without context and somebody hearing those directions might go, wait, what? It doesn't match. But in our head it makes perfect sense.

Right.

So when it comes to a child, you know, maybe not getting what's being taught in the classroom, that honestly could be one of two things. Either there's miscommunication with the child, or maybe the teacher left something out that the homework addresses. Right. Just to be real.

Yes, it could be right. And that's why it's also important for parents to have a close relationship with the teacher.

So if a parent realizes that maybe my child doesn't understand this because of something that could have possibly been missed, the parent can reach out to the teacher.

Yeah, that communication component is key for sure. So when a kid, look, I've got lots of kids and I'm not the only one. I realize.

But the experience I've had is that sometimes a kid is truly frustrated with the homework or overwhelmed or what have you, but sometimes they just don't want to do their homework. How can a parent distinguish between appropriate stress and overwhelming stress?

Like they just feel the child feels so burdened by the homework that they can't even focus. Right.

So I would say that we want all scholars to experience productive struggle, which just basically means that school scholars are going to, when they're having a challenging moment, they're going to experience making mistakes, they're going to have to give effort. And of course, we don't want them to get so frustrated that you see physical symptoms or they have a meltdown or shutdown.

However, we do want them to be able to learn through a process. Right.

And so I would say that if a child is, is experiencing productive struggle, then a child may have a little anxiety, maybe experience a little stress.

When it gets to a point though, that a child is shutting down, is having a meltdown over amount of time, I would definitely say that the child is most likely overwhelmed.

So if a child's been working on their homework for a while and you begin to see these tears flowing or maybe putting their head down or just losing total interest in pursuing anything further, then, you know, maybe there's an issue there that's overwhelming them.

Right.

So what, what are some effective routines that families can use to help the child feel like this whole homework situation is manageable to them?

Right. So I would like to share a basic routine that I've often shared with parents over the years, as well as a few tools to just accompan.

I would also like to start with having an effective routine allows a child to focus while decreasing frustration. And so that basic routine is as simple as first, when a child gets home, give them some time to have a brain break.

And when I say a brain break, I just mean a child has been in school all day, so they want a moment, they want a break. Just like we like breaks when we're at work. And so you give them some time to have some physical movement.

You may give them a snack, or you may just give them some quiet time. Now, once they finish with their break time, which should be timed, we don't want to give it too much time, they may get too relaxed.

Then the child should move on to starting on their homework. And when they start on their homework, it's very important that the child is in a designated area that's conducive for doing their homework.

Meaning we want an area that's distraction free, meaning no tv, no cell phones. You want a place that's comfortable for a child to complete the work, such as at a table or desk.

You want an area where the supplies and materials are already there for the child. And last, once the child has completed that homework, you want to make sure that homework gets back to school. I've had some kids that will say.

Okay, now this is the voice of reality kicking in right here. She's being very real. I'm sorry, go ahead.

So you some kids that come to school and say, Ms. Russell, but I had my homework, I did It. And the parents would say, Ms. Russell, I know my child did it. I saw the homework. Well, the homework didn't make it to school.

So one tip I like to share with parents is after your child finishes with the homework, have a check in system. Have the child bring the homework to you. Make sure the homework is in the backpack so that it actually gets to school the next day.

And that would apply at any age? Absolutely. Whether it's a second grader or high schoolers, you know, that's a legitimate thing for sure. Because really homework is one component.

Organization, skills kind of feed into that whole success story. Right. Being able to have that routine.

So when it comes to the breaks and so forth, I can also say a word of caution that if it's a teenager you're talking about, you probably don't want them doing their homework on the bed. Because what I found is they are starting on the homework and then you go in there an hour later and they're asleep. So just voice of experience.

I definitely agree with you. That's why you want to make sure you have a designated area, not the bed, for the child to complete homework.

Two tools that I would like to add on that I think have been successful is one, the timer.

I mentioned earlier that you want to time provide time for your kids to complete their assignments and that should help with balancing how much time a child is spending on the homework as well as timing those brain breaks. So a teenager's not spending too much time on the cell phone during maybe their break time.

The timer could also be used though, if a child is becoming overwhelmed and so that child needs a break in the middle of doing homework, I would set a timer. If it's elementary age, I would set it for about two to five minutes. For older kids, I maybe would set it for five to 10 minutes.

Another reason why I might use a timer is if I know I have a child who cannot, who has a difficult time completing, say for instance, a math assignment within a 30 minute time frame or a certain timeframe, I may break it up into something we call chunks, which is just breaking it up into an amount of time that's a little bit more manageable for the child so that they don't become overwhelmed.

Yeah, okay. Well, that makes sense. And your perspective, I will say, is primarily from the elementary age. Right.

Because what we're talking about are skills and routines that really kind of help shape the overall course of being a student through the system until they hopefully graduate.

Right, right.

But if you have a student who maybe is older middle school or high school, these same strategies can be used for them. You just might have to tweak the times and so forth.

I definitely agree.

So let's say that I've got a student who's been working on their homework and they are just in a meltdown. I mean, they are overwhelmed and resentful and just defiant about even getting back into it.

What are some things that parents can do to help erase that problem? To be quite candid.

So I would actually just provide a process for parents. The first thing I would do is just have the child to pause for doing the homework because the child is overwhelmed. Right.

And after having that child pause, I would seek to understand what's going on in a very empathetic way, using a positive, warm tone in that moment. If the child needs a moment, give them a moment, go ahead and move into a brain break.

And that would allow the child to have time to regulate their emotions, calm down as well. Just take a break from that assignment after that break is over. Then as a parent, I would support the child with starting back on that assignment.

Allow them to still experience some productive struggle, but maybe leaning in a little bit more and asking questions such as, what gave you a problem the last time? Let's start from there.

Why did you feel overwhelmed? What was it that really got under your skin about doing this?

Exactly.

Okay, well, that makes. And the tone of your voice is very calming.

Yours is as well.

It's great.

You know, there are, I guess really one of the things that you seem to be saying, and correct me if I've got this wrong, but it's come alongside your student rather than being contentious. Right, right.

Because one thing we have to remember is that our children are not like us. So sometimes a parent may feel like, oh, my child should be good in math because I was great in math.

Oh no.

Or I was a perfect writer. You know, I was amazing at writing in school. But it's not always, that's not always your child's story or your child's journey.

So we want to look at situations with an open mind and lean in and show empathy in those situations so that your child will open up and really let you know what's going on. Then that will allow you to communicate with the teacher the best that you can so you can get support from the teacher.

Okay, now that's, that's a whole. Actually, I want to talk about that for a second. But it kind of all comes around to the emotional well being of the student. If they feel ill at ease.

If they are emotionally upset, there's no way the learning can happen anyway.

So don't do like I would naturally have a tendency to do, and that is to just yell louder or something, but actually encourage them about the positives that they can do, the challenge they can overcome, right?

Yes, most definitely.

So a moment ago you mentioned the communication with the teachers. Now, how can communicating with the teacher give us a more thorough picture of what you mean by that?

When you're talking about relating to the homework and the stress, how can communicating with the teacher help alleviate some of that?

I would say, you know, first of all, parent and teacher relationship is very important. We come together collectively as a village to help children be successful.

And so the teacher is important because if a parent is stuck and doesn't know what to do with the child, you can communicate with the teacher and find and share what you're experiencing at home.

And through those experiences, the teacher can share and give you insight on possibly some tips you can use with the child at home as well as provide resources for the parent.

Okay. All right. So the parent knows their child, the teacher knows at least a version of your child. Yes.

And so the two combined can maybe gain more insight together that could help both in homework as well as classwork.

Right, right.

Because for instance, let's say for instance, the child is experiencing, or the parent is experiencing that the child is delaying starting on homework every night in math. Maybe that's an area the child doesn't feel as confident in.

Then that teacher might say, well, hey, when this happen in school, these are the things that I do to motivate your child. Or oh, you know what, I know that your child is having difficulty in this area. So let me provide these resources to help your child at home.

Yeah. Now I'm going to go out on a limb here.

We've done podcasts with counselors who have talked about such things as the well being of the child going into class the next day when requires a really good sleep routine as well. Yes. So would you say it's a fair thing to say that sleep is more important than finishing the homework?

I would. I would.

Anytime as a teacher that I've had a parent come to me and say that, you know, my child is up doing homework for three or four hours, so there's a lack of sleep. I tell them the homework should take this long. Once you get to this point, point, then the child needs to stop the homework.

Then there's a bigger issue to address.

Yes.

And then again, that's where the teacher and parent can communicate on those areas that the child is struggling in so that the teacher can figure out how to best support that child at school.

So what is the When I presume that you are offering these tips and insights to parents who come to you saying, my child has these issues? Yes. What are you seeing after they have implemented?

Are you seeing every one of them come back as a success story, or does it vary according to the child?

I would say that it varies, but more often than not, most parents do come back and tell me that the system is working. And then they. And they will also tell me what's not working so that we can tweak it.

Okay. So that feedback loop, so to speak, is really important.

Yes.

And so what typically happens is once we look at a parent's unique situation, then I'm able to just share some other tips that can help them be successful at home with their child.

Yeah. And every child is different. Every child. Like I think earlier you mentioned a timed break point.

There may be some children who can go a long time on the homework and then take a break and others who 20 minutes is the max. They can do that kind of thing, right? Yes. Okay. Well, Ramona, thank you so much for coming in and sharing.

Your insights and your years of experience are very helpful. I know that at least in our family, our household homework was always a challenge. So thank you for doing that.

If you heard something helpful for your family, give us that like and subscribe so you don't miss out on the next one and share it with a friend, too. I'm sure they'd love to have a more peaceful household when the homework comes home.

Thank you for listening to the Inside Scoop, a podcast produced by the Cobb County School.