As the holidays draw near I can’t help but recollect the argument that ensued with my husband every year that I taught school. No, it wasn’t about gifts or who to spend the holidays with—it was about homework.

To give homework or not over our two-week break was always a bone of contention between the two of us. For years we taught English at neighboring schools. I was at a middle school; he was at the high school. He thought his students needed something to keep them connected to school and some academic reinforcement. I felt it was their vacation and that’s just what they needed, some much needed time off.

Now don’t misunderstand. I am not anti-homework. When it is well thought out and used to practice something that has been learned in class, homework serves a great purpose. I also like homework that involves some type of long-term assignment that involves research. Homework during the course of the school year is fine with me.

It is just that I found myself a bit “fried” when it came to the winter holidays. I tried to put myself into my students’ positions and thought they would be, too. My kids just didn’t get homework over the winter break because I didn’t want homework when we returned to school. For me to make the decision was about as simple as that. They might consider it a present if they wanted to. My husband’s students did get homework, perhaps a paper to write or a book to read. Not a huge amount granted, but enough to have to be concerned about it being turned in.

We never came to a resolution about the holiday homework dilemma. Do you think there might be one? Where do you stand?