In Atlanta, we have missed an entire five-day week of school. Snow and ice! I have been so fascinated to read and hear about what some professional educators are doing with their found time. Of course, I only know about a small handfull. Of those who are making their actions known, the activities are relatively diverse. Some have spent the time entirely immersed in family – reclaiming missed opportunities from when work was too busy. Others have bathed their brains in intellectual pusuits. Here’s a small sample:
Teacher A: http://ayearwithhenrietta.com/2011/01/15/not-henrietta-but-cool/
Teacher B: http://quantumprogress.wordpress.com/2011/01/15/an-amazing-week-for-professional-development/
Teacher C: Been practicing recording my lessons so that I can post on Internet.
Teacher D: Enlisting feedback about a student-journal idea…http://jplgough.wordpress.com/2011/01/14/ever-feel-like-you%e2%80%99re-in-the-wrong-place-part-1-the-questions/
Teacher E: School’s out. I am not doing any work or learning while I am off.
Some have probably combined found-time-with-family and unexpected-moments-to-explore-an-idea. Not either-or, but both-and. Isn’t it curious what we do when we find time – maybe the most “precious commodity.” I wonder what each of these admired teachers would say to students when learning of what the 11-14 year olds would choose to do with found time. It’s interesting the “homework” we assign ourselves, isn’t it? I wonder how each of these teachers treats homework in his/her classes?
it's about learning 
Great post. I love the encouragement to be more INTENTIONAL with the way we ATTEND to things around us… be that a deliberate effort at inattention, an attentive letting go and allowance of relaxation, or an intentional focus on refining work. I have thought a lot about construction of my classroom time, my assessment, and my labs. But, your post points out to me that assignment and grading of homework is one of the areas as a new teacher where I have a lot of room to grow. I think it is interesting that, as dedicated teachers, we all chose different things to do with our gift of time. I know my own energy ebbs and flows. My creativity does the same. I wonder if I can find a way to use homework with my students so that there is some flexibility in terms of how it is done/ when it is done, etc. I usually give assignments designed to try and get my students more into their books/ more connected to a topic/ or ready for upcoming class conversations. I check to see if the work is done, but don’t grade it for more than a completion grade. But, your post has prompted me to try and take a different spin in terms of my own thinking. Maybe I can spend some time thinking with my studnets about how THEY want to spend their homework time, what would work for them and their learning differences. I don’t know… maybe students can create their own homework somehow? (and, I’m not be facetious with that). Umm… homework is a hard one for this teacher! I’ll keep thinking on it. Thanks for the prod!
I can only speak for Teacher B, but I view homework as practice. I assign it, collect it often and try to offer extensive feedback, but I do not assign it a grade.