It is time for a snow day yet?
Homework. The thorn in the side of students, parents and teachers alike.
My goal is for my students to DO the assignment. I stress that homework is practice and people are not usually punished for making mistakes during practice. I also stress that there is a reason that I ask them to do the assignments, mainly that I want them to practice the new skill.
I try to allow at least 10 to 15 minutes at the end of a 55 minute class period for independent practice. This allows me to wander the room and help individuals and monitor their practice. If they cannot finish the assignment before the end of the period, then the assignment becomes ‘homework’.
When the students return to me the next day, we go over their assignments first thing. (Well, after their bell ringer). I ask them to count how many problems they did, not how many I assigned and put that number in a trapezoid (or hexagon, or right triangle, or quadrilateral, etc.) This does 2 things: Tells me if they completed the assignment and reviews polygons quickly. Each student grades their own homework. Either the answers are read out loud or shown over the document camera. I have students put the number that they missed in a circle. Then I collect the papers. I can quickly tell how they did on the assignment by the numbers in the circles. I can then decide whether I need to reteach the concept.
Homework is worth 5 points completed. If incomplete by less than about 10%, the assignment receives 4 points. If they have completed less than that, I do not take their assignment. I give completion grades after all! I do allow them to turn in late work for 60% credit. Also, my school has a homework section in the discipline policy. If a student has 5 missing assignments, it becomes a discipline referral.
This is not a perfect plan but it has worked for me for the last few years. I have to be vigilant for students who try to skirt the system. Some try to just write answers and some try to write gibberish. We do go over some that they have missed.
I will be carefully reading everyone’s blog posts to look for ways to improve.
Thanks for stopping by!
Sarah
aka Alwilda’s Daughter
