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Do you give homework? If you do, how much? How much is too much? How much is enough? Is it even worth it?
When I first became a teacher I thought that I needed to assign homework every night (🚨spoiler alert: I still pretty much do...more on this later) and I thought that I needed to go over it every day right at the start of class. Better yet, I was utterly shocked to find that some students didn't do it every day, and some didn't do it at all. Oh, first year teacher naivety.
Which Side Are You On?
🗣“Homework is not effective because students can't get real-time feedback, they can practice incorrect methods over and over again and misunderstand content. They can cheat easily with apps and kids are involved in so many after school activities these days. There's not enough time for them to just be kids because when they get home they have to do ‘mounds’ of homework"
🗣“Homework is a necessary practice that is required to build mastery with skills. Homework builds character, grit and time management skills and makes students into independent learners. Without homework, students are not challenged to problem-solve on their own”
Where do you stand? Me? I'm off in the gray area, watching with some popcorn and writing down the parts I like.🍿
After eight quick years of teaching, here's what I've learned to be true:
If my students don't know what to do, they'll cheat (or just not do it). They'll Google it. They'll PhotoMath it. They'll copy a friend's work. If I'm lucky they'll try to understand it after they've copied the answer. But I don't hold my breath... 🤷♀️
If my students don't know they're wrong, they'll confidently (or unconfidently) continue to practice a skill incorrectly. A waste of their time and a step back for progress.
If my students are given the answer key to check their work, some (many?) will sit there and copy it. Or at least start by peeking, then going on to "try it themselves" I mean, I would too. Who wants to waste their time being wrong at first and having to erase their work when after this assignment they have an English essay to draft, a Science lab to complete and a DBQ to start for Social Studies.
Sometimes it's not important to get the homework done that night. There. I said it! Family emergencies. Feeling sick. Family in town to visit. This pandemic has shown me more than ever that we need to cherish our time with family and take care of our health. Sometimes it's more important that we spend time celebrating (or grieving) with family, or resting so we can overcome sickness; rather than finishing those homework problems.
Homework can be a time for students to grow as independent learners, to learn to use their resources effectively and to expose themselves to tasks that require deeper knowledge. Mix all of these together and you get the secret sauce that is my current homework policy. Let's check it out!
How I'm Assigning Homework in 2021
I give homework almost every night. Every assignment has a writeable PDF and a Google Form to complete.
I use almost the same homework assignments as I did last year, but now I include a Google form with each one (I know it sounds like a lot, but I'll share the secret later about how to do this quickly!) In the Google Form I insert screenshots of the assignment questions and break them up using sections to chunk the assignment. By doing so I have found this makes it more manageable for students and it keeps a focused workflow. The next benefit of using Google Forms is...
My students get immediate feedback.
After each problem I include an answer key in the form of either an image or a screencast video. These serve as checkpoints for students to self-assess and correct their mistakes before going on. I have found that this reduces practicing incorrect methods and my students are less frustrated because they can check their work while they are doing it. Which is why...
I don't go over homework at the start of class anymore.
Since students can check their work in real-time I don't have to spend time posting the key at the start of class. Now I'm well aware that students can't still cheat and just copy the work down, but we've built a culture around learning from mistakes and I've found that even if a student starts the assignment not knowing what to do, by the end of it they'll complete a few on their own. This is a lot more productive than it could have been. The start to my class periods look different now because...
I collect a lot of data on the forms.
In addition to their answers to problems I ask students to reflect at the end of every assignment by asking the three questions shown in the photo to the right. I can skim and review these during my planning period and look for red flags and patterns. When I see a student's question I can send them a response individually online, touch base with them in class, or if it's a common pattern amongst multiple students then I can address the question with the whole class. A huge time saver! Another time saver is...
I scaffold difficult questions with "stepping stone" questions in Google Forms.
Think about the big word problems that only one or two kids will nail on their own. I like to break down that problem by scaffolding the problem solving process with "stepping stone" questions. I try not to pigeon-hole students into one specific solution method but rather get them thinking of key details that will help them choose a plan for solving. For example, if they have to create an equation or expression I like to ask them to think of what they could write, then I like to show them the correct answer before they continue to solve. I also like to scaffold with simple processing questions such as "What do you know? What do we need to find out?" The reality is that some (many?) students are not strong independent problem solvers. I've found that providing these stepping stones helps to chunk the process and give them more success and avoid being overwhelmed. I also combat overwhelm since...
My homework assignments are shorter than they used to be.
Rather than drill and kill I try to focus on short skill checks, error analysis and chunking longer, more complex problems that we did not get to do in class. I've found between 2 and 6 questions are the sweet spot for students' stamina. I also combat overwhelm since...
I am flexible on deadlines.
I am incredibly Type A, to a fault. I don't miss deadlines. But as I said before, I have learned that sometimes the homework isn't the priority. I give students some extra time when they need it. The world keeps turning and the work gets done. Oh, and they get the practice that they need, even if it's AsYnChRoNoUs to the class timeline. #2021EducationBuzzWords
Lastly,
I use this as an opportunity to engage with my students' social-emotional needs.
I ask my students how they are doing (as a human). I ask my students if there's anything they want to tell me. Our students are craving that connection and I make sure that I give them an opportunity each and every day.
How to Manage Implementing This Strategy
⚠ FREEBIE ALERT! ⚠ Click the link above to make a free copy of the Google Form template I use. It cuts down on time when I don't have to reinvent the wheel!
Tip #2: Batch the process!
Every unit I batch each part of the form creating process and it makes it go SO much faster! It's especially helpful because I already have my homework assignments and answer keys made. I tend to batch in this order:
Make a copy of the template for each assignment in the unit. I also make individual headers using Canva.com and I'll batch upload them here. It's SO not necessary, but the uniformity makes me happy!
Take screenshots of the original questions. I highly suggest labeling your photos systematically for quick retrieval later. For example, 5Q2 is HW#5 question #2.
Take all my screenshots of the answers from my key. Again, I highly suggest labeling your photos systematically for quick retrieval later. For example, 5A2 is HW#5 answer #2.
Open HW #1, upload Qs and As. Then open HW #2, repeat. Etc. You can also choose to then batch your LMS posts at this point.
Tip #3: Buy them already done!
I have them posted for factoring and solving equations. I plan on making more too, so stay tuned!
Share your questions, comments and experiences in the comments below!
What's your opinion on assigning homework?
What questions do you have about this strategy?
What challenges or successes have you had with homework in this crazy year?
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