A Tale of Two Homeworks

"It was the best of times; it was the worst of times." That classic line from Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities pretty much sums up my feelings about homework. I believe that students need to complete work outside of the classroom to prepare for the rigors of college and professional work life, but there are times when the homework return rate is abysmal. I've often asked myself: "What's the point of assigning homework when only a small percentage of students turn it in?" I've personally witnessed kids copying a classmate's work right before class or scribbling as hard as they can to get a little credit. I've been given every excuse (from kids and parents) and have tried almost trick in my toolbox. Some teachers at my school have given up on homework for this very reason. It's definitely the "worst of times."

I've taken some time to review my homework success rates. There are several approaches I take that has led to more success.

Get 'Em Moving at Home

We have all used them...that worksheet with column after column of problems. I can totally understand how this type of homework can lead to extreme boredom at home. I think kids benefit when they can use concepts we learn during class to explore the real world of math. For example, for part of our geometry unit, students learn about the volume of rectangular prisms. I do have a traditional homework sheet available, but I also give students the opportunity to explore volume at home by measuring a household object and finding the volume. Guess which one the students prefer?

Traditional Homework

Get 'Em Moving Homework

I've found that students are more engaged when they can interact with their homework and make it personal. They are still learning about the volume of rectangular prisms, but in a way that can help them better retain the fundamentals of this important math concept.

Flip the Script

Flipping the classroom has definitely helped students complete work outside of the classroom. I started posting videos on my online classroom (I use Quia, but your district may have Schoology, Edmodo, or Moodle). Instead of doing math problems at home, students work on note-taking skills. I have two particular formats we use for notes. We then focus on math problems during class. Some days, I give students who don't watch the videos at home the opportunity to complete them during class while other students are working in groups.

Nothing New, Home for Review

In the past, the homework I assigned focused on the topic we covered in class that day. I realized that one of the reasons students didn't complete the work is because they were stuck on a problem and gave up or decided to wait and ask me how to approach the problem during the next class period. To address this issue, I started assigning spiral review homework. It focuses on topics we've already covered with varying degrees of difficulty. I saw homework completion rates increase with this approach.

Ten or Less is Best

I've taken some heat for this approach. Generally, I assign ten or fewer problems for homework. There are times it increases to 15 or so, but not very often. I've found that if students "get it," ten problems helps them get the review or reinforcement they need to be successful in my math classes. If they get ten problems wrong, they're going to get 20 problems wrong. There is no need to have them complete problem after problem if I need to work with them to make sure they understand a particular math concept.

Paperless Homework

Google forms and Quia have definitely helped me save a ton of paper! I post the problems online and students submit it. Simple, yet effective. It has the added benefit of allowing me to see when students are completing their homework. What I love most about paperless homework is that it allows me to give students the opportunity to fix problems before they submit it for a final grade. I often ask them, "Why not go for 100% mastery?"

Variety is the Spice of Life

Instead of assigning one type of homework all the time, I use all of these approaches to "keep it fresh." I'm also researching more ways to get students to enhance their learning outside of the classroom. Do you have an innovative way to get kids to complete homework? I'd love to read about your tips and tricks.

My challenge to you this week: try a different approach to homework and see if it makes a difference.