Giving Homework to Students
The New Teacher Should also be a Homework Helper
Giving homework to students is one of the more confusing issues in the first year of teaching. Here are homework issues and some possible solutions.
Giving homework assignments is an inevitable part of a new teacher's routine. This article will focus on some tips for checking homework, the amount of homework assignments and how you as a teacher can offer help with completing difficult homework assignments.
Giving Homework- How to do it?
Spending the last ten minutes explaining the homework assignment and encouraging the students to ask questions is very educational. The teacher can (and should) do the first homework question as an example, offering multiple solutions or strategies for arriving at the answer. This modelling is especially important for weaker students who often feel lost and need help with their homework. Telling the students the homework assignment one minute before the bell rings is not incredibly effective. Students need time to digest and process new information. Homework is definitely part of this learning cycle.
The big question: How much homework should you give?
The issue of homework is a controversial one and nobody can tell you how many homework assignments you should give or not give in a given week or semester. This really depends on you, your teaching beliefs and your own homework policy. It is probably a good idea to jot a few words down about your homework policies so that you first and foremost, know for yourself what you are really capable of expecting from your students.
Take into account that some homework assignments can be indeed lengthy and you might also find yourself checking an inordinate amount. Consider also the students' timetable. They are often swamped by other homework assignments in other subjects as well. So you aren't doing them a favor by overloading them too much.
The first main question you should however ask yourself is: what aim does this homework assignment serve? One main rule of thumb about homework assignments: they should not be used to discipline the students, rather to enforce a previously taught skill. Try also spacing the lessons in order to avoid homework backup; it is way too stressful to try to keep up with all the marking. Giving one good homework assignment a week and checking during the next lesson is infinitely better than giving homework every lesson.
They received their first homework assignment. Now what?
Allow for some time checking in class on the day the homework is due. The first ten minutes should be a routine part of your lesson plan. Then you can proceed with the rest of your lesson. Allow time for questions and clarification.
A Few words on Classroom Management
Photocopiable pages of the answers is a great classroom management technique. Depending on the students' level and abilities, the class dynamics, and the type of homework assignment, you can give each pair or small group a photocopiable page of the answers of the homework assignment. Students love to see what they got right. They can even give themselves a grade. Plus, it is a great ego booster. Alternatively, you can have students check their answers in pairs and then give them the page. The frontal way has its advantages too: a teacher can explain the answers and offer other tips and strategies all along. While the kids are copying the answers, the teacher can help those kids who struggled with their previous night's homework.
Homework completion: How much is enough?
Classes are invariably heterogeneous in nature with many levels and abilities. Students who find it hard to complete a homework assignment, should be encouraged to do whatever they can. Once a new teacher gets to know those particular students who constantly need help with homework and cannot do it alone, an agreement should be discussed privately with the students. They should know that they will get a grade on what they have been able to do on their own.
Final words about Homework: The proof is in the Lesson
Homework should naturally complement those skills that you want to teach. Often more times than not, this involves a lot more practice before giving the actual homework assignment. When kids don't do their homework however, it can show a number of things. Perhaps, you haven't spent enough time on the practice stage of the skill. Don't rush into giving homework. Spend enough time on working on the skills in class and the rest will flow naturally.
