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Math
Posts: 79
Location: Tates Creek | I am sure this is common, but turning in homework is becoming a major issue in my freshman classes. There is a fine line in my gradebook: those who do homework have A's and B's, C's are reserved for those who don't do their homework but know the material and score well on tests, and the rest are students that have a multitude of missed homework. I call home on a regular basis and I get the next homewok, and then it is back to 0's.
Any thoughts or ideas that work for you folks? |
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Math
Posts: 37
Location: Lafayette | We have the same issue at Lafayette and have been aked to see what we can do to help the failing students. I offered my students full credit on their missing assignments if they stay after school with me or attend ESS to work on them. I ask that the ESS teacher sign their assignment to show that they did attend. This helps prevent students from coping their friends assignments. Although, it is still not successfull with all of the students, some of them do take advantage of the offer. |
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Math
Posts: 8
Location: Tates Creek | I just keeping bugging them until no end. |
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Math
Posts: 31
Location: Henry Clay | Kelly - I like your idea!!! It would be nice to have more than 5% of the class doing homework!!! I will implement that idea ASAP!!! |
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Math
Posts: 19
Location: Tates Creek | I'm having the same problem with homework, especially in my Algebra I class. The thing that worked the best for me so far, is giving the students 5 bonus points on their chapter test if they have all homework assignments completed. It didn't work for all of them, but a few did more work than before so I considered that a success. |
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Math
Posts: 281
Location: Henry Clay | Don't let them take it home. They can't lose it if they don't take it with them. |
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Math
Posts: 58
Location: PL Dunbar | I have had the same problem for the past years in Algebra I. So for the rest of this semester i decided to try something different...kind of like if you can't beat 'em join 'em.
Here is my rationale...i spend about 10 -15 minutes walking through the room checking hw at the beginning of class. even if the kids are working on a warm up, some of them are wasting this time because i am preoccupied and cannot help and monitor as well. then i spend 10 -15 minutes reading the correct answers and going over the ones they didnt get right. Well if you didnt do the hw, you've wasted the better part of 30 minutes of class because you couldnt do the warm up and you didnt do the hw...so this helps very few students...plus the students who do the hw will more than likely succeed no matter what i do with them.
so for the rest of the semester, i decided not to give ANY homework! I told my kids too and i explained my rationale as well. my plan is to spend those first 30 minutes we were wasting working on a "warm up" that is what i would have given for hw the night prerviously...or the classwork they never finished at the end of the last class. I can walk around and help or keep them on track - they can work together - but at least they are actually practicing what they learned. then we will do notes, and the last 30 will be on whiteboards, activities, or classwork (that could have been hw)
but i am still actually giving hw...i am giving about 5 or 10 problems everynight for "extra credit" 5 points or so...it really make very little difference in the overall grade and it motivates a few of them to actually do extra work.
i am on my 2nd day of it today and we shall see how it goes for the rest of the semester!
Just an idea.... |
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Math
Posts: 44
Location: Henry Clay | Sounds interesting, though I think it would work better for block than those of us on the traditional 6 hour period. Keep us updated on how it works!! |
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Math
Posts: 76
Location: Henry Clay | I think the five bonus points on the exam would work for some. I just don't know how to get those lower level students to just try their work. They are so scared of being wrong half of the time that they can't even get past that and decide to give up. Maybe one of these tactics will help |
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Math
Posts: 44
Location: Henry Clay | I think I am going to try the 5 bonus points on the test. It will hopefully motivate some kids who seem to think their hw is "optional" and also reward the kids who do their homework all the time! This will especially be true for kids who might struggle with the material, but try really hard. Since they don't always get a high score on the test, the bonus points will really mean a lot to them I think!
Good idea!! |
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Math
Posts: 30
Location: Lafayette | This is definitely an ongoing problem that I have as well. I have been back and forth on how to handle this problem. My issue is that I don't think I am doing my students any favors if I "back down" when it comes to homework. The reality is that as they move on in high school and perhaps later to college, they need to have the responsibility to do their homework even when no one checks to be sure they did. How am I preparing my students to be self-sufficient, responsible individuals when I give in to the masses who don't see the importance of homework. At the same time however too can sympathize with the time wasted in class discussing homework for the few who did it. So here are some things that I am doing now (and have done in the past) to help with this problem. On the first day when we discuss the syllabus and the importance of homework, I tell students that I will never assign more than ten problems for homework. I grade it based on effort of course (most of the time) and CONSTANTLY remind student that this is their no-pressure opportunity to practice when it is okay if they mess up. Students are required to turn their homework into their class tray immediately upon entering the room. As soon as the bell rings while students work on their flashback, I submit attendance and quickly check off the homework and return it to the students. This really doesn't take more than the time the students need to complete the flashback and it ensures that students aren't finishing up their homework while I'm walking around the room checking. After we go over the flashback I have the homework answers already ready to slide under the document camera, students check their work, and we answer any questions. Since most of the time there are less than ten problems this doesn't take too much time. Yes, there are those students who don't do their homework and waste these few moments each day (and I'm working on that!) but I won't deny the students who are doing their part the opportunity to get immediate feedback on their homework.
I work hard to keep in contact with parents of students who consistently do not to assignments in and that has been my most effective strategy...because those parents get done what I can't! I know there are still kids falling through the cracks and that is what I am still focusing on...I like Kelley's ESS idea. We are really trying to get students to participate in these sessions at LHS. I just can't help but to wonder how much more we are willing to "water things down" for the masses because students won't do homeowork. I don't think we are doing them any favors. |
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Math
Posts: 50
Location: Tates Creek | I must agree wholeheartedly with Jennie on this one. One of our feeder middle schools has given in to the whole "since they won't do the homework, we just won't assign it" mantra, and it has done nothing but create young men and women who do not know what it means to be responsible and to work towards understanding.
I think we will be better serving our students if we continue to search for solutions that do not involve lowering the bar or throwing our hands in the air to give in. I like Betty Hester's "5-points" idea. I like Jennie's idea of limiting the number of problems on the homework - although when I taught every-day Algebra I, I took that one step further ... we started with a few number of problems and then gradually worked our way up to more. We never did an excessive or unnecessary number of problems, but sometimes 10 just isn't enough. With that particular population, though, it did take some "responsibility and work ethic" development to get them to do the longer assignments.
I continue to be on the side of holding our expectations high and working together to find a solution that will help the students rise to the occasion.
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Math
Posts: 108
Location: Henry Clay | I think I know the middle school you speak of  I know I was the only one on my team that gave homework.... |
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Math
Posts: 42
Location: Bryan Station | Melissa and all of you who posted...You have really set my mind in ways as to get our students to buy in to the problems with HW. At BSHS this is a constant problem. we have less than 10% completion in hw in general classes and probobaly 60% in advanced and AP classes...Can you believe it! I will submit this problem to my staff and see if they can come up with a solution...hey we are use to changing tactics all the time around here... that is a job description! mg |
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Math
Posts: 108
Location: Henry Clay | haha.....ain't that the truth! (changing all the time over there!) Ya know, you'd have thought that since those middle schools kids I had last year only had one class of hw every night they could have done it....but NO! 10% was probably good estimate for them....but I kept assigning it anyway.......cause I knew what they would be in for the next year....
Edited by mdmdavis 12/3/2008 7:41 AM
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Math
Posts: 45
Location: Eastside | To check homework, I have students come up to the board and work the problems out. I don't give extra credit but maybe if you gave so many extra credit points per problem that the student does on the board. It might motivate them to do the homework or at least do enough so that they can write on the board. You could make it a rule that in order for a student to write a problem on the board, they have to have completed 70% of the homework. I wasn't sure if students would even be interested in working problems on the board, but they are. I can usually get every student to volunteer at least one. |
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Math
Posts: 30
Location: Lafayette | I have found as well that most students enjoy an opportunity to go to the board. I am glad for so many new ideas on how we can motivate our students to take advantage of the opportunity to apply new knowledge on homework without lowering our expectations.  |
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Math
Posts: 76
Location: PL Dunbar | Stinson: Now that it is the end of the semester what is your assessment on your change of homework policy. Did you see improvements in tests, or was it still about the same. How many kids actually did the "extra Credit:?
Edited by slubbe 12/18/2008 12:51 PM
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Math
Posts: 82
Location: Lafayette | I think homework is improtant. If not more than it gives the student some responsiblity. I feel it is not only my job to teach the students math, but I need to teach them how to become productive adults. And being held accountable for doing work on their own and bringing it back to class is a big one. |
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Homework
