Homework

Despite all we know we continue to assign kids homework.  I want to think that through with you and will do so via several scenarios.

I have just taught some brand new material and the kids did not have time to apply their new knowledge so I send them home to accomplish such an application.  Really?  You are willing for a kid to make a mistake with brand new material, a mistake that will take more time to un-teach than to teach?  You are willing to let the kid use trial and error, mom and dad, boyfriend and girlfriend to try to figure this stuff out?  I think you are nuts.  Don’t assign homework, and model and practice in class tomorrow.

I have just gone over a review of what will be on a major test in a few days.  I assign the kids a review sheet as homework to complete and turn in for a grade.  Really?  If the kids knows the stuff they will simply be frustrated doing busy work on content where they have already demonstrated mastery.  If the kids do not know it, completing a review sheet won’t teach it.  Or, if completing a review sheet could teach it, why not hand it out at the beginning of the unit and take a few days off.  Nope, if you want to be sure your kids know what they need before the test you have waited too late to find that out just a day or two before.  Don’t assign the homework and work on ways to spiral past knowledge into each lesson to keep previous learnings fresh.

I want to teach some content yet to be introduced so I assign the kids to read the next chapter and answer the questions at the end so they will be familiar with the content before I teach.  Really?  If that worked you do not need to teach.  Just let them read.  (This is the shortfall of many on-line courses.)  You would be so much better off to introduce the concepts and terminology yourself so that you know the kids have a good scaffold to build on from previous learning.  You waste their time asking them to read what they do not know. 

There are caveats to these scenarios.  If, for instance, I am introducing a literary form or process or characteristic it seems perfectly appropriate to ask the kids to read content prior to the class where you teach it.  You are not asking the kids to understand your form or process or characteristic.  You are providing background knowledge that it can become hooks to hang new knowledge on. 

Likewise, if I am introducing the philosopher John Locke it seems perfectly OK for kids to Google him before class so that we have rich resources to share when we discuss his influence on the USA.

Likewise, if a teacher wants the kids engaged is some sort of summative project, a research paper, a science fair project, a welding project, an art project or practice for a UIL musical event, etc., then assigning the bulk of that work to be done outside of class with careful monitoring during class makes sense to me.

Likewise, if I am a math teacher and math teachers just give homework every night then it seems – no wait a minute – that seems like a total waste of every one’s time.  If the kid knows it there is little reason to practice.  If they do not know it practicing won’t help.  If they can teach themselves how to solve the problems what the heck are we paying you for?

In other words, most of the homework assignments I have observed over the past 40 years have been a total waste of time and energy.  Do not tell me you are teaching kids responsibility.  Especially if you use some kind of punitive system for those who blew-off, forgot or whose canine consumed their homework.  If you are willing to practice such negative effects in the name of teaching responsibility just let me know and I will set up a punitive system for every day you are late to work, stay at lunch too long, leave campus without signing out, fail to turn in lesson plans on time, or forget your assigned duty.  If punishment works to teach responsibility by now all the teachers should be master models of responsibility, and we all know that is not always true.  Holding kids accountable for the completion of homework is rewarding or punishing a clerical task, not a learning task, and that is not what we should be teaching!

Homework does not work.  If it did, that is all we would ever need to do.  Let go of your urge to socialize kids with appropriate responsibility using homework as a tool.  Homework is a terrible tool to teach that skill or knowledge, and there are other tools so much more powerful.  If you are bogged down in grading make a list of the things you have learned about the kids’ knowledge from grading their homework.  You will learn individual attributes, but if the entire class save one can do it, there was no point in assigning it.  And vice-versa, if the entire class cannot do it save one, there was no point in assigning it.

I would posit one more ground rule.  Never assign a kid homework that you ignore, that you cannot do, or that you do not intend to grade.  Any of those no-no’s sends a quick message to kids that you really don’t care and the clerical is more important than real learning.  I believe deeply the same is true for any book a student reads.  If you have one of those ultra-expensive non-effective reading programs where kids read, take a test, get points, ad naseum then you better darn well have read every book they are reading and you better darn well be able to answer the questions on the computer.  If you do that you will quickly learn that some of those books merit classroom discussion, so wouldn’t it be nice if we all read the same book at the same time.  Last time I checked the only people who claim good results with these sorts of programs are hired by the authors and vendors of the programs.  Much like the only “scientists” who deny human influenced climate change are paid by oil companies.  Go figure.

OK.  I want you all to go home and think about this and write a 900 word response by tomorrow, with appropriate heading and use of APA style.

I don’t think the above assignment will help, do you?

How about, consider your homework assignments.  Can you confirm learning using another strategy?  Can you teach using another strategy?  Can you foster accountability using another strategy?  And it may come as a shock to some, but grades can be awarded for things other than paper.

I believe all your answers will be yes.

You get an A!  My work here is done.