Module 2

As we move toward the end of another school year and begin some long range planning for next year, I am always looking for ways to improve my instruction.  Currently, I send homework home every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.  The purpose of this schedule is to help parents know when their child will have homework.  It also allows my students the opportunity of homework-free family time on Wednesday evenings and weekends.  Homework consists of a reading assignment and a math assignment.  In addition to these homework assignments, students are to practice spelling words at home and read a book of their choice for at least 20 minutes each night.

After reading an article from Harvard Graduate School of Education, "Are You Down With or Done With Homework?", I began reflecting on my own homework procedure. I decided that I can make some changes that will improve the quality of the homework assignments that I provide for my students.

First of all, I am open to the idea that my students may not always need homework every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.   Alfie Kohn states“Homework isn’t limited to those occasions when it seems appropriate and important. Most teachers and administrators aren’t saying, ‘It may be useful to do this particular project at home,’” he writes. “Rather, the point of departure seems to be, ‘We’ve decided ahead of time that children will have to do something every night (or several times a week). … This commitment to the idea of homework in the abstract is accepted by the overwhelming majority of schools — public and private, elementary and secondary.”

Secondly, I am open to the idea that the format of the homework I assign may need to be adjusted.  While I do hope that parents are checking homework and helping when needed, that may not be the best child/parent interaction for each homework assignment.  According to Liz Goodenough   "... homework should be about taking something home, spending a few curious and interesting moments in which children might engage with parents, and then getting that project back to school — an organizational triumph".

Rather than assigning homework for the sake of giving homework,  I need to be mindful of the purpose of homework when developing it.  "For students in the earliest grades, it should foster positive attitudes, habits, and character traits; permit appropriate parent involvement; and reinforce learning of simple skills introduced in class."  this is according to H. Cooper in an Educational Leadership article, "The Case For and Against Homework".  You can find that article at http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar07/vol64/num06/The-Case-For-and-Against-Homework.aspx.

I will continue to research the topic of homework as I determine what changes I need to make.  I want my students to have the opportunity to complete homework that is meaningful, purposeful, and meets their learning needs.