I have taught a range of grades and
ages. There are some thing that have
worked well across the range, and some that do not translate up or down very
well. One of the few things that I have
carried with me in my teaching journey is a Monthly Homework Club. Like any other system you integrate into your
classrooms it has its ups and downs. It
is all related directly to how you run it and how you tailor it to each year’s
new batch of students.
The basics of my homework club include
·
A number system
that is simple to use, understand and utilize
·
Anchor poster
·
A monthly menu
that tells the students how they will celebrate being successful
·
A homework hand
in system that supports personal responsibility
·
A Personal
Contract
·
A Reward System
In my class I have a board that I created to hold my monthly
homework club. It includes the anchor
chart, the monthly menu and my numbering system. Each student has a number with velcro on the
back. If homework is handed in on time
then they keep it on the cookie sheet, if not they put it at the bottom of the
number assignment envelope and they are out of that months homework club.
Practice work is available on the desk and in the folder that will help them
work on whatever skills we are working on in class right now. Often this is
where I put problem solving practice sheets or reviews of addition,
subtraction, multiplication, and division problems. These are basic skills all
students need to master. This work being made available as bell ringers, study
hall work, or Homework Morning work underscores the idea that homework club is
not just about doing homework to get a reward, but that the club is about our
students challenging themselves to grow as learners.
My homework handing in system involves me not accepting homework
from a student. I have heard one too
many “But I gave it to you last class,” to think that having one large hand in
pile is an effective way to store work that needs to be marked. I teach two Grade 7 classes so each class
gets a colored zipper envelope labeled with each class’s number that hangs
beneath my white board. They hand the
work into the labelled envelope and initial and date beside their name on the check
list on the back of the envelope. The
check list would have an assignment name and due date on it so they can find it
easily and if their work should go missing there would be a record of it. I
still do daily homework checks to make sure that students are not just signing
and dating beside their names.
I use this homework club to not only track homework but also to
motivate students to complete and hand in homework on time. As part of the
homework club I always attach two dates to homework – the date the homework is
due as a class, and then the date that I want the homework back if there are
corrections or edits that need to be done, which is of course handed out
individually. I always give students a chance to get a better grade and
complete things to the best of their ability. I never want to leave a student with the
impression that mediocre is okay. Later
in life that will translate to a “c’s get degrees attitude.” I want to teach
them to expect exceptional things themselves if they are willing to set goals
and work towards them. We all get to choose between what is easy and what is
right.
I also like to offer a day a week called “Homework Morning” when
the students can come 30 to 40 minutes before school and ask me any questions
they need to about the homework due that week.
We understand as educators that our students won’t get it all, and that
their parents may not be able to help.
This extra 30 or 40 minutes can be grade changing for some
students. They go home, do what they can
and know that there is no pressure to finish what they do not know before
asking questions. Some of my better
students have come early to help their peers, and this tells me that I am on
the right track. Support and
encouragement from peers is important the successful running of the club. This
is also important because we know that a student’s zone of proximal development
expands during group work. Sometimes a
student can explain something differently than I would think to and that is
what creates a breakthrough in learning for a peer. I let all the students know ahead of time
that anyone not working effectively will be asked to leave homework morning
because it is important that we create a community that supports each other’s
efforts to succeed.
This morning time is also
important for those students who need time to get organized or struggle with
time management. Messy binders, sloppy
notes, pages that need to be recopied before being handed in can be tackled, or
a little extra studying time before a quiz for the busy kids can lower the
level of anxiety of those students who do not cope well with many tasks. I make clear at the beginning of the year
that I am here to help them in any way I can. Homework Club is not for a
teacher who is not dedicated to being available. It may be an open door time
during a prep, a lunch hour, or a half hour after school – whatever works best
for you will work best for them.
With this club
comes a lot of in class teaching that focuses on intrinsic versus extrinsic
motivation – doing well in order to feel good about ourselves rather than
simply for a reward. Being part of the homework club means encouraging each
other to do our best and understanding that homework is not a competition. Faster does not mean better. Getting things
in on time and done correctly is important and that means asking for help when
we need it. We need to know when we need help, when we have come to a concept
that we do not get, an idea we cannot compute, or a task that we don’t
understand. It happens to us all!
Homework Club is a community. A community cannot exist without a group of
people working together towards a common goal.
I have each student sign a contract at the beginning of the year that holds
each one of them responsible for their role as a support and encouragement in
the classroom community.
My role as a
teacher in the above mentioned area, in my eyes, is to make sure dates are
communicated clearly, written down, and accessible to parents as well as
students. On my blog I have a tab that
says “In class”. For each group I teach
I have those students update the homework they have due daily and a summary of
what we are learning. It would look like
this
7A-
September 16th 2013
We did a base ten review of place
value. In bible we talked about paradigms and how we see others.
Math
Review Due Tomorrow.
ELA
– work on your Heart Map, it is due Monday September 21
On top of these
reminders I would write them on the board so they can record them in their
agendas. Students who master organizing their time and their work are much
better students.
A few things I have learned the hard way when
trying to implement this program; do not only offer rewards that can be
eaten. We do not want to equate success
and rewarding for hard work with eating – this can lead to problems with eating
habits later in life. Second, be
strict. Do not give an inch when it
comes to the work being handed in on time AND the way you want it handed
in. You are not doing yourself a favor –
if you give an inch they will try to take a mile. In trying to instill self-responsibility into
our students we do not want to undermine our own teaching or look like you are
playing favorites. Third, kids love lights, sounds, and excitement. If you want the kids to care about homework
club – you have to care about homework club. You are the defining element in
whether the homework club is attractive and motivating or just one more thing
you are asking your students to get through.
Hype it up!
To get started with your own homework club download
this freebie or check out the full product.
Erica Hildebrand is currently a grade 7 teachers at Springs Christian Academy in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She has previous experience in Grades 1 through 5. She is also a teacher author on Teachers Pay Teachers and creates purposeful and hands on resources for grade 1 through 8! She has 5 kids - four girls and a boy - and has been happily married for almost 15 years.
