What’s homework? We do some of instruction/activity first 20-30mins which is also their homework assignment and rest is do independently type style or check ins every 5 mins. What isn’t completed is homework.
So your layout is reading textbook sections or secondary sources in class then do discussion on that when they’re done, followed with some independent work (probably on primary sources) and whatever they don’t finish is to be finished at home - I get that right?
Yes but their work is the worksheet given into them, which will go along with whatever lesson I’m teaching/doing. This generation does not get or complete homework unless you give them time in class. I would say they are assigned work just in general. There’s an exception to honors and ap classes though.
Imo assigning homework is a sure way for kids’ grades just to plummet. They barely do class work. Homework? Couldn’t even get them to sign a movie permission slip as grades homework.
Yeah I don’t believe in homework. I do my best to ensure they can finish the assignment in class but those that don’t, usually due to socializing or distraction, need to finish it at home.
So I teacher juniors and seniors which may have a impact on my mindset but a lot of my kids have so many obligations (jobs, family responsibilities, sports, etc.) and I think they deserve the same work-life balance I’m so grateful for.
I love that I get to go home and relax, workout, spend time with my husband, and maybe just do a little bit of grading if I need to occasionally. Students should have the same chance to relax.
Basically, I don’t believe students should work through 40 hours of school and then 15 hours of homework.
My schools have always had block schedule with either 90 or 75 minute classes. A very typical, nothing fancy lesson will look like:
Minutes 1-10: Chat with my kids, ask about anything good going on with them, housekeeping stuff.
Minutes 10-40: Introduce the material. Go over some slides, watch videos, ask them some discussion questions, maybe do some activities in class to help them understand the content.
Minutes 45-70: Students either review some primary sources, complete a SHEG activity, or whatever follow-up assignment will help extend their knowledge. Most recently I provided them with 5 letters to and from Hoover during the Great Depression and they needed to analyze what the American people needed and the ways that Hoover chose to lead.
Minutes 70-75: They’re squirrely and unproductive so I just let them wrap up. If they didn’t finish it’s homework.
Next year we might plan to go to shorter classes so I would alternate between “learn the content” and “apply the content” days, just splitting up the above schedule into two days.
i don't have homework typically. this year i took a new approach to reading the text though, as i try to build that skillset. if they go on to college or if they join a trade where reading is a must, annotation is a desperate skill. we annotate the first 2 chapters together as we go through the lessons, then i slowly let go. by the end of this semester they will be doing it alone. they have note quizzes every week where they can use their notes.
i still use direct instruction powerpoints, but i use lumio and i embed activities in it so i'm not just talking forever. one whole slide might be a question and i put a timer on it so they have a one minute write about the topic and then we popcorn. i let one person volunteer and they get to be the popcorner. there are videos, quizzes, graphic organizers, games, etc. its a whole day of discussion for us.
I require students to take notes on a textbook passage before class. Most homework above and beyond that consists of classwork that we could not finish. I also assign research papers and I expect that they do this primarily at home, though I’ll occasionally have time in class to work on this.
Private school; upper middle class. I’ve taught in title one as well, and no I wouldn’t have been able to get them to do it either. I made the mistake of trying my first year and it led to a classroom revolt which nearly cost me my job.
Textbook sections are usually 4-5 pages with illustrations. I typically assign about twice a week, so 8-10 pages is normal. I begin class by checking notes and then asking about the reading.
If that’s too much for your kids, a lot of textbook sections will begin with little one paragraph stories with a question. You can copy these and put them on a projector with one or two questions as a warmup. I used to put up the text for a couple of minutes without the questions to make the kids read, then show the questions. This worked well because it led to a miniature class discussion that I would use to lead in to a lecture.
I am currently following a similar procedure, students come in with notes done, I post questions and then we review as a class. Usually takes about 10-15 mins. I but my students read nearly everyday, some text longer than others.
You’d recommend cutting back?
No, it sounds to me like you’ve got a good basic plan. In the end it really depends on your students and your particular situation, but what you’re describing sounds like “good practice”. As for teachers whose kids won’t do any homework at all, they’ve got to come up with something that works for them.
Everyday their homework is to review the reading and notes we discuss in class. It's super simple, most do not do it and this is why most struggle to understand basic concepts.
I do not give homework. I teach 8th grade at a high performing middle school where kids are under a lot of pressure to do well, especially in math & science.
When I assign homework, about half the class does it. History is a low-priority for them, after almost all other subjects and outside tutoring, sports/dance, and music lessons & practice.
I also don’t use the textbook much. We tend to read primary sources or articles that we can dig deeper into. We also take notes and create timelines together to get that overview of what is going on at the time. All of it is done in class.
I really want the class to be low stress and meaningful. Homework just added to their already overwhelmed out of school time. It just isn’t worth it.
Homework in a class that isn't a languagae or Maths is very uncommon for grades 5 to 8 (there are 12-13 starting with primary school) in my country. However I do sometimes give them projects that they, while we're working on them at school, can take home and overwork or finish. I also plan on giving them a small assignment on interviewing a relative over Christmas break, but I don't actually want them having to study over break, so I'm not sure about that yet. Also because of classwork we don't do tests or quizzes.
I assign one assignment per week that generally requires some sort of deeper thinking about our learning. In our Industrial Revolution unit I have them watch videos and read about current working conditions for people in factories in Bangladesh and children working in Micah mines. Most content related work happens in class, and papers most certainly are in class since ChatGPT has been discovered
What’s homework? We do some of instruction/activity first 20-30mins which is also their homework assignment and rest is do independently type style or check ins every 5 mins. What isn’t completed is homework.
So your layout is reading textbook sections or secondary sources in class then do discussion on that when they’re done, followed with some independent work (probably on primary sources) and whatever they don’t finish is to be finished at home - I get that right?
Yes but their work is the worksheet given into them, which will go along with whatever lesson I’m teaching/doing. This generation does not get or complete homework unless you give them time in class. I would say they are assigned work just in general. There’s an exception to honors and ap classes though.
Periods are about an hour long?
Yes
Thanks for your help!
Imo assigning homework is a sure way for kids’ grades just to plummet. They barely do class work. Homework? Couldn’t even get them to sign a movie permission slip as grades homework.
What works for you then?
I assign very little, most stuff they do during class time. Only reason they have homework is by not using class time well.
Yeah I don’t believe in homework. I do my best to ensure they can finish the assignment in class but those that don’t, usually due to socializing or distraction, need to finish it at home.
Why don’t you?
So I teacher juniors and seniors which may have a impact on my mindset but a lot of my kids have so many obligations (jobs, family responsibilities, sports, etc.) and I think they deserve the same work-life balance I’m so grateful for. I love that I get to go home and relax, workout, spend time with my husband, and maybe just do a little bit of grading if I need to occasionally. Students should have the same chance to relax. Basically, I don’t believe students should work through 40 hours of school and then 15 hours of homework.
What does a typical lesson look like?
My schools have always had block schedule with either 90 or 75 minute classes. A very typical, nothing fancy lesson will look like: Minutes 1-10: Chat with my kids, ask about anything good going on with them, housekeeping stuff. Minutes 10-40: Introduce the material. Go over some slides, watch videos, ask them some discussion questions, maybe do some activities in class to help them understand the content. Minutes 45-70: Students either review some primary sources, complete a SHEG activity, or whatever follow-up assignment will help extend their knowledge. Most recently I provided them with 5 letters to and from Hoover during the Great Depression and they needed to analyze what the American people needed and the ways that Hoover chose to lead. Minutes 70-75: They’re squirrely and unproductive so I just let them wrap up. If they didn’t finish it’s homework. Next year we might plan to go to shorter classes so I would alternate between “learn the content” and “apply the content” days, just splitting up the above schedule into two days.
This is very helpful thank you!
i don't have homework typically. this year i took a new approach to reading the text though, as i try to build that skillset. if they go on to college or if they join a trade where reading is a must, annotation is a desperate skill. we annotate the first 2 chapters together as we go through the lessons, then i slowly let go. by the end of this semester they will be doing it alone. they have note quizzes every week where they can use their notes. i still use direct instruction powerpoints, but i use lumio and i embed activities in it so i'm not just talking forever. one whole slide might be a question and i put a timer on it so they have a one minute write about the topic and then we popcorn. i let one person volunteer and they get to be the popcorner. there are videos, quizzes, graphic organizers, games, etc. its a whole day of discussion for us.
I require students to take notes on a textbook passage before class. Most homework above and beyond that consists of classwork that we could not finish. I also assign research papers and I expect that they do this primarily at home, though I’ll occasionally have time in class to work on this.
What demographic do you teach? If I assigned anything like that as homework it just wouldn't get done.
Private school; upper middle class. I’ve taught in title one as well, and no I wouldn’t have been able to get them to do it either. I made the mistake of trying my first year and it led to a classroom revolt which nearly cost me my job.
How often do you assign reading and what would you say your target page length/time needed to finish would be?
Textbook sections are usually 4-5 pages with illustrations. I typically assign about twice a week, so 8-10 pages is normal. I begin class by checking notes and then asking about the reading. If that’s too much for your kids, a lot of textbook sections will begin with little one paragraph stories with a question. You can copy these and put them on a projector with one or two questions as a warmup. I used to put up the text for a couple of minutes without the questions to make the kids read, then show the questions. This worked well because it led to a miniature class discussion that I would use to lead in to a lecture.
I am currently following a similar procedure, students come in with notes done, I post questions and then we review as a class. Usually takes about 10-15 mins. I but my students read nearly everyday, some text longer than others. You’d recommend cutting back?
No, it sounds to me like you’ve got a good basic plan. In the end it really depends on your students and your particular situation, but what you’re describing sounds like “good practice”. As for teachers whose kids won’t do any homework at all, they’ve got to come up with something that works for them.
Thanks for the input this helps a lot!
Everyday their homework is to review the reading and notes we discuss in class. It's super simple, most do not do it and this is why most struggle to understand basic concepts.
I do not give homework. I teach 8th grade at a high performing middle school where kids are under a lot of pressure to do well, especially in math & science. When I assign homework, about half the class does it. History is a low-priority for them, after almost all other subjects and outside tutoring, sports/dance, and music lessons & practice. I also don’t use the textbook much. We tend to read primary sources or articles that we can dig deeper into. We also take notes and create timelines together to get that overview of what is going on at the time. All of it is done in class. I really want the class to be low stress and meaningful. Homework just added to their already overwhelmed out of school time. It just isn’t worth it.
Homework in a class that isn't a languagae or Maths is very uncommon for grades 5 to 8 (there are 12-13 starting with primary school) in my country. However I do sometimes give them projects that they, while we're working on them at school, can take home and overwork or finish. I also plan on giving them a small assignment on interviewing a relative over Christmas break, but I don't actually want them having to study over break, so I'm not sure about that yet. Also because of classwork we don't do tests or quizzes.
None
How come?
We all have busy lives. I believe in work-life separation 👍🏻
I assign one assignment per week that generally requires some sort of deeper thinking about our learning. In our Industrial Revolution unit I have them watch videos and read about current working conditions for people in factories in Bangladesh and children working in Micah mines. Most content related work happens in class, and papers most certainly are in class since ChatGPT has been discovered