Teachers' tips for successful homework assignments

With today's fast paced world, parents often complain that they don't have time to help their children with homework. Unfortunately, they too often discover that the assignments appear to be either busy work or work too difficult for their child to accomplish alone. This knowledge is upsetting to the child as well as the parent, making both of them feel that the homework is a waste of time.

Usually the quality of the student's work suffers because they don't see a purpose in the assignment or because the child gets frustrated from the difficulty of the work. No doubt, teachers need to give homework from time to time, but by using the following tips they can help ensure their students' success with the assignments they make.

First of all, teachers should make sure the assignment is necessary. They should be able to explain to both students and parents the importance of the work assigned. Students and parents deserve to know that their time is not being wasted. In addition, teachers need to remember that homework is for practicing what has already been learned in the classroom. If the student has not successfully learned the concept, his practice becomes confusing and damaging. Not only does he not master the concept, but many times he has to unlearn what he has practiced.

After realizing that the student is ready for the homework and that the homework is important practice for the concept she taught, the teacher needs to decide how long the assignment should be. If the student can get ample practice with ten problems, why assign fifty? An important tip to remember is that frequent practice is more important than long practice. If the student does five problems successfully one evening and then again the next night, he will gain confidence and remember the steps for solving the problem more easily than if he worked twice as many problems on one occasion.

Once the teacher is ready to make the assignment, she must be sure the student clearly understands what he is supposed to do. Not only does she tell the class what to do, she needs to write it on the board and have the students record it in an assignment book. In addition, it is always helpful for the teacher to let students get started on the assignment while she is still available to answer questions. If possible, she and the students can work a couple problems on the board together, or she can walk around the classroom to make sure the students are on the right track. This coaching time helps because when the child leaves the classroom, he has something on his paper to serve as a reference for him as well as for anyone who helps him with his homework.

Of course, anytime a teacher can make learning fun, she needs to do so. Whether presenting a concept in the classroom or making a homework assignment, teachers need to realize that people learn better when they are having fun. Although it's not always possible to make homework fun, the teacher can work wonders by building a rapport with her class and making her classroom a fun place to be. If she has taken time to create an inviting classroom that makes students feel comfortable and welcome, she has taken a giant step toward creating an environment where students want to do their best both inside and outside of the classroom.
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by Phylis Cox