Homework

Well, by viewing my blog everyone can see that I haven't been exactly keeping up with my HOMEWORK. :( Ahhh! forgive me, it has been a busy and event filled month!

The issue of homework is extremely tricky when it comes down to deciding how much is enough, whether it is actually helping or hurting the students, and if there is a POINT to the assignment. Personally, i think students should complete homework daily, including Fridays (which is when some teachers usually feel the obligation to give the students a "break"). I am a firm believer in practice makes perfect and also feel that certain subjects require drill, even though many educators would disagree. I remember sitting down at my kitchen table writing my 20 spelling words 5 times each, using each word in a sentence, and copying down definitions. Was this drill and overkill? Possibly, but I was the best speller out of all of my friends! :) I would have to also admit that I was a strange child and actually LIKED this type of homework. The bottom line is that some subjects simply require drill. (Spelling and Math, more specifically multiplication)

The goal of homework should be to help the student reiterate what was taught in class, as well as to build upon what they are going to learn for the week. Some teachers are famous for giving "busy work" which is a waste of time and irrelevant to the student's curriculum. Homework should be utilized as a resource for students that way they can refer back to it whenever they need to. In regards to homework, I also feel that quality is more beneficial to the student than quantity. For example, a teacher may assign a class 25 math problems. Just because there is a tremendous amount of problems does not mean that this is necessarily benefiting the student. The teacher's focus should be on the QUALITY of the problems rather than the quantity.