Homework in the GTE Classroom

Homework... yes, that dreaded word. We hate it, the students hate it and the parents hate it too. It is made of two four letter words, so I guess it really should be considered a four letter word. :-)

I have done a couple of things to make this process easier for me this year.

#1 - I assign all homework on Monday. It is not due until Friday. This gives everyone time to get it done around all of the other activities that the students need to do during the week.

#2 - I don't grade math homework. I do check it to make the students are getting the concepts. It is for practice purposes. I pull strategy groups if I have a few struggling with the same concept.

#3- I do grade the spelling as a participation grade. Each spelling activity counts as  25 points for a possible 100 points.

#4- Science/ Social Studies is graded occasionally. It is usually end of lesson practice and we just go over it in class. Projects are sent home well in advance and guidelines and rubrics go with them.

Traditionally, students practice their spelling words in different fashions during the week and take a test on them on Friday. The work is repetitious and usually doesn't have them do anything exciting or interesting with the words. It is mainly just a time filler.

To make it a bit more interesting, I have created a tic-tac-toe choice board for the students to do with their spelling words. The students do one choice each day from Monday through Wednesday. On Thursday nights, they take a practice test.

1. Word Scramble with your words

2. Create Poetry with your words

3. Hangman with 10 of your words

4. Secret Codes with your words

5. Student Choice with teacher approval

6. Word Cube with 3 of your words

7. Etymology of 10 of your words

8. Crossword puzzle with 10 of your words

9. Word Search with all of your words

Homework is one of those things that can get away from you very easily. You spend time having to talk to parents about it more than anything else. You need to have a system that is easy for you to keep up with (grading) and easy for parents to understand.

Homework! Oh, Homework!
I hate you! You stink!
I wish I could wash you away in the sink,
if only a bomb
would explode you to bits.
Homework! Oh, homework!
You're giving me fits.

I'd rather take baths
with a man-eating shark,
or wrestle a lion
alone in the dark,
eat spinach and liver,
pet ten porcupines,
than tackle the homework,
my teacher assigns.

Homework! Oh, homework!
you're last on my list,
I simply can't see
why you even exist,
if you just disappeared
it would tickle me pink.
Homework! Oh, homework!
I hate you! You stink!

 Jack Prelutsky