The Five Steps of Homework (Part 1)

   When teachers/parents/caregivers direct students to "do homework," we're actually initiating a complex, 5-step process that can bring the night's homework production to a screeching halt at any point.

   I will admit that I was a terrible high school student. I just could not do my homework.Teachers made it sound simple, and students made it look simple. My parents screamed it simple: DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Somewhere along the line, between high school and college, I figured it out (though I'm still not sure how).

   Now I have three kids of my own, and 67% of them struggle with doing their homework. I have students, and the number one reason for failure in my classes is homework neglect. I talk with other teachers, and they concur. Kids fail because they don't do their homework.

   What is the big deal? Are kids stupid? Lazy? Distracted by the treasures of the digital age?
I refuse to believe any of the above about my own progeny. First of all, how would they have inherited stupid? (Please don't really answer that. Although, if that is what it takes to break the comment barrier...) Okay, so I know where lazy could have come from, and the panoply of digital devices is quite a contender. However, I think it comes down to the complexity of the five step process required to complete a homework assignment for credit.

Step 1: Know the assignment

   If students don't know and understand the homework assignment, they cannot do it. I know that some of us practice backwards design, and we want our kids trying to work it out before class. I'm not talking about understanding how to do the assignment; I'm referring to what the teacher expects to collect as the homework assignment itself.

   When we adopted our dog, we also received this pamphlet of great tips to help us as first-time dog owners. The most profound advice reminded owners that dogs are not evil or malicious. If the dog is not doing what we want (or is doing something we don't want), confusion is the culprit. I think it said something along the lines of "There is no such thing as a BAD dog, only a CONFUSED dog." My most-used advice for teaching is "There is no such thing as a BAD student, only a CONFUSED student."

   Teachers work with humans, and humans don't usually exert the time and energy necessary for malicious intent. When one of my beautiful babies becomes a handful, I ask myself, "How is this child confused? What can I do to clarify." I am as human as the next...human, and I have bad days and lose my patience sometimes too. This mantra often helps me to depersonalize the situation before I become unreasonable, and it focuses my thoughts on what I can control: my choices and my actions.

   Below is a list of things teachers, parents, and students can do to facilitate this first step of the homework process.

Teachers:

• Have a set location in your room where students can see what is due and what is coming up
• Have regular assignments when possible
• Communicate the homework assignment clearly and specifically (and in writing whenever humanly possible)
• Answer questions about the assignment in class
• "Post" the assignment somewhere where students can see it outside of the classroom (your district communication portal, your personal website, etc.)
• Review assignments together in class to reward students who did it and to bring meaning to the assignment
• Be very strict about due dates (if you take work at the end of the term, you are training your students to wait until the end of the term to do their work)
• Expect students to do the homework
• Be very conscious of the purpose of the homework and explain the purpose fully to students (no busy work)
• Randomly ask students to reiterate the details of the assignment throughout the class period (and especially at the end of the period before parting)
• Establish a reward system for those who manage all five steps (if an A were enough of a reward, all of our students would be doing all of their homework)
• Teach these five steps explicitly in class
• Know who does and doesn't have their work
• Establish "no opt out" policies that prevent students from getting out of work by "taking a zero"
• Converse respectfully with students who struggle (Which part/s of the process is causing the issue/s? How can you work together to tackle those issues?)
• Contact support team (campus resources, student caregivers, etc.)

Parents:

• Know where to find and how to use the teacher's communication tools (websites, grade portals, etc.)
• Use those communication tools often
• Keep a written schedule of recurring assignments
• Ask your children about their homework every day
• Talk with your children about the homework process
• Determine obstacles
• Create strategies to overcome those obstacles
• Communicate your concerns with your child's teacher
• Do not be afraid to offer negative consequences for poor academic performance
• Be consistent
• Have a place established for school work (make sure it is pleasing to your children and that they have easy access to everything they need)
• Praise and reward children for knowing what the assignment is and informing you
• Make homework an important and integral part of your family culture
• Value education in both word and action

Students:

• Know the steps of the homework process
• Know where you struggle
• Create strategies to overcome your obstacles
• Recruit assistance from your support team (parents, teachers, siblings, family, successful friends, etc.)
• KNOW your homework assignment
• Write it down
• Photograph it with your phone (with teacher permission)
• Program it into your phone (with teacher permission)
• Ask questions if you don't understand the assignment
• Make sure the homework makes sense to you before you leave the room