How I Make Homework Meaningful for My Students

The Great Homework Debate. You know many of the arguments, both in favor (some evidence suggests it can help build a stronger connection between home and school; it may help build stronger study habits) and against (many studies suggest it doesn’t have any correlation to increased test scores; it can lead to negative feelings about learning; it can create an inequitable situation for students who don’t have ample support at home).

But regardless of the varying opinions about homework, many educators are required to assign it, so here‘s how I make it as meaningful and effective as possible for my students.

Criteria

First, I create homework based on these criteria:

• It must be short and age-appropriate.
• It should promote autonomy.
• It should allow for students to connect to their individual interests.
• It should be designed in a way that encourages a positive home-school connection.

One of the easiest ways I have been able to adjust the kind of homework I assign is to reflect on how I’ll use the homework after it’s completed.

Building Conversation Skills

Every day, I put students into conversation groups to review their homework. I intentionally form the groups with a mix of abilities and personalities. On the board, I post several questions the groups can discuss:

• What strategy did you use to solve the problem?
• Did you try any other strategies? Why were they challenging or less desirable for you?
• If you got different answers, can you find the error?
• What patterns are you noticing in your work?
• What part is the most confusing? How can you create tools to support your learning?
• What connections can you make to our learning in class?

As students are discussing, I circulate around the room to gather data. Early in the year, I listen for students who are open to hearing others’ thought processes and perspectives, and for those who may be fixated on accuracy. Using this information, I highlight misconceptions, engage in growth mindset practices, and celebrate strong conversation skills. As the year progresses, I often observe how conversations primarily focused on who is right evolve into conversations about strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities to grow.

I also take note of the variety of strategies used with any given task. If a student solved a problem in a different or less preferred way, I can use this as an opportunity to have that student share their strategy with their peers. This can build confidence for students, while building authentic conversations surrounding mathematical concepts. Homework conversations can also be used to collect information on common misconceptions. This data can be used to create intervention groups or math talk inquiries for the whole class.

Making Real-World Connections

Many studies have shown that when students can connect their interests to their work, it can be more impactful. This can be done in a variety of ways. One option can be to pose real-life investigative questions. For example, several students in my class were passionate about becoming YouTube stars. Given that we were in a place value unit, I encouraged them to look up how many views their favorite videos had. Then, in class, we compared the number of each video’s views, which opened up further discussion. Through this activity, the students were eager to discuss a topic of interest and were using numbers that were far larger than the lesson’s initial objective.

Another method of developing a home-school connection is to have students collect data from home, such as tracking the number of books read by different family members or noting measurements in family recipes. Rather than being redundant homework from that day’s lesson, the data collected can serve as the hook to start the next day. Students are always more engaged with the information they gathered from their own lives.

Finally, allowing students to have a choice in their homework assignments can significantly increase buy-in. This can include scaffolded problems in which students complete the section they feel best matches their comfort level with the concept, which can be a great indicator of the students’ perception of their abilities and overall understanding of the content. From there, intervention groups can be developed to review concepts perceived as difficult.

Furthermore, students can be given opportunities to showcase their understanding through homework choice boards or the option to research a topic of their choosing as it relates to current concepts.

Making Time for Self-Reflection

It can be difficult to find time to incorporate self-reflection in a meaningful way, especially when quiet, uninterrupted time is rare during the school day. But reflection can be completed as homework. At the beginning, middle, and end of a unit, I provide a list of the skills covered. Students can reflect on their current understanding through an evaluative system (rating 1–5, happy/sad faces, etc.) or by answering a few reflective questions. These can be as simple as “What skills do you feel most comfortable with?” or “What skills do you still need support with and what tools can you use to improve your understanding?”

Not only does this provide students with the opportunity to reflect on their current progress, but also they can see how their understanding is developing throughout the unit. This tool can be used to inform further instruction or as a talking point for parent-teacher conferences.

Assignments can have short check-ins for multiple skills, and students can reflect on the difficulty level through a similar evaluative system. Consistently using this tool builds the habit of self-reflection, provides meaningful information to inform instruction, and can build the home-school connection.

Additionally, students can be tasked with creating a study tool or strategy chart that can help them with more difficult concepts. This can build self-efficacy and deepen their understanding of the topic. Students also love seeing their work posted in the classroom as a tool for others to use.

Another method for encouraging self-reflection through homework is to have students correct their mistakes on an assignment using sticky notes. Students can use resources from the unit to correct their mistakes and name their errors. This allows them to establish goals for further learning and can help caregivers understand which skills need further review.

Homework doesn’t have to feel like an arduous task for students, parents, and teachers. It can be used to develop study habits and social skills, as well as provide data to inform instruction and engage learners.