Gary

I'm in!!!

__Current HW practices__ Social Studies - HW may include finishing a lesson we did not complete during class time. Students normally have 10 to 15 minutes of class time to begin an assigned lesson. (reading a couple of pages in small groups or together as a class and answering 3 or 4 questions or completing a worksheet about what they have read) HW may also include defining terms which the students will need to be familiar with in order to comprehend information we will be covering during the next class period or completing a map of the area we are covering in a unit of study. I do expect students to spend a few minutes a night reviewing info in their packets. I do not expect the children to have to spend more than 15 to 20 minutes of work in a given night (if they stay on task) and they do not have a written assignment every evening.

Science - HW could include writing about an activity or experiment we completed in class, defining terms for the next day's lesson, or answering questions about what we read in class. Students are also expected to review material nightly.

__HW Changes__

As a result of the info from this course, I greatly reduced the amount of HW which I assign in both my social studies and science classes. I do ask the students to study on a nightly basis, but I seldomly require written work be completed at home. Most written work is completed in class. There are at times, a few students who need to complete work at home if they were unable to finish a class assignment. I have not assigned any projects that need to be completed at home this year.

__Areas of concern__

I am concerned that I will not be able to cover the entire social studies and science curriculums without assigning homework. I feel as though I am already behind where I normally am at this point in the year, especially in social studies.

What affect will assigning little homework have on the students in the future. The amount of homework assigned often increases at students advance through each grade level. Will they be prepared for what will be expected of them in 7th grade and beyond??

I have discovered, that even though the amount of homework I assign is minimal, there are still a few students who do not complete assignments on a regular basis. What can I do to get these children to do their work?