I really enjoyed this month's topic since it is a daily battle for me. I work in the "Instructional Support" room at the High School where students are given the oppportunity to start and even finish their homework during school after a small minilesson is conducted. Even when given the time and support, some students do not complete homework.
I am constantly asking myself why this is. Many times, teachers allow students to sit in class and not do it. There does not always appear to be any consequences for not completing assignments. I liked the idea of parents being contacted but many times, parents really don't care either. As long as their son or daughter gets a D and passes, they are okay with it. Less for them to deal with when they get home is their attitudes. In those cases, it is difficult, but not impossible, to help the student learn the importance of homework/practice.
In other cases, students do not complete homework because they have no concept of the skills needed to complete their homework. Maybe they don't know the content, maybe they don't have a quiet place to complete homework, maybe they are too embarrased to ask for help or maybe a combination of all those things. The point is that teachers need to step up and figure out what is preventing a student from being successful even if that requires more time and effort on the teacher's part.
I am going to share this chapter with my students and see if they can understand WHY they have to complete homework. Maybe we will even fill out several homework squares that are on page 65 to further their understanding of the purpose of homework.
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