One of my biggest struggles as a teacher has always been how to go over homework in class without taking up too much time.
Time is always a teacher's biggest enemy, and going over homework is part of the challenge. Some students want to go over every problem, which becomes difficult, especially when the level of math increases. There are other students who don't care about going over the homework (either because they didn't do it or because they aren't interested in seeing if they got the correct answers). This can then lead to off task behavior on some.
I have tried so many different techniques when it comes to going over homework over my many years of teaching, and I thought I would share a few of my favorites. This is not a complete list of ideas, but gives a starting point if you are struggling with time management and grading homework.
1. 5 Minute Time Limit ⏰
Post the answers only up on the board and give students a few minutes (2-3) to check their answers. Then set a timer for 5 minutes and go over homework questions for the 5 minutes. When the timer goes off move onto the next task. If students still have questions you can work with them one-on-one during independent work time.
2. First 3 Questions Written on Board ✏️
Make it a routine for students to write up the problem number they want to go over in class when they walk into the classroom. Have a designated spot on the board for kids to write the problem number. The first 3 problem numbers to be written on the board are the ones you go over, and no others. You may want to limit it to one problem per person at the start so one person isn't asking 3 questions.
3. Post Answers on Your LMS 💻
If work is required, posting answers on your LMS is a GREAT way for students to check their answers outside of class, saving time in the classroom! This doesn't work if there is no work required for problems, so you do have to decide if a particular assignment will work for this or not.
I typically do this with my upper level courses combined with #1 or #2 listed above. this saves even more time!
4. Answer Questions Independently During Work Time ❓
If you know you are really short on time, you can go over the answers at the start of class, but tell kids you will answer individual questions during work time. This is great if kids have time at the end of class to start their homework.
5. Self-Checking Paper or Digital Assignments ✅
There are a ton of self-checking resources that are both paper and digital available to use with your students. This is a great way to give kids immediate feedback! This will save time because you don't need to go over the answers with the class. You can still take a few minutes answering questions if students were stuck on one of the problems.
When my students come into the classroom, one of the first things they do is turn in their homework. They know they have 2 minutes to get the homework turned in (digitally to Canvas) before they start working on their warm up. After their warm up, we go over the answers (unless they were posted on Canvas) and then use one of the methods listed above.
I have found that changing up the way I deal with homework questions has helped as well. Students don't get stuck in the same routine, which helps, especially towards the end of the school year!
I would love to know how you handle grading homework in the classroom. Share what you do in the comments below!
Wow, thanks for pointing me to this post. I'm definitely going to try a couple of these ideas. I'll share w my team as well!
ReplyDeleteI am happy to hear that you found this blog post helpful! I would love to hear how they work for you and your team if you try any.
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