One of the problems with my college students is that they don't do homework. They don't understand homework is designed to help them. They need the practice and the reinforcement. A 2.5 hour class twice a week is just not enough. Last term I promised to drop the lowest test grade for those who did homework. It didn't help. This term I decided to walk around the room and collect homework individually from each student. Those who did not have it had to give an immediate excuse. They did not like that. Last night I walked around again and gave back the assignment and requested it from those who did not hand it in the first night. I left with a full folder.
I don't know if this will last but I hope so. If I can get them to do homework, I can get more of them to pass. This is a pre-calculus class and the students should be doing homework without this much prodding. What should happen and what does happen are not the same. Hopefully they will do assignments, succeed, and learn to do homework in every class, whether it is collected or not. Hopefully they will now understand the value of doing it.
(Picture from Rockaway Beach-nothing to do with story but I thought this was a really pretty bird. I loved the red beak.)
3 comments:
Your experience is the product of at least 12 years of reform that makes it impossible for a student in middle school and high school to earn a failing grade. Homework in many schools only counts for 10% of the final grade, which only reinforces the idea that homework is unimportant. From K-12 (and now in undergrad), students don't learn the "hidden curriculum" of being punctual and keeping deadlines, which is unfortunate because those skills and habits are needed throughout life.
I teach in a middle school where too many kids do not even open the textbook. They do zero homework. The end result is they do not accumulate the scores to even pass the class. The bottom line is teachers are told to pass them with a 65 despite the lack of work. This system is designed to squander money and appease the parents. No student has ever been "held over." It's business as usual at the DOE.
I have community college students who do not read any of the assignments. Some do not buy the books.
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