When I Quit Giving Homework
Response to "Do All Students Need Homework?":
Over the past several years, I have dramatically reduced the amount of homework I assign. I don't even use the word homework. If I ask students to read outside of class, I simply say tonight's reading, or if I ask students to write outside of class, I call it tonight's writing.
Because I rarely ask kids to do homework, most of my outside class work involves an activity like interviewing a parent, watching a brief video on YouTube, looking up information, or performing an activity.
It's interesting to note that since I quit assigning homework, I don't cover substantially less in class. I've discovered that student attitudes about class and their readiness for class have improved. In one particular unit, I used to assign a significant amount of outside reading, writing, and research on a student-selected topic. Now, the only outside activity I ask students to do is to discuss and reflect on
