The Constant Challenge of Homework for Teachers!

These days getting your students to proactively engage with homework is a real challenge – you’re competing with so many other distractions at home as well as parents ‘love-hate’ relationship with homework. They want the best for their children and understand the need for additional learning, but many parents feel like the homework police! Chasing children for their homework planners with the added fears:

  1. they won’t be able to help with or,
  2. they won’t quite understand what’s being asked of their child due to the way the homework has been recorded.

Teachers are also under pressure to set homework because of school policy or departmental demands, but are all too familiar with the extra work this generates. Is anyone else thinking ‘vicious circle?’

The Problem with Homework

Wearing both my teacher and father of three hats, I see several problems with homework:

  • Homework that seems to have little meaning or usefulness
  • Tasks demanding too much time and effort
  • Tasks that many students don’t complete because they’ve not recorded it thoroughly enough or have minimal instruction and resources provided by their teachers
  • Teachers sending students home with assignments they’re ill-prepared to complete
  • Homework tasks that simply don’t engage or challenge students in a way they’ll value

Enter Flipped Learning

Flipped learning requires students to interact with introductory material prior to coming to class. This can take a range of forms but is often an instructional video created or shared by the teacher. Lessons can now focus on applying the knowledge explored at home, a task that would’ve previously been sent home – this simple time-shift is now transforming classrooms!

The flipped classroom approach is simple; basic instruction and content is delivered to students through an instructional video and the lesson devoted to application, analysis and practice. The teacher can work with individuals to ensure they’ve understood the concepts and content and apply their understanding in the lesson. Once the teacher and students are in the same room, basic content has been introduced and class time is used to engage students in higher-order thinking.

A Digital Homework Solution

Homework4, our online student planner, ensures quality rich recording of homework and transparent communication with parents.  It provides a channel for sharing resources large or small, including video…perfect for flipped homework. You can even set different tasks with separate links to individuals, small groups of students or whole classes.

Take a Free Trial

We’re so convinced that Homework4 will transform homework in your school that we’re offering you a risk free trial at no cost!  Just complete our contact form and we’ll be in touch to discuss your school’s particular needs.