1. Changing Homework habits Looking at the Big picture By Nnam-Mbi nnammbi@yahoo.co.uk

2. Answer the following questions Number of classes you teach. Number of hours you teach per week. You teach: -Anglophones - Francophones

3. How often do you prepare your lessons? (tick one) -never -almost never -frequently -almost always. What’s your class size like? (tick one) -too large -just average -small

4. How often do you give assignments? (tick one) -at the end of every lesson -at the end of every week -within every lesson -never

5. How seriously do you consider your assignments? Tick one -as part of test of sequence/terminal examination -as bonus to hardworking students -as punishment to noisy/stubborn students -as a way of verifying understanding

6. Assignments are done: -on pieces of papers -in workbooks -in learners’ exercise books Homework is done: ( tick one) -individually -in pairs -in little organized groups

7. How satisfied are you with your students’ scores at homework? -very satisfied -just satisfied -unsatisfied

8. Views of some Teachers on Students’ Attitude to Homework Learners are generally bored Learners reject homework Learners ignore or simply forget all their homework Learners are frustrated when homework is mentioned Why the above?

9. A Focus on daily class routine to enhance learners’ interest in work Answer these in 3 minutes: Write down three strategies that you use to encourage learners to do their homework Are there any psychological reasons why learners do not do their homework?

10. Other teachers’ views on the importance of homework A) 72% view homework as vital as other class activities B) 64% assign homework on daily basis C) 39% correct homework at the start of each lesson D) 40% do not have any systematic manner of assigning the amount of homework E) 36% assign at least one exercise for homework per lesson

11. Answer the following questions WHAT do you give as homework? HOW much homework do you give? WHEN do you give homework? WHY do you assign homework? Try the following with your students

12. Never condition your students to leave the classroom immediately after a homework exercise has been assigned. Try giving homework within the lesson so learners have good time to take note, take notes, and ask questions concerning the homework.

13. Do Our Students Understand the Homework? Learners must understand the task they have to do at home. This keeps them focused, it spurs them, it gives them a spirit of achieving something great (challenging, but doable). When instructions are clear homework is done. It is like learning to operate a new devise (a sewing machine, driving a car, etc)

14. On Homework Correction Always correct all homework you give. Like not praying, a terrible thing happens when homework is not corrected. (get an example). If you are caught up with some urgent/pressing activity ( which should not be always), tell learners why you can’t do the correction, and when you will do it. This instills confidence, love and respect.

15. Where and how do we correct homework? It is good to do all correction in the classroom, do not ask students to ask their parents at home to do it, or to take the correction from a sister class of the same level. Remember you are paid and hence you owe the learner this exercise. Make all students active participants in the correction of homework. When the exercise is teacher centred, it becomes boring and monotonous, and many learners fail to get the correction.

16. Be flexible, make learners know it is a learning process, do not over shower praises on learners who give good responses because this might make weak students shy away from participating for fear of having their answers laughed at.

17. When to Correct Homework Make it a habit to correct homework in the middle of lessons. When correction is done at the start of lessons, most mischievous students will always arrive late for lessons, and when at the end, many would slip out of class before lesson ends. Use your professional diplomacy to slate corrections at ‘good times’.

18. What volume of work is good for homework? Learners’ class habits greatly depend on that of the teacher. When students know you never give homework, they will be conditioned to that situation, when they know you always do, they will always ask for it. Never leave learners without some task, nor matter how little this might be.

19. Do not overload students with homework, they have other subjects to do. Give students a choice!!. Plan more than one type of work (all centred on the same topic taught) and let them choose. Sometimes give out different types to different groups/rolls. Tell them they will be teaching their mates during the next class. (You’ll be surprised at how much research they can carry out and at what good presentations they can make).

20. How strict are you on datelines for homework? Better late than never!!! Do accept late homework sometimes. You know your good students. To encourage lazy and weak students, you can administer a little penalty, e.g subtracting half a mark, or one mark for lateness. When you judge the task was really challenging, encourage them by accepting their late work. Be aware however of learners who use your understanding for weakness and actually punish them.

21. Creative links It is good to link homework correction with an appropriate class activity because it is both a part and an extension of the class. and this gives you an excellent opportunity for remedial work. you can also use this exercise to start or end a unit or to review a specific subject.

22. Homework AS Punishment? NO!!! Never use homework as punishment or as reward. Both punishment and reward can act as palliatives. Many teachers give homework when learners are behaving badly ( refusing to participate in lessons, noisy, etc) Many dish out marks to learners who do their homework.

23. The disadvantage here is that a group of students will see homework as good, and another as bad, but both groups will not consider it important or as a challenging activity that helps in their learning process.

24. Have a Change of Attitude. View home work/assignments as part of your classroom routine and as a systematic activity. This will make students make it a habit and they will enjoy doing their assignments. Remember that learners love homework, they do not feel pressured, they love challenges, especially when the tasks are doable.

25. It is easy to know why learners have not done their homework when they feel loved and valued by their teacher, they’ll tell you the truth. Most of the time they will endeavour to do their work. Believe that the students’ interest in homework will depend on the teacher’s credit to it and on his/her effort in planning, presenting, and working with it. Students’ habits reflect the teachers’ attitude.

26. Inspiration Culled from Liliana Tavares’ “Changing Homework Habits” First Published in English Teaching FORUM Jan. 1998 and republished in Oct. 2003.

27. The End Thank you and remain blessed, NNam-Mbi.