I need some help or clarification. I was asked the following question during an interview last week, how would you have responded?

What is your policy on homework and what role does it play?

The earlier we start teaching children to become self-directed learners, the better.  Homework is the first opportunity we have to do this; so, it should come as no wonder that an interview panel will ask you this question.  The panel is interested in your approach, the importance that you give to the quality/quantity of homework, and the principles you keep in mind when giving pupils homework.

Quality, not quantity, truly matters.  Creating a structured answer will prove to the panel that you have given some thought to this and have established a delineated policy that guides you during teaching.  Homework should show kids how schoolwork applies to everyday life and help them practice skills they have learned.

 A clear and structured answer will sound similar to this example:

 I keep in mind that homework is an aid in building life-long learning skills, such as task commitment, time management, responsibility, initiative, and problem solving.

 I have seen that homework has two major roles.  First, it helps document what students have learned and how able they are in applying new learning to life and subsequent learning.  Second, it helps in planning what the next teaching steps should be. For instance, it indicates whether a particular concept needs review, re-teaching, or has been mastered.

 I try to cultivate diversity, so I give my students’ homework that encourages practice to reinforce skills already learned in class, prepares them to research information, be creative, and solve problems.

When giving homework, I try to be cognizant of factors such as extra-curricular activities and family support.  I take them into account when planning the amount of time students will spend on homework and the help they will receive.  I make sure I give constructive feedback in a timely manner when evaluating their learning skills.

Enjoy your day!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Candace Davies ACCC, CARW, CIC, CPRW, CEIP, CECC

http://resumes-for-teachers.com

Thank you for the excellent response Candace. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Some teachers assign homework for students to practice skills.  Other times times homework assignments can be used a tool to get parents more involved or in touch with what their child is doing in the classroom.  Yet other times, teachers will say that they assign homework to teach responsibility. Teachers need to be careful that the what they are assigning is meaningful work that will contribute to a student's understanding/knowledge of the subject.  Homework for the sake of homework is rather meaningless and students recognize this.