I teach 7th grade math, and I am having a terrible time with homework.

I use the scoreboard and only to play for less homework/same amount. I never assign more than 8 problems an night, and I only give homework about 3 times a week. Still it is an exhausting task each day - we give lunch detentions to students who do not do their homework. Sometimes I have 25-30 kids in lunch detention to turn in the assignments.

I guess I am looking for a way to encourge them - through Whole Brain Teaching to get their homework done, any ideas?

What about a point or points on the scoreboard that can only be earned by the entire class turning in the homework? This might encourage cheating before class, but then again any incentive would...

You could create some kind of special "Homework Star" that you put next to their scoreboard ONLY if everyone has their homework. Make the Homework Star worth 3 points, or 5 points, etc... and you add it to their total at the end of class.
I know it's silly, because it's no different than just putting 5 points up, but my kids work their butts off for Energy Stars so, it's just a quirky thing that gets them.
My class runs a little differently because the students are SO challenging (I have all the intervention students), so the energy star is worth 5 points, but it doesn't mess up the + - 3 rule, because our scoreboard is only positive. There is no 'teacher' side.

For your case, just make your homework star worth 3 points...that way, they can only start the day 3 points ahead (or less, of course).

OR you could make them earn the homework star throughout the week. Each day they earn a line. Each line is worth one point, but only if everyone has their homework. You don't add the points to their scoreboard UNTIL they've completed the star. This might work for kids who easily 'give up' if it's an 'all or nothing' reward.

How does your energy star work? Can it be gained and lost?

Energy Stars cannot be lost. Again, though you can tweak it... my class runs differently than the typical WBT scoreboard. My kids are, to be honest, the 'nightmares' of the whole grade, they bring most of their teachers to tears or insanity. They are good kids, just very immature, angry, and hard to manage. The Student / Teacher scoreboard doesn't work for them--it just makes them angry when the teacher wins points, no matter how 'fun' I try to make it.
We use "Industrial Strength Whole Brain Teaching" which involves a 'no penalty' scoreboard. This is for kids who are immune to penalty...which mine are. ( I would not recommend ever starting with this type of system, but some teachers may find they need to move to this system some years.)

Anyways...energy stars (courtesy of Chris Biffle, of course...):
During any activity in which I need high energy from them, I tell them they have a shot at an "Energy Star". This could be during Teach-Ok!, during Papers!, Seats!, or anything else where I WANT them to be noisy and energetic. As I see students demonstrating the energy I want, I draw a line to begin the star, and then I add the lines throughout the activity as they earn them until they complete the star. If they complete the star, it adds 5 points to their scoreboard. They don't always complete the energy star, and if it doesn't get completed in that activity, then it doesn't count for anything. It has to be a complete star in order to get the points.

I like the idea of adding points based on every person completing the homework...

I think I need to come up with a 3 part "figure/theme" to use, so that when everyone has completed their homework three times they will get three bonus points. . .

Thanks for you help ya'll!

I've been thinking about this quite a bit and here is my best idea thus far. We know that teens respond to peer pressure more than teacher pressure ... and we know from Whole Brain Teaching that it is best to use levels, upping the ante slowly ... so, get an average of the number of students who don't do their homework ... say 30% ... in fact, you could make it a math problem. Then, point out that game time in class is determined by how much work people are doing so that free time is earned ... this is the way it has been in class. And tell them that now you are on a new level, whatever number it is ... then say, "Okay, you know the average of the number of people who don't complete their homework. What should our goal be for tomorrow ... how much do you think is reasonable. If we meet our goal, instead of giving you one point at a time, as I have in the past, I'll give everyone two points. And, here is the deal, tomorrow, I will have a show of hands of people who did not complete their homework and then I will have few people stand up and explain to everyone why they didn't want to help the class out ... " Try something like that ... small reward and peer pressure ... and then, next level, get your leaders involved. The idea you are trying to dramatize is that when a student doesn't do his/her homework it has a negative effect on everyone ... and it does ... it slows the whole class down ... many students don't care about the negative effect on themselves, but will care deeply if not doing homework has a negative effect on everyone else. When you call on, say three kids, you could finish by saying, "Okay, that really took nerve. Now, will you promise your classmates, you don't have to, that you will do your homework tomorrow." Then say, "Is there anyone who didn't do their homework today who will promise everyone that they will do their homework tomorrow and help everyone earn game time?" Then, give a mighty cheer for each person who steps up ... because that is really a huge step up ... doing something for others and not thinking about themselves ...

Yeh Chris I also like your idea. I don't have a huge problem with homework as i usually give it out on a Monday (with mixed language and numeracy activities) to be returned on the Friday. However i have a few stalwarts who hand their work in late, say, the next Monday. That irks me as the bulk of the class try their best to complete on time even if they don't get everything right. Peer pressure can be a powerful driver particularly when it can be used positively:) . Thanks for the great ideas.

best regards,

Eric

Western Australia

ChrisBiffle wrote:


Okay, I introduced this idea to my students yesterday. On my classroom door, I put up signs for each class period and made a chart to track the amount of homework that is being completed. Every class agreed on the amount of people doing the homework that they were going to achieve. Most classes were trying to get from 30% to 50% doing homework. They were really into the idea.... we will see how much homework gets turned in today!! If we can make our 50% mark.. how long should we stay there - bump up the goal at the next homework assignment or stay at 50% for awhile?

I just read this thread and was wondering how your homework has been going. I also teach 7th grade math and have about a 25% homework turn-in rate in my class. Most of the other teachers say the kids are just lazy and that is why they don't do their homework.

I like what Chris said. I often think that many of my students don't seem to care if they pass or fail my class - as evidenced by the lack of doing homework and their poor grades. I don't think the kids are really lazy, just that they have never had any reason to do it in the past so why do it now. After all, even if they fail math, the worst that happens is that they might spend a couple of weeks going to summer school for a couple of hours a few days a week. Then they go on to the next grade anyway.

You and I know that this changes in high school. They figure that they will worry about that when they get to high school. But I hear from some high school teacher friends that there is the same problems at the high school level, especially freshmen. I want to start right away next year with all of the Whole Brain Teaching strategies and I want to start getting them interested in doing homework so that high school will be better for them - and the high school teachers.

And so, how did it work for you?

I need to start the school year off with the strategy Chris suggested... it helped my students who are strongly influenced by peer pressure. I think in 7th grade there are some kids who just aren't going to do their homework. As a math department we are trying to create a plan for these students.

I did not do my homework in 7th grade - unless I copied from someone else, I wish I had put in more effort, and that is what I try to encourage my students to do.

Homework and studying is often dependent upon their home life and/or their level of maturity. I have really been trying to push the idea of "studying" instead of homework. They see homework as a punishment, as opposed to a strategy to make them a better student. I have also started taking homework off of my scoreboard and using other incentives, it is something I am just experimenting with - let me know if you have any ideas!