2020 - No more High School Math Homrwork (for my students)

HS Math classes don't (necessary) need homework....

About 3 years ago I migrated to no outside of class math practice (no homework).  And after some bumps have had success and student's continued to grow.  For me and my students a real positive!  Had presented about it a few times at conferences.....
This post really deserves to be better, but instead I am posting about what happened next.....

A parent contact the Channel 3000 local news about my teaching without assigning homework in HS math courses (Algebra, Geometry, Algebra 2 and Pre-Calculus).   They wanted to do an interview and good PR for the school is always welcomed.

They came down and did a 3 minute segment and article. - here.

But then it really caught fire, had a Smart-brief wtih ASCD about it - here
then, probably received 80 emails about how....

And finally an NEAtoday article - here

Rethinking Homework: Best Practices That Support Diverse Needs, 2nd edition

by Cathy A. Vatterott  - here  

(My Hitchhikers Guide to No Homework - yes 42....)

My goal for this post is to simply connect these for any teacher considering changing.  There are always naysayers, but I run on data and while HW for HS math is good - I skip good for great....

I am always open to discuss -   It can be done and I know my students are better because of it!

The more the students do...

As teachers we all seem to agree that the more the students work the more learning that occurs.  Yet we seem to be prepared to lead them step-by-step through mathematical processes, we make them sit and listen to long periods of lecture, we read solutions to homework - we make them sedentary.

So I have been reflecting, planning and working hard to keep them doing math - utilizing the entire 44 minute class period.  Class time is our time for math, I couple that with smaller homework assignments and a constant barrage of "You have to study math" versus assigning problems to grade or check.  But making the class period a power packed period of doing math has been #1!  So no homework grading, lectures are broken into segments with students doing (trying to get to 6 minutes max of me talking).    The goal is to get most of the doing (which is learning) in the class period, where as an instructor I can guide them.

It means not being too helpful though, struggle is okay when guided - when I ride in on my white donkey (budget cuts) to save a student I am most often doing a disservice.  So I constantly remind myself to "be less helpful."

In the end - students need to work more, I need to guide more, "teach" less and I expect better student outcomes. yself to "be less helpful."

Flipping Algebra 1 and Physics! Where is the time and why only those courses?

So I am reflecting on why I talk so much during my typical math course!  Probably cause I know so much math! Ha!  Really it is based on a combination of teaching how I was taught and believing I have something really important to say!  Too often I tried to talk a student to understanding. Over the years I have lectured less and less.  Now my flipped videos are about 5-7 minutes, I had lectured about 15-20 minutes last year. But the real question, what was I doing the other 12 minutes?

I really cannot answer that question yet.  Flipping makes me think about the concept harder and simplify.  And hopefully flipping will make the learning process deeper.

Because if flipping works like I hope it does, students in my classroom will have better notes taken outside of class in less of their time and the class hour will be filled with problem solving and critical thinking things.   I have to take it slow, I am only moving my Algebra 1 course and Physics course - and those were picked for specific reasons.

My Algebra group is always new students to me.  As the only HS math teacher all other classes (Geometry, Alg 2 and so on) have had me before and are use to my style.  I did not want to have the battle about "who moved my cheese."  (Good book about change)   Starting with a class that has never been taught by me will make it easier, they won't expect the standard lecture routine I did.  (Though I was not really typical, we never graded homework or review questions from homework -- homework was recursive practice, all 'new' things happened in the hour.  Still running the rest of my classes that way.)

My Physics class is upper level - Juniors and Seniors, based on large projects, labs and daily "mini-projects."  Since it is a high level class I am trying to flip them too, because they are good team to discuss how the videos work and get feedback. Typically the group is self-motivated and driven, and this is science which is different than math, so again the students do not have a preconceived notation on what the class "should look like."  

The biggest challenge will be setting up new hour once the videos replace homework.  But the key will be too talk less and have the students do more.  It is time to become a math coach.

Homework, less is more.....

So we have finished the first week of school (ok - Tue thru Fri - but close enough) and the new policy of assigning very little homework and not collecting homework or grading it seems to be working.  I have simply been checking at their desks while they work on warm up problems from the board.  This has allowed me to spend more time tutoring and planning versus shuffling papers (and grading).   Also since I give answers for all problems it allows me to spend less time reviewing homework and more time doing concept teaching and in-class practicing.

I also have adjusted my homework assignments to no more than 8 problems (usually 6) --- even if the problems are "easy."  Coupled with that change I have discussed at length, repeated times that the expectation is for the students to gauge their need for additional practice and make sure to understand the work versus simply completing (or copying).  And so far it is working great, students are practicing extras as needed in their notebooks.  I have engagement on the topics and the rumor "in the hall" is there is less copying...

The funny thing is talking with students one-on-one they tell me they are spending the same time usually on the 6 problems as they did on 20....    I am guessing because they did not focus on any before -- 20 with a lot of work and you had to "get it done."  But 6 allows them to work thru it, the students are not worried about the length and (so far) are buying into the idea of understanding.

I believe this is going to work, homework only counts for about 2% of their grade (on a 70% and up scale) - and projects, tests and quizzes make up the rest.  We start quizzes this coming week to make sure understanding is there and I am anxious to see how the quizzes show (or don't show) mastery/understanding.  At the same time I am interested how the students will react to missing concepts and how they use their time.

This is a cultural change that I am shooting for, I know there will be bums but so far -- without a doubt --- with regards to homework, less is more.