The document discusses arguments for and against teachers giving homework. Key points include: - Supporters argue homework fosters qualities like persistence and responsibility that help learning, and allows students to review material and practice skills. It also informs parents of classroom content. - Critics argue homework can strain families, impede social/creative activities, and cause frustration if students don't understand concepts. It may also be completed by others instead of students. There is also debate around the empirical evidence that homework improves academic performance. - The document outlines a teacher's homework policy including assigning amounts of homework based on grade level multiplied by 10 minutes, requiring signed agendas, and available homework help resources.

1. Why Teachers Should Give Why Teachers Shouldn’t
Homework Give Homework
• Homework fosters the kinds of qualities • Homework is sometimes considered a
that are critical to learning — strain on families because of parent
persistence, diligence, and the ability to work schedules and student
delay gratification participation in extracurricular activities
• Homework teaches students about time • Homework can impede social time and
management. creative activity
• Homework teaches students how to • Teacher have little control over who
establish priorities. actually does the work when homework
• Homework helps teachers determine goes home
how well the lessons are being • the existence of credible empirical
understood by their students. evidence proving that homework
• Homework teaches students how to improves academic performance
problem solve. • Amount of homework can often
• Homework gives students another become daunting on students if
opportunity to review the class material. assignments are given in abundance on
• Homework gives parents a chance to a consistent basis
see what is being learned in school. • Excess homework can often cause
• Homework teaches students that they students to develop distaste for
may have to do things - even when they academic experiences.
don’t want to. • Homework can frustrate students who
• Homework teaches students how to have not yet grasped the concepts being
take responsibility for their part in the learned in class.
educational process. • Not all students have access to the same
• Homework teaches students how to level of support in their home
work independently. environment to seek assistance with
• Homework teaches students the more challenging assignments.
importance of planning, staying
organized and taking action.
Ms. Winfield

2. Each student will be required to keep an agenda that lists daily homework assignments. It will
be the responsibility of the student to have the agenda signed at the end of every week by his/her
parent or guardian.
Homework is expected to be completed prior to entering the classroom on the day it is due.
Please note that a complete homework assignment should be neat and completed in its entirety.
Homework gives students the opportunity to practice skills learned in class and a valid attempt
should always be made at solving each problem. Please keep in mind that even if problems
are completed incorrectly, clarification will always be given in class. Students will be
graded based on effort and neatness.
Here is the formula I use to calculate the amount of homework I give:
Homework = Grade level × 10 minutes
This means that the amount of after-school homework (in minutes) is equivalent to the grade
your child is in times 10. For example, since your child is in seventh grade, they would be
assigned 70 minutes of homework per evening (7th grade × 10 = 70).
Resources students can use for homework help:
• Family members (parents. guardians, siblings, extended family, etc…)
• Other teachers (including me!) during free periods or lunch
• Free homework help at our local library
• After school programs
• Online
o http://www.educational-freeware.com/news/homework-help.aspx
o http://chatterbeeshomework.homestead.com/
o http://freestuff4kids.net/7-free-homework-help-sites/
o http://www.khanacademy.org/
“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember.
I do and I understand.”
- Confucius