One of the biggest challenges I have faced as an educator is getting my students to complete work at home, including doing daily homework assignments and projects and actually studying. Why? The reasons vary.
Some of my students have afterschool jobs or take care of younger siblings, their parents don't understand or value the assignments, or no one is available to help them with the work. For some students, their organizational skills are poor or they don't have enough initiative to complete work at home when there are more enticing options. For others, the consequences for not doing their homework are not strong enough.
It is frustrating to me when I assign homework that only some of my students complete. This leaves some students ready to move on while others have not mastered the skills needed to advance. I once had an administrator demand that I reduce the percent value homework was given in my class because too many kids had low overall scores.
I have heard teachers at other schools express the same frustration and even say that their schools have moved away from homework entirely since most students won't complete it. By allowing students to complete all their assignments in class, the school does not offer students the opportunity to take ownership of their learning. All the work is completed under teachers' supervision, and students are not practicing the work while making errors.
With homework posing such a challenge to students and educators, I have often wondered if all homework should be supplementary. That way everyone would receive the most essential instruction, and the students who complete work outside would gain enrichment. However, I don't think this is the answer.
Many students around the country are performing at grade level and complete hours of homework each night while other children are performing years below grade level and complete no work at home. The gap continues to increase. I think it is unrealistic for educators and education leaders to believe that students can do everything they need to during the school day to close the achievement gap. Class time should be used to engage students in new learning, and work that can be done independently should be done independently. The trick is to engage families, identify challenge areas in work completion, and develop programs and systems to meet students' needs.