Used correctly, it’s the springboard to with students doing most of the work before they even sit down. It’s also the first ten minutes of your lesson already planned.
Find something on YouTube that is relevant to your topic, vocabulary set or grammar point. For some great videos, check out Jamie Keddie’s lesson stream .
Mr. Bean is great for lower levels; Monty Python are funny for higher ones.
Make sure you talk to students about what they watched. Did they enjoy it? Did they hate it? Generate discussion on and from the video you all watched.
However, the greatest academic and business minds regularly set aside time to think and plan what they are going to say or do. Here are a couple of thinking questions you could give as homework.
‘Think about the best things about your country. Explain them to yourself in English. You’ll tell the class about it tomorrow.’
‘Think about the most important person in your life and why they are/were important. Describe them to yourself in English. You’ll tell your partner about it tomorrow.’
‘Think about your ambitions. Explain what you hope to do in the future to yourself in English. You’ll tell the class about them tomorrow.’
In the digital age this could be a picture or a a film as well as something real. Students bring in an item and then tell the rest of the class about it. Make sure you get other students to ask questions and, if you have a very , split the learners into groups so you can get through the presentations quicker.
If students can’t talk to each other then they might be able to find someone online using or on a virtual world like .
Lots of students only want to practice with native speakers or those who speak English fluently. Don’t let them think speaking to each other won’t help them improve. There are hundreds of great discussion questions from ITESLJ http://iteslj.org/questions/
As always, make sure you ask them questions about what they talked about in the next session.
. Set one as a piece of homework asking students to notice something about the lyrics. This could be a language point or the story.
Grammar songs
Present Simple/continuous
She is leaving Home – The Beatles It’s Raining Men – The Weather Girls Singing in the Rain Past Simple
Summer Loving – Grease Soundtrack / Candle in the Wind – Elton John / Dido – Best Day
Present Perfect
I’ve had the time of my life – B.Medley and J. Warne
Future Tense
I Will Always Love you – Whitney Houston/ My Heart Will go on – Celine Dion
Conditionals
If I was a Rich Girl – Gwen Stefani / If I had a Million Dollars – Bare-naked Ladies
Superlatives – Simply the Best – Tina Turner
Story Songs
A boy named Sue – Jonny Cash (Brilliant story and song that everyone will love…)
One Piece at a Time – Jonny Cash (a man steals a whole car by taking one piece of it at a time from the factory where he works)
She’s Leaving Home – The Beatles
Bare-naked Ladies – Bank Job (lovely story about a heist gone wrong)
Waltzing Matilda – The Pogues
I got students , among other things, their dream house, their dream car, an invention they would like to create, the perfect school, the perfect jail or the perfect hotel.
A word of warning though, confident students who are creative will love these tasks but other students might bitterly hate them.
of something that they will show to the rest of the class in the next lesson. You could get them to email this to you or print it out, or just show it on their phone. It could be something they love, hate, need, an important possession, a person…anything… as long as they can talk about it with the rest of the class.
Again, the assessment for this activity lies in the students taking time to think about what they are going to say. Make sure students ask questions about the pictures.
For homework, ask students to find a good anecdote in their language which they can then recount to the rest of the class in English. There are some great anecdotes at , but if you have your own they will be much better.
Comics are great homework reading - click for a big list
There are also some good ‘choose your own adventure’ kind of stories at ‘ ’.
Really… Ask your students to play them and then tell you what they enjoyed or didn’t enjoy about them. These could be games they already have at home or something online.
Vocab and grammar games like are great for improving spelling and the mechanics of language, but there isn’t anything to talk about.
Adventure games ( )– are a great way of getting students to engage with something and they will have something to discuss in class about what they saw. A classic is .
If you enjoyed this article, please help spread it by clicking one of those sharing buttons below. And if you are interested in more, you should follow our Facebook page where we share more about creative, non-boring ways to teach English.Policy generator.
We’re all aware of how students dread homework. They don’t like the idea of doing schoolwork at home after spending a whole day in school. We know how that feels. We’ve all been there during our elementary , high school , and college years. Although laziness is among the reasons, there are credible justifications for why students hate homework. That’s why some schools have imposed policies to regulate homework. Too much homework can be counterproductive. So as a school admin, if you see that your teachers are overworking students with homework, make your move to control it. You can start by downloading our Homework Policy Examples !
1. homework policy template.
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A school homework policy is a set of guidelines on how often teachers should give homework or what type of homework they should give. Its main function is to protect students from being overworked and ensure that their homework is beneficial to their learning .
Homework policies are an important aspect of classroom management . It’s crucial not to drown students with school work. They need time to breathe from doing study activities . Other than that, some teachers might be giving homework that contributes nothing to their studies. Homeworks that are irrelevant only serves to waste the students’ time and energy. But with a homework policy elementary school, high school, or college, that won’t happen.
At the start of this blog, we’ve been shedding a bad light on homework inadvertently. Giving a home assignment to a student has some benefits. After all, homework wouldn’t exist in the first place if it doesn’t have a real purpose.
One purpose of homework is to push students to immerse themselves more with their studies. That helps them to absorb what they’ve learned during classes more effectively. It keeps their learning process consistent outside of the classroom . And also, homework teaches students to be responsible and professional, especially when it comes to meeting deadlines.
Another function of homework is that it can be a way for parents to be more involved in their children’s education. They can monitor what lessons their kids are studying by seeing what sort of schoolwork they’re doing at home.
Among the first steps you must take to protect students from too much and irrelevant homework is creating a homework policy. To get you started, we’ll show you our short 4-step guide below.
In general, conducting a survey is the first step in formulating policies. In this case, you need to survey the students regarding their homework duties. Your survey form must ask the right questions, such as how homework affects them mentally and how useful it is in the lesson plan . Find out how functional the students’ homework is to see its pros and cons.
Imposing a homework policy is a drastic change in your school’s teaching process. That said, you should communicate about it with your faculty staff . Based on the findings of your survey, let your teachers know what specific regulations you’ll impose in terms of giving homework. You may also ask if they have suggestions or objections about your proposed policy . If there are, you can make some adjustments if you see them fit.
After you make adjustments and finalize everything, write the homework regulations in a document or memo . Make sure to explain each of them in detail. Justify how each regulation is helpful for the students’ learning and well being. For instance, if one regulation is a No Homework on Fridays, you can justify it by saying students need the weekends to spend more time with friends and family. And that it gives them a chance to refresh their minds from school pressure.
To make the homework policy an official school policy, integrate it into the teacher and student handbook. In doing so, both faculty and students will be more aware of it. That way, the homework policy will slowly but surely become a norm in your school. The teachers, especially, will follow it strictly.
The 10-minute homework rule, as its name implies, suggests that teachers should only give homework that students can finish in under 10 minutes. However, this rule mostly only applies to first graders.
The type of homework that’s meaningful are those that are in-line with the curriculum and beneficial to the learning process. Meaningful homework complements the lesson plan significantly. And they’re doable depending on the students’ current level of capability. A homework that adds nothing to the students’ progress is merely a to-do task .
According to the Stanford Graduate School of Education , beyond two hours of homework is too much. Having more than two hours of homework to do has three negative effects on students. These are:
Homework is an integral part of your school’s teaching methods. It is an extension of your school’s guidance for the students outside the classroom. But there have to be limitations. So start making a homework policy now. And don’t forget to download our Homework Policy Template.
Text prompt
Draft a school policy on the use of technology in classrooms, outlining acceptable devices and usage guidelines
Create a student conduct policy for a high school, including expectations for behavior, dress code, and disciplinary actions
There's more to consider than just what supplies to buy this year (though we'll help with that too.)
As students prepare to go back to school , finding reliable online homework help services can be a challenge.
Websites touting "homework help," for example, are often obscuring dicey services that simply complete assignments for you (done both by human and robot hands), while self-proclaimed "tutors" peddle possible money-grabbing scams . Educators are becoming increasingly suspicious of any third-party help.
But learners of all ages are still seeking legitimate options — both free and at a cost — for when those lessons just aren't clicking, and online platforms are just a click away.
Known as the biggest name in standardized test prep, the Princeton Review offers 24/7 online tutoring provided by a network of 3,000 vetted tutors. Help can be found for more than 40 subjects , both K-12 and college level.
The service isn't cheap, however. Monthly subscriptions start at $39.99 for one hour per month. Sessions can be purchased in bulk, as well, starting at $349.99 for ten hours. Students can sign up for a free trial on the Princeton Review website to see if it's right for them.
MySuperGeek is a Europe-based homework help company that offers personal tutoring across subjects like math, economics, statistics, accounting, chemistry, and even law and society. Learners create an account, get matched with a live tutor, and then work through assignments in real time.
MySuperGeek is a paid service, but not subscription-based, with customers paying for homework help per tutor and per session. Rates start at around $10 per hour.
The highly popular nonprofit Khan Academy was established in 2006, based on an online educational video series that has since ballooned in scale. It now offers an expansive set of free practice exercises, hundreds of instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard for learners of all ages. Khan Academy launched its own AI learning assistant , powered by OpenAI's GPT-4, that's been recommended by the likes of Bill Gates and parent review organization Common Sense Media.
Like Khan Academy, other free online education hubs like YouTube phenomenon Crash Course can offer learning aids and subject-focused videos that can be helpful for general topics.
Chegg is an oft-talked about (and controversial) textbook and academic support service, which offers subscription-based tutoring across subjects. Chegg homework help doesn't connect users to live tutors, instead learners upload their homework questions and are then served with "expert-backed" explanations and textbook examples. Users can also access a library of similar questions and answers, as well as a recently added AI study helper, too.
But the multi-million dollar company has recently come under fire for enabling a widespread wave of cheating during a global shift to online learning during the pandemic lockdown. Many educators now consider Chegg assistance a case of academic dishonesty, so review your class's policies closely before using.
If Chegg is still calling your name (maybe for non-assignment help): The platform offers several mobile apps, like it's 24/7 homework help app, Chegg Study ; a math-focused assignment helper, Mathway ; and a language learning platform, Busuu . Subscription pricing is based on the number of questions a learner expects to submit each day. The basic Chegg Study plan starts at $14.95 for five questions.
Before subscribing to an online service at a cost, or wading into some academically murky waters, check out what your local library has to offer. Many library systems host in-person and virtual tutoring through online services like Brainfuse and national board-ran sites like Tutor.com (a Princeton Review service).
Some cities even offer educator-led assistance on demand, like New York's Dial-A-Teacher . And don't forget: Your teachers are there for you, too.
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Chase joined Mashable's Social Good team in 2020, covering online stories about digital activism, climate justice, accessibility, and media representation. Her work also touches on how these conversations manifest in politics, popular culture, and fandom. Sometimes she's very funny.
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An example of practice homework is math workbooks. Usually, a teacher will complete the math task in class so students know how to do it, then give them a workbook of 20 - 50 tasks to complete overnight to reinforce the task. The benefit of practice homework is that it can certainly help students commit what they learned in class to memory.
Here's how it works: first, set a timer for 25 minutes. This is going to be your work time. During this 25 minutes, all you can do is work on whatever homework assignment you have in front of you. No email, no text messaging, no phone calls—just homework. When that timer goes off, you get to take a 5 minute break.
The following are common examples of homework. Checking for understanding assignments that a teacher uses to gauge learning needs. Coding assignments. Community service projects. Concept mapping tasks. Cooperative and collaborative tasks. Creative assignments such as brainstorming.
1. Less is More. A 2017 study analyzed the homework assignments of more than 20,000 middle and high school students and found that teachers are often a bad judge of how long homework will take. According to researchers, students spend as much as 85 minutes or as little as 30 minutes on homework that teachers imagined would take students one ...
Optimal time per night spent on homework varies with grade level. For, primary, upper elementary, middle school, and high school grades, the optimal time is about 20, 40, 60, and 90 minutes, respectively. Homework is given often. Reports indicate that students may get as many 400 assignments per year in grades 7-10.
Create a board game. Complete a quiz - you could also ask students to write the quiz in groups and then swap and complete for homework. Write a lesson plan for teaching the topic to a younger class. Teach the teacher - create a poster, Complete a series of exercises. Complete a family tree, real or imaginary.
Sample School Homework Policy . Homework is defined as the time students spend outside the classroom in assigned learning activities. Anywhere Schools believes the purpose of homework should be to practice, reinforce, or apply acquired skills and knowledge. We also believe as research supports that moderate assignments completed and done well ...
Common preparatory homework examples include learning vocabulary or reading a textbook chapter before the content is to be discussed the next day. A few tips for children doing preparatory homework: ... Some children focus best right after school, while others are most alert after dinner and activities. Figure out the best time of day for ...
Step Three. Third, some students may be quite unhappy when being mandated to do specific work. Therefore, teachers should stress the choices a student gets when completing their homework and that students get to complete the work that best reflects their own sense of self. Step Four. Finally, the teacher should praise students individually, as ...
Go on a treasure hunt. As a fun homework task that will get your students out and about, ask them to go on a treasure or scavenger hunt, finding certain things that are related to your topic. For younger children, this could be as simple as collecting leaves, flowers, or twigs they might find in their local park, or particular shapes or colours ...
June 22, 2012. One thing that teaches the lessons of accountability, responsibility, diligence and an appreciation for knowledge is homework. Every student has to do it, and for most kids, it is a necessity in order to do well in school. But its usefulness and whether it's taken seriously are always topics of conversation among students.
The challenge: Managing time and staying organized. Some kids struggle with keeping track of time and making a plan for getting all of their work done. That's especially true of kids who have trouble with executive function. Try creating a homework schedule and set a specific time and place for your child to get homework done.
Examples of Homework. These examples cover a wide range of subjects and complexity levels, reflecting the variety of homework assignments students might encounter throughout their educational journey. Elementary School Homework. Spelling lists to memorize for a test; Math worksheets for practicing basic arithmetic operations
The National PTA and the National Education Association support the " 10-minute homework guideline "—a nightly 10 minutes of homework per grade level. But many teachers and parents are quick to point out that what matters is the quality of the homework assigned and how well it meets students' needs, not the amount of time spent on it.
Too much homework may diminish its effectiveness. While research on the optimum amount of time students should spend on homework is limited, there are indications that for high school students, 1½ to 2½ hours per night is optimum. Middle school students appear to benefit from smaller amounts (less than 1 hour per night).
sample size of 862 students in elementary through postsecondary school. Across these studies, homework assignments yielded an effect size of d=0.229. While the authors did not find statistically significant differences in grade-level effects, they nevertheless concluded that "homeworkworks well in upper grade
Primary school. Shadwell Primary School in Leeds has a homework policy that covers: When pupils take books home for reading. How long they should spend reading at home. English and maths homework. Spelling and times tables expectations. Additional half-termly homework tasks, such as a learning log and key instant recall facts.
Homework has its pros and cons, especially for college students. It can enhance critical thinking, time management, and learning, but it also brings stress, impacts mental health, and can become overwhelming. Finding the right balance is key. Focus on quality assignments, maintain flexibility, and make sure your homework complements rather than ...
Homework assignments should be coordinated by the teacher (s) and should be within the limit of expected probability for accomplishment by the student. Homework should help the student to: 1. Learn to work independently and become self-reliant. 2. Think, plan, organize and apply.
A homework contract is an agreement that outlines what you and your child will do to make sure homework gets done on time and well. It can help your child develop good study habits and become a more independent learner. Homework contracts can also outline rewards and consequences for kids when they follow or don't follow their part of the ...
Here are a couple of thinking questions you could give as homework. 'Think about the best things about your country. Explain them to yourself in English. You'll tell the class about it tomorrow.'. 'Think about the most important person in your life and why they are/were important. Describe them to yourself in English.
At the high school level, the purposes of homework include: Practice/Review - to reinforce and/or master basic skills already presented in class. Preparation - to introduce material to be presented in future lessons. Extension - to provide students with opportunities to transfer specific skills or concepts to new situations.
Step 4: Add the Homework Policy to the Student and Teacher Handbook. To make the homework policy an official school policy, integrate it into the teacher and student handbook. In doing so, both faculty and students will be more aware of it. That way, the homework policy will slowly but surely become a norm in your school.
As students prepare to go back to school, finding reliable online homework help services can be a challenge.. Websites touting "homework help," for example, are often obscuring dicey services that ...