Before You Assign Math Homework, Ask These 3 Essential Questions

Let’s face it, assigning homework has always been a hot topic and math teachers will likely never be able to agree on what the best practices are for assigning and grading homework.

I am a firm believer in meaningful math homework – the kind that actually helps students learn and prepare for success.

So, in this blog post, I’m going to dive into how teachers can assign math homework with purpose rather than just checking a box on the to-do list.

Not all homework is created equal, and the whole “homework just for the sake of it” thing? Yeah, I’m not buying it.

There are a few factors that I have found to be important considerations when assigning homework. The class that I am teaching plays a huge role in my homework philosophy.

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When I don’t assign math homework

Typically, my Integrated Math or Pre-Algebra classes do not have homework because, honestly, I just know they aren’t going to complete it. It’s a complete waste of time for them to practice concepts incorrectly.

I want these students to have access to all of their resources when completing their math work. A lot of the time these students need to talk through their thoughts and they aren’t able to do that at home or in study hall.

When is it necessary to assign math homework?

However, for higher-level math classes, homework is definitely necessary. There is a lot more content to get through during the year and having students practice at home can alleviate the rush to complete it only during class time.

Additionally, most students who take Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus, and beyond will be attending school in some form after graduation. If you’ve read my blog before, you know that I’m all about teaching students life skills along with math skills.

Learning to balance school, extracurriculars, and homework helps students learn the skills they need to succeed in college. Since switching careers to higher education, I have noticed that one of the most challenging transitions for first-year students is time management.

They are so used to having school all day every day. However, when they get to college, they are only in class for a few hours a day and need to complete most of their work on their own time.

If high school students have no exposure to math homework, it could be truly detrimental to their success in their post-secondary education.

Before you assign math homework to your class, ask yourself these questions ↓

Why do my students need to complete this homework?

Think about why the homework you are assigning is important. Do your students need extra practice with a concept before you can move on? Do your students need to finish an assignment they started in class?

Math homework should always be something that students are comfortable completing on their own and just need some extra practice to hone their skills.

Like I said before, if your students are completing their homework and everything is wrong, are they really making the best use of their time? The last thing we want to do is have them do it wrong then and then need to reteach it to them all over again.

Homework is also a great opportunity for your students to review for a quiz or test. Learning study skills and time management in high school is essential for students looking to further their education after graduation.

Will I be grading this homework for accuracy or completion?

I will always stand on the soapbox that grading homework for completion is pointless. The reason to grade assignments is to give students feedback.

If math teachers are just checking that they did the homework for “accountability”, the students have no idea how they did and the teacher doesn’t know what each of their students understands.

One alternative that I tried to hold my students accountable was choosing a few problems from the homework to grade for accuracy.

If they completed the work in class, I would pull three random numbers at the end of the period to grade and I would only grade those three questions. I would then add up all of their correct questions from that week of homework and give them a weekly homework grade.

This gave me the chance to see what they understood and held them accountable for at least three problems. This strategy felt like a good compromise between grading homework for completion and not grading homework at all for a class that needed to do work outside of class.

How many problems should I assign?

This answer will always depend on how much work your students were able to complete during class time. If you are able to give students time in class to practice, then undoubtedly, some students will be able leave with no homework and others will have quite a bit.

My golden rule when I assign math homework is quality over quantity. I always ask myself if they can show me they understand in five problems, do I need to assign twenty? Usually, they can show me they understand with five problems and it saves time for everyone.