5 steps for efficient homework

5 steps for effective and efficient homework

Whether you are setting homework enthusiastically because you think it’s valuable or begrudgingly because it’s school policy, following a few simple checks will prevent it taking over your life, while remaining effective for pupils..

Consider question

Choose something that is going to be easy to mark. Use exam questions with a mark scheme rather than a free form activity where you’re going to have to sit and think about the marking for a while.

Consider format

Are you wasting time finding the homework in the pupil’s book before you mark? Does leafing through their book get you sucked into correcting other things? Instruct pupils to hand in their books open at the correct page or, even better, do the homework on an independant sheet of paper to make it quicker to mark

Consider schedule

It’s worth looking through your timetable and getting into a routine for when you expect homework in from each class. This avoids a situation where all 5 classes are handing it in on a Tuesday. If you go to Zumba every Thursday night, avoid assigning too much homework that is handed in that day.

Consider sanctions

Having a system for sanctions is helpful for all sorts of non-productivity reasons but consider the timing of your homework to make the sanctions as easy to operate as possible. If you’re going to be giving a lunchtime detention, you might as well have the class before lunch handing their homework in then, rather than the next afternoon.

Consider feedback

Your school is likely to require feedback on marking but that doesn’t mean you’ve got to spend ages writing similar comments over and over again. Set up this automatic system to save you time, while still getting the benefit of feedback to the pupils.