Moving Mindsets

In order for instruction to evolve and grow to help foster students in the 21st century, policy and policy makers need to evolve and transform as well.  Many schools believe in ideas like Relevance, Rigor, and Relationships.  While the intent of this theme this might not be that students need more homework, many schools perceive this ideology as meaning just that.  That is the easiest way out to justify rigor.  Rather than focusing on quality, schools focus on quantity.  As a teacher, I only have as much control over my classroom as my district will allow.  If I teach a course that has common curriculum with other teachers it is difficult to make sweeping changes.

 However, we can make incremental progress by making minor steps towards changing the culture of our classrooms.  Allowing students to submit their assignments in a variety of different mediums and formats for credit.  Finding creative ways to reach every student should be the goal of every teacher.  Moving away from the black and white idea regarding homework of do they have it done or right or do they not.  If the students do not have it done, what are we doing to ensure they either acquire the skills from the assignment or find an alternate means to gain it?  If the homework was not so vitally important for all students to do it, then why was it assigned?  This is the mindset that needs to change.  We need to stop being concerned with the status quo and become flexible in ensuring that all students are acquiring knowledge in some way rather than sticking to the tried and true method of assigning homework and grading homework. We need to stop passing over the students that are not doing the work and find a way to meet them where they are at and make sure they gained some knowledge from the assignment.  It may be picking a sampling of the most important pieces of the assignment or focusing on one major aspect that you wanted them to learn but having them show their knowledge in a different way.  Quality over quantity should be the focus.  The real rigor is ensuring every student is working to acquire skills and knowledge.  Rigor is not gained by completing pile after pile of homework that teachers do not analyze and does not display actual knowledge gained.