If we assign homework…

I am torn. On one hand I think that we often assign too much homework. On the other hand, when I do assign it, since I try to be reasonable about it, I expect the students to at least try it. Last night, in addition to 4 problems, I assigned a bit of reading to my students. Today in one class I asked students the question, “What does it mean that two quantities are in direct variation with one another?” In the reading this question was answered in the very first paragraph. The first class had a lively discussion and, although they could not quite answer the question in a general sense they were able to provide examples of quantities in direct variation and we could work our way to the general case. The second class was struck dumb (as in unable to talk, not stupid) when I asked the question. Finally I asked them if anyone had done the reading and no one responded. Since there was less than ten minutes left I reassigned the reading, added some problems from the section and dismissed them.

I was reminded of the movie ”Stand and Deliver” where Jaime Escalante tells the student that if they don’t have a “ticket” (i.e., the homework) they can’t stay in the class. I guess that is essentially what I did. Perhaps next time I will keep them and have them do the work they did not before.

Of course, the other issue this raises for me is the importance the students place on different types of homework. Clearly doing problems is more important than reading. However, if I assign reading I expect it to be of at least equal importance. Ah well… I have another class to teach in an hour.

Some thoughts while my students take a test.

As a teacher I write and give tests on a fairly regular basis. Two things I try to assess are the ability to perform certain skills (I am a math teacher, by the way) and demonstrate understanding of important concepts. The first is rather easy, the second not so much. However, this post is not about testing in general.

As I was writing the test that I am giving today, there was one problem on which I anticipated some confusion so I spent some time writing it carefully. It was not until the second class I gave the test to (out of three) that a student came up and asked about it. The fact that the rest of my students, up to that point, had not asked suggests (but not confirms) that I was successful in making it clear. However, not to the one student it appeared. Yet, as they came up and started to ask for clarification it quickly seemed that it was not just clarification about the problem they wanted, but guidance on how to solve the problem. Once that became apparent to me I told the student I could not help them anymore.

I wonder if that was the right way to handle it.  I do not think the student necessarily saw it as fishing for a way to solve the problem, but I do know that a number of my students have been “trained” to do math by learning formulas for doing problems. If questions deviate from the ‘formulas’ (I use the word formula to describe any process that has become automated for the students.) then they suddenly become nervous and do not know what to do. I suppose that this is partially a reflection on their understanding of the concepts (or lack thereof), but I do not know.

Any thoughts?