Call me old school, but I believe that homework is an essential part of the learning process. Homework is a tool to help students understand the concepts being taught. I teach two major works classes at the high school level, and my job in these classes is to assist students in developing the necessary tools to help them succeed at the next level. They need to understand the concepts of the coursework and how to develop proper study habits so they are able to succeed.

I had the discussion with my students about homework in my classroom. I stated to them that I do not give a lot of assigned homework. I talked to them about reviewing the material taught in class each day for 30 minutes at home each evening. By doing this, they can refresh themselves on the concepts and if they have questions they can ask me the next day in class. When I do hand out homework in class, I make sure that it has relevance to the topics we are covering.

After reading the first two chapters, I do have a better understanding of how economic status plays a big role in the classroom. What I don't understand is how our students can come home to a difficult situation and want that lifestyle for themselves. I would hope that these students can understand that with some hard work they can succeed in the classroom and go on to become successful individuals. They do not have to live a lifestyle in which they grew up in.

During our class session, we talked about the five beliefs from chapter one and had some great conversations. The most talked about topic was the balance between social life/emotional development and homework. Everyone agreed that there needs to be a balance between the both of them, and I also agree. I do have to learn somewhat towards the homework side of things because it is my belief that school should be their main priority. If they want to be successful members of a community, they need to be educated so they make decisions that will benefit them.

Another great topic we discussed was how homework teaches responsibility. There were mixed emotions about this topic. Many people agreed that homework does teach responsibility in the fact that students need to complete it, but it's not just homework that teaches our youth responsibility. I believe that our youth will learn responsibility at a deeper level by doing chores, working at a job, and getting involved in their community then by doing homework.