The Buckets by Greg Cravens for February 04, 2013

I teach a college night school class to adults and I go through this every term, but I did find a way that does encourage them to do homework.

Only time will tell…

Good point whoever you are.

No prizes for guessing who said THAT!

LOL xxx

hahahaha that is SO me… I’m so much a procrastinator.

Every time I did an assignment the proper way… read, research, take notes, do a rough draft, check facts and complete…… I got a lousy “C”. .Every time I did the assignment at the last moment (including sometimes getting up at 4 in the morning to write madly away on the day it was due) – I got an “A”. .Thinking about the subject, trying to organize in your mind how to write it up can be just as effective. Though I will admit…. some things do require research and that should be done early.

Sorry! Didn’t know that you all would be that interested!Ok, first, these are adults I’m teaching, so I expect (and tell and reinforce etc) that they are the ones responsible. I came up with a saying I use. You can lead a horse to water – you know the saying. Well, I can make the water cool, I can make the water refreshing. I can make the water clean, I can make the water trough full. It’s my job to make it so you will WANT to drink it, but….you can still not drink it if you don’t. Then, I give weekly chapter quizzes (which count), I give 3 mid term tests (which count), I take attendance and participation (which count). They have a final (1/4 of the grade) and a term project (1/4 of the grade-parts of which are due at different times). The quizzes, tests, attendanace take up the other 50%. I give them all the same assignments. They don’t have to turn the homework in because I don’t count it against their total, but if they do, they get credit to go against the 2nd 50%. So if they miss a class, do bad on a quiz or test, don’t participate well, the homework can replace the grades (I do take off points for late turn-ins). Every 2 weeks of homework assignments they do turn in can raise their grade one notch (B- to a B, etc). So for 10 weeks they can raise it 5 notches. We’re in the 5th week and they’re all turning in homework, some more than others, but they’re all doing it. And the funny thing is, the ones that are getting A’s, really didn’t have to do the homework, but guess what? That’s why they’re getting A’s, and they’re realizing it! And so are the others.

oh, 1 more item. I always go through one of the homework assignments at the beginning of the next class. In detail and I put up my work on the school/class web site. They are welcome to copy along, or do it later, for credit. Not as much as they would get for doing it on time, but they get credit. I am encouraging them to do homework,(and not punishing them if they don’t) and they are responding. And not complaining