When we received word that our school would be starting 100% virtually to begin the year, I knew I had to begin adjusting my approach to lessons and homework. I had spent a big part of my summer getting organized by creating a pacing guide for myself and even updating my homework process. Now, with Covid and new ways of doing things, I was yet again forced to rethink how I would assign and receive homework during the year.
Last year was my first year at my current school and therefore it was a year of learning the pace and figuring out what worked well from my previous teacher and areas I wanted to improve. One component of my English program that I wanted to rethink was the homework. Previously it was a journal that went home and I would introduce the weekly assignment, model it for the kids, then send it home. I found myself having to also email parents a PDF copy since the physical hardcopy may or may not go missing from a child's backpack to when it gets home. It added more work for me and even though many of my students worked hard on their assignments I felt I could make the activities more meaningful.
So, I started working on a weekly packet that I would print and send home that would have 1 activity for 4 nights. The students would complete the work then send the packet back on the due date. Simple, right? Well, introducing Covid to the scene last year really put a wrench in my plans and here I was having to rethink, once more, how I could incorporate homework that wasn't overwhelming for me or my students...
Homework Menus and why they work
I had seen these being used over on Instagram and Pinterest and they really seemed to be useful in more ways than one.
- It's simple prep on my end - just insert the activities for the month and print.
- It gives students choice over the activities they want to work on each night.
- It allows for flexibility since students have the entire month to complete each activity.
- They are very customizable and can cross subjects easily!
How I plan to use them for English class
Using Homework Menus are a great way to keep kids engaged and practicing key concepts taught during their live class sessions. My homework is more than just busy work and I make sure to cover a variety of skills including ELA, social-emotional, and doing something kind for others. I find that making menus like these allow you to really make each assignment fun and meaningful while touching on key skills students should practice independently at home.
Easily customize your homework activities!
One thing I was really going for in making these is to make it less work for everyone involved. For me, I really enjoy plugging in my activities and being done with it. In my resource I've given you the control on how to customize it for the needs of your class - just type directly into the document and it automatically fills for each month. Change activities as you need to and change up the words and letters for the month. It really is the easiest things you can prep for this year whether you're in-person or teaching virtually.
I hope you find these homework menus to be a useful tool in your teaching this upcoming year! I know the future looks so uncertain, but just know you got this!
