YOU SHOULD NEVER SAY YOU HAVE NO HOMEWORK! When this happens take the opportunity to study on the units being covered in math, or take the time to read more. This doesn't have to be for a book report either! An important skill we are practicing is called inferencing where we try to make connections to what we are reading. Some things you could ask yourself are: What does this book remind me of? Have I heard of this kind of thing in real life or in another book? What do I think will happen to the main character? How do I think the main character feels right now? If I started writing the rest of the story from here - (where ever you are in your book) what would happen next? There are lots of things to be thinking about - just grab an idea and go with it! It's a great way to practice your higher thinking ahead skills!
Your homework space should be an area free from distractions, it should be well lit and a space that you can go to on a regular basis to do your work. It should have everything you need - pencils, erasers, pencil crayons or other colouring items, ruler, protractor, glue and scissors. Make sure you feel comfortable in this space and that you won't be hearing too much noise from other people in your family. If you need to - a great way to count down the minutes is with your own timer - and a great way to cut out the noise is with a pair of earphones (but NO music playing please) or earmuffs. Even Mrs. Muto-Pomakis has to do this sometimes when there are distractions from outside that she can't control!
Why NO music? Recently I got a message from someone in the class who listens to music while they do homework. This person said that it helps them to relax - which is truly a great way to un-wind from a busy day at school. But, the reason why I write no music is because of a study I learned about while I was in school. The study showed that having your study space at home mimic (be like) the place where you are taking a test makes it more likely for you to do better on your tests. So, if you study in a quiet space you're more likely to do better on tests - because teachers try to encourage you to be quiet to help you concentrate. I realize that someone could then say - "Well, why don't we have music on when we do tests?" The answer is simple - who gets to choose what we listen to? Some people might say we should hear rock - others might think it's too loud and distracting. Some might say let's listen to classical - still, other students might complain that it makes them sleepy. The truth is that having it quiet is probably easiest - and though it may not be as relaxing - sometimes it's good to feel a little tense, to make sure you stay awake and on your toes, ready for any challenge that comes your way!
More tips to come... stay tuned. If you have any tips, please e-mail them to me for me to post to the whole class right here! [email protected]