Potentially Derailed Before the Start

I thought I had everything figured out, I thought all I needed to do was follow the steps and plans I had laid out for my action research.  Boy was I wrong!  Things change, that is truly the only constant in life.  As I sat in my weekly PLC meeting last week my principal announced that school-wide, we would no longer be sending homework home.  When change comes, you need to adapt and that is just what I did with my research question and the plan for my action research.  I added the component of reward and I am more curious about the outcome of this research question than I was with my original research question.  It is funny how things have a way of working out like that!  Just to remind you, my research question is how does student choice and rewards in homework impact student attitudes towards homework.  Originally, I planned on handing out the same amount of homework, but allowing the students to choose what assignment they wanted to complete.

I find myself much more excited overall with this new tweak on the old question and plans.  I think it will be interesting to see if any student take the homework, but don't finish it.  Also, if that changes once students see others receiving a reward (in the form of a stick to be spent in our stick store).  Many students in my class do not complete their homework.  There are some students that do, but lets be realistic here, there will always be at least one or two students who request homework!

I am excited to have my students complete the homework survey this week.  I plan on having students fill out the homework survey before I discuss our new school-wide no homework policy and our new option if students do complete homework.  I can't wait to see their attitudes on how we used to do homework.  I can't wait to announce that they will not only no longer have to do homework, but will get rewarded if they do!  My students know that I am going to school, but I have not had the full discussion with them about my action research plan and how it involves them.  I feel very overwhelmed, eager and optimistic all at the same time about the start of this!  Thanks for following me on this journey!