Sunday, February 17, 2013

A Shift in the Numbers


Last week 15 students returned some sort of homework assignment.  This week only 12 did.  This week I had another teacher video tape me handing out homework to the students in efforts to be able to write a thick description for my case study.  As a result, she was shocked at the number of students who opted out of reading.  She asked the class "Who reads every night at home?" a lot of hands went up.  She said, "so you'll get sticks for doing what you already do?!"  Another student commented "I know, RIGHT?!" It was quite comical, and it resulted in four students returning to the table to take reading homework.  Sadly, only one of those students actually returned some reading homework.  That seems to be the mood for this week.  It is back to "the usual’s" that are completing their homework.  I have continued to hand out 2 sticks this week, but I haven't seen the results that I did last week.  I'm not sure what to attribute this to.  I have thought of increasing the stick count again... but I'm not sure.  I have had one student try to hand in an unlimited amount of spelling assignments.  I wasn't quite sure what to do about that?  One day she handed in four spelling assignments.  We have always only done three, but I gave her the sticks anyways.  I didn't think much of it.  Then, two days later she turned in another two spelling assignments.  I didn't realize that she had already turned in more than all of the assignment.  Then the next day she tried to give me one more, and I looked back at my documentation and told her she had already turned in more than enough spelling.  I didn't give her any sticks but I told her I would take the assignment.  What are your thought on this?  No other student has tried to max out the homework.  When I asked her why she kept doing spelling assignments even thought she had turned in the three she started to giggle and said "I wanted more sticks!"  That is a good thing!  However, I feel like the reward part of this is lost on many students.  

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