A math teacher in the Liberty school district has learned lots of homework doesn't necessarily equate student success.

Joel Wazac at South Valley Middle School had been known for giving lots of the dreaded “h-word.”

“He used to give us more homework than anyone else,” said seventh-grader Jacque Stichnot. “Last semester we had to do a ton of stuff. Now we just do a little.”

During first semester, the math teacher noticed while his students' in-class grades were good, their homework grades left much to be desired, usually because they simply didn't finish the many math problems he gave.

In turn, their poor homework grades were bringing their overall average down, Wazac said.

So, like some of his other math colleagues at the middle school, he began to rethink how he incorporated homework with classroom learning.

Parents' and teachers' questioning of traditional homework has cropped up across the country as of late, especially with media focusing on recent books that challenge the usefulness of mounds of homework.

In “The Homework Myth,” for instance, author Alfie Kohn said “… widespread assumptions about the benefits of homework — higher achievement and the promotion of such virtues as self-discipline and responsibility — aren't substantiated by available evidence. … Supporting data are either weak or nonexistent, depending on the specific outcome being investigated and the age of the students. But again, this has rarely prompted serious discussion about the need for homework, nor has it quieted demands that even more be assigned.”

Wazac said he didn't feel he should eliminate homework, but he did feel a different approach might help his students better grasp the subject and also improve grades.

So during the past second semester, the students have been doing fewer problems at home and then meet in small group settings to discuss the homework. They now have math homework about twice a week, which is not graded and is never assigned on weekends. After dissecting their homework in class together, students sometimes have a “homework quiz,” which counts as a homework grade, not a quiz grade.

“Their grades are now reflecting more of what they know, not what they did at home,” Wazac said. “They understand their work better, and they communicate about it. Also, in a group setting, they have accountability. It's working; the number of Ds and Fs is down 10 percent over last semester.”

Wazas said he also revamped homework because he realized how much time students spend on extracurricular activities.

“I feel like if they can do one or two problems, then I know they can do 200,” he said.

Staff writer Natalie Shelton covers Liberty schools. She can be reached at 781-4941 or nshelton@npgco.com.

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