Top 10 Teacher Tips for Getting Tip-Top Homework Grades

Top 10 Teacher Tips for Getting Tip-Top Homework Grades
by David Hirnings

Homework. The word alone elicits groans from kids of all ages. It's often accompanied by the thud of an overloaded book bag hitting the floor. A heavy helping of homework is, for many students, a fate worse than death.

But it doesn't have to be that way. There's no magic formula for getting good grades on homework assignments--and believe me, kids have been searching for one since the Stone Age--but there are some basic things that students can do to raise their grades. Here are ten homework tips from a veteran teacher (speaking on condition of anonymity, as these are trade secrets):

1. Study in a Clean and Well-Lighted Place. Doing your homework while lying on your clothes-strewn bed by the light of the TV is probably not the best way to go.

2. Limit Distractions. Listening to your iPod and sending instant messages to 14 different people while you're trying to study isn't the recipe for success. Multitasking is overrated when it comes to getting work done.

3. Organize Your Time. Set aside a certain amount of time for homework every night. If you have nothing due the next day, you can work on long-term projects (see next item) or read a book. It won't kill you, I promise.

4. Keep Track of Assignments. Our source says that the best way to do this is to use a homework planner. This planner should include not only your day-to-day assignments, but also a schedule for longer-term projects. In other words, if you have a research paper due in three weeks, you should write down when you need to have all your books and materials, when your notes should be done, when the first draft should be completed, etc. This prevents those nasty "surprises" when you suddenly have to write a whole paper in one evening.

5. Watch Your Language. Like, it helps to have a dictionary and thesaurus handy, y'know? Dude, they even have these things on the Internet now. (See Encarta's Dictionary and Thesaurus.) What's another word for "brilliant"?

6. Ask, Ask, Ask. Our teacher writes: "It's important for every student to ask the teacher at least one question each week--and asking to go to the bathroom doesn't count. It can be as simple as, 'How am I doing in your class?' If that's too scary, you can take in a paper and have the teacher check over it. This makes a world of difference in making a student-teacher connection."

7. Check Your Work. Everyone makes mistakes, but it's better if you catch them rather than the teacher. Take the time to go over your work. And remember, four eyes are better than two, so get a parent or older sibling to review it as well. (Oops, I just caught a typo there myself.)

8. Procrastination = Bad. This is also mentioned in number 3, but it's worth repeating. Don't wait until the last minute to do your assignment. Rushed work is sloppy work.

9. Reward Yourself. You worked hard, and now it's time for a little Xbox or a bowl of chocolate-peanut butter ice cream. Nothing like motivation to get you focused on your homework. Tell your parents, Hey, I've earned it. Show them your masterpiece and then bask in the praise and admiration.

10. Eat Your Wheaties. As our Anonymous Teacher advises, "Getting enough sleep, eating healthy food, and drinking lots of water can help kids stay focused in their classes, so that their homework assignment will make more sense."

The basics...yet the most unpracticed... right?