The Universal Homework Model

For years I have searched for a way to make homework meaningful to my students and not a chore for their parents.  I've dreamed of a school year in which the students were excited about doing their homework and parents never shared with me that getting their children to do homework was a struggle.  I've tried assigning different types of homework and using different reward systems, but I have never found one that I thought really worked.  That is, until now.  When I read about the Universal Homework Model I was in love, and immediately knew that I had to give it a try.

Here is how it works.  Choose three tasks that you would like your students to do for homework each night, and assign each of these tasks a star value of one, two, or three stars.  Two star homework would also include the completion of one star homework, and three star homework would include the completion of one and two star homework.  Each night your students would choose how many stars that they would like to earn.  You would set a minimum number that is required for the week.

Then, at the beginning of each day, students would share how many stars they completed the previous night.  Students who chose two or three star homework would be given special recognition.  The total stars that the class earned for the previous night would be added up and recorded on a class homework thermometer.  At the end of the week, if the class met their goal in stars (TBD by the teacher and posted at the top of the thermometer) the class would earn a reward, like playing Mind Soccer. (A wonderful WBT review game that students will beg you to play.)

I have added my own little twist.  I am going create a display on the wall by the thermometer called "Star Homework".  Each student will have a blank hundred chart on the wall with his/her name on it.  At the end of every week I will record on the blank hundreds charts the total number of stars that each student has earned for the week.  When a student has earned 100 stars he/she will automatically move up one level on the Super Improvers Board and will earn a trip to the treasure chest.  The treasure chest is a big deal, because there are only two ways that you can earn it in my room, and this is one of them.  I will show you what the wall looks like when I have it done.

Below is a copy of my homework cover sheet for next year.  I have chosen to use nightly reading and the   Super Speed Math game for one star, math or phonics review pages for two stars, and writing about nightly reading for three stars.  What you choose is up to you.  WBT encourages reading, review games like Super Speed Math and Super Speed Reading, and writing.

Team Ray’s Star Homework

Name_________________________

Students are required to do one star homework each night.  Two and three star homework  is optional.  Students will keep track of the total stars they earn each week.  When 100 stars are earned, students will move up a level on the Super Improver Board, and a prize will be given.

Monday

One star homework:  Read for 15 minutes. Include attached phonic’s story.  Fill out log for credit.       

       Practice Super Speed Math facts. ______________________

                                                                          Parent  Signature

Two star homework:  Complete all one star homework and math or phonics practice page.

Three star homework:  Complete all one and two star homework and write three or more sentences about your nightly reading. To receive credit, writing must be your personal best.

                                                                     Tuesday

One star homework:  Read for 15 minutes. Include attached phonic’s story.  Fill out log for credit.       

       Practice Super Speed Math facts. ______________________

                                                                             Parent  Signature

Two star homework:  Complete all one star homework and math or phonics practice page.

Three star homework:  Complete all one and two star homework and write three or more sentences about your nightly reading. To receive credit, writing must be your personal best.

                                                                            Wednesday

One star homework:  Read for 15 minutes. Include attached phonic’s story.  Fill out log for credit.       

       Practice Super Speed Math facts. ______________________

                                                                            Parent  Signature

Two star homework:  Complete all one star homework and math or phonics practice page.

Three star homework:  Complete all one and two star homework and write three or more sentences about your nightly reading. To receive credit, writing must be your personal best.

                                                                           Thursday

One star homework:  Read for 15 minutes. Include attached phonic’s story.  Fill out log for credit.       

       Practice Super Speed Math facts. ______________________

                                                                          Parent  Signature

Two star homework:  Complete all one star homework and math or phonics practice page.

Three star homework:  Complete all one and two star homework and write three or more sentences about your nightly reading. To receive credit, writing must be your personal best.

My To Do List

                                                              

I am a list maker by nature, so in preparation for next year the first thing I did was to sit down and make a list of everything related to WBT that I will need to or would like to accomplish before my students walk through the door on the first day of school.  I typed it as I wrote it, in no particular order.  Every time I complete something on the list, I will cross it off.  As you are planning for next year, I hope that you will find this list to be helpful to you.

1.  Make Scoreboard

2.  Run off 5 rules and other signs

3.  Create Super Improvers Board

4.  Make Genius Ladder

5.  Create a bulletin board in which the "Brainies" are placed in a tree map

6.  Decide on writing focus skills and their order.  Then create editing sheets based upon these 

     skills for "paper clip" editing and create a small bulletin board to post them as they are taught.

7.  Buy enough red and green pens (for red/green writing) for everyone student to have one of 

     each

8.  Make Wacky Star Fun Button

9.  Make signs for Mind Soccer

10.  Make list of questions for Mind Soccer

11.  Create sample test questions for Prove It

12.  Run off materials for Super Speed Math game

13.  Run off materials for Super Speed Reading game

14.  Create star homework board and thermometer

15.  Make star homework cover sheet and reading log

16.  Make language arts and math pics bulletin board

17.  Run off and laminate all language arts and math pics

18.  Decide on classroom design

19.  Make a list of all the procedures I will use 3 peats for

20.  Decide which procedures I will play "Beat the Clock" with

21.  Study and learn all "Brainy" gestures, as well as any other commonly used gestures

22.  Prepare the rule practice cards

23.  Prepare letter to parents for students to take home when they need to practice a rule

24.  Began putting together 5 step WBT lessons on standards being taught the first couple of 

       weeks of school

25.  Think about my daily schedule

26.  Decide how to plug all of the WBT writing components into my day

27.  Watch the WBT videos on the first hour and first day of school, and then plan my first day

28.  Learn more about all of the "Brain Toys" and decide on good places to use them

29.  Place Super Speed Grammar and Super Speed Rhymes on desktop

30.  Make sign to post with oral writing pattern

I will be busy this summer getting all of these things done, but I still plan on taking some time off to relax and enjoy myself.  To be honest, because I am so excited about WBT, most of this list seems more like fun than work.  

As you were reading through this list, there were probably many things that  you have questions about.  Remember, to find the answers you are looking for right away, you can always go to www.wholebrainteaching.com.  I will also be blogging in-depth about the items on this list throughout the summer and the school year.  I also promise that before the school year begins, I will show you what my finished classroom looks like.

Welcome to WBT in Miss Ray's Second Grade.  This is my first blog, and I am so excited to share with you my Whole Brain Teaching journey.  Whole Brain Teaching is a methodology founded over ten years ago by Chris Biffle, a retired college professor.  To learn more about WBT I would suggest that you go straight to their website www.wholebrainteaching.com.  This is where my journey began almost three months ago.  Right now I am working hard preparing for what will be my first full year as a Whole Brain teacher.  I started this blog to share with you my successes and challenges in implementing WBT.  I will be chronicling my first full year as a WBT teacher, beginning with the preparations that I am making this summer.  Since I am a very detailed oriented person, the specifics of how a program is put together are very important to me; therefore, this blog will be full of the nuts and bolts of how I am building my WBT classroom from the ground floor up.  My hope is that you too will be inspired to implement WBT in your classroom.