Homework, marking and feedback used to be the bane of my teaching life. Students did not put as much effort into their homework as I wanted them to, marking and giving written feedback took ages, and students largely ignored it. In this course, I share what I do now. How can we improve homework generally, and how can we make it feed into lessons? Then written feedback - how can we improve its effectiveness, or replace it with whole-class feedback? This chapter should save you time, and help your students learn more.
See the bottom of this page for FAQs.
Course overview
Making the most of this course
Tip 1. Make homework feed into lessons
Tip 2. Eight ideas to improve homework
Tip 3. Two things to check if homework or test scores are a surprise
Tip 4. Be careful how you respond to "silly" mistakes
Tip 5. Turn feedback into detective work
Tip 6. Consider recording verbal feedback
Tip 7. Twelve ideas to improve whole-class feedback
Going forward
Contents
How to make the most of this course
The issue with FOMO
2 mins
24.5 MB
Two questions to consider
548 KB
Two types of tips to look for
3 mins
64.1 MB
The issue with good intentions
1 min
16.1 MB
Two questions to consider
553 KB
Implementation intentions
4 mins
118 MB
Tip 1 - Make homework feed into lessons
Where we are at
27.3 KB
My history with homeworks
2 mins
34.8 MB
A question...
1 min
5.93 MB
Two questions to consider
553 KB
A claim...
2 mins
33.4 MB
Idea 1 - Address homework at the start of the lesson
1 min
23.2 MB
Idea 2 - Use class time to look at homework questions that caused problems
2 mins
50.4 MB
Idea 3 - Use class time to improve a piece of homework
2 mins
44.2 MB
Idea 4 - Use class time to showcase excellence
1 min
29.2 MB
Idea 5 - Consider not giving books back until the review process has happened
2 mins
46.4 MB
Idea 6 - Set the Do Now or Low-Stakes Quiz on homework topics
2 mins
45.2 MB
Idea 7 - Treat online homework just as seriously as you treat written homework
2 mins
43.2 MB
Reflection on all 7 ideas
1 min
25.5 MB
Image of all 7 ideas
34.6 KB
Implementation intention
72.5 KB
Tip 2 - Eight ideas to improve homework
Where we are at
27.6 KB
Introduction
1 min
14.8 MB
Two questions to consider
546 KB
Idea 1 - Rebrand homework as “checking for understanding”
2 mins
49.3 MB
Idea 2 - Have something students can do if they are stuck on their homework
2 mins
55.8 MB
Idea 3 - Ensure all homeworks have questions for topics students learned previously
3 mins
68.4 MB
Idea 4 - Ensure all homeworks have questions that are relevant prior knowledge for the next topic
3 mins
71.8 MB
Idea 5 - Challenge students to create a diagnostic question
2 mins
72.6 MB
Idea 6 - Collect in books open at the homework
1 min
19.7 MB
Idea 7 - Consider having a separate homework book
2 mins
36.4 MB
Idea 8 - Ask students to assign confidence scores to their answers
2 mins
44.4 MB
Reflection on all 8 ideas
1 min
18.2 MB
Image of all 8 ideas
30.5 KB
Implementation intention
72.5 KB
Tip 3 - Two things to check if homework or test scores are a surprise
Where we are at
30.9 KB
Can you relate to this?
1 min
12.9 MB
Two questions to consider
554 KB
Two types of question
1 min
11.4 MB
Surprise 1: Poor performance on topics students have studied recently
2 mins
51.1 MB
Surprise 2: Poor performance on topics students have studied in the past
2 mins
60.8 MB
Implementation intention
75.6 KB
Tip 4 - Be careful how you respond to "silly" mistakes
Where we are at
27.3 KB
A challenge for you
1 min
13.2 MB
Image of the student's work
684 KB
My response
1 min
24.5 MB
"Silly" mistakes in maths
2 mins
39.9 MB
Two questions to consider
548 KB
Why students make these mistakes
3 mins
92.7 MB
Idea 1 - Give students a second opportunity to check their work
2 mins
35.9 MB
Idea 2 - Isolate and practice that final step
3 mins
100 MB
Idea 3 - Teach students to write the final step first
2 mins
66.8 MB
Implementation intention
73.4 KB
Tip 5 - Turn feedback into detective work
Where we are at
27.3 KB
What is the problem?
2 mins
43.2 MB
Two questions to consider
551 KB
Dylan Wiliam's idea
1 min
19.9 MB
The general approach
2 mins
33.8 MB
In the classroom: Topic-specific work
4 mins
149 MB
In the classroom: Topic-specific work wrap-up
1 min
31.5 MB
In the classroom: Mixed-topic work
4 mins
90.7 MB
Implementation intention
72.9 KB
Tip 6 - Consider recording verbal feedback
Where we are at
28 KB
What is the problem?
3 mins
102 MB
Two questions to consider
548 KB
How it works
2 mins
38 MB
8 reasons to try recording verbal feedback
5 mins
161 MB
Implementation intention
72.6 KB
Tip 7 - Twelve ideas to improve whole-class feedback
Where we are at
28 KB
Introduction
2 mins
50.9 MB
Two questions to consider
547 KB
Introduction to the 12 ideas
1 min
13.7 MB
Idea 1 - Have a quick flick through all pieces of work first
1 min
24.9 MB
Idea 2 - Have a more in-depth look at three pieces of work
2 mins
39.8 MB
Idea 3 - Look through students’ work with a purpose
2 mins
46.7 MB
Idea 4 - Have a blank copy of the test or homework with you
2 mins
42.2 MB
Idea 5 - Categorise issues into two columns
3 mins
76.3 MB
Idea 6 - Take pictures of students’ work
1 min
16.4 MB
Idea 7 - Prepare follow-up questions
2 mins
27.8 MB
Idea 8 - Don’t give the work back yet
2 mins
31.4 MB
Idea 9 - Discuss > Model > Follow-up question
2 mins
56.7 MB
Idea 10 - Don’t worry about the students who can do it
3 mins
108 MB
Idea 11 - Consider using review cards
2 mins
49.5 MB
Idea 12 - End with detective work
2 mins
37.5 MB
Review of all 12 ideas
1 min
41.7 MB
Image of all 12 ideas
36.8 KB
Whole-class feedback: In action!
3 mins
119 MB
Implementation intention
74.7 KB
Going forward
Review of what we have covered
2 mins
54.8 MB
Image of what we have covered
28.7 KB
Goodbye!
1 min
14 MB
Links to my other work
My books
246 KB
My podcasts
146 KB
My websites
20.9 KB
FAQs
Is this course suitable for primary school teachers?
I am a secondary school maths teacher by training, and I make no claim whatsoever to have any expertise in the domain of primary teaching. I get a sense the key ideas here might transfer to Year 5 and 6, but I make no guarantees.
Is this course suitable for non-maths teachers?
I think so. I am always reluctant to offer any kind of insight to my non-maths colleagues, but I have been lucky enough to run this workshop for whole school INSET training a number of times, and it seems to go down well. Whilst the specific examples used are mainly from the world of maths, the focus is on the improvement of homework, making and feedback in any classroom.
Is this course suitable for non-UK teachers?
Yes! I have been lucky enough to work with teachers all around the world, and I ensure wherever possible that my courses are not tied to any specific curriculum or specification. I am confident that aside form my weird accent, teachers from other countries will find most of the ideas relevant and transferable.
How long does it take to do the course
You could whizz through all the videos in an hour. But the idea is you watch the video where I present a problem, reflect where you are at, listen to my proposed solution, reflect upon that, and consider what you would need to change to make it work for you.
Therefore, a half-day is probably suitable to do the course.
Even better if you can do a section of the course, try some ideas in your classroom, reflect on what worked and what didn't, and then move on to the next section of the course.
How long can I access the course content for?
As long as this platform exists! That is one of the key advantages of an online course - you can go back over the content again and again.
If, for whatever reason, the platform shuts down or I need to remove content, I will give you as much notice as possible (I will aim for at least 6 months) so you can complete the courses.
Can I pay with an invoice instead of online?
The easiest way to pay is online. The service accepts all major cards as well as PayPal. Paying this way gives you immediate access to the course.
But if you need to pay via invoice, then no problem! Just send an email to mrbartonmaths@gmail.com with details of:
1. The email addresses of the delegates taking the course
2. Your school name and address
3. Who to email to invoice to
Then I will send you an invoice and register your colleagues on the course.
Can I get a VAT receipt?
Of course!
If you have paid online, just login, click on the drop-down menu next to your picture on the top-right of the screen, select Billing and you can print off your VAT receipt(s) there.
If you pay-offline (by emailing me as described above) then I will email you an invoice which will serve as your VAT receipt.
Can I buy one pass and then share it with my colleagues?
I am afraid not. The price of each course is per person.
Each person who pays for the course has their own log-in details, so the platform can keep track of their individual progress. This allows you to log back on using any device and pick up where you left off.
Are there discounts available?
If you want to purchase a bundle of passes for the courses - perhaps you have a large department or you are part of an Academy chain - send me an email telling me what you have in mind, and hopefully we can reach a deal!
