The preview is in essence the part of the class in which the teacher prepares the students for the homework assignment for the next day. She should so prepare them that they are able to practice doing what is right rather than to have to sit and puzzle about how to do the assignment. If the teacher does her job poorly, they are certain to be frustrated trying to complete the assigned task and to be unable to perform as she wants during the next class period. Therefore, the shouted assignment after the bell has rung is not only useless, it is detrimental to all but the super-bright and extra-diligent because the others learn incorrect responses that they must then "unlearn" the following day before progress can continue. Even more detrimental are the negative attitudes that result. If the teacher has done her job well during the preview, by the end of the introduction the students should understand the concepts being presented, and they should be motivated to do the homework.
The appropriate time to make the assignment is at the end of the preview. Hopefully, the students' comprehension is clear and complete and their interest high. In making the assignment, the teacher should (1) be enthusiastic about what is to be covered the next day, (2) state the purposes of the assignment, (3) be sure that everyone understands the assignment, (4) be specific about what the students are to do and how, and (5) anticipate any difficulties. One way to insure against unforeseen difficulties and confusion is to practice doing the first two or three sentences in each exercise as an example of what is to be done. Another is to give a few minutes of study time in class. The teacher can then circulate around the class to see if the students are beginning correctly. In addition, the assignment is an excellent opportunity for providing for individual differences. The slower students may be permitted to omit certain sentences or even exercises. The faster students may be assigned extra sentences, exercises, or original work.
The assignment should always be a basic part of the following class hour. The students should prepare for the view part of the hour, and the class should be taught in such away that they are rewarded for their efforts. In other words, the activities should always be based on the assumption that the homework has been prepared. (The teacher should be alert to those students who try to finish written homework in class by copying the correct answers as they are given.) The teacher should avoid doing work for the students that they can logically be expected to do for themselves. Too often she nullifies
the necessity for study prior to class by, in effect, doing the homework for the students. This practice has a debilitating effect on student achievement.
All written homework, and there should be some each day, should be corrected in class by the students. (Saved, these corrected papers become valuable bits of information as the students prepare for examinations.) These papers should be collected by the teacher and returned the following class period. Naturally, the teacher does not have time to grade them again, but she can give the student a check for having done the work. Also, by making mental notes of the most common errors, she gains an insight into points with which the students are still having problems, and she can incorporate these bits of information into future lesson plans.