Tips for Homework Center Managers

1. Work in cooperation with the school principal on all matters relating to the homework center. Follow professional practices consistent with school and system policies. Assume responsibility for the total homework center program, its safety and good order.
   
   
2. Promote the center in school newsletter, in a flier given out at registration or as a handout for students to take home. Stress that the center is not a detention hall and is open to all students.
   
   
3. Determine the best location for the center. Some options are: library, art room or two adjoining classrooms. The area should become familiar and comfortable for the students.  Have a storage cabinet, bookshelves or some other area to store homework center materials. Display items in the room to denote homework center ownership.
   
   
4. Inform all faculty members about the center to ensure a clear understanding of the purpose of the center and how it operates. Recruit their help. Ask them to use assignment sheets so that you will be able to know what needs to be done. (Students sometimes will say they have no homework and the assignment sheet alleviates this problem.) It helps if classroom teachers provide worksheets to reinforce classroom instruction.
   
   
5. Encourage faculty to stop by the center and become familiar with its operation and also to know their students who attend. They can offer words of support and encouragement to their students.
   
   
6. Welcome parents and encourage them to volunteer. For some parents, their memory of school is not very good and this may be a way to help them feel more comfortable with being at school and participating in activities. Also, stress to parents that they should still look over their child’s school work and make sure it gets returned the next day.
   
   
7. Have a contract the student and parents sign. The contract states what is expected from the student and parents and what the student will receive. (Provided by company.)
   
   
8. Purchase/secure incentives and develop a plan for awarding incentives.
   
   
9. Purchase needed supplies – educational games, puzzles, reading materials, paper, pencils, teaching enhancements, etc.
   
   
10. Make a daily schedule to be followed:  (example)
    2:30 – 2:50 Snack & restroom break
    2:50 – 3:50 work on assignments
    3:50 – 4:00 clean up and prepare to leave
    
    
11. Maintain frequent communication with teachers and parents
    
    
12. Develop rules for the center. Post them in the center and also include them in written material sent to parents.
    
    
13. Recruit and train volunteers. Volunteers may be from the community, business partners, older students (High school Beta Club, middle school) parents, grandparents and college students.