What is it about homework that makes it seem so daunting? Could it be that today’s kids just can’t seem to keep up with it? Perhaps busy schedules prevent student from completing the assignments? Or could it be the fact that teachers feel the need to assign excess amounts of homework. The way teachers pile on homework you would think, teachers work on commission. People weren’t kidding when they said, too much of a good thing, can be a bad thing. Let’s analyze for just a moment, the original intent of homework. Homework is a great tool for learning, and teaching for that matter. It gives students an opportunity to practice and perfect the skills necessary to succeed in school.
Teachers today seemed to have lost this noble intent. Busy work seems to be the choice of our educators. The intent of busy work is quite clear, to have the kids sit down and shut up. When closely examined, all busy work does is frustrate students to the point of relinquishment. This coupled with the fact that students have a hard enough time staying focused we should not be waste away what valuable time we do have. Why then are we monopolizing the time of teenagers with redundant busy work? Six classes a day makes for a very demanding homework schedule.
Most students having two of those classes in math and science. If the average homework load per class is twenty minutes a night, then that adds up to two hours of homework a night. That is a lot of work to keep up with, especially considering some students work and are involved in sports or other school activities. It is just not reasonable to assume that a normal active teen would be able to keep up with their activities and academic responsibilities. We can only ask so much of our youth.
The Homework on Student Teaching Paper Students Immediately Teacher
Student Teaching Graduate Paper Spring 2004 As the time approached, my attitude toward student-teaching was one of confidence and in some ways overconfidence. I believed that I was equipped with all of the tools necessary to be a superior teacher. Little did I know what truly goes on behind the scenes of a teacher. Between grading papers, attending meetings, and preparing lessons, I would often ...
Sometimes being a teacher requires a little bit of psychology. In many cases kids will do just to spite authority figures. So by giving them even more homework, they would be even more apt to not do any of it. The key here is to find a balance. Giving the kids enough homework so that they learn the material but don’t get burned out.
It is a fine line that teachers must tread. Homework is by no means useless or harmful. Its advantages are numerous and remarkable. The problem is with teachers feeling that quantity outranks quality. A teacher of my once put it to me in a way that made a whole lot of sense.
He said that you shouldn’t have to walk a mile to prove that you can walk ten feet. That is certainly something we need to keep in mind. I say save your backs and unload a few books from the Jansport. I do not feel that homework should be eliminated, I only feel that it looses it’s meaning when used too excessively.
