No kid really likes doing homework. It’s the most tiring thing to do at the end of a long day atschool, especially when you just want to relax or play with your friends. Unfortunately, educational institutions nowadays seem to be piling on schoolwork.
This concerned mom noticed that her first-grade son was at his breaking point because of the amount ofclassworkhe received on his second day of school. Her heartfelt post resonated with many, and people began questioning why we need such a system at all.
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Cassi Nelson posted a picture of her son in tears while he was completing all the homework he got
Image credits:Cassi Nelson
She said that even after the first-grader returned from school after 4 p.m. he had to sit and complete another hour of classwork
Image credits:Jena Backus / Pexels (not the actual photo)
She noticed how her son was bursting with so much energy and just wanted to go out and play, but instead, he was in tears because he kept getting distracted and couldn’t finish his work
The mom ranted about how research shows that homework is unnecessary, she also said she couldn’t understand how little kids are expected to do more work after all their school hours
Based on Cassi’s post, schools are clearly not following this time limit. The National Center for Education Statistics observed that high school students spend nearly6.8 hoursdoing homework every week. This is a shocking amount of time that children could instead use for relaxation, play, or spending time with their family and friends.
Understandably, teachers and educational institutions might believe that more assignments can lead to better learning. However, astudyfound that after four hours of homework per week, the additional time invested has almost no impact on a student’s performance. That goes to show that giving kids more schoolwork is not actually helping them beyond a certain point.
To get an educator’s perspective on this situation,Bored PandacontactedTrevor Muir, a teacher, speaker, and author who has gained international recognition for his innovative teaching methods and informative content. He uses his podcast,The Epic Classroom, to help educators create a more memorable and transformational classroom.
Trevor told us that: “Homework is a relic of the past, something that has been done simply because it was part of teachers’ upbringing. I believe that students should be given little, if any, homework. Like adults, kids need free time away from school and academic work. Research shows that homework has minimal impact on student learning, so it should not be taking up kids’ time outside of school.”
“This is especially true for elementary students. While I’m fine with teachers suggesting practice or reading at home, I don’t think it should be required or expected. Similarly, I don’t think teachers should be expected to take work home with them, and the same should apply to their students,” he added.
As Cassi also mentioned in her post, her son could have been playing or spending time with hisfamily, but instead, he was struggling through four pages of schoolwork.Researchfinds that many children find homework too stressful and time-consuming, which is probably why the first-grader was in tears.
Image credits:Drazen Zigic / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Trevor shared that “Teachers should provide enough time in class for students to complete all their work. If a reasonable amount of time is given, and students use that time wisely, then nothing should need to be brought home. If students do not use that time wisely, then the work can become homework. However, I believe that 7.5 to 8 hours of school per day is enough.”
Parents should share their concerns about the school’s homework policies without being overly confrontational toward theclass teacher. Teachers can help create individualized plans or collaborate with the parents to help take pressure off their students.
Many teachers responded to the post and shared how they promote learning without saddling children with too many assignments
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