Staff Editorial: The most effective use of homework

Dear Teachers,We accept the fact that homework is an essential element of the learning process. However, we refute the claim that all assigned homework is beneficial. A line must be drawn between homework that helps students learn new concepts and homework that simply bombards students with the same concept over and over. The system that exists at Samo is clearly not working, with widespread cheating on homework assignments and such a large number of parent complaints that the administration is considering creating a homework policy. There isn’t only an issue with the quantity of homework, but the quality as well.Picture this, an average-day for above average Samo students. Students wake up at 6 a.m. for school and end school at 3:16 p.m. However, they have sports practice from 3:16 to 6 p.m. After that, they have to wait for a pickup and get home at roughly 6:30 p.m. They eat dinner and shower and it’s already 7:15 p.m. They then have to spend at least an hour practicing their instruments. It is now 8:15 p.m. They have two hours of homework. 10:15 p.m. and they haven’t had a chance to relax, and if they don’t go to bed soon, they will fall even more behind on the recommended nine hours of sleep.However, as previously stated, the issue isn’t only with quantity but also with quality. What teachers need to realize is that students will work harder if they feel like they are doing work that will actually help them. For example, if students are given an assignment in which they need to color and label all 50 states in the U.S.A., the assignment is not beneficial for most.For most non-visual learners, coloring is simply busy work. What that means is that it is going to take thirty or so minutes that they could be spending on a different subject that they are not so keen at. While this assignment does help some students, it is unfair for those who already know the 50 states or who are not nearly as susceptible to visual learning. Another more common example is when a math teacher assigns a student 20 math problems on the same concept. It can be very irritating for a student who has mastered graphing parabolas after the first seven problems to have to graph 13 more. While practice does make perfect, over-practice takes up too much time.These long and unnecessary homework assignments also create an easy path for students to fall into a monotonous routine where they put little thought into homework. When students are constantly trying to rush through homework that is not helping them learn, they develop negative work habits where their goal is simply to finish their homework, not to turn in something of quality. Soon students begin thoughtlessly rushing through all assignments, not just the pointless ones.However, we would also like to acknowledge that students contribute just as much as teachers do to the current homework problem at Samo. Many of us procrastinate and don’t put in the effort that most assignments deserve. Instead of working on an essay during the two week period it is given, many of us end up writing it the night before. This utter disregard of time management definitely plays a factor in the homework problem at Samo.In order to fix this problem, both teachers and students need to reach a middle ground. Teachers have to be willing to re-evaluate the way they assign homework so that it is as beneficial and efficient as possible for students, and students need to be willing to take homework assignments more seriously and not blame their teachers for their sleepless nights.Sincerely,The Staff of The Samohi