Is homework really worth it?

Question

I think homework is the worst educational idea! You sit in school for 6 hours and then you go home to do about 2-4 more hours of homework. then adults say "wait until your older and then you have to have a job"! that's just the point, we aren't adults yet so let us have our childhood while we are young. Also, homework can take way to much time. I can learn how to do the pythagorean theorem by doing about 6 question, So why do we have to do worksheets with 40 questions. Also, school is for learning and homework is to review so why do teachers waste our time by making us read chapters and take notes by ourselves, we are teaching ourselves. Are some teachers really that lazy that they make us read the chapter? another point I have is homework over vacation, Vacation is time off where you don't work, homework is work to be done at home! Lastly, it is more annoying that the only people who understand are the kids because most adults have to compare today to their friggen childhood!

I want to extend on my homework over vacation idea. These are the definitions for vaction:
1. a period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel; recess or holiday: Schoolchildren are on vacation now.
2. a part of the year, regularly set aside, when normal activities of law courts, legislatures, etc., are suspended.
3. freedom or release from duty, business, or activity.
4. an act or instance of vacating.


These are the definitions of homework:
. schoolwork assigned to be done outside the classroom (distinguished from classwork).
2. paid work done at home, as piecework.
3. thorough preparatory study of a subject: to do one's homework for the next committee meeting.

hmmmmm...They don't seem to go together, the educators are being illogical. They teach us to be correct and try to make scense, well, they aren't doing a good job at it!

If you disagree with me, please tell me why, not just "yes" like that last person, that shows you don't know how to provide a reasonible argument and have no facts to support you answer, maing you look stupid on your part.

wow, i have to keep posting and posting, i never said "get rid of homework", i ment to lower it at make it worth doing. i still work hard and try my best but this crazy homework makes it so hard sometimes and I feel like the teachers are just being lazy themselves by making us take notes and read the chapter by ourselves.

Answer 1

To me, it really depends on the amount of homework being given. 2-4 hours of homework seems to be a little excessive, but I still think homework, in general, is in itself "worth it". Here's some of my own points, in "rambling style":

-You and some others in this thread complain about reading as homework. Unless you haven't seen the world today, being able to read and understand what you are reading is a big part of succeeding. Reading everyday gives you practice analyzing and evaluating different ideas--skills that American kids are becoming weaker and weaker at. You seem to like doing research to back up your arguments. Do yourself a favor and do some research on the importance of reading in education.

-Many say that doing these readings and notes by yourselves amounts to teaching yourselves. Well....surprise....that is what being an educated adult is: being able to teach yourselves how to do things on your own. What many students don't realize is that childhood will eventually end, and they won't always have an adult there to help them. Being able to teach yourself is one of the primary things that ALL schools should be teaching students, and homework is a glimpse of working independently....if you wait until college to learn how to do this, it's too late.

-Aside from content, homework teaches discipline. Discipline is doing something that you don't necessarily want or like to do; it's another trait of adulthood that must be learned. Many students today don't learn this discipline at home, and that is why one of the primary struggles teachers have in school today is trying to get students to do homework. Little or no discipline in adulthood = being fired from your job, not being able to pay bills, and begging me for a dollar in front of 7-11.

So again, homework gives students practice with reading and working independently, and teaches students the important skill of discipline. I'm not saying that 4 hours of homework is necessary, quantity-wise. In fact, I don't know what the magic number is for the "correct amount of homework". But if your question is "Is homework really worth it?" I say, yes.

Answer 2

Background: I used to teach middle school math and science. Warning: I have a few thoughts to throw out, so this may be somewhat rambling.

The amount of homework needed really varies depending on subject and person. I'll talk about math since that's my area. A few students can pick up a concept quickly, but most need more practice. What I would do is offer two problem sets: a longer set with easier problems, and a shorter set with harder problems; I then let students choose which ones to do (while nudging the more advanced students towards the more difficult set). It worked pretty well; most students decided they'd rather do the easier questions, while the bright ones took on the more challenging questions.

I also found that most students, particularly at the middle school level, do not know how to read for information (as opposed to reading a story), so reading and taking notes was definitely something we worked on. I view homework as an opportunity to practice a learned skill, not to learn something new, so I'd often have students do the first few problems in class to be sure they understood how to do them, then do the rest at home. I also believe that students benefit a great deal from one-on-one interaction with the teacher; thus, I generally tried to structure my lessons such that students would learn a skill, then work on their own while I moved around the room; this allows students to practice the material while it's still fresh and allows the teacher a chance to check with each student individually to see what they may be misunderstanding or struggling with.

As to homework over vacation...I don't give it, or I give a typical Friday homework and make it due Tuesday (instead of Monday). I figure everybody would wait until the last minute anyway, if they do it at all.

Answer 3

I agree that homework has become oppressive and is essentially "busy work" that sucks up family time. My children would spend 7 hours at school and then bring home 3-4 hours of homework. I had to wonder why the teachers couldn't teach them the concepts they need to learn in the 7 hours they spent at school. When my children were in public school, our days were totally dominated by school and the assignments they had to complete before the next day. We often worked on homework assignments as we ate dinner, and I still had to keep them up an hour past their bedtime in order to finish. Forget about having time for baseball teams or other extra curricular activities.

I soon realized that they were learning NOTHING while at school. The only time they were actually learning anything was during the 3-4 hours I spent helping them with their homework. So, I decided to cut out the 7 worthless hours they spent being bullied and bored in public school and began homeschooling them.

We still only spend 3-4 hours a day on assignments and activities, but they are learning faster and retaining more.

So, I'd have to say that homework doesn't suck, it's the 6-7 hours you spend at school that are a waste of time. As you said, you wind up teaching yourself anyway.

Answer 4

You seem very bright and you pose some interesting questions. For you homework may seem overdone and pointless. However for others the added practice or the previewing of a chapter may be needed for their optimum learning.
That said, I will tell you that after 30 years of teaching, I give little to no homework. The reason being that my students will not do it. It is not unusual for me to have only 2 or 3 students out of a class of 28 who have completed the given assignment. Also, when an assignment leaves my classroom I have no guarantee of who completed it. Time and again it will appear as if the student grasps the concept based on completed homework, but then show a total lack of knowledge on the exam. I attribute that to rampant cheating on homework.
I decided to choose my battles and have students only complete assignments begun in class for homework. Even that results in very few finished papers.

Answer 5

personally, i hate homework it sucks and takes up time that i could use to be playing soccer with my friends. unfortunatly, it actually does help learning when you do it. I have a friend who would copy other people math homework instead of doing it himself, he got a D+. When he actually did it himself he got a b+.

Answer 6

we need more people like you to work at the fast food restaurant for the rest of your lazy life,
while the others that work hard will be doing the more important jobs.

keep on truckin!

Answer 7

I agree. You should move to Germany, they don't have homework there.

Answer 8

yes

Answer 9

if you don't want to do your homeworks to practice what you have learned, send them to me to do them for you immidiately.

Answer 10

complicated problem. try searching on to yahoo. it can help!