Is Homework Useful?

A controversial topic in education today is homework. Do students have too much homework? How useful is homework? How much is too much? With these questions, there are many different pros and cons with homework.

One pro to homework is the study skills and good life habits learned from having homework. Studies show that having homework creates good study habits and life skills such as organization. Managing time and keeping all materials organized is one good thing that comes out of homework but some students struggle to do so. 

Keough

In my opinion, I don't see homework being helpful and there's too much of it. Students spend 7-8 hours at school everyday and then go home and do homework for 1 to 2 sometimes 3 hours every night. I have heard multiple conversations at my lunch table about my classmates pulling all nighters or staying up until 4am doing homework.

This isn't because of poor time management, it's because after school, kids are playing sports or participating in clubs and don't have lots of time for that much homework. I also don't see homework being useful because most of the time it's busy work that teachers don't go over in class.

Students are just trying to complete homework for the grade and not trying to learn. Most people in my grade just copy each other’s homework so it's completed for the teacher. Lots of teachers at my school also don't grade homework so therefore students won't do it or cheat. Homework isn't teaching good time management skills, it's giving students a lack of motivation and leads to academic dishonesty.

Westfall

There is also a question of how much of the homework is completed by the student without cheating. Ninety percent of middle students and sixty-seven percent of high school students have admitted to copying another student's homework. Parents have also confessed completing their child’s homework for them as 43% of parents have done this (ProCon.org).

Too much homework also leads to stress. A study done in California showed that 43% of high students in California said homework was the main cause of their stress while 82% felt that they were often stressed as a result of homework (ProCon.org). High school students also admit that lots of homework has lead them to sleep deprivation and other health problems such as weight loss and lots of headaches.

There is evidence found that homework is detrimental to a student’s attitude about school, grades, self confidence, and social skills (Wallace). I know I don't have a good attitude towards school because I struggle to get out of bed every morning and snooze my alarm at least 5 times as a result of staying up late because of homework.

Homework may help with study habits and life skills but having too much leads to sleep deprivation, health issues, and lots of stress. 

Works Cited

Keough, Kay. Stressed Student. 15 Dec. 2016. TeenLife, www.teenlife.com/blogs/10-best-ways-manage-stress. Accessed 13 Dec. 2019.

ProCon.org. "Is Homework Beneficial? - Top 3 Pros and Cons." ProCon.org, 27 Sept. 2018, www.procon.org/headline.php?headlineID=005411. Accessed 11 Dec. 2019.

Wallace, Kelly. "Kids Have Three Times Too Much Homework, Study Finds; What's the Cost?" CNN Health, 12 Aug. 2015, www.cnn.com/2015/08/12/health/homework-elementary-school-study/index.html. Accessed 11 Dec. 2019.

Westfall, Leah. Students Cheating. 21 June 2011. FastWeb, www.fastweb.com/student-news/articles/could-copying-homework-lead-to-a-course-failure-these-test-results-prove-the-answer-is-yes. Accessed 13 Dec. 2019.

What's Happening Here vs. What's Happening There?

What's Happening here?

Schools across the US have different first day of school dates. In the article "'Back to School' Means Anytime from Late July to After Labor Day, Depending on Where in the U.S. You Live", the different dates school start are displayed in graphs and data is discussed.

The first day of school for students can range from July all the way to after Labor Day in September. The main reason schools go back at different times is based on region and weather in certain areas. For example, New England goes back to school later than states such as Mississippi and Tennessee because of the heat.

"In the U.S., First Day of School Varies by Region"

The most popular week for going back to school is August 12-16. Going back to school this early is most likely a result of ending the school year earlier but I think this is too soon.

Summer is a break from school and a time to relax. Today, teenagers are spending more time working or doing extra school work than leisure time during their summers (Desilver). Summer is also a time for traveling and lots of families including mine travel or go on vacation during August. Almost every year during the first week of August, my family goes on a mini vacation.

August is a heavy tourist and family traveling month and some families may miss out because the kids are going back to school so early (Desilver). There is also evidence from Pew Research Center about students going back to school earlier than they used to. I prefer starting in August so I can enjoy time with my family.

What's Happening There?

In the article "Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness", Iliana Magra writes about how 370 schools in England have added a new concept to their teaching. These schools have begun teaching mindfulness to their students which will help them throughout their lifetime. There are different relaxation and breathing techniques being taught to help students with their mental health and stress caused by school. 

Morris

This being taught in school draws more attention to mental health. Students are learning about mental health and ways to stay healthy. These techniques will help kids throughout their lifetime in stressful situations. I think that other countries such as the U.S. should follow England and start teaching mindfulness in schools. This will help students understand mental health and how to handle it.

Incorporating breathing exercises and relaxation techniques throughout the day can help calm students, increase focus, and help students be more productive. 

Works Cited

Desilver, Drew. "'Back to school' means anytime from late July to after Labor Day, depending on where in the U.S. you live ." Pew Research Center, 14 Aug. 2019, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/08/14/back-to-school-dates-u-s/. Accessed 3 Dec. 2019.

"In the U.S., First Day of School Varies by Region." Aug. 2019. Pew Research Center, 14 Aug. 2019, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/08/14/back-to-school-dates-u-s/. Accessed 5 Dec. 2019.

Magra, Iliana. "Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness." The New York Times, 4 Feb. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/02/04/world/europe/uk-mindfulness-children-school.html. Accessed 3 Dec. 2019.

Morris, Lindsay. Mindfulness Exercises Are Already Taught in Many Schools Worldwide, including This One in New York. Schools in England Are Joining a Study to Determine Which Techniques Work Best. Feb. 2019. The New York Times, 4 Feb. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/02/04/world/europe/uk-mindfulness-children-school.html. Accessed 5 Dec. 2019.