parents/students and school homework

[n yusef]

I don't like math teachers that assign homework and then grade for completion, not correctness. All of my high school math teachers did this. It's like the teacher's saying "I want an hour of your time." If I know the material already, why should I spend more time studying?

The amount of homework isn't a problem in my book, as long as all of the work is useful for the student.

 

[CarlKillerMiller]

Personally, I have more homework now in college than I ever did in high school (2 years ago). But, on the other hand, a lot of people who dismiss these students' claims entirely are folks that graduated from high school decades ago, and are out-of-touch with how things work nowadays.

 

[Molondo]

I spent 3 years in school in the balkans. NA is a walk in the park compared to over there.

 

[UFOfreak]

School does have to much homework and thats why I hated school so much even though I forced myself to do well.

 

[Brainonska511]

HS was pretty useless in preparing me for college. I didn't get much hw, and if I did get hw, it was just to reinforce the material we learned. What I hate the most about hw is the teachers that would assign it just so you have work. Busy work FTL.

 

[wazzledoozle]

I am a junior in highschool, my highschool has a 4 period day from 7:25 till 2:05. I am able to sleep through my first three periods and still have A's (Biology, US History, American Literature), but my 4th period is Spanish 2 which actually requires some class work. My classes are ridiculously easy, we get little homework outside of projects (except spanish 2). 90% of the work is busy work, memorizing various facts or events that really have no relevance to the overall course.

Last school year I went through 2 backpacks, one a high quality Colman, and the one before that was a generic backpack from target. I am on my 2nd Colman backpack now, and the fabric is starting to tear around the seems that hold the zippers to the bag. The thing weighs 20 pounds!

Just a little rant...

 

[novasatori]

~2.xx gpa in hs
~3.63 gpa in college, junior year

I never did my HS hw simply because they gave too much, or just the lecture was enough to understand it (I have a pretty good memory and throughly enjoy lectures). In college, we don't GET homework, its up to us, and I don't usually do HW unless its very hard and I am having problems understanding it from the lecture. With the exception of mathematics (e.g. finance classes), which should be practiced anyways.

I spend maybe 2 hours per class a week studying max in college.

Glad I graduated HS before the big standardized tests to graduate, sheesh.

 

[fleshconsumed]

Well judging from people's responses the answer to the question (if there was any) is as always depends. I had hard time in high school because every single day there were 6-7 classes and we had homework in each of them. The homeworks themselves weren't that hard, but they did add up and several times I had to stay up for most of the night. My sister who went to the same high school had similar experience, she frequently went to bed after 12AM because of the workload, when she came from school she would sleep for an hour, then get up and do hw till 9-11PM. She's going to community college now, I asked her and she says it's much easier than HS. Yes, she still sometimes has to work through the nights, but she does have more free time now. So it all depends on the high school. I'd say if the student has to stay past 8PM to do his homework that's too much.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: novasatori
~2.xx gpa in hs
~3.63 gpa in college, junior year

I never did my HS hw simply because they gave too much, or just the lecture was enough to understand it (I have a pretty good memory and throughly enjoy lectures). In college, again I don't do hw unless its very hard and I am having problems understanding it from the lecture. With the exception of mathematics (e.g. finance classes), which should be practiced anyways.

I spend maybe 2 hours per class a week studying max in college.

Glad I graduated HS before the big standardized tests to graduate, sheesh.

I would have preferred big tests to high school actually. Just give me a battery of tests when I turned 14. When I passed them let me into college. Would have saved soooo much time, trouble, money, etc.

 

[UFOfreak]

Originally posted by: wazzledoozle
I am a junior in highschool, my highschool has a 4 period day from 7:25 till 2:05. I am able to sleep through my first three periods and still have A's (Biology, US History, American Literature), but my 4th period is Spanish 2 which actually requires some class work. My classes are ridiculously easy, we get little homework outside of projects (except spanish 2). 90% of the work is busy work, memorizing various facts or events that really have no relevance to the overall course.

Last school year I went through 2 backpacks, one a high quality Colman, and the one before that was a generic backpack from target. I am on my 2nd Colman backpack now, and the fabric is starting to tear around the seems that hold the zippers to the bag. The thing weighs 20 pounds!

Just a little rant...

This is why I now have back problems in my early ages.

I am suing my schools.

It doesn't matter if I am small in weight at only 125 pounds still after being out of high school for about 3 to 4 years now.

I was mainly only two digit weight numbers while in school of 99 pounds or below because it took me well over 17 to 18 years to go to a three digit weight.

Not because I don't eat but because I am a small human being that looks like a kid. Though I hope when I am 40 I look 25!

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: villageidiot111
It's not a matter of homework, it's about kids not paying attention in class. I found that in my AP classes there was hardly any homework, yet everyone in the class learned and retained more than any student in regular classes. This is because the AP students pay attention in class, so there is no need for homework. The other students zone out in class, so the only way teachers can get them to learn anything is to make them work outside of class.

High school is easy as long as you pay attention. Even if you still get lots of homework, paying attention in class makes the homework easier and therefor you get through it faster. I think any student in school can get 5s on AP tests and good SAT/ACT scores as long as they put the effort in. Whatever you put in is what you get out, it's just a matter of staying motivated.

Whoa, your nickname suddenly took on new meaning!
Today: "Complementary angles add up to 90 degrees. Angles A and B are complementary. The measure of angle A is 20 degrees. What is the measure of angle B?" (diagram on board, with the 90 degree angle and 20 degree angles clearly marked.)

"uhhh, 1800 degrees?" "how'd you get that??" "I multiplied?"
Yep, sure, 5's on an AP exam

As a teacher, I think I'm fairly unique; at least in my approach to homework for my upper level classes. Homework is 10% of the grade, but I automatically give students a 100% for homework, on the first day of school. "I reserve the right to lower that grade if it becomes necessary." After a calculus lesson, "Okay, homework is 1-60. Do as many odd ones as you feel are necessary to master this concept. Check the answers in the back of the book. Make sure you look at the even questions and feel comfortable that you can do them if I ever asked you to do one of them or one like them on a test." It takes a month or so before it pays off, but eventually, students see the value of homework as a way to practice and master skills, much the same way that people practice playing a musical instrument.

 

[UFOfreak]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: villageidiot111
It's not a matter of homework, it's about kids not paying attention in class. I found that in my AP classes there was hardly any homework, yet everyone in the class learned and retained more than any student in regular classes. This is because the AP students pay attention in class, so there is no need for homework. The other students zone out in class, so the only way teachers can get them to learn anything is to make them work outside of class.

High school is easy as long as you pay attention. Even if you still get lots of homework, paying attention in class makes the homework easier and therefor you get through it faster. I think any student in school can get 5s on AP tests and good SAT/ACT scores as long as they put the effort in. Whatever you put in is what you get out, it's just a matter of staying motivated.

Whoa, your nickname suddenly took on new meaning!
Today: "Complementary angles add up to 90 degrees. Angles A and B are complementary. The measure of angle A is 20 degrees. What is the measure of angle B?" (diagram on board, with the 90 degree angle and 20 degree angles clearly marked.)

"uhhh, 1800 degrees?" "how'd you get that??" "I multiplied?"
Yep, sure, 5's on an AP exam

As a teacher, I think I'm fairly unique; at least in my approach to homework for my upper level classes. Homework is 10% of the grade, but I automatically give students a 100% for homework, on the first day of school. "I reserve the right to lower that grade if it becomes necessary." After a calculus lesson, "Okay, homework is 1-60. Do as many odd ones as you feel are necessary to master this concept. Check the answers in the back of the book. Make sure you look at the even questions and feel comfortable that you can do them if I ever asked you to do one of them or one like them on a test." It takes a month or so before it pays off, but eventually, students see the value of homework as a way to practice and master skills, much the same way that people practice playing a musical instrument.

DrPizza yep not doing homework can make your grade go down a whole letter!

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: UFOfreak

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: villageidiot111
It's not a matter of homework, it's about kids not paying attention in class. I found that in my AP classes there was hardly any homework, yet everyone in the class learned and retained more than any student in regular classes. This is because the AP students pay attention in class, so there is no need for homework. The other students zone out in class, so the only way teachers can get them to learn anything is to make them work outside of class.

High school is easy as long as you pay attention. Even if you still get lots of homework, paying attention in class makes the homework easier and therefor you get through it faster. I think any student in school can get 5s on AP tests and good SAT/ACT scores as long as they put the effort in. Whatever you put in is what you get out, it's just a matter of staying motivated.

Whoa, your nickname suddenly took on new meaning!
Today: "Complementary angles add up to 90 degrees. Angles A and B are complementary. The measure of angle A is 20 degrees. What is the measure of angle B?" (diagram on board, with the 90 degree angle and 20 degree angles clearly marked.)

"uhhh, 1800 degrees?" "how'd you get that??" "I multiplied?"
Yep, sure, 5's on an AP exam

As a teacher, I think I'm fairly unique; at least in my approach to homework for my upper level classes. Homework is 10% of the grade, but I automatically give students a 100% for homework, on the first day of school. "I reserve the right to lower that grade if it becomes necessary." After a calculus lesson, "Okay, homework is 1-60. Do as many odd ones as you feel are necessary to master this concept. Check the answers in the back of the book. Make sure you look at the even questions and feel comfortable that you can do them if I ever asked you to do one of them or one like them on a test." It takes a month or so before it pays off, but eventually, students see the value of homework as a way to practice and master skills, much the same way that people practice playing a musical instrument.

DrPizza yep not doing homework can make your grade go down a whole letter!

In my experience, not doing your homework makes your grade go down a whole lot more than 1 letter. Typically, pre-calculus and calculus students of mine who don't do homework (they're few and far between) end up with a D or an F. Virtually everyone else ends up with an A. If a student is so good that they don't need to practice at least a few problems by doing some of the homework problems, then I'm failing as a teacher - I'm not challenging those students enough.

 

[Mo0o]

I dont know what the first person was complaining about, homework was a joke in high school

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Mo0o
I dont know what the first person was complaining about, homework was a joke in high school

 

[bobdelt]

I always found the people who spend a lot of time studying are the stupid ones, there are plently of people who get A's (inc. in college) that dont do ****** but show up to class sometimes, drink, and crack open the book the day before the final...

 

[timosyy]

I didn't do any homework in high school- hardly did ANYTHING at home, studied for classes in the periods before tests, etc.

College was a HUGE slap in the face/wakeup call- went to UIUC (#4? engineering university in the US) and got rocked. BUILD UP THOSE STUDY SKILLS IN HIGH SCHOOL PEOPLE.

 

[Whisper]

Originally posted by: bobdelt
I always found the people who spend a lot of time studying are the stupid ones, there are plently of people who get A's (inc. in college) that dont do ****** but show up to class sometimes, drink, and crack open the book the day before the final...

Simply because someone is able to get a good grade in a class with minimal amounts of work does not make them smart, and choosing to study doesn't make someone stupid.

It's quite possible to get decent grades without studying a great deal, this is true. But the key difference between those who study and those who don't is in the quantity of information they remember after the test, as well as in the critical thinking skills they've (hopefully) developed while analyzing the material they're studying.

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: timosyy
I didn't do any homework in high school- hardly did ANYTHING at home, studied for classes in the periods before tests, etc.

College was a HUGE slap in the face/wakeup call- went to UIUC (#4? engineering university in the US) and got rocked. BUILD UP THOSE STUDY SKILLS IN HIGH SCHOOL PEOPLE.

Many of them, especially those swamped with work, are not getting the chance. If you're given 4+ hours of homework a night, that must be completed, and that's most of your grade, that's not preparing you for an environment in which your ability to remember and apply what you were lectured on is how you are graded.

Where I went to HS, it varied quite a bit by teacher, but invariably, the teachers with the most homework, who counted it more in grades, were the worst at teaching. I got most of my prep for college in elementary school. Beyond that (going to public), I got almost nothing. It was more of a baby sitting center than a place of learning.

If you went to a good school, that's great, but not everyone did. I got the chance to feel the difference.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Mo0o
I dont know what the first person was complaining about, homework was a joke in high school

yes since every school was the same as the one's you guys went to.

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: Mo0o
I dont know what the first person was complaining about, homework was a joke in high school

Oh the homework was a joke alright, but only in content. Compared to what I got in college, most of my HS homework was just busywork that I could have done without.

 

[Extelleron]

The funny thing about it is more homework has almost nothing to do with higher grades. In fact, there's been a scientific study done on what effect homework has on grades and students in general. One thing they found is that while Japanese kids do around half the math homework of American students, they get much higher grades. Kids in Japan, or indeed any of the many countries that pass the U.S. in education, are not naturally more intelligent; they're doing something right that we aren't. It's clearly not assigning more homework, however.

Extreme amounts of homework certainly won't help, and in many cases may HURT the learning experience. Lots of homework means frustration, overwork, exhaustion, and in many cases means the homework, and indeed the class itself, means less. There is no need to repeat the same problem with different words or numbers 10 times in a row, and that is what most of homework is. Maybe 25% or so is actually relevant, the other 3/4ths is filler. Kind of like a video game that has some great moments but other than that, just filler, the purpose of which is to make the game (assignment) longer.

With large amounts of homework, the quality of the student's work is going to decrease, as they rush through rather than take their time. They will get frustrated, as most kids have a packed schedule already. They will begin to question the purpose of education, and perhaps for good reason. Most of the things learned in school are rather useless, especially in High School. A large percentage of people won't need more math than a 6th grader knows, and almost everyone will find little use for Science or History class after Elementary school.

Anyway, don't think that piling on the homework will help. A reasonable amount of homework without the filler is what is needed, not 2-3 hours of math each night.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Mo0o
I dont know what the first person was complaining about, homework was a joke in high school

yes since every school was the same as the one's you guys went to.

There's supposed to be a standard, right? And it's not like my high school was comparatively easy.

 

[zylander]

When I was in high school, my HW load wasnt too bad. Most of it was assigned in decent amounts and was thoughtful, but of course there was useless buisy work here and there.

Im in college now and Im not really sure what to say about it. Im finishing up my second to last english class needed and the HW load is pretty minimal and what we do get is helpful. As for my math classes...well, every math class I have taken in college the homework has been a joke.

Im a pretty big procrastinator, I hate homework, I do it at the alst minute and Im the guy who cracks open the book and goes over everything an hour before the test. What ever, Im happy as a B student, at least I have a life.

 

[Chaotic42]

They need to switch to year round school as well. Almost no one has to go work on the farm in the summer, and it's a huge jolt when you don't get the summer off anymore.