When is Enough too Much?

-Homework at Proctor-

! Two hours? Three hours? Four hours? What is the appropriate amount of time

that students need to spend on their school work, without being discouraged and feeling

overwhelmed? Opinions vary on this topic, and much research tries to answer this

question of how much homework is appropriate. Students are obviously opposed to

homework and teachers are uncertain

of school without it. Proctor needs to

find the middle ground for work done

after the school day is over.

! Most schools continue to use a

common education practice known as

homework, gaining anything from, has

grabbed the attention of many

professionals. As former high school

teacher and author, Alfie Kohn notes in his article Is Homework Necessary, “Even if you

don't care about kids' happiness, the fact is that they're unlikely to learn effectively when

they're doing something that they regard as anxiety-provoking or at least a waste of

time.”(School Library Journal, 12/06/2006)

! In a recent survey, I polled one hundred Proctor students on how long they spend

doing homework each night. Seventy percent of the one hundred students polled

reported spending three or more hours on homework each night. We can safely assume

that the majority of students would be happy to

see the amount of their homework decrease to

give them more time to explore their interests

and passions, and take time to relax, rest their

brain, and reflect.

Here at Proctor we are required to participate in many daily activities, from

classes to sports, allowing for a little bit of social time. Speaking from experience, I can

attest to how tight and fast the schedule can be on campus.  A full five class school day

followed by sports/activities ,only allows for a small

window of social time before its back to work on

the nightly homework assignments. I have found

that a good nights sleep is necessary for a

successful day, every day. This is not always easy

to accomplish because of trying to keep up with

the demanding work as well as some personal

time. Vuk Baletic, a two year senior, agrees that it

is not always easy to get the recommended nine or

more hours of sleep per night for a high school

student. He also points out that staying up late finishing work one night affects him the

entire next day. Common side effects of sleep deprivation are feeling tired and

unfocused. which lessens a students ability to absorb the information in classes. I’ve

found that lack of sleep is prevalent amongst many of my classmates. This can lead to

other unhealthy habits for students, such as trying to gain some sleep in the morning by

skipping breakfast, (which is the most important meal of the day) as well as an over

consumption of highly caffeinated drinks.

Suzanne Rasweiler (Raz), one of Proctors specialist pointed out that “Proctor

is a college preparatory school  that has a

responsibility to it's students and their families to

provide a rigorous curriculum.”  This is very true, but

doesn't mean that “rigor” could not be accomplished

by a slight reduction of nightly assignments.  Alfie

Kohn points out that “No research has ever

demonstrated any academic benefit to making kids

do homework before they're in high school. Even in

high school, there is only a weak correlation between

standard measures of achievement and doing

homework.” ( "Is Homework Necessary? SLJ Talks to Alfie Kohn.” 24 Sept. 2012.) In my

interview with Raz she said “In my "perfect world" homework would be individualized to

each students needs and abilities.”

! As a student at Proctor, I find the workload to be very reasonable and appropriate

most of the time. However, on occasion, the majority of the learning comes from the

textbook and students are assigned a significant amount of reading each night.  I

believe this rushes the class through the material giving it the feel of busy work with no

depth to help hold students interest and attention. Respecting that this has been my

own personal experience, I acknowledge that every student learns differently. Research

is validating the notion that educators need to reevaluate their philosophy on extending

the school day into the night. The controversy over homework and its value in education

has been debated for many decades and likely will continue to be a topic of discussion

in the field of education into the future at

schools across the world as well as

Proctor. Proctor hopefully will keep their

eyes open to the idea of possibly

reevaluating their homework

philosophies.