I Just Don't Like Homework

I don't like homework. I didn't like it as a kid, I don't like it as a teacher candidate, and I don't think becoming a teacher will change that. The reason is not deep. I just don't like doing it, and I think it is unnecessary most of the time.

I remember not doing my math homework and being sent out of class as a punishment, which in hindsight seems really silly to me. I was being deprived of learning as a punishment for not taking my learning seriously.

I think we should give kids more responsibility and make homework optional. If they can pass the tests without spending an extra minute outside of class, great! Isn't that a good skill for life? Get the required stuff done efficiently so you have time for whatever it is you want to do. And if a student struggles on a test, that can be a lesson to use class time better, or to take advantage of the optional homework next time.

I feel the same way as an adult learner. In my program we do a lot of written reflection, and I honestly find I learn more from the class discussions and from being in a real classroom than from writing about them afterwards. I've also noticed that when the workload piles up, people start doing homework for one class while sitting in another, which defeats the purpose. We are adults. Some of us are parents, some of us work full time to pay for this program, and some of us just need time to rest.

How much time with family, outdoors, or on our own interests has been given up for homework? I don't think we ask often enough whether that trade was worth it. That question is a big part of why I want to be careful with my own students' time.

I understand why teachers give homework. It's expected, and it can be helpful. But I think it's worth asking each time whether a task actually helps students learn, or whether it's there out of habit.

So I'm not planning to give much of it. If some students or parents want homework, I'm sure I'll easily find some worksheets to give them. For most, I'd rather make my teaching engaging and effective and let them live their lives outside of school.

Andriy