Many students at Greenwood have to deal with homework on a daily basis. I decided to ask students what they think about homework and whether it affects their grade. Students at Greenwood focus on their grades and really try hard to succeed. There are many benefits of having homework, like independent problem solving, teaching time management, and improved academic performance. However, there are also many cons, like mental health issues, high stress levels, reduced family time, and not having enough time to get things done at home. When talking to students about homework, there were many different opinions.
Jonas Laughter, junior at Greenwood, answered a variety of questions. Jonas stated, “It is important depending on what is being taught, unless it’s something useless.” While this interview was being conducted, many bystanders were also speaking their opinions about the importance of homework. One stated that certain teachers should not be giving out homework because she feels as if it is a waste of time. Jonas does have a strong opinion and many agree. In a way, you think homework is useless, but like Jonas stated, it depends on the topic and teacher.
Many people do not care about the downside of homework. Many students go home to get away from school, so bringing homework into an environment they are most comfortable in, makes them feel stressed out, overwhelmed, and tired of school. More than 70% of students around the world are affected by homework and stress about their grades. Many high school students go through depression, anxiety, issues with relationships, etc. The last thing they want is homework after school. School can be rough but it will always get better, and not having homework can help students with this stress
Now, what do the teachers at Greenwood think about homework? Some teachers think homework should be a weekly thing for students while other teachers said that they did not like giving homework because there are as many cons as there are pros. Four teachers said that they liked giving homework because it really helps the students understand the assignments. They believe that students being somewhere they are comfortable, such as at home or in their rooms while doing classwork, makes them feel as if they can complete the assignment more confidently.
On the other hand, five teachers I talked to stated that they did not like to give out homework. “Most times there is no point because students don’t bother to complete it” was what one teacher stated. A lot of the time homework is completing an assignment started in class. In reality, many teachers actually tell us to not complete an assignment as homework, so they can help us through it in class the next day or tell us our homework is to stay safe and have fun!
Even though there are many cons about having homework, there can be some benefits. While most students do not have much homework at Greenwood, the ones that do believe they have better test scores, sleep better, and improve their study habits. While teachers do not like giving out homework, sometimes they have to, even if it is the smallest assignment. When students do get homework, they make great grades on the assignment. Homework can also work as a form of studying meaning better grades over all! Overall, there seems to be mixed opinions about homework and whether or not it is beneficial. The key is to make sure it is meaningful and not overwhelming, so students can take a break from academics and have time to do things that improve their mental health.