Stop Homework

Dear Sara,

I am 14 and homework burdens me ridiculously.

Below is a timeline of how overburdened today’s high school students are. Showing this to people (you have permission to alter or use it) may show them how packed everything is. Some details may differ from student to student but it is still reasonably accurate:

7:00–get up
7:30–leave for bus
Approx 8:15–arrive at school
3:00–leave school
3:30–get home; start homework
6:00–finish homework; eat dinner
6:30–finish dinner and go to sport/other activity
8:00–arrive home and do chores
8:15–finish chores and have “family time” ):
Relax or leisure until bed

As you can see, it’s pretty packed. You may not notice, but I haven’t even included a possible part-time job, social activities OR anything else.

The problem is that we just can’t fit anything more into everyday

I also believe part of the problem is that we get all the assignments at the same time

I don’t know how it is for you Americans but in Australia year 7 is HELL. We have primary and high school (Primary k-6), students are pounded and I have been pushed to breaking point.

Please keep up your efforts.

A few weeks ago, I posted a guest entry by high school student, Alexandra Keehan, who formed a Stunt the Stress club and website at her school. Alexandra is now trying to galvanize students everywhere. I sent out the following email to students who have contacted me or posted comments here. Please pass along Alexandra’s email to any students you think will be interested:

Let’s Stop the Stress
by Alexandra Keehan

My name is Alexandra Keehan, a senior in high school.

Sophmore year of high school was the hardest school year I had gone through yet and prompted me to start a Stunt the Stress club and web site.

The goal is to motivate students to make a change. One way to do that is through working with our educators. School stress can be relieved if we can enlighten and negotiate with teachers. As they say, “the wheel that squeaks gets the grease.”

Another important part in overcoming stress is to have the tools and resources to combat it. Believe it or not there are teachers, parents, and other adults helping our cause. By creating a network and sharing information be can better the situation and find support.

I believe if we work together we can make a difference. If you want to spread stress awareness and be part of the stress-free movement then email me, visit stuntthestress.com, and stay in contact with Sara.

Thanks,

Alexandra Keehan

The mother of a New York City public school student sent me this piece by her 10-year-old son.

Homework is NOT that necessary!!
by Daniel Goldstein

School work is enough. School is where you do all your learning. But home? Isn’t that the place you’re supposed to relax and have fun instead of doing 1 1/2 hours worth of homework. Most children think that it’s time for a little change. At least we could have the weekends off from homework. Please take our hope into consideration!

Please Understand!

Homework is a review of the days work and a reminder of tomorrows work. We understand how important homework is but is it completely necessary? Couldn’t we get a sheet just to help, but with no work on it. Homework can also be helpful for studying for tests, but can’t we use our regular school work?

We need a break! Now is the time!

With much hope,
Daniel Goldstein

(PS: We could spend “homework hour” playing outside and getting some exercise!!)

Today’s letter is from high school student, Sophia Warren, a 10th grader in Brooklyn, New York.

I Love School, But It’s Killing Me
by Sophia Warren

Dear Sara,

My name’s Sophia Warren (we’ve met before a few times now). I’m a sophomore currently at Packer in Brooklyn Heights, NY. Packer is a school that prides itself on the gifted children that attend it and the rigorous academics that they offer. For years I have spent hours on homework. Beginning in the second grade, I sat through standarized tests, I worked on handwriting, and filled out math work book after math work book.

When I was in the fourth grade, each student was assigned an “independent study project.” Most kids were told that they would be working on spelling, logic problems, etc. I was told that I would be writing a novel, working at least a half an hour on it every night plus completing my other homework. At first I was in love with the idea, happy to be exempt from spelling, but it soon took a turn and I found myself miserable and with writer’s block. I was just nine years old and I came home everyday, sat down, stared at my paper, and spent the next hour crying out of frustration. My mom had no idea what to do with me. She finally spoke to my teacher and said that although I had not been writing anything, I had in fact been thinking about the story. He said that my think was not work and that I would not be allowed to go outside the next day during recess and that I would have to work while everyone else had “free time” in the classroom. I spent four months of fourth grade sitting in the classroom at a desk and working while everyone else was permitted to have fun and run around. It did not seem fair to me and it still doesn’t. The finished product kept me up until almost five in the morning. The story was over 160 pages at completion.

I have always wanted to be a writer, but that assignment killed my love of writing for over a year. I figured that if it was that painful to write, I did not want to.

At the present, I spend over six hours on homework a night. It is only just
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Alexandra Keehan, a high school senior from Indiana, started off the school year with a mission to put a halt to stress at her high school She formed a “Stunt the Stress” club and encourages other high school students across the country to do the same.

I Have Obscene Amounts of Useless but Nonetheless Time-Consuming Homework
by Alexandra Keehan

To understand the history and reasoning behind my club, Stunt the Stress, I think it’s best that you should be familiar with my academic biography.

I am currently a senior in high school. You may view that as an experienced student or only a beginner. Take it as you will, either way my education has not in that time been confined to one state or region in the US. Nor has it taken place in just public or private schooling. I have attended school in Arizona, New Mexico, and Indiana. In these states I have enrolled in private, charter, and public schools. Let me tell you each has their downfalls. Maybe this will help the reader to understand that my experiences are not native to one particular place or kind of education.

My goals have always been high and so is my motivation but even I have had trouble keeping afloat in the modern day school systems. I have seen many seemingly smart and adaptable students go through this and I wonder how does the mediocre school kid survive?
Read the rest of this entry »

The school year has just started and I’ve been inundated with letters from students, mostly high schoolers, who are crying out for help. I’ve run pieces by students in the past, but I intend to run even more this school year. I hope their words will move you to action.

Today’s entry is by Abigail Chao, a senior at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. In her own words, “She is the owner of a 4.0/4.0 GPA, founder of one of the largest clubs on campus, and a varsity tennis player. She is a near-perfect product of the education system. She is drowning.”

Too Busy to Dream
by Abigail Chao

Tell me if this is healthy.

Over Labor Day weekend, my hometown throws a carnival. Instead of going, I spent Saturday sleeping till noon, and then started homework. Instead of watching a movie with a friend, I went to bed at 8:30pm because I was still so tired. On Sunday, I spent over five hours trying to make a dent in one homework assignment – reading Aristotle’s Ethics. Admittedly, I spend a couple hours at a sweet sixteen party, but I left early to work. I didn’t finish Ethics until well into Monday, and then I started my other homework – physics, computer science, English, etc.

It’s okay though, right? I’m a senior at one of the best high schools in the nation. I’m supposed to be working hard.

Now tell me if this is healthy.

Over Labor Day weekend, a family with young children is going to their town’s carnival. But the father has work to do. He stays up late Friday night after work to get a little ahead, but then sleeps in until noon; he’s exhausted from sleep debt over the week. He starts working again so he can join his wife and kids later, but by eight o’clock he’s too tired…

I won’t continue the analogy because I think my point is pretty obvious. The kind of rigor that is routinely demanded from students is outrageous in the context of working adults. And it’s not just the stereotypical overworked father – it’s the college grad who works 80 hours a week too. If anyone is wondering why Americans are such workaholics, I’d say that homework has something to do with it.

As students, we are told to put school first. We must do our homework before we hang out with friends, play sports, or just relax. That time at the mall could have been better spent hitting the books. If your grades are dropping, the first thing you do (or your parents make you do) is quit your extracurriculars. Never mind that it’s pointless to spend an hour entering data into Excel, that social skills are more important than academic abilities will ever be, that America is struggling against obesity.

I know that the stress of projects and homework has gotten ridiculous when going to class is relaxing in comparison. I know something is wrong when I explain why I don’t have “me time” except maybe my shower. I know our priorities are out of whack when we hardly hear the answer to “How are you?” but we show that our genuine interest by asking, “Were you productive?”

Does anyone notice that there is a generation of brilliant minds drowning in homework?

Sometimes, I dream about what I’d do with the extra time. I can’t promise it’d be all “productive,” but I’d play more tennis. I’d get published. I’d learn another language. I’d start a business. I’d just… breathe.

I’m posting a recent comment posted by a teenager on an old blog entry, because I want to make sure everyone gets to see it:

I am in high school and have a GPA of 4.214.

The price I pay is far too high. It sucks the life out of me and my teachers do not care. (I swear that they torture me on purpose.) I end up spending my Saturdays dreading having to do my projects on Sunday. The state just keeps passing laws that continue to raise the bar, but don’t help students learn. What frusturates me the most is that all the work is done for nothing. I end up learning so little after working so hard. I can’t even explore interesting topics, I have to work specifically on one thing. My teacher finished her curiculum early and decided to create a massive project that was due two weeks later (which just happened to be the day my 20 minute english presentation was due, on an African poet!).

This is ridiculous!

A 7th grader from Virginia wrote to me:

Hello, my name is Chris and I’m in the 7th grade. I currently attend an IB (International Baccalaureate) World School (also known as a “smart kids school”). I enjoy the aggressive strategy of education IB schools have, and also like the curriculum of my county and state.

However, we are supposed to set away 2 HOURS for homework every single day, but some days, that is just not enough time. Sometimes, I get back from school and I work on homework all the way until I go to bed, with few breaks. To be honest, I’m a very good student in my school, so I like to take my time on assignments; it’s obviously not an educational problem. Homework indirectly ruins my life. Sure, I have lots of time to do stuff on weekends/breaks, but when I have homework there’s not much time to do anything. I do not like getting 0’s on homework grades, so there’s no choice about it.

I have little time to spend time with my friends, family, or even have time to do something fun when I get loaded on homework some days. Projects - don’t even get me started. Projects slam me in the face left and right. Finally when homework loosens up, I get a huge project I need to focus on. Don’t get me wrong - school is fun and interesting; but working your butt off should be done at school, not when you should be spending time with people close to you at home.