Guest Blogger: There’s No Time for High School Students to Do Hours of Homework Each Night
When I was in Chicago at the AERA conference two weeks ago, I was on a panel with Chris Ellsasser, an associate professor of education at Pepperdine University, a high school English teacher, and the founder of a group of progressively-minded teachers known as the Mad Tea Educators. Chris approaches homework by asking high school teachers and students one simple question: How much time do we really have? Below is an excerpt from the paper he wrote to accompany the presentation.
Do the Math:
Redesigning Homework to Create More Time for Learning
by Christopher Ward Ellsasser
Time is a finite resource and something which cannot be changed, so it makes sense to begin by establishing exactly how time works for students.
Too often discussions and decision making processes in schools related to issues like homework are based on personal preferences, social norms, and the mythology of schooling. Such a process is akin to medical doctors basing treatment on “gut feeling� rather than science and knowledge of the particular patient. In order to develop policies that reflect the best of what we know about education using the most sophisticated ways of knowing we have, time must be created to establish a baseline of facts. Such is the case with homework. While each school and community has it differences which need to be considered, there is also a shared body of knowledge we can draw from.
Developing a thoughtful approach to homework can begin by doing the math on the time students spend each day. We can begin our calculations by looking at how much time students need to be healthy. The following questions reveal how much time students spend per day on health related activities:
• How much time should students spend sleeping? (9 hours)
• How much time should students spend eating? (three meals = 2 hours
• How much time should students spend exercising? (1 hour)
• Total hours spent maintaining basic health = 12 hours per day
The next consideration is time spent engaged in structured activities such as classes and other organized programs. The following questions reveal how much time students spend on structured activities:
• How much time do students spend in school? (6 hours)
• How much time do students spend in after school activities (i.e. sports, art, work)? (2 hours)
• How much time do students spend commuting = 1 hour
• Total hours spent on structured activities = 9 hours
Once we have accounted for maintaining health and engaging in structured activities (21 hours), students have three hours of discretionary time per day. Of course that assumes the day is without unexpected glitches or distractions. Factor in a conservative thirty minutes twice a day for hygiene/waking up/winding down and you are down to two hours unaccounted for each day.
Given the overwhelming research on the importance of reading, we would be inclined to set aside one hour for reading. Now we are down to one hour per day for school age children to play, relax, or just spend down time with others like friends and family. Regardless of the recommended 10 minutes of homework per day (90 -120 minutes for high school students), even if we eliminate “personal time� today’s high school student only have one hour each day to spend doing homework. So now the question becomes what, if anything, can be done in one hour to enhance the quality of their education.
Fantastic post! Exquisitely simple and honest, and oh, so true. I wish all teachers would stop and think about this from time to time.
A
April 23rd, 2007 at 7:45 am
Permanent Link
[…] Bennett has posted a guest article that looks at how much discretionary time is available for homework in the average student’s […]
April 23rd, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Permanent Link
I totally agree with you and see your logic with the time thing. I am in 7th grade and I’m doing a persuasive essay against The Homework Overload, and your site really helped! thank you!
April 23rd, 2007 at 7:04 pm
Permanent Link
Very interesting post. After almost a full year of negotiations with my daughter’s high school, we received an email which justified their current policy and expectation that students will have four hours of homework, five nights per week. We’re taking her out of the school.
Sleep, reading, exercise- all have been given short-shrift to feed the homework monster.
April 24th, 2007 at 10:49 pm
Permanent Link
This really helps
May 8th, 2007 at 11:39 am
Permanent Link
People should really get over the homework thing. Students are young and reselient for the most part. Yes elementary students shouldn’t be overwhelmed with homework. Junior high should get a little more each year. High school students, however, should be spending more time on their homework. They’re almost adults and need to be able to balance their schedule. Another thing. Who decided that kids work only two hours a day? What kind of job is that and where can I sign up? I go to school a minimum of six hours a day, then I go to work for at least four, then go home and do homework for another minimum of three hours. Todays world is on the go but you expect students to not be? Wake up people, the real world destoys people that can’t handle it when something extra is thrown on their plate.
May 16th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
Permanent Link
i can use this for my essay…thanx!
May 30th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
Permanent Link
great post, there is never enough time for homework…
June 5th, 2007 at 5:52 pm
Permanent Link
how is that work. you should do the homework to get a good grade. i don’t think it’s a good idea
July 30th, 2007 at 10:01 am
Permanent Link
Why are you accounting for exercise PLUS sports PLUS assuming the students have gym class. And last time I checked that 45 minutes for breakfast was more like 5, and the 45 minutes for lunch a part of school.
6 AM Wake up
8-3 School
3-5 Afterschool activities
5-6 Relax
6-6:30 Dinner
6:30-9:30 Homework
9:30-10 TV
10 Bed
As a middle school teacher, we aim for between one hour and 90 minutes a day. I doubled it, and still find this to be an honest expectation. The students I find can’t complete the homework are either in a day care that doesn’t enforce homework time and have no study skills themselves and don’t begin till 7 when their parents come home; or the students who are over dedicated to sports and have multiple 3-hour-a-day practices during the week and feel that athletic achievement and ‘well-roundedness’ are more important than school.
October 18th, 2007 at 10:45 pm
Permanent Link
You are right!
I am currently writing an essay called… Homework has no purpose!
I get so much homework and am always stressed and tired!
November 27th, 2007 at 3:23 am
Permanent Link
Soph: Will you send me a copy of your essay when it’s finished? You might have noticed that I sometimes publish students’ work on my blog.
November 27th, 2007 at 11:31 am
Permanent Link
This is great! I’m currently writing an argumentative essay for my english class: Homework is Hindrance. This should help greatly!
November 28th, 2007 at 11:00 am
Permanent Link
While I completely understand that there is less time in a day than required for all the things we have to do and want to get done, there are a few things I’d like t say on both sides of the issue-
First of all, I’m a junior in high school I spend 2 hours on homework, if I’m lucky. I sometimes spend almost an entire night on it. Yes, this involves sacrificing afterschool activities and sleep, but I’m sure there are job that require the same amount of time, not to mention college. If you can’t prioritize and put the work first, you’re not going to get far in our competetive society. It’s unfortunate, but true. I hate it when people blame unfinished homework on team practices and games. If sports is making you not finish your homework, you probably shouldn’t be participating.
At the same time, it’s true that there shouldn’t be as much homework as there is. homework should either be optional or review- not everyone needs the extra practice in math, science and whatever other class EVERY DAY. Some people get the material. Some people just cheat on the homework anyway, and turn it in. What is the point for those who won’t do the work?
In the question of whether there should be that much work- there shouldn’t be. Very little of it actually helps in any way,shape or form. But since it’s there, and counts for a grade, students need to shut up and get it done.
December 12th, 2007 at 10:20 am
Permanent Link
this is such a true statement. i find my weekends filling up so fast, including homework, theres just not enough time in the day. too much HOMEWORK!!!!! NOT ENOUGH FUN! …stupid teachers
December 12th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
Permanent Link
This is such a true statement. Theres not enough hours in the week just to get all of my homework done. And the only time possible for hanging out with friends is the weekend. The little time that is availible on the weekends get filled up fast with friends, events and most definatley more homework. It is the week before finals and teachers seem to feel the need to pile everything on in the very second. Which creats enormous amounts of stress!!! If only there was less homework and studying to do, life would be more of a breeze!
December 12th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
Permanent Link
yeah. I know this
December 21st, 2007 at 5:35 am
Permanent Link
yes, i totally agree, we are getting to much homework each night, and its cutting down on my time for sports. And plus, im only in 8th grade and I atleast have 2 hours of homework each night.
im working on a L.A. project and your site really helped.
thank youu :)
January 10th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
Permanent Link
Man I wish our teachers would look at this website, homework has been lowering my grades, I’ve been given so much for the past few months, I can’t do it all in one night…
January 21st, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Permanent Link
Due to the Excessive demands already placed upon the Contemporary High school students, the traditional system of homework needs to be rethought.
After cheer practice and cheering at my gamess i usually get home around 9:30 to 10:00 o’clock each night, I am up really late doing my homework and waking up at 4:30 for cheer practice before school and then going straight to zero hour. Most activities are held after school. but with as much homework who would wanna attend.
there is way to much homework, we are required to spend more than 6 hours a day at school why come home and have to work there.
February 5th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Permanent Link
This site is very true, we kids don’t just do sports, do homework, eat, go to bed. That life would be boring, and we are here to enjoy our life in a good way, without ruining it. I find hangingout with friends very fun, and somtimes homework, on stuff that i get but i have to do anyways gets in the way of my social life. Its extremely pointless!
February 24th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Permanent Link
Oh, and i got another thing to say(Has to do with what Courtney said) We go to school for 6-7 hours right? Well my school maxed possible school time legally, and the Full time job for the average adult is about 7-9 hours. Yet we are expected to have 2-3 hours over our 6-7 hours in homework. Concidering we have been working in school our whole lives, i think we deserve rest time at home. Get what i am saying?
February 24th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Permanent Link
I truly am glad there are other people that feel the way I do about the homework overload. I’m working on an essay about it right now. I find it really interesting that the people who advocate homework so much are those who don’t have to do it. Now apparently teenagers have become completely incompetent to know when it is to much, but they want us to learn responsibility. Then they wonder why so many people are depressed. Unless you’ve experienced homework you shouldn’t talk. Especially when they say its just two hours. NO, its two hours plus the six we go to school. Two hours is not true though, I spend anywhere from 4-8 is I’m lucky. SO don’t tell me that the real world will spit people like me out. I work and manage everything else I have to do and you know what I am/ will be fine. Apparently some people cannot count. It doesn’t ” build character. It destroys a childhood. Teachers also need to realize kids don’t just have school or just their class going on. God-for-bid we have a life outside school. Take a look at what is really going on!
February 24th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Permanent Link
Krystal: Will you send me a copy of your essay when it’s finished? You might have noticed that I sometimes publish students’ work on my blog.
February 25th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Permanent Link
i really think that we should have less homework
i am a grade eight student and sometimes i end up doing more than 3 hours of homework.i wish life would not be this stressful for teens.
March 3rd, 2008 at 10:49 pm
Permanent Link
next year i am going to go to high school and i am very scared because as a grade eight they give me lots of homework and if i go to high school for sure they will give even more.
i think your right the teachers should give us less homework.
I WISH I DIDN’T HAVE HOMEWORK FOR AT LEAST ONE DAY A MONTH!!!!!!
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:27 pm
Permanent Link
One day a month doesn’t seem like too much to ask for. Have you talked to your student council representatives to see whether they would bring this up at a meeting?
March 4th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Permanent Link
im doing a dabate and this really helps but i think people should still get studying but its no fair for teachers to give us pages andpages of homework
March 11th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Permanent Link
i think that they should not have homework and i know that i have a 7th grade child and i know that when she gets out of school i have things to do with her and it is hard to get my plans done cause she has to do so much homework and i dont want to leave her home alone so i just wait until she is done and i cant make her not do it cause it is part of her grades and i dont want her failing her classes so i just wait
March 14th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Permanent Link
I REALLY LIKE THIS STORY IS GREAT AND IT HELP’S ME START MI PERSUASIVE ESSAY! ME AS A 6TH GRADE STUDENT DONT MIND DUING HOMEWORK BUT I THINK THAT STUDENTS SHOULD GET A REST…THANK YOU THIS WEBSITE WILL SURELY HELP ME RITE THE PERFECT ESSAY.
April 28th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Permanent Link
OH, AND I FORGOT IF YOUR A TEACHER YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT THE HOMEWORK YOU GIVE YOUR STUDENTS BECAUSE IF ITS ALOT FOR US ..IS WORST FOR YOU TEACHERS BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO CHECK MORE….{{TEACHERS WE ARE LOGICAL ALREADY}} HOMEWORK IS NOT MAKEING NOTHING BETTER!
April 28th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Permanent Link
As a parent, I had seen the pain my daughter and son, suffered as they already knew the Math or science concepts yet they still have to complete the assigned homework by the teachers. Now they are home school. “No more homework”. They may have to do a lot more assignments eg 46 exercises for Math 20 Pure, 16 assignment + quizzes, for soc. st 20 but they are able to track along their own pace. As a highly discipline kids, they work in summer 4-7 hrs per day, take off 3 months holiday to South East Asia, and still able to complete all their courses, + playing Wii sports + hanging out with friends.
All because they are not confined within the 4 walls of school. Knowing how to prioritize, home school is Totally flexible to fit their lifestyle.
My daughter needs to train 4- 6 hrs per day for Arctic Winter Games, she did not complete any courses during training months, but once competition was over, she focused and set goals. She just completed both Science 10 and ELA10 and Soc St 10 in 3.5 months. ie classwork is home work at all time!
They work on tasks assigned to succeed. All courses are meant to be completed within a yr but for any reasons need to be extended for another yr, it is permitted by paying $100 reregistration.
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:35 am
Permanent Link