If I conduct a poll amongst students right now, am sure around 80% of the crowd would sign the petition to abolish homework forever. This age-old technique has received intense hatred from students, but still, its popularity remains untouched. Take a round of any school campus, and you would hear a unanimous cry, “Why do teachers give homework?â€
I am ready to take a bet on this, find me one teacher who does not like giving homework or does not support it. However much irritating and boring students find it, but teachers understand its hidden advantages in student’s career and life. So let us first focus our attention on teacher’s perspective of why do they think it is an important practice and should continue to exist.
Ever wondered; why do teachers give homework?
- Let’s just say; practice makes the man perfect
Most of the teachers who were asked on advantages of homework replied that it is the best way to make the student practice what was covered in the class. If homework were not there, there would be no other way of making the child sit and study the concepts covered in the class.
- Best way to measure child’s progress
It is unjust to expect the teacher to judge you solely on your classroom performance. Some students might require homework because,
- They are slow at learning, and 20 minutes of classroom studies might not be sufficient for them
- They simply cannot concentrate in class and need some alone time to work better
- Some might just find it tough to understand at once and need to revisit the concept and rehearse it again and again till understood finally.
- Some face language problems that can be solved if they slowly revisit the concept at home.
- Some students do not understand simply by listening to teachers; they need to go through the material to understand it.
For these types of students, homework works as a boon. And even the teacher get to judge them properly based on their overall grades. So, considering the teacher’s perspective, homework is the best thing that can happen to a student.
- To avoid the ‘break of ‘
The simplest reply to all those who wonder why do teachers give homework is that homework helps the students to remember what was done in the earlier class. It is not important that every subject period will come daily, due to which students often forget what was discussed in the earlier class. Hence, homework is the best way to keep the memory of the past classes fresh in student’s mind.
- Students have lower attention span
An average period in most of the schools is around 30 minutes. And it would be highly ambitious of any teacher to think that student would remain attentive and vigilant for that entire duration. To deal with this lower attention span of students, homework was devised. It helps students effectively in covering up for all the course material that they couldn’t pay attention to in the classroom.
- Let’s student work at their own arena
Some teachers take extra effort in selecting a homework that makes the student think out of the textbook. These kinds of assignment topics make the student go through the internet and other out-of-the-course books in search for the answers. Thus it indirectly helps in broadening and enhancing child’s knowledge.
Advantages of homework in a student’s life
I have heard a lot of students cribbing and getting frustrated asking, why do teachers give homework? A lot of them might feel that once the school is over, they must be allowed to enjoy their personal time in a way that they like. They argue that already academic tension has taken a toll on their lives, and homework works in aggravating that stress level.
Well, all arguments and irritations took respectfully, but the studies have something else in store for all the students out there. After the cold war, it was found that Russian students were way smarter than American kids especially because they accepted the importance of homework and included it as an inevitable part of their curriculum. Not just that, homework helps the students in many more ways, those are,
- Student becomes wise and independent
Homework works wonder in making a child schedule his time. To finish his homework, he would but obviously make a routine chart by wisely cutting out his play time to accommodate homework in it. It would teach him time management and will allow him to work independently. This discipline and independence would serve him well throughout his life.
- Improves learning and thinking
When a child sits alone and concentrates on the course material to complete his homework, his learning and concentration become much better than when he is sitting a classroom. And an attempt to remember what was discussed in class in order to do the homework will improve his memory.
So homework might seem boring at an onset, but it works as a great brain exercise and feeds one’s mind with valuable virtues.
- Allows him to explore his interests
I remember, back in my school days, how irritated I had got when I had to finish my science project for an exhibition. But once I started working on it, I realized how much I enjoyed science and understood the application of it in real life much better.
Similarly, many students might be unable to realize their real interest and explore their hidden talents till they are forced to work on it. Homework sets a foundation for our growing career and varying interests.
- Makes him use his potential to the fullest
Answer me truthfully, how many of you have visited your school libraries and science labs without any external force. The best way to make students use these available resources is to assign them homework that deals with material written in these books.
And in theurge of completing the homework, thechild would definitely go and read up these unexplored books and the internet which would definitely help him in his coming life. This reinforced learning also helps him in gaining self-confidence.
- Make him responsible for his own work
Homework teaches students the biggest virtue of life; Responsibility. By imbibing this daunting habit of homework completion, students will definitely learn to take responsibility for their own work. It will make them curious, and they will definitely learn to question, thus will become much smarter than before.
- Parent child interaction:
Last but not the least; it gives parents a chance to engage in their child’s academics. Thus works wonder in improving parent-child relationships. Also, it helps parents in understanding their child’s intelligence so that they can take measures in improving it.
Conclusion
So next time you ask, why do teachers give homework? Sit and think about the advantages that it beholds. Even though it increases the stress level of students and leaves him with very less personal time. But the overall development that it brings in one’s life is incomparable.
It is ok to hate it as it stands as the culprit of stealing our free time. But remember bitter the medicine, better the effect. So hold all your grudges in and get ready to do your homework.