All students have a deep connection with the word ‘homework.’ The involvement has reached to a limit that now students consider this a part of their student life. But if someone tries to search the beginning of it then one will find the ground of formal education system in the United States. But in the beginning, it was a math problem calculation or some spelling practice which evolved to a more critical and complex assignments as the time moved to an advance state. This has produced dual effects in the parents and teachers.
- The beginning revisited:
In the beginning homework was a mental exercise. Mathematics and language had been the main focus of it. Students had to memorize spellings and also had to calculate math problems. In the twentieth century, mind has been recognized as muscles that can be improved with serious mental exercises. Homework was marked as that mental exercise. Homework was named so as this exercise could be done at home and for this it had some good reputations and effects on children and parents equally.
- What brought the change?
The continuous process of practicing homework became a flat project maintaining. In the 1940s, this homework had taken a shape of complex problem solving. The favor it gained in the beginning was lost due to the behavior of repetition. As time moved toward 1950s, the situation worsened. People start believing that homework has lostall its potentiality and is actually stopping children from a natural growth and acknowledgement modern technology.
- The continuous ups and downs:
In the 1960s another disagreement took place against homework. It has been put forward that homework is actually consuming all natural capabilities of children and stopping them from natural growth. This idea again changed and became a less hardy when a report from The National Commission on Excellence in Education came out by the name of A Nation at Risk where the homework has been presented as defense technique against mediocrity found inside American educational systems. This path has been proudly followed in the 1990s as the educational system has taken much more stern appearance and standard was found to be increased.
- Too much pressure harming mental state:
This situation didn’t change till now. But a position of any student has been found facing danger with homework. Too much homework is mental stress. Some parents agree that a day’s complete school hours are enough for studying. Doing some exercising for better understanding is good. But as students face piled up homework and assignments it can affect them. They are becoming tired each and every day and finding no mental relaxation. The natural growth of inner qualities is also blocked with huge homework in their daily schedule.
Some teachers are also found mentioning their troubles with homework. Regular basis of small practice sheet is alright. But the problem arises with bigger and tougher projects. Teachers are busy scheduling for exam, preparing notes and also checking answer sheets. In this small period of time if they have to fix homework, sometimes they face troubles to clear all doubts every children has with them. But as it is a requirement of the school they cannot deny this at all.
- Quotes concerned with homework:
It is quite a fabulous idea that some ideologists found it easier to motivate children with quotes. Some quotes are connected with homework. For example, “To get something you’ve never had, you have to do something you’ve never done.†But as time moved closer to the parodies and making a huge impact with funny yet meaningful punch lines the learning became much more difficult. For example now you can see lines like, “my mom becomes a witch if I don’t do the homework.†This line is what presenting the student’s discovery of their mother’s behavioral change when they are not willing to do homework.
Some common example with homework has moved into daily lives and out of school life, like, “Do your homework before taking a trip.†“It’s obvious they didn’t do their homework before they presented their proposal.â€
- The dire consequences unlike its actual purpose:
As I have mentioned already that homework in the US has been simple tasks of reading, writing or memorizing which made practice easier. But time changed and so did homework and their effects on the students. Teachers are often found to act static and giving everyone equally difficult homework. This made students with poor situation fail easily. Generally, students with poor background doesn’t possess permitting environment to complete tough homework. Homework these days have connection with grades which made it clear why those students fail.
- The questionable position of homework:
Anyone can understand that homework now is not homework then. Its state of very existence has been put to some questions. Now many teachers and parents are providing enough reasons to avoid homework altogether. In the 19th century, primary grades had students with multiage. Teachers never tried giving them homework. In high school level, students had to learn history, mathematics, literature, geography etc.These made it necessary to do homework for practicing. But now this doesn’t follow that rule and it changed into serious and heavy workloads.
- The anti-homework movement:
This homework started giving many unhealthy habits and bad health to the children. A question of the necessity of homework risen up with an anti-homework movement in the 20th century. This progress was felt to the deepest core of educational system.
The beginning of homework was never to create burden for children. It had some purpose to practice for better results. But you can see the difference now. So if you are thinking of Should I sleep or do homework? The high time has arrived? My advice is, don’t ignore homework. It will affect your grades. Time is changing and so is education system.
I had difficult time believing this change of meaning in homework and also doing it. I used to research on things that meant homework and it always came to a conclusion that it means simpler way to do things for practice and memorizing. But this change hasn’t been there forever. So there are chances that this system will be cracked and natural and healthy ways of learning will start again.