Some students these days just seem lazy and have no energy to do anything. Just getting homework done seems like a huge chore. We had conferences last night and I kept repeating over and over again that the parent’s child needs to do homework. But then I start to thing, does homework really help? Yes it keeps the students busy but does it really help?
I personally think it helps to some extent. A few problems here and there to get the point across would work, maybe 5-10 problems. But I remember in math class I kept doing the same thing over and over again for 30-40 problems a night, this occurred in science as well. I like giving somewhere around 10 problems; they might be more difficult and use more items we have covered in class. But it seems to me that it is actually working. So do more repetitive problems help students learn?
I am seeing laziness in the classroom as well. I teach two classes that are mostly participation. If you show up and get your work done you get credit for it, so little to no homework. I have some students who just don’t do anything in class, sit there like a lump on a log. Is there a way to motivate these students? When I ask other teachers about them, they are doing the same thing in their classes as well. So no one is winning here. Have students these days just don’t care about school? Do they like to sit there and have everyone wait on them? I just don’t like doing more work than they are doing in class. Why should I put more effort into helping them pass the class if they don’t want to?
What is happening to motivation these days?? Too much TV, video games, cell phones, what is happening to the youth?
I too have this problem. I feel the same way about homework as well. What is the "right" thing to do as far as the amount to assign. Whats the point to assign 5 problems of homework if they are not even going to attempt 1? This reminded me of one of my students. He was so mad at me for assigning 6 problems of homework the other day that he blew up on me. He mentioned "Why do we have to do homework? Its taking up all my XBOX time!" These words came out of a student who's grade was only 30% at the time.
ReplyDeleteI like to think its just laziness and a generation of people who think everything needs to be handed to them for free. I've heard students say that they can find the answer to anything just by using google. So what is the point of doing homework and actualy learning something when you can just look up the answer in a matter of seconds? Its very frusterating indeed!
I feel both of your stresses. I try to reiterate the point that this type of thinking, math and science, technical reading and life skills are things that you are going to use in the future. It really isn't the homework part...it's about the thinking and being responsible in completing a task and stretching your brain.
ReplyDeleteYes it's true there are a lot of simple answers to homework questions available online. Learning is so much more than accessing information. It is the explanation and rationalization of how the solution was found. I would challenge students to truly test their smarts by applying higher level thinking to their boring, x-box stealing home work time. Do they know how the internet answer was found? Do they know if it is creditable? Do they actually believe that you can find all answers to problems by looking online?
Frustrating I know, but at the end of the day if they are going to be a competitive and successful person, they are going to need to do some "thinking" in life. Unfortunately often times it involves finding solutions to problems on your own not on the internet.
I’ve been frustrated with this as well, Alison! I actually made it one of my goals this year to stress the importance of homework with my Basic English kids. They typically aren’t very good about doing homework so I wanted to start the year off w/ really stressing how important completing homework is and how important staying on top of schoolwork is. I talked to them about how the homework that I assign is truly to help prepare them for assessments. I feel like students in Basic are doing a little bit better with regularly turning in their homework.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Larissa. Students need to develop the habit of working their brains and also really need to work on improving their work ethic. It seems like since so many teenagers don’t naturally go home and study on their own, that homework is almost the way that we can “train” students to be better thinkers and students.
I feel like a major part of this problem is that many students don't really see the big picture. they think that despite their poor academic performance in high school, they will magically transform those bad habits when they get into college. They don't see the importance/connection between their free public high school education and where they want to be in 15 years. Although they've failed or gotten a D in their Social Studies classes and or English classes they still think they will be a lawyer. I'm not saying that struggling students can't be successful in college and in professional careers, I'm just saying that some students have a warped sense of what they actually have to do to get what they want or they simply don't know what they want so they really don't have anthing to motivate them.
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