IT!

If homework helped, I'd be smarter by now

I have been told since I was in kindergarten that homework is a good thing. I remember being excited the first time my teacher sent me home with work to do. I didn't know the excitement would fade quickly as I went through school. Each year I became less and less interested in doing "homework" outside of the classroom. I know this must sound like I am lazy and not interested in learning, but that's not it.

In the fourth grade, it was clear to me that most of the time homework was about doing exercises that the textbooks refer to as practice. I have had some teachers who were willing for the students to work as many of the exercises as they needed to in order to comprehend the material, but this was not the norm. Most of my teachers seem to think or work under the assumption that to be fair to all students, everyone has to practice the same number of times.

In theory, I understand this principle, but in reality not everyone needs the same amount of practice. So much for individuality and student-centered teaching. The present homework system seems to be: What's good for one is good for all. I disagree with this way of dealing with education in the 21st century.

Why not tap my interest, and every other student's interests, by finding out where we are individually before we are all classified as "the same"? By the time we reach middle and high school, it should be clear to the teachers, by all the previous tests we have taken, where our strengths lie. Is it asking too much to factor that in and give that information to teachers so they can maximize their teaching time with all students?

It seems logical that if I am strong in math, then don't bog me down with practice homework. I am sure that when my weaknesses are pointed out, I will need extra time to do homework in that class. See, in the end it will average out, because I know very few students who excel without much effort in every area of school.

My next issue with homework is why it has to be given over the weekends. It's not fair that our whole life has to revolve around school. I don't believe human beings were placed on this earth to evaluate algebraic expressions or to conjugate verbs en espanol. When are we supposed to carry out our real lives?

The way I see it, I work really hard all week long and when the weekends come, I need to be able to sleep in, hang out with my friends and take a break. It seems educators would understand this, as the more work they give to us, the more weekend work they make for themselves. Duh, this is a no-brainer!

Teachers work hard all week too, and they must get very bored doing the same papers and reading the same reports repeatedly. Sometimes I hear educators complain about how little they get paid for what they do. Why can't we work out a deal? Give less homework, even just on the weekends, and they would decrease the number of hours they have to work each week. We would all be much more pleasant on Mondays and everyone would start out each week rested and more relaxed.

Let me reiterate my point of view: I hate homework. Oh, by the way, my parents would appreciate me not being so miserable on the weekends too. So, what do you say; can we work out a deal? How about a trial period: four weekends without homework and then we will do an evaluation?

- IT! Private thoughts of the Indomitable Teen is written by Cecilia Tucker under the editorial guidance of a panel of teenagers (in exchange for pizza and volunteer hours). Tucker is a licensed marriage and family therapist at the Counseling Center for New Direction in Seminole. Comments are welcome. You may write c/o: IT!, Xpress, the Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or e-mail Floridian@sptimes.com If you are interested in being on the teen editorial panel, please contact Cecilia Tucker at revcecilia@msn.com

Here's the rest of today's Xpress