When teachers assign homework there is usually an audible sigh from the class, followed by murmuring about how no one wants to do it, and it is easy to understand why.

Often times homework is simply busy work to get students to memorize facts rather than a positive constructive experience where students internalize the information and actually learn.

Amanda Kadi, LHS psychology teacher, has received many praises from her students about her leniency with homework.

“I typically don’t give out homework.” said Kadi, “People are so busy with jobs and activities and stuff like that, and it’s hard to get all of that done in one night.”

Kadi’s policy with homework is completely controlled by the student whether they have homework or not.

“If I’m going to have people work on something I usually give class time to be able to work on it, but I also feel that requires people to actually work on it during class,” said Kadi.

Kadi’s methods are a great example of how homework should be handled. Whether the students have homework or not is within their own power. They can choose to use their time wisely in class or can let it roll over into homework.

Students go to school for upwards of seven hours a day with a hour in each class, so why shouldn’t all of our learning be done in school? Why should students have to carry their school day with them into their personal lives?

On the other side of this, there is the argument that giving homework teaches students time management, responsibility and perseverance. It also provides an outlet for parents to know what exactly their child is learning about in school, so they can help.

However, if homework was not assigned, students would have more time to spend with friends and family, making them less stressed. They would also be able to get to sleep earlier which would make everyone’s day better, teachers and parents included.

Rather than teachers spending countless hours grading homework that they assign, they could spend that time creating lesson plans that do not make homework necessary. Students then could get done all of the work they need to in school, making it possible to cut out homework entirely.