Completion Over Caring: How Our Homework System Fails Us

          Last night, I checked Canvas to see my math homework and got excited when I saw that we only had six problems to do for the night. Flipping to the page on my Calculus textbook, my feelings shifted from joy to despair when I realized each problem consisted of an “a” to “f” part, and I realized there was no way I was finishing my homework by the end of study hall. After the 55-minute limit, my sole goal became finding each problem’s answer and explanation on Quizlet so I could finally move on. Lawrenceville’s current homework system determines daily workloads based on the level of the class, ranging from two to five  hours each night. Although homework has its benefits, the unrelenting nature of mandatory nightly assignments actively harms students by encouraging and rewarding ineffective and unenjoyable learning habits from the very beginning of one’s time at Lawrenceville.

          Lawrentians, feeling pressured to finish their homework even though teachers tell them to stop at a specific time limit, see their workload as a checklist to finish and not an opportunity for learning—a problem as deep as our academic culture itself. I can’t count how many days I’ve checked Canvas to try and distribute my time efficiently, and as a result, focused on completion rather than growth. Beyond just homework, the high standards that some teachers hold make it uniquely difficult to invest appropriate time to understand the material. Even in classes capped at 55 minutes of homework per night, students will often work well past an hour to gain a strong grasp of the material. Teachers, assuming their students finished the homework in the expected 55 minutes, continue to give similar workloads for future assignments, perpetuating demanding work cycles. The situation will worsen next school year, as three extended classes per day would exacerbate homework issues, encouraging students to scurry to finish longer assignments in the same amount of time. 

          The current school system actively harms students' learning, by prioritizing completing tasks over enjoying and engaging with material—our current system normalizes the need for students to always play catch-up by teaching themselves without proper feedback; of course, Consultation provides an outlet for students to ask questions and clarify concepts, but the limited time each day combined with the amount of students that arrive make it almost impossible for struggling students to catch up in a productive way. Without the “required” aspect of homework, students will be able to prioritize reflection over completion and focus on understanding the material first before attempting further enrichment. 

          The best solution would be the removal of the mandatory aspect of homework and instead offering tasks that students could complete and learn from if they choose outside of class. Even if some students end up falling behind, Lawrenceville is all about learning from mistakes and discovering the ways we learn best as individuals, which can be seen by the varied levels of effort it takes for different students to thrive in different classes. Instead of just feeding students a narrow path to success, the School should provide flexible resources to support a variety of futures. Homework’s mandatory nature doesn’t motivate kids to be less lazy; dropping mandations would promote intrinsic motivation for students to study, rather than an external incentive revolving around grades. After all, we’re still just kids, and as we grow up, let’s not forget that our learning should always be sprinkled with joy.