Human Factors in Education

         In education today there are multiple personalities and qualities of effective leaders.  Due to these personality types many times there are communication problems that occur. These personality types or human relationship factors are presented in many forms and can range from a positive attitude to a negative one.  When in the workplace one must understand the factors that teachers have and factors that the administration has.  Teachers need to have productivity, loyalty, and reliability in order to gain support, resources and opportunity from the administration (Bergeron, T. 1987).  How teachers demonstrate these strengths is directly related to how they relate in the work place. Because of the need for educational reform in today’s schools, there is a demand “for a broader conception of school leadership, one that shifts from a single person, role-oriented view to a view of leadership as an organizational property shared among administrators, teachers, and perhaps others” (Smylie & Hart as cited in Murphy, 2005).   This paper will examine 9 different human factors that can lead to a breakdown or a support of communication.  These factors are:  dependability, integrity, works well with others, fair, hardworking, positive attitude, appearance, acceptance of others, and socialization.  We will also examine how these relation ship factors affect the Douglas County School District in Colorado.  We will also review an educational meeting and how these factors played a roll in the meeting process.

                                    What are these factors?

             Dependability is represented in the work place as being consistently at work and on time, follows instructions, responds to teachers’ ideas and groups’ suggestions for direction and solicits feedback to improve performance. When an employee or employer shows these abilities it can have a positive impact in the work place. Likewise if these qualities are not met then it can lead to distrust.  In order to have the ability of dependability the employee needs to be able to understand the teachers’ and the students’ and be open to suggestions Integrity may be one of the most valuable aspects in the work place.  The employee that has this ability prioritizes and plans work activities, uses time efficiently and develops realistic action plans. They can demonstrate accuracy and thoroughness and monitors own work to ensure quality. The employee is honest and informs all members of the team with the same information. They are able to maintain confidentiality, remain open to others’ ideas and exhibits willingness to try new things. The knowledge they need to posses these skills is what is important to tell the team members and how to balance work and play.

            Employees need to be able to work well with others.  If there is always tension in the workplace then it will affect work production.  In order to work well with others one needs to speak clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations, demonstrates group presentation skills and conducts meetings effectively. They adapt to changes in the work environment, manage competing demands and are able to deal with frequent change, delays or unexpected events.

            Fairness is another area of interest.  Fairness is not necessarily making things evenly distributed, but reflects more on the ability to give each team what that teammate needs.  A teacher who shows fairness treats teachers equally, assesses and handles students fairly.  In order to be fair and professional the teacher needs to know the standards, policies and procedures at the state, local and national level.

            Employers are looking for hardworking employees and employees look for hard working employers.  In a school setting it is especially important to teachers that the administration expects no less of them then they themselves would do.  When teachers and administrators are hard workers they consistently give their energy, efforts, thoughts, and expertise to help the school be successful.

            The human factor that has the highest impact is ones attitude.  A positive attitude can motivate and make the work place a great place to be.  The teacher who has a positive attitude has the ability to see the positive side of a situation and work towards an anticipated outcome. When the teacher uses negativity to manipulate or complain, many times the lowers the productivity of those around them. 

            Although many schools don’t want to admit it appearance is a definite factor in developing a relationship in the school.  Appearance starts as a simple reaction to another person, a first impression.  Making sure you are clean and well groomed has a large impact on a school setting.  After the first impression comes the professional impression.  If a teacher wants to be treated as a professional then their appearance should be professional as well.

            The eighth human factor that affects schools is the acceptance of others.  In today’s schools teachers and administrators deal with different personality types and cultures.  Whether in a meeting, discussion or collaboration teachers must have a general respect and acceptance of the other educators.  When acceptance and respect leave a school then the atmosphere in the school becomes very tense and unable to provide the basic need of safety and security. 

            Lastly socialization plays a large roll in the atmosphere of a school.  Educators need to be able to socialize with one another to create a sense of comradely within the school.  When teachers feel at ease to discuss their goals and personal life then that feeling of friendship carries over to providing support to one another in the school.

                        How do these factors affect the Douglas County School District?

            These factors all play a vital role in the school system and have an effect in the Douglas County school district.  In the Douglas county school district all employees are required to dress and act professionally which fits into the human factor of appearance.  Douglas county also self professes itself as a school district that not only is professional but is also a family.  It is that family feeling that takes into account the other eight factors previously mentioned.  Teachers need to have the basic feeling of safety and security in order to create a safe and secure classroom for their students.  By being surrounded by professionals that have integrity, dependability, fairness, and a positive attitude and are hardworking, they can maximize their potential to have a great classroom atmosphere. 

                        What is the roll of human factors in making board decisions?

            During two recent board meetings hot topic items were discussed that demonstrated the importance of knowing how human relation issues affect the outcome of a decision.  On May 5th, 2009 the Douglas county school board had its monthly meeting and on the agenda was the issues of decreased transportation to rural areas.  This was a very controversial subject due to the heightened feelings of budget cuts threw out the district.  A recent bond issue did not pass in the November election limiting the amount of money that Douglas County has.  The failure of the bond issue caused havoc in the district with cut backs, lay offs, and putting the district into millions of dollars of dept.  To combat some of the expenses Douglas County re-routed their bus routes, cut many routes off and stated charging the rental of buses to go from 3 dollars per student to 9 dollars per student.  The issue brought forth many parents that were located in the southern sections of the county.  These areas are mainly rural and have a difficult time getting their children to school.  At the meeting there were several parents and they were given the opportunity to speak on the behalf of their area.  It was interesting to see how the parents interacted with the board.  The first parent was Cindy Applegate.  She was dressed very professionally and introduced herself with the title of professor.  By telling the board she was a professor it gave the board a deeper respect just based on appearance. The board was very professional and listened to Ms. Applegate and her concerns.  The next parent to was Cindy Parker.  Cindy did not have a title and although she was dressed nicely it wasn’t a professional outfit.  The board was less receptive to Cindy and her concerns.  Cindy’s attitude was not as positive and left a negative feeling in the room.  The next speaker was a local principal and the bard changed the direction of the meeting by thanking the principal for his years working within the school district and said they would address the transportation issue later.  The feeling in the room was one of general let down and distrust.  The parents no longer felt that their voices were heard and understood that the discussion was over.  It shows that with the human factors of trust taken away the parents realized that they would not get the answers or results they anticipated from the meeting.  This is a very good example of when the positive attributes of human relations start a meeting in a positive direction until those attributes start to take on negative feelings and the meeting followed the negative reactions.

            At another meeting taking place on March third there three parents present that all had different agendas for the board to hear.  The first parent talked about the need for better aquatics in the school district.  Se was very passionate about her belief in the increased need to maintain and improve the counties swimming pools.  She presented herself in a way that was very warm and excepting.  The board explained the finance troubles the district is under and promised to re-visit the issue.  The second parent was concerned with security and parking at the local high schools.  This was a very emotional topic since Colorado was coming up on the 10th anniversary of the Columbine shootings.  The board explained that every precaution is taken into account when dealing with student safety and those specific instances would be looked into.  The final parent to speak commented on educational policies.  Although the board was direct and professional it was defiantly felt that they were in charge.  I do not think the parents at this meeting felt as if they had any voice in their concerns.  When dealing with human factors it is vital that participants feel a balance between their actions and those of the leadership.  I am not sure the balance was gained hear.  When there is a misbalance it productivity decreases and the issues did not get resolved. 

                                                Conclusion

            The job force is indicated with different cultures, personalities, and beliefs.  Education is not immune to these variations.  How then with all the differences do we find a way to work for a greater goal?  The answer is discovering what factors with allow the school to have positive growth and which factors will have a negative impact. 

Teachers need to have a basic feeling of safety and security and this comes from a balance in what the employer gives and what the employee contributes.  By addressing simple human relationship factors such as acceptance, socialization, integrity and dependability the school can build a strong foundation on which students can grow.

                                                            References

Martinez, M. C. (2004).  Teachers Working Together for School Success.  Thousand Oaks, CA:  Corwin Press.

Murphy, Joseph (2005).  Connecting Teacher Leadership and School Improvement.  Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

I thought I knew what it felt like to be bullied

I thought I was in a safe environment. A group on facebook where people from around the world gathered to exchange information and tips on a range of topics. I understood it to be a forum where I could ask questions and people would offer solutions and support without judgement.

When a subject I was interested in was posted, I joined the conversation. Being in a different time zone, most of the others were sleeping then, so I didn't check the forum again until the next day.

A lot happened on the other side of the globe during the night, and I woke to find I was the subject of abuse and condemnation. As I read the responses, I was shocked that such an innocent question had triggered angry and targeted outbursts by a few of the women.

I'd like to say that it didn't affect me. As an adult I should have been able to brush it off, but how could I when the insults had followed me to my community page on facebook too!

I felt embarrassed, hurt and physically ill. Being new to the group, I was sure my reputation was in tatters before it was even established.

Stunned, miserable and completely deflated, my entire agenda for the day had gone out the window. I struggled to get a handle on my emotions and understand what had happened. I didn't think I'd said anything that should have triggered such a public attack! 

My first reaction was to leave the group, but there was a part of me that felt that wasn’t the answer.

I felt like a victim as the reality of my first cyberbullying experience started to sink in. Then it occurred to me that these women must have been victims too.

Drawing on the work I do with school children, I thought about the bullies whose hearts I help to soften by teaching them how to be kind.

I thought about the way most people respond to bullies with anger and hatred. There's usually no consideration or empathy for the hardships a bully has endured. Few are able to imagine what someone's may have been through to become so bitter and angry that they want to belittle others.

When I applied this to these women, I felt a softening and wondered what they had been through to respond that way.

The whole experience got me thinking about other victims of bullying. Many children and adult endure much worse than I had, relentlessly tormented every day.

In days gone by, it was bullying in the schoolyard that kids could shut the door on when they went home. What makes it worse now is that bullying is now longer confined and it's claiming lives!

Modern bullying is in your face! The advent of the internet and mobile phones means bullies are everywhere. With you in your pocket, your home and your bedroom... there's just no escape!

Too many children have become statistics. Often unsupported because they're uncomfortable talking about it. Sometimes they're ashamed or feel that they'll disappoint their parents if they tell. My own son begged me not to tell the teachers about a time when he was being bullied because he feared it would get worse!

It makes me feel sick knowing this is a reality for so many kids and their families. How do they cope, go to school and where's the joy in their life if that's what they've got to deal with every day?

When I looked up the latest statistics on cyberbullying, I was horrified to find that McAfee reported an increase.

"Despite significant efforts to discourage cyberbullying and its negative effects, the number of occurrences continues to grow with 87% of youth having witnessed cyberbullying.

Of those who responded they were cyberbullied, 72% responded it was due to appearance while 26% answered due to race or religion and 22% stated their sexuality was the driving factor.

Of those who witnessed cyberbullying, 53% responded the victims became defensive or angry, while 47% said the victims deleted their social media accounts, underscoring its significant emotional impact.

While the study reveals cyberbullying continues to represent a serious problem for youth, the 2014 survey found 24% of youth would not know what to do if they were harassed or bullied online."

My own experience and the horrifying data makes me fear for the future and how many more innocent lives will be damaged or destroyed! It makes me more determined than ever to do my part in changing the way kids interact. It's gone on long enough and I don't know how we expect things to change if we don't change the way we approach the issue. www.soscoupons.com 

We're not going to stop bullying overnight, we need an ongoing, long term plan.

As past approaches seem to be falling short, we have to change the way we tackle bullying. I'm convinced that we have to confront it with its psychological opposite - kindness. It's far more effective to teach children the positive behaviour that will help them understand what it means to be a good friend.

In-school character education and kindness programs address bullying in a positive way. They also equip students with the social and emotional skills they'll need all their lives. 

Kids are suffering and sometimes being pushed to breaking point! It makes me sad and angry to think we really haven't come very far in this war against bullying, even after investing so much time and money. It's time to stop talking about bullying and start teaching kindness!

Watching my daughter transform with Candor!

My daughter has been studying in Candor International for two years and we have seen her change, from being a withdrawn girl to a more confident one. It makes me so happy as a father as she wasn’t always so confident and struggled with major issues from the time she turned eight.  She was always a quiet and shy child but was good in studies and though she took long to make friends, when she did she cherished her friends and was so generous with them.  We were living in Chennai then and she was studying in a pretty famous school. Her primary years in school seemed okay, but once she went to middle school she started to change. She became withdrawn and sullen. She stopped eating and there were days when she refused to go to school. We tried talking to her and cajoling her to tell us what had happened, but she just kept silent.

The school organised a picnic in October and that day my daughter threw her first real tantrum. She refused to go and started bawling. This time we refused to let up.  We pestered and pestered her till she broke down and told us that one of her classmates was bullying her. This girl would go on pulling her hair, hiding her books, hitting her hard on her back and making fun of her along with the other classmates. We went to school the next day and spoke to the teacher who actually tried to dismiss it as all part of growing up. We went straight to the principal who thankfully took the matter more seriously. The bullying stopped but the damage had been done. Our sweet and shy daughter just became withdrawn.

When we moved to Bangalore two years back, we put her in Candor International. It was a new school but we liked the look of it. I shared my daughter’s experience with a teacher recently and was so surprised to hear that a few weeks later Candor International organised a special assembly that dealt with bullying. As parents, we were so happy that the school was taking this matter so seriously. They keep having sessions on different topics and we’ve seen our daughter transform back into the shy but effervescent little girl she is. Candor is a proactive school that really wants children to shine. We are happy our daughter is in such a good school.

The War on Teachers

The stats leave no doubt. There is huge dissatisfaction among teachers. The turnover rate is very high. We need to answer the obvious question, why don’t principals and administrators take better care of their teachers? 

The most recent MetLife Survey revealed: “Teacher Dissatisfaction At An All-Time High.” The NEA Today website continues: “Teacher job satisfaction has plummeted to its lowest level in 25 years, from 62 percent in 2008 to 39 percent in 2012 –- a total of 23 points…More than one-half of teachers report feeling under great stress several days per week, as opposed to one-third in 1985.”

Forbes.com reported: “High Teacher Turnover Rates are a Big Problem for America’s Public Schools….46% of all new teachers in the United States leave the profession within five years…Teachers cite lack of planning time, workload, and lack of influence over school policy among other reasons for their decision to leave…”

Edutopia sums up the situation this way: “Every year, U.S. schools hire more than 200,000 new teachers for that first day of class. By the time summer rolls around, at least 22,000 have quit.” 

Interestingly, less than 20% of teachers cite salary as their primary complaint. About 70% say the big problem is workplace conditions.

This Edutopia story, written by a failed teacher, concludes: “Many of these reasons are just euphemisms for one of the profession's hardest realities: Teaching can exact a considerable emotional toll. I don't know of any other professionals who have to break up fistfights, as I did…. New teachers, however naive and idealistic, often know before they enter the profession that the salaries are paltry, the class sizes large, and the supplies scant. What they don't know is how little support from parents, school administrators, and colleagues they can expect once the door is closed and the textbooks are opened.”

Let’s consider all this bad news from the point of view of the teacher. You might be only 27 or 28 years old. You’ve dreamed about being a teacher for as long as you can remember. You wanted to make a difference in the world. You thought you could help your kids to build a better life. But now you feel you have to walk away from all that. it’s been a horrible experience and you’re pretty sure you can never go back. Just as bad, you borrowed a lot of money and you still have a huge debt to pay. Dreams and money, all gone.

Now let’s consider this situation from the point of view of the Education Establishment. By losing all these burned-out teachers, they have room for a whole new set of starry-eyed rookies who’ll need classrooms, books, and lots of instruction. Thousands of professors will earn a good living making sure these newcomers have the credentials to be sent into the trenches. What if the public schools filled up with experienced, long-time teachers? That could be the end of the gravy train. Point is, the people at the top don’t have a lot of incentive to protect their teachers. Maybe that’s part of the reason they don’t.

Let’s face it, the common denominator in all K-12 education is that teachers are pushed around or left to fend for themselves. The paradigm story is where a teacher has trouble with students, the teacher goes to the principal for help, and the principal grandly declares: you’re a professional, it’s your classroom, take care of it.

There are many separate assaults: constant interruptions; loudspeakers making announcements; students drifting in and out; many unnecessary meetings and so-called professional development (PD); and a general tolerance of disorder and violence. Teachers can’t feel safe. They can’t do much teaching.

It almost seems as if the school system is cunningly designed to make sure only the toughest, most desperate people can survive. Sensitive, highly intelligent teachers would probably be the first to crack. There really does seem to be a war against teachers. Does it have to be this way?

Suppose, first of all, that schools of education prepared teachers at a higher level. (According to Rita Kramer’s book “Ed School Follies,” the training is actually very sketchy.) Then suppose that principals aggressively supported their teachers, and made clear to students that there will be no disrespect shown. Suppose the administrators got a bonus when teachers survived past a third or fourth year. Suppose that was a clearly announced social contract between the school and the community: children are expected to behave, or they will be punished appropriately.

Unfortunately, many teachers think they’re being pushed around by parents, the community, or commentators like me. The teachers seem to identify with the Education Establishment. Isn’t this an example of the Stockholm Syndrome? Teachers actually think they are in the trenches with the Education Establishment. No, teachers are alone in the trenches. I think there are three sets of victims in K-12 education: students, parents, and teachers. The situation can’t be improved until teachers have a clearer view of their reality. They are cannon fodder; they are expendables.

Finally, we’re forced to consider the idea that the indifference to teachers is part of a war on education generally. It’s part of the whole deliberate dumbing-down of America that Charlotte Iserbyt described in her book by that name. 

Undercutting teachers and rendering them ineffective will obviously produce the miserable results that the Education Establishment, in Iserbyt's view, deliberately seeks.

To put that over another way, the last thing the Education Establishment would want is a stable corps of highly professional, experienced teachers. So, by hook and by crook, our education commissars give future teachers inadequate training, and then set them loose in a blackboard jungle. Cold, very cold.

You will know that our Education Establishment is serious about improving education when they start to be fiercely protective of their teachers.

The one thing that has to be done in schools is called teaching. Administrators ought to be reassigned to teaching or security. Perhaps then their priorities will change.

Popular And Demanding Career Choices For Success In 2014

The question - Which college degree program to choose after passing out higher secondary school is very critical for every student. One should pay special care and attention while looking for a higher degree course program to make one's career prospects bright.

In general, before getting into any higher degree course students have almost no-idea about the job prospects of the degree program that they have chosen. So, it is very important to understand the job and career scope of the degree programs for higher education before getting into the course.

Here in this article, some of the best and popular career options and their future scope in job fields are discussed to help students deciding their dream career.

• Training and Education - This career option is related to all the professions in teaching and educating people. This career group includes teaching in schools, colleges and other training programs such as corporate training programs.
• Tourism and Hospitality Industry - Tourism sector is being popular at very fast rate. Those who loves travelling; tourism is best career path for them. Hotel management and tourism management jobs are quite popular and good paying in this category.
• Media and Communication - Online media sector is also popular these days. If you have good communication skills, you can be a good anchor, journalist, and author/writer in TV and Media industry.
• Construction and Architecture - This field focuses on construction and designing various types of structures such as for buildings, roads, bridges etc. Architect, electrician, interior designer, painter etc. are some of the popular jobs in this category.
• Business Management and supervision - In this career group, job that are related to managing a business organization are included. Some of the popular and well-paying managing jobs are related to business management, human resource managing, sales and marketing etc. These days' online MBA courses are much popular and demanding in this career scope.
• Government Services - If you are willing to work for mankind and your nation honestly, government sector is for you. Various military services, civil services, police services and administration services for state and central government come under this category.
• Information and communication technology - In this category, various jobs related to digital technologies such as software, hardware, networking and computing are included. If you have interest in computer technologies, then IT sector has good scope for your career.
• Engineering and Science - This career perspective deals with working for science and technology projects. Development and research are two important fields of this career.

Health Services - This includes medical science including development and research in health science improvement. Doctor, chemist and pharmacist are good career scope in this category.

How to Improve Writing Fluency

With the inclusion of essays on high-stakes tests such as the SAT® and ACT®, as well as many state standards tests and high-school exit exams, the need to improve writing fluency has recently surfaced as a desired goal. Which approaches to writing fluency work best?

1. Teach students to read a variety of writing prompts. Expose students to different content area and writing domain prompts. For example, using social science, literature, and science content with informational, expository, analytical, and persuasive domains. Teach students to read the writing prompt twice—the first time for understanding and the second time to circle the subject and highlight key words.

2. Give students ample practice in turning writing prompts into effective essay topic sentences. “Thesis Turn-Arounds” can be a productive “opener” to any lesson in any subject area. For example, if the prompt reads “Analyze the causes of the Civil War,” students could begin their theses with “Many causes contributed to the Civil War.”

3. Give students practice in developing quick pre-writes to organize a multi-paragraph writing response. Teach a variety of graphic organizers and review how each is appropriate to different writing prompts.

4. Give students practice in writing introductory paragraphs after pre-writing. Give students practice in writing just one timed body paragraph to address one aspect of the essay after pre-writing.

5. Provide immediate individual feedback to students with brief writers conferences.

6. Use the overhead projector to use critique real student samples. Write along with students and have them critique your writing samples.

7. Teach how to pace various allotted essay times. For example, the SAT® essay is only 25 minutes. Most state tests allot 60 minutes. Brainstorm and allocate times before a full essay writing fluency for the following: analysis of the writing prompt, pre-write, draft, revisions, editing.

8. If a brief reading passage is part of the background for the writing task, teach students to annotate the passage with margin notes as they read.

Teaching Writing to a Reluctant Writer

Like many middle-school-aged boys, my son despised writing assignments when we began homeschooling. Having been forced to do voluminous writing assignments when he was still attending school, his initial reaction when I became his teacher was to protest and argue over every writing assignment I gave him. After much trial and error, I found that the best approach was to give him a lot of latitude in choosing the topics and even what days he would write, at least in the beginning. When months began to pass and his writing skills were still weaker than I thought they should be for someone his age and given his abilities in other academic areas, I decided I had to induce him to practice writing more but also had to make it fun. If I didn't, we were going to have struggles over every sentence that ever reached the paper.

One of my first successful ideas was to let him register at Amazon.com to write reviews. Since he is an avid collector of both books and action figures, he was excited about the opportunity to share his views on which ones were worth the money and which weren't. Especially on the topic of action figures, he would happily write several paragraphs on the details of the paint colors, the articulation of the limbs, etc. Our original agreement was that I would not look at the reviews until they were finished, but he would not submit them until we went over them together to check spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. Initially, the spelling and punctuation left a lot to be desired, but he was a lot less resistant to learning to fix these when he knew the finished product could be viewed by anyone on-line. He was also eager to get the reviews posted, because he could then read how many other customers found his comments helpful. Every time he read a new book or bought a new action figure became an opportunity for another writing lesson. Enthusiasm is truly a great teacher because, within six months, his writing (and spelling) had improved drastically. Within another few months, I was able to let him post the reviews before I proofread them (though occasionally a spelling or punctuation slipped through).

Another successful idea, since he is more an artist than a writer, was to give him English assignments that involved drawing. One idea, for instance, after we had just returned from a vacation, was to design a brochure for his ideal vacation resort and hotel. His enthusiasm for the drawing totally overcame his reluctance about the writing, and he ended up doing a truly awesome job. In addition, we combined mathematics into the assignment by having him make one page of the brochure a price listing for various services with different combined package rates.

I always suggest to parents who are trying to get younger children to be more proficient in reading that they pick their child's obsession, be it dinosaurs, cars, or princesses, and check out every book in the library on that topic and nothing else until the child becomes more enthusiastic about reading. To learn to enjoy writing as well, a child needs to be writing about something he or she cares about. Find your child's passion and let literacy flow around it!

After Graduation: What Next? Keep your Momentum Going

Record numbers of college students will be graduating by the end of the month.  With all these  new job candidates entering the employment pool, what should these new graduates consider when moving into the next phase of their lives?

In this economy, finding a job right out of college is challenging but there are a few things students can do to start the job search on the right foot. 

Now is the time to be aggressive, and go into commando mode. Don’t put too much time into your resume, they are overrated.  Resumes should be one page and easy to read. Are you spending days writing a cover letter?  People like me almost never read them.  When you get 100’s of resumes daily, yours must stand out.  Use new tools and technology to help with your job search.  Join LinkedIn, start a Facebook page that focuses on your professional persona.

Here are more tips you can adopt.

• Consider moving back in with your parents. Less stress, less financial demands and more time to look for a job.  Plus a daily dose of advice might be a good source of motivation.  Sorry parents..It is a sign of the times.
• If you can’t find a job, try volunteering or an unpaid internship.  This is a great opportunity to hone your skills and make connections in your field of study.
• Network, network, network.  Don't just rely on the Internet...you must meet people in person. As the old adage goes, ‘sometimes it’s more about WHO you know than WHAT you know.’
• Practice your interview skills! – join a group like Toastmasters and fine-tune your presentation skills.
• Research companies you are interested in.  Don't just send out gobs of resumes to every Tom, Dick & Harry.  Refine your search and make sure you are polished when given the opportunity to make a connection.
• Research the person you are meeting with.  Did you go to the same school or have the same hobbies?  This is a great way to start the conversation and make the interviewer like you.  Remember…people hire people they like, and that person may not be the best person on paper.
• Focus on entry level jobs even if they are not in your field.  You need to add business experience to your resume.  You may also have to get your hands dirty.

We have lots of tips and ideas on our momentum musings blog and videos on our site momentumtrans.com.   Happy hunting!

Do Kids Have Too Much Homework

In the late 90s, feature stories began appearing in the national media about children and parents who were so overwhelmed by the amount of homework that it was destroying their family life and causing psychological damage. The evidence presented in these stories was often anecdotal, profiling just one or two families. However, the articles were published in enough respected publications that they sparked a national debate on whether children have too much homework. Schools scrambled to create homework policies, parents held protests, and children began to receive sharply mixed messages on the value of homework.

In all the fuss, people never realized that the information contained the articles simply wasn't true. In 2003, the Brown Center on Educational Policy at the prestigious Brookings Institution released a report that shattered the perception that American students are staggering under an unreasonable load of homework. In fact, they found just the opposite: American students probably don't spend enough time on homework. Gathering data from a number of studies that had been performed in the late 90s, the Brown Center drew four startling conclusions.

Typical students, from kindergarten to high school, don't spend more than an hour a day doing homework. In fact, pointing to a study done by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, the Brown report found that more than two-thirds of college freshmen did five hours or less of homework during their final year of high school.

The report also analyzed studies and concluded that the homework load for the average student has not increased appreciably since the 1980s. This is in direct opposition to the anecdotal evidence cited in the article of homework increasing to as much as three hours per night.

However, a study performed in 1997 by Michigan State University showed that children at that time were spending just over two hours per week on study, which could include activities other than homework. Interestingly, this study is often used to prove that students have too much homework, since the weekly hours spent on study increased over the life of the study by 23 minutes. The Brown Center postulates that this statistical increase was actually caused by children who previously had no homework at all and because they had advanced in grade, now had homework.

Finally, the Brown report found that, contrary to the articles' portrayal of militant parents protesting homework, most parents are satisfied with the amount of homework their children receive. In fact, if parents were dissatisfied with the amount of homework their children had, it was because they felt it wasn't enough.

Comments from old commenting system.

ok, well now i have so much homework when im in middle school 6th grade...
and i come home and i do my homework and dont go to bed until like 11:00 pm adn i still have to take a shower this is so gay......
Posted 2007-03-21

as an 11th grader with 1 Ap class i have at least 3 to 4 hours of homework a night and with extra curriclular activities i am compleatly full even on weekends Posted 2007-10-02

Im in middle school and already have several hours of homework a day Posted 2007-10-12

its ok, but i moved and i still have a lot of homework Posted 2008-02-05

its crazy how much homework im coming home with... i never have time to play...i always have at least 3 hours of homework!!! Posted 2008-03-15

i have always a lot of homework and i am in 6th grade!!! :( Posted 2008-04-03

What is the point in doing home work like life is sposed to be fun Posted 2008-05-25

if children spend most of their time doing home work then they will learn to have no feelings so if they spend their life working they will do nothing but live to work and so then they will have no feelings for others . . . Posted 2008-09-17

what about me
Posted 2008-09-17

my life is a disaster everyday..i do not have enough sleep everyday....the homeworks is difficult to do if we do not understand what teachers teaching...my homeworks never2 finish..god help me Posted 2008-09-28

Im in seventh grade and have like 4 tests a week and 4 to 5 hours studyng every day cuz im in extended frech i have ebglish and french but yet im still failing!!!! Posted 2008-12-08

That is a nice article. Posted 2008-12-08

homework is bad for kids it gives them to much to worie about its rong and it is no fun for kids they should be abale to do fun stuff not boring its not fun at all im in seventh grade and i say THEY SHOULD BE BANED!!!!!!!!! Posted 2008-12-27

homework is wrong for kids it gives them to much to worie about i am in 7th grade and homework is wrong for kids Posted 2008-12-27

for me i have softball infact i have it every day 4 hours if i wanna keep up with my team-anyway-im in 7th grade and its lyk midnight here- i am still writeing an essay all because of i have softball after school fro 4 hours-home work is NOT fair for busy kids because its hard to keep up with!!!!! its so freakin rediculous!!!!!!!!
Posted 2009-01-27

Homework is a good and bad thing it can help you and it can really boring. Some students have after school activities and dont have time to do homework others may not need hhomework. Therefore I have not made up my mind yet of wheter I like or dislike homework. Posted 2009-01-27

I agree with most kids here! Im only in the 7th grade and yes, I DO spend ALL of the time from afterschool to 1 AM in the morning trying to finish the DARNED HOMEWORK. And guess what?!? I dont even finish all of it. Homework just reviews on what us, chrildren, learned during class so why do it, IF WE ALREADY LEARNED IT?!?! D:<
Gosh! And another thing, my class were talking about this issue and one of my classmates concluded that homework causes physical harm. I agree, there can be endless possabilities about the stress that can be caused by homework alone.
Sigh. Only thing that upsets me is... we cant change it. Yes, us, children, will have no say about the homework at all. Posted 2009-01-27

i have about 4-5 hrs of homework every day and i am in the 8th grade i need a life Posted 2009-01-27

OK im in 8th grade, the teachers give us at least 2 hours of home work per class. Their are times where ill start at 7 oclock at night and end at 2 am and otehr times where i only spend 2 hours on it. THey either need to find balance or get rid of it. I think that we shouldnt have any home work only because we spend 6-8 hours of our day for 12 years to learn something and then they give us 2-6 hours of home work anyways. And what really pisses me off is when im stacked with home work and have two tests to study for. As a matter of a fact ive been working on home work for 4 hours now and need a break. Posted 2009-02-09

Its different for every student. I mean its different from what region or what your schools policy is. Im a Junior and Im in one ap class but the ap we have atleast 4 books and we are currently getting another one. Id say that with just that i have about 2 to 4 hours of homework every night. It also depends on the classes, i am currently trying to better myself for college, so im taking college prep classes. Then you have to add the work that most high school students have to do it just adds up. I go to work at 5 and most the time dont get off until after 11. so all i can say is just to try to finish your homework in school maybe in a different class. Also good luck to all of you also suffering from the lack of sleep and the piles of homework. Posted 2009-02-09

i need statistics Posted 2009-02-09

thats what happens 2 me Posted 2009-02-09

im in 7th grade and in honors classes. i was excited at first, but i have so much homework now. I write an essay in each class(except algebra) every week for hw! Posted 2009-02-09

this is a great writing on homework and i hate homework its so dum that we get so much of it. Posted 2009-02-09

i love homework Posted 2009-02-16

homwork is cool. Posted 2009-02-25

HOMEWORK IS MY LIFE!!! I LOVE IT SO MUCH!! HOW DO YOU GUYS NOT LOVE IT?! Posted 2009-02-25

this guy is sooooo wrong. im a eigth grader and im stressed with homework almost everynight. And since iv started sprts and more activities now im always booked and no time just to relax. our generation is the most stressed trying to get the best grade to go to a good college. THIS GUY IS DUMB! Posted 2009-03-03

Ill post during the vacation, Im too tired to think up a post now. Posted 2009-03-15

i eat my homework
Posted 2009-03-20

homework is boring how do you love it whats wrong with you Posted 2009-03-24

homework is stupid i dont do it Posted 2009-04-03

omg. im a sophmore in high school and i spend literally every free second i have doing homework. i have absolutely no time for friends, sports, or anything else fun. this article is so messed up. Posted 2009-04-25

homework sucks you spend all day at school jst to come home to more work. keep school and home seperate. Im delecsic and have to stay up till 12 o clock to finish my homework and ten im more tired the next day which makes school harder. Posted 2009-06-01

i am doing a study on the smount of homeowrk ive had a really tough night my work has been deleted 3 tiomes and its due on monday but have friends over.... someone please help me. i am getting so stresssed out all i want to do is go to bed and sleep but my room is dirty so i have to clean it and im only in 7thgrade...... someone tell me what to do :) Posted 2009-06-14

I have to say, that as a senior in college, doing homework is very, very important. It sucks, and there are things I would rather be doing, but its important to get it finished. No body likes doing homework, but if you dont do your homework in middle school and high school, then when you get to college, you are going to get a major shock, because guess what people: 80% of the work you do in college is done outside of the classroom. Professors dont walk you through every little thing, you are on your own. Professors dont care if you got sick, you have a job, or your baby was crying all night. YOU have to do your homework and get it in on time. Doing homework in middle school and high school is a great way to practice study skills so you dont spend your freshmen and sophomore years in college trying to figure out how to study for your exams. Lifes not fair, do your homework or fail in life. Posted 2009-09-05

I am writing a Exposition on Should Kids Have Homework and yes i strongly think they should so they learn more and know wat to do!!
Homework dose get boring sometimes but it helps YOU know wat to do!!!! Posted 2009-09-06

Now, I do not believe students have too much homework. I am currently in High School and find that the only reason I do my homework till 1 in the morning is because I chose to watch television and get on the computer for hours at a time (like now). No offense, but judging on some kids grammar, they could spend more time on homework. Also, replying to someone that said Why do homework when we already learned it in class? Do you not want to get better at the skill? Practice (or homework in this case) makes perfect. I do agree, though, that homework sucks. :[ Posted 2009-09-10

dont do your homework if you think is sucks. then youll see how life sucks if you dont do it. dont do your homework, dont go to college. dont go to college, burger king is your future :P Posted 2009-09-10

I hate those ***** book reports! They stink. Posted 2009-09-13

I HAVE SOO MUCH HOMEWORK EVERY NIGHT AND IM ONLY IN 7TH GRADE. I HATE IT SOOOO ******* MUCH Posted 2009-10-20

as a high school freshman, i spend the pretty much the whole time im home from school, doing more work! its crazy. i get home a 3 and work the whole time with maybe 1 break, to eat dinner. then at about 9, i take a shower, then continue to do more work. i dont get to bed each night til at least 11. its stupid, and homework is a waste. Posted 2009-10-28

I am a freshman in highschool and I have probably four hours of homework each school day and five and a half hours of homework over the weekend. I feel like I am being given far to much homework and it is extremely stressful to deal with. Homework basically consumes my life. Posted 2009-11-08

Im a high school sophomore. Im given about 5 projects a month, one or two assignments from each class and about 5 chapters of reading every other day. Its extremely dificult to have a social life; it has come down to a decision between time alone, time with family, or time with friends, and thats IF I manage to finish my mountain of homework. I honestly think this is insane. My parents come home at night and can lounge and relax to their hearts content, while WE are still doing school work. It is a very unfair system. I can honestly say that school is a life forced upon me. This year, I dont even have an elective class. :/ Posted 2009-11-15

My experience has been far different from what these statistics portray. My junior and senior year of high school I spent 8+ hours on homework each night. I had to give up everything I enjoyed:sports, working to save up some money for myself in college, reading on my own, friends, etc. I am now a junior in college and due to the stress of it all (obviously the homework has gotten worse in college) I have developed symptoms of bipolar disorder. When I am on breaks from school I am fine, but as soon as school starts again I have a ton of mental health problems. I am starting medications this week so hopefully I dont have to drop out of college because of my problems caused by TOO MUCH HOMEWORK!!! Posted 2009-11-27

when i come home sometimes i have alot of hw that i dont go to bed till 12 Posted 2009-12-10

Im in highschool in 11th grade and i get anywhere from 2-5 hours a night of homework. I have all normal classes and am in math applied. My business teacher gives us 1 project after the next and in english we are suppose to read 3 different books at once at understand all of them so that we can remember every single line pretty much. wtf is goin on. we go to school for 7-8 hours a day, and then we go home and spend another 3-5 on homework. Because of all this, students end up with only 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night, and i have asked many kids about this. Then I frequently see teachers sending people to the office or yelling at them for being dazed or sleeping in class. Homework also detracts from family time and social life, which i have next none now. I was in a band and we booked several gigs and were excited to play, but because all of the band members were busy with homework and projects and things, we had to cancel all of them and disband until a later date if any. screw homework, it uses so much of our life. if we had like 30 mins a day then that would be acceptable, but 3 hours!! **** that. Posted 2009-12-12

It depends not only on the length of the assignment but the quality of work. A student who already knows how to do multiplication problems will not benefit from doing 100 multiplication problems with 7 digit numbers--but it will occupy his/her time. Similar busy-work assignments that take up a lot of time but do not benefit students who have learned the material in class are the main reason students end up spending their entire night doing homework or having to skip extracurricular, community service, or social activities to get sleep at night--and the reason kids may choose not to do homework at all. Sometimes the brightest kids are the ones with Cs because they refuse to waste their time. Posted 2009-12-15

Im in 7th grade and I have alot of homeowrk. Then again Im in band, chorus and guitar so I only have 1 study hall a week!! Posted 2010-01-05

peace Posted 2010-02-02

there are to much homework in school not much people do their home work Posted 2010-02-10

I am a mom with a ten-year-old in fifth grade. As soon as I pick him up from school, we go home, he has a snack and gets straight to his homework. That is at 3:30 in the afternoon. His dad gets home about two hours later and around 6:30 p.m. we eat dinner.

My son takes a break to set the table, we eat, and then he goes back to his homework. From three-thirty to almost eight at night, my son covers mathematics, language arts, prepares for a speech every two weeks, works in his science book, and studies American History--his class just did a presentation that encompassed the signing of the Declaration of Independance and the American Revolution.

Now, my family and I have grown accustomed to this schedule for the last several years, because it started in Kindergarten. However, this schedule leaves absolutely no time for extracurricular activities such as sports. My son does play the drums but it is a rare occurence for him to have time to practice during the week. The summer time is reserved for swimming lessons, soccer, and anything else that he might want to try that he doesnt get to do during the school year.

So, do I think that kids have too much homework? Without a doubt. And those who argue that they dont obviously have never stayed up with an eight year old, listening to him cry and complain that hes tired, he doesnt understand, or worse, that he hates you because youre making him do something he doesnt want to do.

At ten, he doesnt cry as much but he does get to a point where he stops taking in any information. He stops learning just so that he can get it done. He stops enjoying the subjects that he used to be excited about.

Before anyone here gets any ideas that my son is slow or needs additional educational help, stop that line of thinking right now. For all the homework and schoolwork, my son is bright and loves math. He loves reading the 39 Clues and Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan (when he has the time).

My point is, think hard about supporting the idea that kids need more homework. Perhaps in high school, maybe at the tail end of middle school. But elementary school? Not at all.

Kids are still learning how to socialize while developing their own individuality. And what the experts are missing here is the simple fact that we need to let kids have experiences beyond the classroom and beyond the books, if they are to ever put their learned knowledge to any use in the real world. Posted 2010-02-18

I go to school do work then come home to play games and sit down and stuff but i get stupid homework theres no point in getting homework cuz then most of your life youre doing work and im only 11 i would understand getting 1 piece of homework thats about 5 mins but getting about 5 peices of homework which is like 3-4 hours is rediculous . . .! ! ! ! ! ! :( Posted 2010-03-15

Teachers should stop assigning homework it gets on my nerves Posted 2010-03-15

live isnt fun and easy its hard and diggicult. i am in honors and i a 3 to 4 hr of work to do

Posted 2010-03-22

i just wanna punch the guy that said he LOVES homework i think it is stupid. as soon as i get home i work eat rinse and repeat almost all night i might have an hour to myself Posted 2010-03-24

wow i absolutely hate homework there is too much Posted 2010-03-25

Yeah well I am having do a filabuster on why Homework is bad any you were NO help!!!! BURN!!! Posted 2010-04-01

I have so many hours of homework I seriously want to cry.
I hate it, I really do. Its too much and nobody gets to have a life. Work work work at school. Then go work at a sport. Get home, work work on the homework. Go to sleep at 2 a.m. & wake up at 7 and do it all over. Posted 2010-04-04

there is too much homework Posted 2010-04-12

I think that kids these days get way too much homework. School is stressful enough, nevermind tons of homework and studying. Im in 8th grade and usually I have around 3-4 hours of homework to do every night. Its so crazy! I have no time for after school activities, all of my time gets devoted to homework and I feel that Im not even learning the stupid stuff. Well, why didnt someone tell us life was going to be hard? Ugh, good luck eveyone. I just cant wait until I can get out of middle school, high school, and college. I have such a long time to go... Posted 2010-04-27

we should not have home work Posted 2010-05-04

TOO MUCH HOMEWORK!!!!!!!
Posted 2010-05-13

Im in 7th grade and some days I get so much homework its insane!!!!! I never enjoy it, and I never learn anything from it. I learn in class and doing more work at home is just stupid. 3/4 of my class doesnt even do the homework and they still get good grades. TOO MUCH HOMEWORK!!!!!! Posted 2010-05-13

i hate homework soo much but my techer is the best she dous not hand out homework!!!!!!!! Posted 2010-05-14

WHATS THE POINT OF HOMEWORK LIFE IS SPOSEED TO BEFUN Posted 2010-05-19

I also agree with this. I am in my secong term of highschool (so i am a year 7)and i am in an advanced program. It has been said the year 7s should be doing around an hour of homework a day (no weekends though) and that my class, as we are advanced should do around an hour and an half. I am NOT doing that i spend anything from 5 to 10 hours on a weekend. It doesnt help that we have around a week of nothing to do,to then 2 weeks of endless assignemnts due from pojects to drawings. How can they expect 12 and 13 year old to get this tasks done in time and be to the best that we can when all we can do is worry about if we will get it done on time! We have lifes, we need to go to sport training and we have friends and family we want to go out and watch a movie not be inside our rooms trying to finish maths and english homework and finish a project that are due tomorrow. We cant do it. Then there is a thing called sleep. We need about 9-10 hours of sleep i get around 8. I am always tired so im not learing! IT IS TOO MUCH HOMEWORK TO HANDLE. Teachers just dont get it either your in an advanced program do your work, i have to lean an instrument to so i am missing out on classes to do something i dont understand. Most of the work is so stupid im not learning anything. (Sorry for any spelling errors i cant spell.) Posted 2010-05-29

why the heck do we do homework? why the **** cant we just go home and relax live a normal life with no homework, as soon as i went to middle school i barely had anytime do anything fun. we already go through a bunch of bull at school Posted 2010-05-29

homework is sooooo hard serisoly Posted 2010-06-01

homework is so boring i dont know how kids can handle it. im in the sixth grade i cant take it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted 2010-06-03

I miss being a toddler, because when we start going to school, all we do is work around 7 hours, go home work more, eat dinner, repeat, plus all the activities mom plans so we can be well rounded then, after college, we go and get jobs, and work our butts off even more, and now, some people cant even retire because of the economy, and work till they die!!! Posted 2010-07-15

As my teacher was saying that teachers have to much as well because we do the homework then they have to mark it all. Posted 2010-07-20

im in year 7 and i didnt even sleep one night because i had so much homework i had a 500 page essay on Martin Luther for religion, write a short nonfiction story (100 pages minimum), make a painting of still life for art the thing is it was all due the next day and i had had it for a week and had been working full on with math and science language A and indonesian homework and i forgot! like seriously Posted 2010-07-29

At my school, the homework policy says that students should get about ten minutes of homework per grade level. That doesnt seem like much, but it means that by the end of high school youll be averaging two hours of homework per night. Thats roughly the equivalent of two extra school days. This would be fine if we were actually learning something, but the problem with homework is that it doesnt teach you anything. If you dont understand the concept youre supposed to work on, then you wont learn anything from it, and if you do understand the concept the homework covers, then there isnt much point doing any work because you already know what its supposed to teach you. Studies have shown that homework offers no benefit up to Grade 6, and little benefit after that. It seems like a waste of time. Posted 2010-08-16

i hate homework its a real pain and i finish homework at like 9:30 in year six (Australia) Posted 2010-08-24

i am in year 9 and i have so much i go to slep at 3am
(9999 pagers minimum)(Australia) Posted 2010-09-09

Im in middle school and already have several hours of homework a day. I HAVE TOO MUCH HOMEWORK!!!!!!!:(
very sad
Posted 2010-09-09

I think that homework is worse than stealing, in some cases, [and I really hate people who steal]. Im in grade 9, every day I wake up at 6am, eat, get ready, go to school, come home, do homework, eat, do more homework, then sleep at 9. I need the sleep, or else I cant pay attention or remember anything. But if I ever want to do anything else, I have to sacrifice my sleeping time. Every day I get home and cry because Im so stressed, the homework doesnt even help me learn anything and it just wastes my time, and I would even get therapy except that I dont have TIME. I wish I could even drop out of school or something because I hate it so much, but in our society the only things that I can do at this age if I drop out is physical labour. And Im not this stressed because I dont know how to do the work, I had all As except for one B [in gym] when I was in grade 8. It just feels hopeless that I have to go through another like 4 years of this, and then maybe several more years for college/university. Posted 2010-09-12

Im in highschool and I have 7 to 8 hours a night! Absolutely insane! Posted 2010-09-12

8th grader...7 classes...each 1 hour...1 hr and 30 min of hw per class(except p.e.,elcetive,hmr)=5 hr 30 min Posted 2010-09-13

homework is taking my personal life away!! Posted 2010-09-14

Homework is stupid. ou work your butt of for 7-9 hours then you come home and do an extra 3 hours on something YOU ALREADY KNOW!
Ever sseen one of those shirts that has a tree holding a sign that sais Homework kills trees.
ITS VERY TRUE! WE KILL TREES FOR OUR SADNESS!!! Posted 2010-10-02

i never have time to play...i always have at least 3 hours of homework!!!

Hmmm,, most schools are done by 3pm. If you go to bed at 10 that leaves 7 hours to do stuff. Lets say an hour for dinner and (while unlikely) an hour helping around the house. That still leaves 5 hours. 3 hours for homework and 2 hours for play. I suggest you actually do homework, not combination of Facebook and homework. Posted 2010-10-03

To all parents with elementary children - it may vary by state, but the elementary students generally just have to pass assessments to meet standards to advance to the next grade level. So stop having your kids do 5 hours of homework a night. If you keep having them do it your are also perpetuating. Check out the standards of your state, honestly assess your child through the year and arm yourself if you think there is going to be a battle. As a parent you actually hold most of the cards (grading and such become a bit more complicate in middle and high school). As I mentioned, each state is different, so do a little research (of course getting others in the class to go along would be a good thing - maybe try organizing a homework strike for a day or even a week to get your point across)

To over worked middle school students. Make sure you parents are contacting your teacher and administrators. Have them call or email everyday that you spend too much time. It doesnt take some great organizing body a petitions, if the teacher has to deal with complaints everyday there may be a mind set to change. Posted 2010-10-03

I come from Northern Ontario, in grade 11- trying to withold an 81 average. I feel all my time is being consumed by homework, I had part time job and had to quit, in order to keep up with this homework. I no longer have a social life and can no longer take part in extra curricular activites (such as hockey:/). I miss spending time with my family and friends; and feel that teachers do not care how much homework they pile on everynight nor do they take into consideration that the homework assigned in other classes (that evening or that weekend) may be heavy as well. From 4 oclock pm to a minumium of 10pm, every school night, I am bombarded by homework, and dont even get me started about weekends! You may read this and think I am exaggerating, however I am not- I wish I was. They say homework even gets heavier as we move on to grade twelve and university however, if a person were to actually sit down and do ALL of this homework, and more, everynight, to perfection they may never see the light of day again, nor will they ever get a good nights sleep. And dont even get me started about sleep deprevation as well as the time I have to get up EVERY morning in order to workout, eat breakfast, shower, get ready and walk to school.

Sincerely,
a crazy person. Posted 2010-10-09

i have a lot of after school activites which include, netball 2hrs, tennis 1hr 30 mins, cricket 2hrs, horse riding 2hrs and jogging 40 mins atleast each week! but still my teachers tell me to do 2 hrs and 30 mins of homework each day! and im only in yr 7! Posted 2010-10-11

I say no to homework considering were at school ALL day. And finally when we have time to relax (after school) they give you homework so kids minds are going all day with no break. So therefore, I vote no homework. I actually have a life I want to live, not spend it doing work. Posted 2010-10-12

everyday after school I spend at LEAST 3 hours on homework and then I have to spend another 2 hours studying. After that I have to spend a hour or more working on my projects. Luckily we only get projects every 2 weeks or more. By the time Im on done I get to bed like at 12:30pm or sometimes 1:00am. Then Im tired because I barely had any sleep and I have to wake up early to get ready for school.Im only in 8th grade!!!They shouldnt give us so much work to do!!! I cant even have a nice peaceful weekend cause I have to spend my Saturday and Sunday doing homework!!! Posted 2010-10-13

Im 12, almost 13
This year When i came home from 6 and a half hours of work at school, i went upstairs, done homework and came down at ten at night, Lately ive been feeling like shit becuase of it. My parents only really see me on weekends becuase im always doing homework. They think its discrasful. We go to school for 6 hours and come home doing hours of work. Its really not fair. Im not saying this becuase im bored but I think homework should be banned, im very mature and understand the reasonings for homework, but im smart and I never get to go out and have fun with my friends. Its starting to really piss me off as no body wants to feel like alod of rubbish. Posted 2010-10-14

in eighth grade and i have much more homework than i can deal with. homework is supposed to excersise what you learn in school, not completely reteach it and take over your whole afternoon!!!!!!!!!!!! Posted 2010-10-18

iigetsoomuch h.w , Posted 2010-10-18

Im a Sophomore in High School I take AP US History, AP Calc, and AP Bio, those 3 classes give me over 4 hours of homework a night, I am fine with this because I realize that it is nesscary. Yes, I hate homework as much as you guys, I would love to just come home and play Fallout: New Vegas all day, but then I wouldnt be successful. The point of all the homework is to get you ready for college, which, if your like me, will force you to live off 4 hours of sleep and 20 hours school,work, and homework a day. However, after this I will have a great job and make a opulent living, which will compensate for the sucky first 24 years of my life. Posted 2010-10-18

Homework is really pissing me off and the guy who wrote this is a dumb ass. I am a senior in high school and I get 5-7 hours of homework a day, and thats just to finish the homework, barely efficiently. Im really sick of this, if college is worse than this then I will fail no doubt. Dont forget how Ive had multiple nervous breakdowns from stress, Im sure that is healthy. Posted 2010-10-19

I have had so much homework that I dont have time to go out with my BF anymore just 4 hours oh Homework a day. And the only way it effects the teachers is that they have EXTRA marking to do. Lucky F***ing them. Posted 2010-10-21

From a Junior in High School with 5 AP classes plus physics i have an A-B average and am doing homework from when i return home at four until 11-1 at night depending on if theres a test the next day (and there usually is). Teachers need to chill out with the assignments. I want to actually learn the material, not just fill out worksheets so I can get a grade. Posted 2010-10-27

I found this while doing research for a college English paper. Thank you to everyone who submitted poorly spelled/grammatically incorrect responses about why they needed less homework. The irony of this made my evening! Posted 2010-10-31

Im sorry but I totally disagree. I am in 7th grade in California and my homework comes in crazy amounts! Busy work, busy work, busy work! Its insane. Sometimes the teachers even say hmmm...we need something for you to do tonight...what should I assign? I think that teachers should not assign too much homework because sometimes I just rush and a lot of times dont understand it! If they wouldjust assign a little i would take my time and go through it step by step! Even my parent agrees that the amount of hw i get some nights is a lot. I also have sports too and a lot of times have to miss practice for hw....i hate it! I want to get outside and do something!! TOO MUCH HOMEWORK!!!!!!!!!!!!! Posted 2010-11-01

I am in grade 5 and i hav about two hours of homework each night then I do my chores witch takes about an hour so i dont have much free time only after dinner. Posted 2010-11-03

Im in school for around 8:30 to go to my locker and be at reg for 8:10 and I leave school at 4 but dont get home, get changed, have a snack and stuff its around 5:00 I then do around 2 hours homework then do another few hours and then study then a shower and go to bet at 11:00 at the very earliest and have to wake up at 6:00 and thats when I have no after school activities! I have around 6-10 hours homework and study at weekends. P.s I live in Ireland (dublin) Posted 2010-11-06

I get up at 5:30 get dressed, eat breakfast and sometimes finish homework. I then walk/cycle to my bus to be there at 7:00 (i get on at the 1st stop) when then drive around for an hour collecting kids and get to school around 8:20 I then walk to the shop to get lunch and got to my locker and go to class for 9 I get on my bus at 4:15 and get home around 6:20/6:30 and then eat dinner and go to badminton 3 nights a week from 7-8 and then come home and do 3-5 hours homework and study. And I get extra at weekends and If we have test which we usually have 2-7 each week! I have to quit badminton after this term even though i wanna be a pro badminton player. Oh i forgot to mention im 14 since today!!!! Im not exaggerating about the amount of h.w Posted 2010-11-06

I have to much homework Ijust had my birthday but I have no time to play with my presents Posted 2010-11-10

Ihave to much Homework!!!!!!!!!!!! Posted 2010-11-10

whats the point of having homework if we stay in school for like 8 hours? THIS IS SO FRIGIN QUEER O_o Posted 2010-11-15

Im in eighth grade and get like 4-5 hours of homework each night GIVE ME A BREAK TEACHERS!!!! Posted 2010-11-24

People (A.K.A. Professionals) say we only get four or five hours of home work. FOUR OR FIVE HOURS!?!?! THATS FREAKING INSANE!!! I want to be able to spend time with my family! Even so, sometimes it takes me til 9:00 at night! And I get out at 2:10, in 7th grade! Posted 2010-11-27

I have so much homework everyday. Im working harder than the teacher to keep up! I realized that the harder Im trying THE MORE IM FAILING >:( Posted 2010-11-28

I work so hard too keep up with the amount of homework being given and i am failing! Whats the point of it? Posted 2010-11-28

I disagree. This weekend, I have 60 math questions, an art project, science hw, and a progress report and none of that is because I did not do previous HW. I always to all of my HW, and I feel I should have a break on weekends, as every weekend, I have at least math HW. I was moved into a math class with hw on weekends, when in my previous class, I never had hw on weekends. I am in all acc classes, and have way too much hw. On top of that, I am only 6th grade, so I can only imagine what it will be like in the future. Posted 2010-12-04

homework is very scrued no homework = fun Posted 2010-12-12

when I was in gr 5 I had 6 hours of homework each night untill she died :> Posted 2010-12-12

man my school is gay they always scream at me and as far as homework goes, im in ninth grade and think we shud be more focused on peace than useless homework they think it helps us study but truthfully we just become zombies reading but not comprehending the homework doing it just to avoid trouble Posted 2010-12-13

yah yesterday i had to do this project it was called what a zoo Posted 2010-12-14

Ok im in 7th grade i want to say its redonkuless how much they give use and we gave it to them they would freak out so i want to say its insane the AMOUNT they give:) Posted 2010-12-16

i am up now writing about weather or not kids should have homework because i had to write about it for homework and im probably not gonna get any sleep Posted 2011-01-10

I am a 6 grader and I am strest whith homework. I hate school! If we did it in scool we dont need it at home. to shortn that-I hate homework. Posted 2011-01-11

Wow I wish i got that amount of homework! Each teacher tends to give 30 mins homework each night and 45 at weekends. I do 18 classes. And 15 of these give homework and I have 9 classes each day! I hae grinds after school on a tuesday and my day goes like this. 5:30 get up dress, pack lunch, walk to bus stop, get on bus and get to school and then I get home at 4:15. Then mom drives me to grinds from 5-7 come home and eat, shower and do homework. Last tuesday i ended being up til 3 because of studyibg for 7 tests the next day and i had to catch up because i had phneumonia. Im only 12 and im really stressed. I dont live i. America though...... I reside in ireland Posted 2011-01-14

The teachers always put presure on the students about the due date of the assignment and the students are presured about it and stay up all night to get it done. Posted 2011-01-14

So Im a freshman in high school and I hate homework. Its stressful and having 3-5 hours of homework a day leaves no spare time for me to relax. We already have school which is 7 hours and then we have to spend another 3-5 hours doing MORE work? Thats just retarded. The homework doesnt really help at all. In fact I feel special and proud when I get to sleep at 12 and wake up at 6 which is only 6 hours of sleep as you can see. To tell you the truth I need about 10 hours of sleep for me not to feel tired. But I cant do that because of homework. Sometimes I dont even understand what Im doing after 2 hours. They say that it should only be 10 minutes per grade so as a 9th grader I should only be doing 90 min. or 1 hour and a half of homework yet I get more than half of that each night. I get really fed up and always want to give up. Whats worse is that I have a test or two EVERY SINGLE WEEK. I cant remember a week when Ive NEVER had a test. BUT i cant study for those tests since homework already takes up my time. What am I going to do? Go home and do my homework till 11 or 12 and study for 2 hours till 2 am then go to sleep for only 4 hours? That is NO LIFE. I most likely wont remember the content I studied due to fatigue. One thing I think they should do is give little to no homework. Teachers try to sympathize with us telling us that they have work too but they dont have 7 classes of homework. They also complain about work so why dont you not give us work. You can save stress for you and us. Then we can all be happier about school. This madness has to stop. I would like to look forward to school since Im still stuck in school for another 7 years not dread coming everyday for the next 7 years. This is all crazy. Someone has to do something about all this. Posted 2011-01-14

Every day I come home and Im tired, really tired. All that I want is to play soccer chill with my family then go to bed, but I cant. I have to do homework, hours of homework. And go to bed late, really late. I feel so heavy, Im so so tired. Even if I had enough time to get a good night sleep, I wouldnt feel refreshed because the stress and emotional strain is just too much. I have very little time for healthy socialization. These supposed studies are false, if you want to know the facts interview real children and their families, not teachers. And of course students who do their homewok perform better on tests because those are the kids who pay attention in class and actually care about school. Please, try to understant, were tired. Posted 2011-01-17

I very much agree with all of the posted comments. We have way, way, way too much homework. One thing I figured is they are treating WEEKENDS like its more time for more work. When will they understand? EVERY SINGLE weekend I have homework and its not like its a short couple hours. they need to realize we need to blow some steam. Posted 2011-01-19

im from the uk and even i get too much homework, i come home and tend to put it off because i have so much and then i end up going for a shower at 2 am, i get way too much and it causes me to just outburst in stress and depression i hate school and homework caused it. but problem is. i go to a private school, if the government finds a policy to do with this, i dont get it Posted 2011-01-23

HOMEWORK SHOULD BE BANNED!!! ITS SOOO STUPID I HATE IT! THERE IS NO POINT WHEN YOU LEARN IN SCHOOL!!! I DONT UNTERSTAND HOW YOU LOSERS LOVE THIS! Posted 2011-01-25

i am in 7th grade, doing homework right now, trying to find out why students shouldnt havehomework!! i came to the right site, thanx for all the reasons!! :)i started doing homework at 4:00 pm Posted 2011-01-25

Ha! Im in IB and I get home at 2:30 and spend AT LEAST 6 hours a night on homework. Sometimes (like today), I get even more and have to stay up until 2-3 A.M. to get it all done. Dont give me the whole Drop some classes then argument, I cant because Im poor and couldnt dream of affording college otherwise. Joy. Posted 2011-01-27

Ok guys, Im in 6th grade and I have at least 2-4 hours. I realize I am in a hard school but come on! Posted 2011-02-01

Ha. Im in all advanced classes and Im in sixth and only have 1 hour of homework including studying. I think we need more homework. Posted 2011-02-05

This guy is totally wrong. I am in 8th grade and have at least 3 hours of homework a night. Posted 2011-02-06

I am 13 and am in 8th grade. I have over 2 hours of homework per night. I take honors classes (which was a bad decision) and a math class that I shouldnt be taking till the 10th grade. Posted 2011-02-08

Im in 6th grade and already have truck loads of homework!! I dont think we should have THIS much!!! Im up till 11 doing homework!!!! Somebody needs to stop this!!!! Posted 2011-02-09

Homework should be banned and if not, strictly limited i schools all across the nation. I mean, who wants to sit down after a long day at school and do homework? Certainly not me! I bet if we bring this homework issue to the president or another head executive we may just be able to do something about this. What do you guys think of that? Posted 2011-02-09

homework helps you learn more. Posted 2011-02-11

Okay, who ever said that homework helps you learn more is stupid. Posted 2011-02-13

HAHAHA homework is very helpful and increases your intellectual energy, while activating your primitive efforts to gain knowledge. I believe that ALL homework is necessary in order to achieve a higher education and a fulfillment in your destined future. LIKEAAAASOMEEEBooo0o0o0o0o00000oooooo000000deeeeee. (: Posted 2011-02-16

i loveeee homework...and u people who say you dont want it are like spelling all your words wrong so i think you OBVIOUSLY need it! cause your STUPID! so focus so maybe you can spell able right next time.SOUND GOOD!:] okay...goodness you people are dumb...and did you really say homework cause physical harm...reallyyy??? Posted 2011-02-16

Im in the seventh and have hours of hw everyday. Im in honors and i barely hav time for extra stuff like sports. I dont hav time for anything else becuz of hw. My weekends r packed with hours of hw. Its like evry other day i break down crying while im doing hw. It feels like ill never finish. I try so hard at school yet my step dad thinks im the worst student ever! Plz help me god! How can i do for fifteen more years? Ill never last that long! Posted 2011-02-16

im in 10th grade and have like 4 to 5 hrs or hw so when i come home i sleep till like 1 or 2 and dnt get much sleep and this is why i hate school so much if there wouldnt be hw school would be ok but teachers dnt listen my mom dnt care so thats why i miss school a lot im not saying not to go to school but for teachers to listen... my test scores drop from to much hw and now i dnt do hw at all Posted 2011-03-01

Im in 7th grade annd I have abotu 4 horus of homework every night. School is done at 3:15, but it is also a requirement to do 2 different sports, which take up over 2/3 of the school year. Sports practices are everyday and go until 5 and we have a couple of games per week that go until about 6. By the time I get home and eat dinner, it is already 6 or 7 at least. I then do by homework until baout 10-10:30 (osme is already finished from studyhall or on the bus. This 3-4 hours per night does not even include studying for tests, quuizes, assesments, etc. I get about 6 huors of sleep per night, but it is OK because I am used to it so it does not affect me as much. I get to bed at around 12:30-1:00am and wake up at around 6:30-7. I am exaughsted in the morning and I have to put these special Aveda eye droplet sin my eyes each morning so my eyes dont look bloodshot, irritated, and puffy each day. I can barely handle this, but is till manage to get straight As and A+s. Posted 2011-03-03

Yeah, sorry, but the whole "American students probably don't spend enough time on homework" thing is false. A lot of AP students, as well as I, get very little sleep. I've had maybe 3-5 hours of sleep every day (excluding weekends) since school started this year. The majority of my time is spent on homework. Some kids is lower classes may have very little homework, but for AP students, it's much worse than it used to be. My dad is a PhD in physical chemistry. He didn't have nearly as much work in high school as I do. My mom also did not have nearly as much homework. Kids have too much homework. I'd like to be able to go to sleep before 1 am each night, but it's just not possible. Posted 2011-12-19

I think the studies have shown that students get too much homework, and that the excessive homework does more harm than good. All these commenters have excessive amounts of homework and it's hurting, not helping. Just look at that grammar. Posted 2012-02-15

I am in the sixth grade and all my classes are accellerated so I have homework everyday and I have a report due in about 2 and a half hours what do I do !!!!!! Posted 2012-10-29

There is way too much homework in my grade 8 class. I sometimes spend the entire night doing it! Posted 2013-07-12