Homework. The bane of every student’s existence. The harms of homework are well-known to teachers and students alike, and bad habits of procrastination and delay can send one’s academic career spiraling. When trapped by their workload, facing the prospect of failure, some students resort to extreme measures, such as rushing to find the answer key on Google Classroom, calling a friend and asking for their answers or opening their favorite artificial intelligence tool in a separate tab from their assignment. Others simply leave the work unfinished, and a few skip school entirely.
Many students are left wondering whether teachers assigning homework is even worth it. That begs the question: is homework worth it? Is it a necessary evil in the world of learning, or is it an undue burden inflicted on students? The answer is yes, homework is worth it, but the reasoning may surprise some.
The most common explanation used by teachers when assigning daily homework is that it is an opportunity to review and practice what was learned in class that day. This kind of homework, typically a set of practice problems or exercises, is most commonly seen in math classes, in which homework usually consists of nothing but practice problems, but it is also seen in other classes as well. It may seem boring and wasteful to those students who feel they have already achieved understanding of the content in class, but to their classmates, the extra practice is a lifesaver. If the day’s lesson is particularly difficult or if there is a shortened schedule, the homework is the only opportunity to try out what was learned in class. In these cases, it is easy to see that the benefits of homework outweigh the drawbacks as long as students take full advantage of the opportunities provided.
But this does not explain the reasoning behind large projects and “lump-sum” homework (in which a teacher assigns an entire week or month’s worth of homework at the same time with a later due date). This homework may also be assigned as a way to demonstrate mastery of course concepts, but the extended deadlines of long-form homework serve another, more critical purpose: to encourage students to develop proper time management and planning skills, which are crucial for every walk of life. In these cases, when students procrastinate and do everything the night before, the intended message is lost; in many cases, the process of creating a project is more impactful than the final presentation. Additionally, this type of homework, when completed, often serves as a much more useful study guide than any textbook, as the notes and work within is unique to that student alone.
After looking closely at the reason why teachers assign homework, it becomes clear that it is intended to do more than just keep students busy (but even that is important, as accumulated knowledge is forgotten when not used). It is just another one of the ways in which teachers can help their students achieve their highest potential.
With this in mind, the one thing homework is definitely not useful for is being food for a pet.
