HOMEWORK
6 03 2008Here it is, due to popular demand, a Category for homework comments. Consider these questions, how much homework do you really get set each week? How long does it take you to do it? Do you learn or remember more because of it? Does it improve your grades?
Sometimes, we get homework which you have to just remember something, and just keep going it over and over again in your head, so we’re only just memorizing a set of words, not ‘learning’. I also think that, for example, in thursday’s lessons, we nearly ALWAYS get homework for the next day for the teachers to mark over the weekend, but the problem is that we feel, ok, we’ve cleared our homework for the weekend, so I can relax. Then the next day on Friday, we get set another HUGE batch of homework due in for monday. I mean, WHEN DO WE RELAX!!!. All the time we spend our weekends annoyed that we cant play our get our fair share of time-out because WE HAVEN’T DONE OUR HOMEWORK. (i hope no teachers get offended by my dramatic use of caps)
i think that the amount of homework is OK depending on how peope can cope with it or not, but i think that some teachers don’t give you enough time to complete your homework, but some teachers give you too much time(unless it’s a project)and then students end up not bringing there hw in and getting detentions etc.
this is ridiculous!!! why give kids a plce to complain about homework?!?
Don’t know about everyone else, but I get wayyyyyyyy to much maths homework. We get an at least one excersise or more per homework set. And for all the teachers who don’t know how big some of the excersises are, some are 5 questions some are 5 questions including a, b, c, d ….. j etc etc. It takes me well over half an hour to do.
Not too bothered about the rest of the homework. It’s an alright amount but sometimes teachers give out homework when they aren’t meant to. ¬¬ I think thats against th rules…
Maybe we should do that kind of politically correct thing with homework.
It’s not a “holiday” it’s an “educational trip”.
It’s not a “black board” it’s a “chalk board”.
It’s not a “white board” it’s a .. Uh I dont know.. “felt-pen board”?
It’s not “homework” it’s “external tasks set to do freely (Which must be completed)”
[Anyone feel free to think of a better alternative name for 'homework' to back up my point, plx.]
We’ve all just grown to hate the word “homework”. Likewise, if someone says ‘Let’s go on an educational trip’… *Groan*
On the other hand – ‘Hay everyone! Let’s go on holiday!”… *Yay!*
“Re: Talia
this is ridiculous!!! why give kids a plce to complain about homework?!?”
It’s not a place to complain. It’s “Student voice”. Get it (politically) Correct.
homework its the most pointless thing ever. it wastes your precious time witch is for living. but then agen what else can you do if your bored.:)
James wants to be called bob the builder.
I think we get too much homework *james nods in agreement*
Happy birthday for tomorrow Jimmy!
Providing us with a place to discuss homework is like giving a toddler a nailgun.
You can call it what you want, but in the end someone will always go away with a headache.
Even if we rename it “Happy-Super-Fun-Candy-External-Task-Puppy”, we’ll all more or less despise it anyway, as it takes up our time when we could be doing something more fun and less productive. And we all know the less productive it is, the more we’ll want to do it.
Still, I suppose homework IS neccessary. I still don’t like it though.
Hey, i love books and the libary and im a geek and proud!!!!
Homework is depresing but neccesary so if somebody asked me what the best way to deal with it was i would tell them that they should sit down for 1/2 hour each night and work real hard then you can go out and do whatever you like.
i think we get too much homework and sometimes we get stuff in for the next day which is really hard to do if your busy and sometimes we get homework when were not supposed to which is really annoying and i don’t think memorising or rivising is learning and it is a bit annoying if your memory isn’t very good!
it sometimes takes me an hour to do my homework and it is only supposed to take us 1/2 an hour! we don’t get long enough to do it and if your busy every night then when can you do it unless you do it at like 11 o clock and that then affects our sleep and then we aren’t concentrating for school the next day and you wont be concentrating on your homework because you are already tired from your activites!
who is establishment???? And why do you keep leaving all of these hard to understand messages? ( sorry just had to ask!
)
Homework isn’t neccessary. We could always extend the school day, if that’s what you all wanted.
- Esther Kerrs-Farmer 9R
Re: Passive
“Even if we rename it “Happy-Super-Fun-Candy-External-Task-Puppy””
Who could ever hate something with a name like that?! It’s like wearing a poncho and sombrero combo. No one can be un’appy wearing a poncho and sombrero. Not even Gordon Brown. (Boosh Ftw!)
-Esther Kerrs-Farmer 9R
Re: Talia, establishment and Passive
I love you all. Seriously, we should all run the school. Although, I do have my suspisions as to who establishment is…
Anyway, on with the topic. Yes, homework(external-tasks-set-to-do-freely (Which must be completed)) is a bore and extremely annoying, but it is necessary. Not only does (should) it re-inforce what you have learnt during the day, it helps you practise your organisation and time management skills, which you will find invaluable later in life. You aren’t going to have someone there for you when you are in work, telling you politely several times a week to hand work. You are given a task, you get it done. Simple as. No, “Sorry, I was out all night last night” or “I had a football match”. How long are your football matches? You can’t find half an hour from say 4:00PM until bedtime (whenever that may be for you), to do your homework? Come on, we have it easy. We get told what to do, when to do it for, how to do it. We are even given books and paper to write in/on. All we need is a pen and a bit of effort. Be reasonable.
school homework is hard so i suggest if u dont want to do it then dont but be prepared to deal with the consequences
I think homework helps us but i think we have too much did you know its not compulery
Re: Dave
“I love you all. Seriously, we should all run the school. Although, I do have my suspisions as to who establishment is…”
… I say we organise a mutiny. Overthrow all the staff, and appoint an elite circle of students as new teachers. Some of the teachers can stay, but only for entertainment purposes obviously (I.e. Mr Kirstin can stay because he can do that amazing spinny-pen thingy, and you should see him with a frisbee) , and we need the ICT staff to keep this blog running so that we can continue to conspicuously plot without anyone knowing.
(It’d be cool if we had a RPG post on this blog, where we could imagine what we’d do if we were in charge of the school, a kind of insight into the mind of students ^_^ )
I *also* wonder who establishment is, seeing as she signs all of her posts with -Esther Kerrs-Farmer 9R. *Hmmm* The ’suspicion’ bit confused me too. Are you insinuating that I’m not fit to run the school, or am I getting the wrong vibes here? D: I’m not overly sure which Dave you are either. Are you that bloke who I had guitar lessons with?
-Esther Kerrs-Farmer 9R
I love mutiny! You can be Deputy Head, I call dibs on Headteacher. Dibs
It sounds like an ingenius plan. Who’s Mr Kirstin by the way? We have to keep Mr Kearns, he’s just cool. And Mr Weems for obvious reasons.
Plotting without anyone knowing? Teachers do read this, and Mr Slater does moderate every post that is made. So the conspicuous thing may not go down to well…we could always bribe him.
RPG’s FTW.
Hey, you have only just started tagging your posts! Don’t you try to confuse me! You’re getting the wrong vibes.
Nope, I am not that bloke. I am Dave.
why do we need homework? Some is ok but sometimes we get wayyyyy too much and not all of us can cope!
Re: Dave
Im cool with Deputy head. Could I be a history or politics teacher too? I think influencing children with my own controversial views could be fun. We could make an army of children of some decription. Mr Kirstin [PastTense] was [/PastTense] a trainee teacher at UGS. I’m not entirely sure who Mr Kearns is (Business Studies?) RMT says he’s pretty cool (2nd Highest). Perhaps we should just keep all of the teachers locked up in a dark room, ’cause they all have their good qualities, and then that way they can’t tell anyone that Mr Dave N’ Est haff taken over teh school.
I realise teachers do read this, hence the comment of ‘conspicuously plot without anyone knowing’ may have possibly just perhaps contained the slightest element of sarcasm. *Shrug* Maybe I didn’t make that apparent enough. I’m up for bribing Mr Slater, whaddya reckon it’d take? I have some hair spray, two pennies, a green felt tip pen, and a lot of homework that needs doing… Oh and about a copy of The Times from a few weeks ago.
NO WAY! You ‘ RPG’s FTW’! FTW! EPIC UN-FAIL FTUL!
Also, apologies for the confusion… Dave… whom is not a bloke(?) Channel Dave is good.
-Esther Kerrs-Farmer 9R
Take them both, I don’t want them. I want the massive TV in Mr. Spinks’ office. I have to drool everytime I walk past and the door is open.
Soon, the school will be OURS.
It was late, I didn’t notice the sarcasm. I’ll try harder next time.
All we have to do is tell him that we will make Bolton Wanderers avoid relegation this season, then he will be ours.
YES WAY! I r also epic win. I see wut you did thar. (Sir, I’m spelling it wrong on purpose, Lolcat language FTW!)
Channel Dave is awesome, Top Gear and Whose Line Is It Anyway are just amazing.
I’m not classified as a bloke yet, too young. I am male though. You shall never find out who I am.
To find Dave we just have to leave a trail of Cheezeburgers and he’ll reveal himself.
http://www.icanhascheezburger.com/
I am in year 7 and get 3 pieces of homework a night. Sometimes for but not often. But I don’t think that it is the amount of homework we get. It is the amount of time we have to do it. For the next day is a bit harsh. I had to give up an out of school club coz of homework.
Re: hag
OH NOES! My whereabouts have been discovered! That website is actually one of my favourites.
lolcat.com is good too.
So, about this homework thing…
I suppose that homework does help you remember things better sometimes but we get WAY too much. It is better just in small quantities
Some really interesting comments here – many thanks. Homework is a legal requirement now and no Secondary School would ever get rid of it. However, not many of you have discussed the issue of HOW MUCH homework you get. Do you all agree it’s too much? Do some feel you don’t get enough homework? More importantly, HOW MUCH HOMEWORK SHOULD YOU GET? Opinions please……..
Off topic thread anyone?
Homework is pointless. The teachers think we have no lives and just set it. And we shouldnt have homework over the holidays because holidays are for fun and not for sittin inside doin borin skool work
I think the school has done pretty well in setting the right amount of homework. We get set enough to ensure that we get through the syllabus and improve our organisational skills, but also so that we aren’t stuck inside all the time not having a social life. If you try hard and get your homework done to the best of your ability, there is no reason why you don’t have time for a social life.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/itn/20080311/tuk-teachers-to-vote-on-scrapping-homewo-dba1618.html
Re: Establishment,
What a load of rubbish that is. What has the world we live in come too? Homework helps us far more than we realise, and many people fail to realise that. It doesn’t only help us learn, but we learn self-discipline and how to organise our lives. It is ESSENTIAL.
-sigh-
This is the school message board. Not a 4chan imageboard. Leave the script-kiddie language at the door.
Homework, despite my never doing it and almost being kicked out of Sixth Form for it, is a great help to a lot of students. The faculty is under a lot of pressure to finish the curriculum and go over topics before exams, so homework is a good way to ensure that happens.
As for the amount? I, personally, ask for much less. However, I have no work ethic and thus I have no want to do it. Nor do I. However, I think we get an amicable amount to do. Can’t handle it? Get to grips with your organisation. If you seperate it etc etc. then you will get it done and still have chance to relax.
The problem with the AMOUNT of homework that we get is that some days we get only one peace and then as soon as it comes near a holiday or the weekend we get tonnes all at once. I think that the teachers have secret meetings in the staff room to make sure that we get it when we will be at home for longer but that’s not fair because believe it or not some of us actually have things to do in the weekend or at least want to have a rest!!
oops on that last comment i spelt “piece” wrong, sorry
Homeworks okay. But why are we still getting it with 2 weeks untill exams? Theres not enough time to revise the stuff you’re not too good at.
I personally think homework isn’t that bad! I’m not saying I’m perfect with homework but I do the majority of it and still manage to spend most of my time not in school, doing what I want. I think that the amount and scheduling of the homework can often be flawed (it is normal for me to have to do most of my homework for the week on one night before) but I don’t think that should be left down to the teachers to sort out. At the end of the day it’s our responsibility to manage and plan when we’re going to our homework!
Some homework we get decent ammount of time but others *Glances towards french* we only get a night to do a whole essay! And I also have after school activities which may affect my future. I truelly think homework is O.K but [b][i]MORE TIME PLEASE![/i][/b]
RE TO HAG: Off topic threads or even forums would make this place a whole lot better!
[Fix needed for above] I though BBCode may work on this, apparently not. The [b] and [i] are supposed to make the text Bold and Italic. Forums use that code. FORUMS NEEDED!!! Help sign a petition somewhere.
homework isn’t necessary but if you want good grades its important. if you do homework you wont remember everything you did in class that day.
Yeah! A forum! Just what we need so people can flood us with useless BBCode! Genius…
Homework is a necessity. Teachers, believe it or not, are there to help support you and do want you to succeed. As well as wanting to succeed as a teacher themselves. They give homework because there is no better way for you to understand something than for you to do it yourself.
If you can’t meet deadlines in SCHOOL, then there is no chance you will succeed in LIFE. You don’t meet a deadline in the real world, you get fired.
SATs is only in 3 weeks and we still get tonnes of homework and not enough time to revise. For example, today (Saturday) I had to do 4 pieces of homework and they weren’t exactly short ( translated email, leaflet, diagrams…etc…) I don’t mind having a bit of homework coming up to the SATs but this is just ridiculous!!
*Rant Over*
Homework isn’t helpful at all…It will usually take too long anyway and I always like to keep as much free time as I can so I end up rushing it anyway and learning nothing (apart from learning the fact that I can worry about homework) its too time-consuming…I say…Down With Homework!!!!
Well “brappp”, it’s pretty lucky that you aren’t running the school now, isn’t it? Your opinion is invalid. Get some logic.
Homework is helpful, if you have the capacity for it. Which you’re obviously lacking.
Also, Imogen, you do realise SATs don’t matter all that much? All you need to do is get in the middle set for each subject and you’ll be sorted. After year 10 you’re put in to different groups anyway.
I understand we need to get some homework but teachers say it should only take 20 minutes, ok yes sir/miss, i shall spend tewnty minutes on a A3 poster [for example] that needs to be coloured fully with digital colour pictures because I can’t draw, even though I don’t have a colour printer at home and every time I go and print off in colour in the cyber suite I get interrogated…Annoying ¬¬
This is pathetic. Giving the “little people” to quote Mr Weems, anyone in year 10 upwards and not a newcomer to sixth form will understand that, a place to complain about homework when they hardly get any homework in comparison to GCSE’s and A-levels!!
You sad pathetic children, complain about something meaningful. This thread should be asking each other for help on homeworks you are having difficulties with, like asking pupils either in your year who are also doing this homework, or if you are really lucky getting an older pupil to help you with the homework.
Why does everyone leave such long messages? I’m sure homework doesn’t interest you that much…
Sorry to JG but this is going to be a long-ish message, slightly late and partially off topic, but not entirely.
Re:Establishment march 12th
‘Re: Passive
“Even if we rename it “Happy-Super-Fun-Candy-External-Task-Puppy””
Who could ever hate something with a name like that?! ‘
I could, but ill agree with the sombrero thing and the ‘conspicuously plot without anyone knowing’.
Now, on-topic, i’ll accept that ‘Homework is a legal requirement now and no Secondary School would ever get rid of it.’ (Mr.Parker) but I still fell that we possibly get too much, I’m doing my GCSE’s and although alot of the work is coursework, not all of it is, and not all of it actually helps – we sometimes get homework when we are just ‘confirming what we already know’ after we have had about 3 lessons doing the same topic and 3 other sets of homework, this is likely to be because the teachers want to drill the info into our skulls even though we knew it after the first lesson on the topic.
Off-topic again (and wrong blog) – Grim Reaper FTW!
“Noone” makes a good point, and I agree with the Grim Reaper thing. The teachers not only want to drill it into our skulls, but also nail, staple and duct tape it there too. However, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. At least it takes the form of homework, which we usually have plenty of time to do, even if it cuts short our leisure time. It’s annoying, I know, but if all we had was leisure time, we’d end up working day after day at McDonalds. Why end up slaving at a McJob when you can study hard, do homework, achieve a degree and potentially get a job at Pizza Hut instead?
And besides, sometimes we even forget facts after the drilling and stapling – e.g. forgetting the meaning of ‘viscosity’ in a Chemistry exam all about viscosity. (That was one hard exam.)
Maybe everyone would prefer a more extreme carrot-stick method of teaching instead – do your homework, get good grades. Don’t do your homework, get a brick lobbed at you.
I approve of the brick lobbing technique. It should be introduced with immediate effect.
i know this may not be about homework but i don’t know where else to put it what it is, is i have finished my sats last week and now we have gone stright into GCSE course work already i have had a 5 page esay to be handed in by next week on a topic that we only started today i mean it is just rediculous. and then on top of that i already have a 2 page french esay that we have 3 days to complete.
school is for work. Home is for relaxation. Do the teachers get this or what!!!
I agree with dave and Passive even if brick lobbing is a bit extreme. To chris – good luck with the work and i’m afraid you’re going to have to get used to it, as in upper school you get a fair amount of coursework, especially if you’re doing IT – ask mr Slater if you want, and if you do as about ‘Super Slater’ if you want a laugh/be disturbed.
At Vid101, to quote Mr. Parker ‘Homework is a legal requirement’, just gotta live with it I suppose.
Finaly, how did you do in that test/ISA anyway leo.. err.. I mean Passive?
to noone: Homework may be a legal requrement, but the amount does not as yet have a minimum limit (i think…)
To Vid101 (again): Fair point
as long as there is no minimum limit
Can I just say that many of you make the assumption that all teachers at UGS impose H/wk upon you because they like to is a little ridiculous. In my department all teachers spend at least 2 hours a night marking the work we set – and then spend another 3 -4 hours at the weekend doing the same. I for one would love to see you (and us) doing less. However, the fact is that , for instance, (Chris!) without using homework we can’t complete the GCSE coursework for English & English Lit and so have to use the time at the end of Year 9 to ease the pressure of Year 10/11. After you do your essay, you’ll also do a GCSE oral which certainly counts towards your final GCSE grade. However, we do have sympathy for you and regulating how much you do is the subject of much discussion by Heads of Faculty and SMT. I think I should point out that the Whole School Survey (to which 220 of you replied) revealed that 70% of pupils/parents felt that the amount of homework we set was ‘just right’.
Many thanks for all your thoughtful opinions (even the bricking!): I’ve written some of the most useful down to have a record of your views.
PS – I did hate the CAPS!
can i please ask who chris is? is it chris maddocks?
hello homework boring and i hate it
I think school is great because you get homework which I love and would marry it if i could but even if you dont like it still do it or deal with the punishments
Hdont listen to my other messages homework is horrible so if you dont want to do at least give it a try or deal with the consequences
well, persronally, i think that homework is the most pleasureable thing to do in the whole world. I cannot think of a more useful way of utilising my precious time.
The benefits of homework are absoloutely incredible. In fact, so many that i could never tell you at one sitting. I think that we should have 364% more homework than we should now. So, a note to the teachers – please don’t hold back, the honourable work that you kindly set us is THE highlight of our illustriouis childhood.
Too much homework, too little homework, too much time envying the TV monitor in my office and ‘bricking’!
Challenge: Define homework in terms of what works, what doesn’t work for you. Where do you feel it is excessive and where might it be inadequate. Where are the best homeworks set (forget the worst, I don’t do negativity). How can we better structure it and at the same time keep our standards (which are your standards) high.
Mr Parker is heading a Year 7-9 review of the curriculum, give him the research material to help his working group reshape homework. How can we bring homework or “Happy-Super-Fun-Candy-External-Task-Puppy” up to date, cutting edge, student friendly… or is that going too far?
Oh, and yes this is the real Headteacher.
I still hate homework its boring and wastes my time
It is my belief that homework’s should be given regularly, but not written work. Simply put, give us something to think about rather than complain about.
LULZ @ HAG HE R KWL.
Re: Talia
this is ridiculous!!! why give kids a plce to complain about homework?!?”
lets be honest, if you dont have anything positive or constructive to say in the ’student voice’ (because thats why its here) then dont say it.
i think homework is just about right, sorry to burst your bubble bt its not as bad as we all make out. usually its just one excercise, or learn your vocab, or so a sheet. EASY.
i love homework i fink its great and i would like a lot more of it as i am a geek who only stays in and dos my homework and sometimes i run out of things to do so i watch opera winfrey
I a certainly think that homework is fun whether it is three hours long or two. I love to revise and i hope to get 100 percent in all my tests.
I can’t wait for the beginning of term! The lack of work is utterly distressing, even more so due to the fact that i completed all my homework within the first 2 days of the summer holidays. I vote summer holidays should be made considerably shorter and the list of homework longer!
[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.
I really love homework and school is the best thing in the world and i really love it. so start to love school because it’s great.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
nothing gets my pulse going more then spending the evening doin hwk. Get in.
Oh come on, homework isn’t as bad as everyone makes out. Being in sixth form I actually get annoyed if I don’t get homework. I need it to pass exams! Maths homework is the best! Can’t believe you complain about getting homework over half an hour, I get about 2 hours of maths on top of everything else and I’m not complaining! Be positive..
^ Ooh, very controversial, Mr Price… Personally, it’s all a bit too much for me… Still, I know it’s necessary, so I don’t want it to be abolished or anything like that!