Editor’s Note: This is one of a series of stories investigating subjects of interest to the students of LHS. Have an idea for a story? Let us know.
Ever wonder why your teachers assign the amount of homework that they do?
The Devil’s Advocate went around and asked teachers to give their reasoning behind why they assign homework to their students, and the benefits of them doing so.
When asking LHS History Department Head Daryl Robichaud why he gives the amount of homework he does, he said, “We have so much content that we have to cover…The homework that you are going to do tonight will make your life easier for the next class.”
Robichaud was then asked if he believes that the kids who do their homework get better grades on tests and quizzes, and he said, “Oh 100%. If you do homework in sports, why shouldn’t you do homework in school?”
The Devil’s Advocate then asked one of LHS’s math teachers Nila D’Aniello, and she said, “I want my students to be prepared and understand the material, and there are so many intricacies that they need to see all the little things that could happen.”
Within the different departments and throughout different teachers, the amount of homework given varies immensely.
After speaking with one of LHS’s science teachers, James Sheehan, he said that the only reason he gives homework to his students is to “prevent them from getting into shenanigans.”
After speaking with a different LHS science teacher Luke Espostio, he said, “Most of the homework is what you don’t finish in class…If we do a lab in class then you are expected to finish that outside of class for homework, and some topics require extra practice.”
The Devil’s Advocate also found this varies greatly based on the skill level of the class, in terms of is it an AP, Honors, or general education class? The higher the level, the more homework.
However, some teachers of upper-level classes still do not see homework as a substantial part of the class.
LHS Senior Taylor Crowley, who is currently taking AP Statistics, said, “We really don’t get that much homework, maybe once or twice a week…The only times I notice going home with homework is on weeks or days of tests and quizzes when I know that the homework will actually help me.”
After interviewing the teachers and students of LHS it is very evident that homework differentiates throughout levels, subjects, and teachers.
