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Teachers Have A Life To Enjoy, But So Do Students

Homework, also known as the bane of every student’s existence, is apparently affecting teachers too. All this time, everyone thought students were the only ones losing sleep and any sense of a social life over homework, but it turns out teachers have a hard time actually checking all the homework.

According to teacher, Brandy Young, research shows that homework doesn’t help students. Elementary and high school students are being given more amounts of homework than researchers and education and mental health experts recommend, which leads to different mental problems such as stress, anxiety and various eating disorders. This information is not new, hence the multiple protests by students and parents. However, a recent experience has brought about a similar issue.

Recently, I have been overwhelmed with essay after essay after essay from different subjects and teachers. The process of writing all the essays was mentally draining, but my class and I got through it because we’re students and we’re obligated to submit all the requirements of any subject. Lack of sleep, hunger and exhaustion are not excuses; therefore, after receiving another essay assignment, I immediately started. The assignment was a personal essay, which was admittedly easy to write, meaningful words were just flowing out of me. For every essay or speech that I’ve been asked to write, the teacher would either assign a minimum number of words or none at all. This was the first time that I had been assigned a maximum number of words under 1,000. Naturally, my essay was nearly 2,000 words long and I intended to pass my assignment that way. Unfortunately, the day came and the teacher rejected the idea of going over her 400-word limit. I understand that that was one of her guidelines and that I, along with others in the class, should have followed it; however, her reasoning as to why she wouldn’t accept the essays was questionable.

“How do you expect me to finish all of your essays? I have a life to enjoy.”*

*Note: This is non-verbatim. 

Speaking as a student who is trying to handle significantly different subjects all at the same time with their own different workloads, ‘I have life to enjoy’ didn’t seem like an acceptable reason as to why I couldn’t submit an essay that I spent hours on, hours that I could have spent doing other homework. I’m just looking for some type of professionalism because even though I’m not a teacher nor am I holding a job, but if you’re assigned to do something, you do it; if you’re assigning someone to do something and they have to report to you, you check what ever they submitted to you regardless of whether or not you have other plans because you assigned that work.

I understand that this doesn’t seem very relevant, but I feel it is an issue because students already have a lot of pressure on them as it is, especially with finals soon, and having to adjust to a teacher’s ‘needs’ is not an easy thing to do. Just because we go to school, doesn’t mean we’re required to spend all of our time on school. We also have a life to enjoy.

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