Homework is typically supposed to benefit students by improving test and quiz scores and help students understand material. However, according to Stanford University research study, over 50 percent of students find homework as a primary source of stress. At Rockbridge, opinions about homework tend to vary depending on who you talk to.
` From the student’s perspective, many feel the workload is heavy.
Junior Gracie Pelter explains why she doesn’t like homework because of the time it takes to complete.
“I’m in six college courses and I have so much homework every day. It’s terrible,” Pelter said.
Pelter added that assignments often take her an hour and a half at least each night.
Junior Mckenzie White described the workload as unpredictable.
“It comes in waves. One week it seems like I have a lot of homework, the next week it feels like I have no homework. So, it’s just off and on,” White said.
These mixed experiences show how homework can feel overwhelming and stressful but also unpredictable at the same time.
Teachers, however, see homework as part of a broader learning process.
English teacher Ashlee Payne teaches three different courses: English 11, English 11 DE, and English 11 AP.
“It depends on the level. For Standard 11, I don’t give any homework, because most of them are working jobs and I want them to have time to go out and have fun,” Payne said. “For Dual Enrollment, I give a little bit of reading, and for AP, I assign a few additional pieces because College Board dictates a lot of what we do.”
She added that she tries to keep the balance fair.
“It’s very much a Goldilocks situation… I try very hard to give it to them in advance, so if they have a game that night, they have other time to complete it,” Payne said.
History teacher Chris Gallagher emphasized that homework should be connected to the material learning in class and not a random worksheet .
“When I plan a class, I plan all the components together. Homework needs to serve a valid part of the overall construction of the class,” Gallagher said.
For AP Government, for example, reading the textbook is essential because it prepares students for deeper discussion in class.
“I don’t believe in just handing out random worksheets unless it serves a bigger purpose,” Gallagher said .
In the end, whether homework is seen as “too much” or “just right” varies on who you talk to depending on who you talk to. Students often feel overwhelmed when all their assignments stack up, while teachers aim to assign work that helps understand the skills or prepares students for higher-level learning. The challenge seems to be finding the balance where homework is meaningful practice without becoming an unnecessary source of stress.
