Elementary school with no homework policy

[Tellenbach]

In 8th grade pre-algebra, we were given a choice to do homework or not do homework by the teacher. All of my classmates raised their hands and wanted the homework ---those little shits, argggghhh.

 

[Grand Admiral Crunch]

Kids who do homework usually come from good families and have parents who harass them to do it or help them with it. By the 6th grade, those kids are adept at reading and math, and do homework without harassment. On the other hand, kids who have less involved parents are way behind in math and reading. This no homework policy will balance out the differences between these two different groups. I wonder if that is the purpose of this, to decrease the advancement of some students to the mediocrity of others.

 

[great_bay]

I hate homework. Why should I do something I don't want to do? Heck, if I harassed my parents to read books, chances are they'll end up hate book reading. Why should academic become a chore to people?

 

[sprinkles]

I knew how to multiply when I was 4 years old. I was reading at high school level when I was 5 and writing programs in Apple Basic when I was 8. I feel I was mostly neglected by my parents and often didn't do homework and was failing school since 4th grade. I learned a lot from TV, especially public broadcasting and stuff like Sesame Street. Educational shows were my favorite. I read the entire encyclopedia at my grandparents house.

I would past tests but they would still fail me because I didn't do homework. When I was young I would make loud repetitive screeching noises. I would pick my ears until they bled. People some times asked if I was retarded. I was incredibly slow to do anything when asked, and I felt cornered and threatened when asked a question, or asked my reasoning for doing something that I did.

Frankly I feel ruined because I tried hard yet it wasn't good enough because I tried hard DIFFERENTLY.

 

[Coriolis]

I knew how to multiply when I was 4 years old. I was reading at high school level when I was 5 and writing programs in Apple Basic when I was 8. I feel I was mostly neglected by my parents and often didn't do homework and was failing school since 4th grade. I learned a lot from TV, especially public broadcasting and stuff like Sesame Street. Educational shows were my favorite. I read the entire encyclopedia at my grandparents house.

I would past tests but they would still fail me because I didn't do homework. When I was young I would make loud repetitive screeching noises. I would pick my ears until they bled. People some times asked if I was retarded. I was incredibly slow to do anything when asked, and I felt cornered and threatened when asked a question, or asked my reasoning for doing something that I did.

Frankly I feel ruined because I tried hard yet it wasn't good enough because I tried hard DIFFERENTLY.

Your experiences highlight the difference between education (i.e. learning) and schooling. Too many people forget that the second does not always produce the first, and is no substitute for it.

I had the good fortune to do both: to learn some things in school, and then more things outside of it.