Beyond the Grade: Homework's Unwritten Curriculum

I often hear complaints about homework, and, while I generally appreciate its value, I have been there too. On days when I have three tests and a project the next day, spending an hour on a worksheet feels especially painful. As time consuming as it is, having these frequent assignments has forced me to learn how to optimize my time. I have learned which assignments are actually worth it to complete, what I can get away with slacking off on, and what assignments will put me behind if I don’t put time into. 

The Hopkins handbook states that “Students in Grades nine through twelve should expect up to 45 min of out-of-class work per class meeting, except for English courses for which they should expect up to 60 minutes of out-of-class work per class meeting, and for History courses during the discrete period of time devoted to the research paper, for which up to 60 minutes may be expected.” Since each class meets seven times over a two-week period, this means that a student taking five classes should expect around 172.2 minutes, or 2 hours and 51 minutes of homework per day. This number seems increasingly less manageable when factoring in commute times, sports practice, and the importance of getting a full night’s sleep. This all goes to say that homework is best when it accomplishes the goal of studying and enriching homework, as well. 

While sometimes, when overwhelmed, I feel a tendency to blame teachers whose homework isn’t relevant to assessments for crowding my evening, or giving me “busy work,” but when thinking about it with a more rational approach, I have come to have more of an appreciation for this. Oftentimes, students are pressured to think about learning only in the context of assessments—doing homework because of its relevance to a test, or feeling like they don’t have the time to learn more about something covered in class because they won’t be tested on it. Having homework assignments that relate to topics covered in class, and don’t necessarily have relevance to assessments can be annoying, but it can also help keep the bigger picture in mind-engaging with the material is equally as if not more important than assessments and final grades. 

Another homework approach that I have found interesting is making it the majority of the grade in a class. Having 60% of a grade be composed of more minor readings, reflections, or annotations makes the class more holistically applicable, and redirects attention from a single assessment to consistent effort in the class overall. The regular feedback that emerges from this is also helpful, as it makes it easier to track your progress regularly, instead of only having a few indicators of how you are performing in a class. Having smaller graded homework assignments also gives more room for in class activities and lessons, and allows students to improve on their assignments because they are able to get feedback and adapt so frequently. 

While it can push people to succeed, one aspect of Hopkins culture that can be counter-productive is the extreme emphasis on test and quiz performance. Learning how to study for an assessment is a valuable skill, and Hopkins does a good job at teaching it. Something that is equally as or possibly more important is understanding the material taught in classes and trying to find joy in what you learn. While having tests can encourage this, having frequent homework assignments can also help draw the attention away from the test. At the end of the day, people won’t be taking a math test when they are adults, but they will likely have to learn to put in their best effort to an overwhelming amount of tasks. 

While when it keeps me up until late hours, and can be overwhelming, homework can feel like my enemy, the large amounts of out of class assignments has been one of the most beneficial parts of my Hopkins experience. It has taught me a lot about organization and productivity, and often helps ground me what should be my top academic priority: learning and enjoying school. Even though I have enjoyed some homework styles drastically more than others, each one a teacher has assigned me has taught me equally important things about how to be a good student.