Assignments are waste of students’ time

Throughout every student’s time in school they have received an assignment that does not teach them anything important, except maybe techniques for finding words in a word search. There are lots of these types of homework assignments that teachers assign that do not teach or reinforce any of their lessons. I think that homework should have a point and help students to better understand what they are learning in the classes they take. Some of these types of homework include word searches, drawing, and coloring. The students usually just get participation points, which usually are not very much, for doing those simple assignments. Because of the low amount of points, some students could just not do them and still do well in the class.

 

Word searches that just give the students the words are useless because the student doesn’t even have to think. Although, word searches where students are given a definition and they have to figure out what the word is are better for learning, especially when learning vocabulary. Also, coloring in pictures for points after labeling a picture or something else is a waste of time unless it really teaches something. Coloring and drawing are okay in art class, but not, for example, in science or history. Another example of assignments that don’t teach anything is taking notes while watching a movie about concerning a topic in whatever subject the class is. This type of assignment happens in history classes a lot. Most of the information in these boring documentaries go in one ear and out the other for most students. I understand that teachers might give these assignments so that students do not sleep during the movie, but a page of notes can quickly be written down within a few moments of a movie.

 

Even though these homework assignments don’t teach anything, they are easy. So, they are okay every so often for some easy points, but they shouldn’t be given out a lot. Instead of having a pointless assignment that is only worth a few points, why not have something slightly harder and is worth more points. The latter would greatly affect the students’ grades, whereas the other ones would only make a small dent. If anything, coloring and word searches should be extra credit, like getting a progress report signed, because it takes just as much effort. Students need homework that helps them learn or remember the things they are learning in their classes, not something worthless.