Homework plays an important role in the education system all around the world. It is assigned to students so that they revise whatever is being taught in the classroom web. The main purpose of assigning homework is to enhance the knowledge of the student and improve their ability and skills.
But, too much homework can lead to stress. If homework negatively affects the students, they will be frustrated and its impact will be seen on their academic performance. This will also affect their physical and mental health. This will put too much pressure on the students and they will be left with very little time to socialise, sleep and participate in extracurricular activities.
In an online class, teachers are mainly confused with how to teach online, how to keep a track of the performance of the students, how to find out that students are paying attention to the class, etc. as teaching online is different from teaching offline because there is no physical interaction between teachers and students in a virtual class. With all this confusion in mind, teachers usually assign tasks to students for them to do at home to make sure that they study properly. All this increases the pressure on students.
Due to academic pressure, students become bound to do nothing but study. This harms their character and skill development.
Therefore, teachers while assigning homework to the students should make it less stressful for them. Here are some tips for the teachers that might help them.
1. Give Examples
Give your students examples of how the homework is to be done. The topic might be new for them so it is always a good idea to provide them with references.
Also, most of the students ask for help from their parents when they find it difficult to do the homework. So, these examples will also help parents in assisting their children in doing homework. They will understand the type of answers that the teacher expects.
Also, teachers can compare the answers of the students with the benchmark set by the examples.
2. Proper Assessment
If you are assigning homework to the students, make sure to assess it. Never leave homework unchecked. If you do so, students might feel unvalued. They will lose interest in doing their homework because they will have no reason of doing it.
Always give them proper feedback on their work. You can also give out grades based on their work.
3. Help Them Plan a Schedule
Help your students in planning a schedule. This way they will know what work is to be done and at what time. Also, they will be better at time management.
Fixing time to do homework will also help them find spare time for other activities. It will help them keep stress away and do their work well before time.
Not only teachers but also parents can help in making homework less stressful. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Keep Disturbances Away
Keep your child away from all sorts of distractions. This will divert their focus from the task.
Try to create a quiet space for them in the house so that they are away from all kinds of disturbances.
2. Stay organised
Help your child in making a tidy study area. Unorganised study space will lead to diversion of focus.
A neatly organised study area will automatically create a positive environment. They will be motivated to study.
3. Encourage Them to Take breaks
Taking breaks helps in keeping the frustration and stress away. No one will be able to concentrate for long hours. A 10-15 mins break will help them to freshen up their minds.
Conclusion
A lot of homework might be overwhelming to the students. So teachers should not assign too much homework. Also, with the help of a learning management system teachers can ease the process of homework submission and assessment.
Parents should help their children when necessary however, they should not do all the work by themselves. Homework is meant for improving the knowledge of the children.
