I teach an 8/9 grade class and a 10/11/12 grade class. As the year started out, they were getting about half an hour of homework twice a week. (We only meet twice a week.) Of course, the slower students are probably spending an hour doing the work each time. But my class is a tutoring session. They're supposed to be doing some work at home. I have stepped up the homework assignments and am now told my homework may be too much. (Three hours a week total.)

According to this Plastic article, with some very interesting comments, my students should be getting between 80 minutes and 2 hours a week of homework. Originally when I was hired, the head said the students should do one hour out of class for each hour in class. But when I spoke to her on Tuesday she said it was too much.

I guess I should work on getting somewhere between what I was doing and what I am requiring now.

Of course, next weekend my students have two essays, take home mid-term. If I was them I'd spend eight hours on each of them. But I'm figuring at the most they'll spend two hours. (Some of my students will spend too much time on them, but not most.) Probably a good amount of time would be an hour and a half to two hours for each essay. So next weekend I am planning on them doing MORE homework, not less.

Here's a student's view of teachers and homework.

This article from Cinncinnati, Ohio gives the parent's view. I will say, for my case, that I am NOT supposed to be teaching them everything they need to know. I have tried to introduce everything and have been told I am “doing too much in class.”

The UK recommendations say 30 minutes of homework a day. Is that per class? If so, then they're basically recommending 30 minutes per week per class. Forget that. Most students can take that long to find the assignment and get out a writing utensil.

This Juneau, Alaska blog is an interesting one. Especially since I was talking with a woman whose friend is married, with a baby, and is 19. The girl's husband is 16. His mother says she is NOT going to push her younger children through school quickly. Look what happened to her older son.