Position Statement: LT Teachers should not check in homework because it wastes time, does not reflect a student’s ability, and does not apply to the work world.

For a class like math, teachers have considerable liberties as to whether or not homework is counted for a grade. Some teachers check in homework every day for accuracy and points, others just check in homework for completion, and some don’t even look whether homework is completed at all. So why is

there inconsistency of assignment-checking among teachers?

Here is the reality: colleges do not babysit their students. It should neither be the teacher’s responsibility to check in homework, nor the student’s fault for forgetting one page of problems. In the end, homework inevitably inflates grades and does not accurately reflect a student’s ability to learn.

In college, professors do not even exploit homework unlike high school teachers. They assign a project relevant to the class, and only give out a few tests each semester. Although teachers in high school are trying to help students form habits to be successful, homework is tedious and does not reflect a student’s performance on tests. In some classes, teachers look at the length of a paper, not reading any of the actual work. Anything can be written to pass a homework completion grade. This strategy does not benefit students and only wastes class time.

Careers will not have “homework”. Instead, people do what they have to do to be successful at their job. College professors know this, and know that even if students complete homework properly, they still may not understand the material. Or, they may understand the material without having to do homework.

A simple solution is to let students find what works best for them. Maybe doing worksheets and pretending that they will be graded will help, but something like making flashcards can be just as effective. Time is limited.  Everyone has to be dedicated to studying so that they can make their minutes of the day count. Study and work habits are going to make the difference in how someone does in college, not the one assignment they forgot to turn in last period. Students should be busy doing the work, instead of doing busy work.