students overwhelmed with homework

Is it time to get rid of homework? Mental health experts weigh in.

It's no secret that kids hate homework. And as students grapple with an ongoing pandemic that has had a wide range of mental health impacts, is it time schools start listening to their pleas about workloads?

Some teachers are turning to social media to take a stand against homework. 

Tiktok user @misguided.teacher says he doesn't assign it because the "whole premise of homework is flawed."

For starters, he says, he can't grade work on "even playing fields" when students' home environments can be vastly different.

"Even students who go home to a peaceful house, do they really want to spend their time on busy work? Because typically that's what a lot of homework is, it's busy work," he says in the video that has garnered 1.6 million likes. "You only get one year to be 7, you only got one year to be 10, you only get one year to be 16, 18."

Mental health experts agree heavy workloads have the potential do more harm than good for students, especially when taking into account the impacts of the pandemic. But they also say the answer may not be to eliminate homework altogether.

Emmy Kang, mental health counselor at Humantold , says studies have shown heavy workloads can be "detrimental" for students and cause a "big impact on their mental, physical and emotional health."

"More than half of students say that homework is their primary source of stress, and we know what stress can do on our bodies," she says, adding that staying up late to finish assignments also leads to disrupted sleep and exhaustion.

Cynthia Catchings, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist at Talkspace , says heavy workloads can also cause serious mental health problems in the long run, like anxiety and depression. 

And for all the distress homework  can cause, it's not as useful as many may think, says Dr. Nicholas Kardaras, a psychologist and CEO of Omega Recovery treatment center.

"The research shows that there's really limited benefit of homework for elementary age students, that really the school work should be contained in the classroom," he says.

For older students, Kang says, homework benefits plateau at about two hours per night. 

"Most students, especially at these high achieving schools, they're doing a minimum of three hours, and it's taking away time from their friends, from their families, their extracurricular activities. And these are all very important things for a person's mental and emotional health."

Catchings, who also taught third to 12th graders for 12 years, says she's seen the positive effects of a no-homework policy while working with students abroad.

"Not having homework was something that I always admired from the French students (and) the French schools, because that was helping the students to really have the time off and really disconnect from school," she says.

The answer may not be to eliminate homework completely but to be more mindful of the type of work students take home, suggests Kang, who was a high school teacher for 10 years.

"I don't think (we) should scrap homework; I think we should scrap meaningless, purposeless busy work-type homework. That's something that needs to be scrapped entirely," she says, encouraging teachers to be thoughtful and consider the amount of time it would take for students to complete assignments.

The pandemic made the conversation around homework more crucial 

Mindfulness surrounding homework is especially important in the context of the past two years. Many students will be struggling with mental health issues that were brought on or worsened by the pandemic , making heavy workloads even harder to balance.

"COVID was just a disaster in terms of the lack of structure. Everything just deteriorated," Kardaras says, pointing to an increase in cognitive issues and decrease in attention spans among students. "School acts as an anchor for a lot of children, as a stabilizing force, and that disappeared."

But even if students transition back to the structure of in-person classes, Kardaras suspects students may still struggle after two school years of shifted schedules and disrupted sleeping habits.

"We've seen adults struggling to go back to in-person work environments from remote work environments. That effect is amplified with children because children have less resources to be able to cope with those transitions than adults do," he explains.

'Get organized' ahead of back-to-school

In order to make the transition back to in-person school easier, Kang encourages students to "get good sleep, exercise regularly (and) eat a healthy diet."

To help manage workloads, she suggests students "get organized."

"There's so much mental clutter up there when you're disorganized. ... Sitting down and planning out their study schedules can really help manage their time," she says.

Breaking up assignments can also make things easier to tackle.

"I know that heavy workloads can be stressful, but if you sit down and you break down that studying into smaller chunks, they're much more manageable."

If workloads are still too much, Kang encourages students to advocate for themselves.

"They should tell their teachers when a homework assignment just took too much time or if it was too difficult for them to do on their own," she says. "It's good to speak up and ask those questions. Respectfully, of course, because these are your teachers. But still, I think sometimes teachers themselves need this feedback from their students."

More: Some teachers let their students sleep in class. Here's what mental health experts say.

More: Some parents are slipping young kids in for the COVID-19 vaccine, but doctors discourage the move as 'risky'

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By submitting my email address. i certify that i am 13 years of age or older, agree to recieve marketing email messages from the princeton review, and agree to terms of use., homework wars: high school workloads, student stress, and how parents can help.

Studies of typical homework loads vary : In one, a Stanford researcher found that more than two hours of homework a night may be counterproductive. The research , conducted among students from 10 high-performing high schools in upper-middle-class California communities, found that too much homework resulted in stress, physical health problems and a general lack of balance.

Additionally, the  2014 Brown Center Report on American Education , found that with the exception of nine-year-olds, the amount of homework schools assign has remained relatively unchanged since 1984, meaning even those in charge of the curricula don't see a need for adding more to that workload.

But student experiences don’t always match these results. On our own Student Life in America survey, over 50% of students reported feeling stressed, 25% reported that homework was their biggest source of stress, and on average teens are spending one-third of their study time feeling stressed, anxious, or stuck.

The disparity can be explained in one of the conclusions regarding the Brown Report:

Of the three age groups, 17-year-olds have the most bifurcated distribution of the homework burden. They have the largest percentage of kids with no homework (especially when the homework shirkers are added in) and the largest percentage with more than two hours.

So what does that mean for parents who still endure the homework wars at home?

Read More: Teaching Your Kids How To Deal with School Stress

It means that sometimes kids who are on a rigorous college-prep track, probably are receiving more homework, but the statistics are melding it with the kids who are receiving no homework. And on our survey, 64% of students reported that their parents couldn’t help them with their work. This is where the real homework wars lie—not just the amount, but the ability to successfully complete assignments and feel success.

Parents want to figure out how to help their children manage their homework stress and learn the material.

Our Top 4 Tips for Ending Homework Wars

1. have a routine..

Every parenting advice article you will ever read emphasizes the importance of a routine. There’s a reason for that: it works. A routine helps put order into an often disorderly world. It removes the thinking and arguing and “when should I start?” because that decision has already been made. While routines must be flexible to accommodate soccer practice on Tuesday and volunteer work on Thursday, knowing in general when and where you, or your child, will do homework literally removes half the battle.

2. Have a battle plan.

Overwhelmed students look at a mountain of homework and think “insurmountable.” But parents can look at it with an outsider’s perspective and help them plan. Put in an extra hour Monday when you don’t have soccer. Prepare for the AP Chem test on Friday a little at a time each evening so Thursday doesn’t loom as a scary study night (consistency and repetition will also help lock the information in your brain). Start reading the book for your English report so that it’s underway. Go ahead and write a few sentences, so you don’t have a blank page staring at you. Knowing what the week will look like helps you keep calm and carry on.

3. Don’t be afraid to call in reserves.

You can’t outsource the “battle” but you can outsource the help ! We find that kids just do better having someone other than their parents help them —and sometimes even parents with the best of intentions aren’t equipped to wrestle with complicated physics problem. At The Princeton Review, we specialize in making homework time less stressful. Our tutors are available 24/7 to work one-to-one in an online classroom with a chat feature, interactive whiteboard, and the file sharing tool, where students can share their most challenging assignments.

4. Celebrate victories—and know when to surrender.

Students and parents can review completed assignments together at the end of the night -- acknowledging even small wins helps build a sense of accomplishment. If you’ve been through a particularly tough battle, you’ll also want to reach reach a cease-fire before hitting your bunk. A war ends when one person disengages. At some point, after parents have provided a listening ear, planning, and support, they have to let natural consequences take their course. And taking a step back--and removing any pressure a parent may be inadvertently creating--can be just what’s needed.

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Adolescence

How to Help a Teen Out of a Homework Hole

The more students fall behind in the pandemic, the less likely they are to feel that they can catch up.

By Lisa Damour

Pandemic school is taking its toll on students, especially teens. A recent study , conducted by NBC News and Challenge Success, a nonprofit affiliated with the Stanford Graduate School of Education, found that 50 percent more kids in high school report feeling disengaged from school this year than last. In December, Education Week reported that schools were seeing “ dramatic increases in the number of failing or near-failing grades ” on report cards.

A major symptom of school disengagement is not turning in homework, a problem that can easily snowball. The further students fall behind, the more overwhelmed they often become and the less likely they are to feel that they can catch up .

The good news is that finding out about missing homework is a first step to helping kids get back on track. You just need to keep a few considerations in mind.

Empathy will get you further than anger

At this point in the pandemic, finding out that your child has let schoolwork slide may trigger an angry response. Everyone is worn down by the demands of pandemic life and many parents are already operating on their last nerve . Getting mad, however, is likely to cause kids to adopt a defensive or minimizing stance. Instead, try to be compassionate. What students who have fallen behind need most are problem-solving partners who want to understand what they are going through.

If you’re having trouble summoning your empathy, bear in mind that there are many good reasons a student could fall off pace this year. For instance, Ned Johnson, a professional tutor and co-author of the book “The Self-Driven Child,” noted that most teens have very little experience managing email, which is now a main source of information for those in remote or hybrid arrangements. “We know how overwhelmed we as adults are by email. Imagine not being comfortable with it, and then suddenly getting everything — from Zoom links to assignments — that way.”

Some students learning remotely may also have unreliable broadband service; others may miss key information because their attention is split between the teacher on the screen and distractions at home.

“Many adults are having the exact same issues,” said Ellen Braaten, a psychologist and the executive director of the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. “They are really productive when they can physically be at work, but may find themselves less attentive in the unstructured environment of working from home.”

Even teens who are attending school in person and using familiar systems for tracking assignments may be having a hard time managing their work now. The mental skills that help us stay organized — commonly called executive functioning — are being undermined by psychological stress, which is unusually high among today’s teens.

Work together to diagnose the problem

Finding out that your child is in academic trouble can tempt you to jump to solutions. It’s best, however, to properly diagnose the problem before trying to address it. Liz Katz, assistant head for school partnership at One Schoolhouse, an online supplemental school, suggested looking into the reasons students fall behind at school. Some don’t know what they’re supposed to be doing, others know and aren’t doing it, and still others “are doing their best and just can’t meet expectations.”

As you talk with a teenager about where things have gone off the rails, be kind, curious and collaborative. “This isn’t about you being in trouble or getting off the hook,” you might say. “It’s simply about figuring out what’s going wrong so we can solve the right problem.”

Students who are struggling to keep track of what’s expected of them may need to reach out to their teachers, either for clarification about specific assignments or for general guidance on where and when they should be looking for information about homework. As a parent or caregiver, you can coach them on how to approach their instructors. Start by pointing out that teachers are almost always eager to lend support to students who seek it. You can also offer to give feedback on a draft email to an instructor explaining where the student got lost and what they have already tried.

“For many students, the ability to ask for help is not fully formed,” said Ms. Katz, “or it can feel like an admission that they’ve done something wrong. Normalizing and praising self-advocacy is so important.”

For students who know what they’re supposed to do but aren’t doing it, other approaches make sense. They may be having a hard time sustaining motivation and need support on that front , or they may be swamped with commitments, such as caring for younger siblings, that make it impossible to complete their schoolwork. Here, parents and students will want to work together to make a realistic plan for addressing the biggest priorities in light of these circumstances. This might mean coming to an agreement about where the teen’s energies should be directed or exploring what additional support might be put in place.

In some cases, academic problems may be linked to issues with mental health. If there’s a question of whether a student is suffering from depression or anxiety; using drugs; or exhibiting any other significant emotional or behavioral concern, check in with the school counselor or family doctor for a proper assessment. Treatment should always take precedence over schoolwork. “If you’re depressed,” Dr. Braaten said, “no amount of executive function coaching is going to help, because that’s not the issue.”

Some students have subtle learning or attention disorders that became an issue only when school went online. Under regular conditions, said Mr. Johnson, instructors can notice when a student is tuning out and bring back his or her attention in a gentle way. Unfortunately, “Teachers really can’t do that effectively on Zoom.” If this is a concern, parents should consider checking in with teachers or their school’s learning support staff to get their read on the problem and advice for how to move forward.

Step back to see the big picture

“We all need to be easier on ourselves,” Dr. Braaten said, “and to sort through what students really need to do and what they don’t.” Well-meaning parents might hope to motivate students by emphasizing the importance of high grades, but that can make it harder for kids to recover from a substantial setback.

As students start to work their way back, give some thought to how comprehensive their turnaround needs to be. Do they really need to get equally high grades in every class? Could they instead direct their energy toward getting square with the courses they care about most? Could they work with their teachers to agree upon trimmed-down assignments for partial credit? According to Mr. Johnson, “Lowering expectations, for now , can actually help kids to get back on track.”

Dr. Braaten also noted that much of what students gain from school is not about content, but about learning how to solve problems. Engaging teens in constructive conversations to figure out how they fell behind can be an important lesson unto itself. “Having a 16-year-old who understands, ‘When I’m stressed, this is how I react,’” says Dr. Braaten, “may put us further ahead in the long run.”

In any school year, students learn a great deal beyond academic content. This year, more than most, might be one where students gain a deep understanding of how they respond when feeling overwhelmed and how to ask for help or rebound from setbacks — lessons that they will draw on long after the pandemic is gone.

Lisa Damour is a psychologist and the author of the New York Times best sellers “Untangled” and “Under Pressure.” Dr. Damour also co-hosts the podcast “Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Parenting.” More about Lisa Damour

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More than two hours of homework may be counterproductive, research suggests.

A Stanford education researcher found that too much homework can negatively affect kids, especially their lives away from school, where family, friends and activities matter.   "Our findings on the effects of homework challenge the traditional assumption that homework is inherently good," wrote Denise Pope , a senior lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and a co-author of a study published in the Journal of Experimental Education .   The researchers used survey data to examine perceptions about homework, student well-being and behavioral engagement in a sample of 4,317 students from 10 high-performing high schools in upper-middle-class California communities. Along with the survey data, Pope and her colleagues used open-ended answers to explore the students' views on homework.   Median household income exceeded $90,000 in these communities, and 93 percent of the students went on to college, either two-year or four-year.   Students in these schools average about 3.1 hours of homework each night.   "The findings address how current homework practices in privileged, high-performing schools sustain students' advantage in competitive climates yet hinder learning, full engagement and well-being," Pope wrote.   Pope and her colleagues found that too much homework can diminish its effectiveness and even be counterproductive. They cite prior research indicating that homework benefits plateau at about two hours per night, and that 90 minutes to two and a half hours is optimal for high school.   Their study found that too much homework is associated with:   • Greater stress : 56 percent of the students considered homework a primary source of stress, according to the survey data. Forty-three percent viewed tests as a primary stressor, while 33 percent put the pressure to get good grades in that category. Less than 1 percent of the students said homework was not a stressor.   • Reductions in health : In their open-ended answers, many students said their homework load led to sleep deprivation and other health problems. The researchers asked students whether they experienced health issues such as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss and stomach problems.   • Less time for friends, family and extracurricular pursuits : Both the survey data and student responses indicate that spending too much time on homework meant that students were "not meeting their developmental needs or cultivating other critical life skills," according to the researchers. Students were more likely to drop activities, not see friends or family, and not pursue hobbies they enjoy.   A balancing act   The results offer empirical evidence that many students struggle to find balance between homework, extracurricular activities and social time, the researchers said. Many students felt forced or obligated to choose homework over developing other talents or skills.   Also, there was no relationship between the time spent on homework and how much the student enjoyed it. The research quoted students as saying they often do homework they see as "pointless" or "mindless" in order to keep their grades up.   "This kind of busy work, by its very nature, discourages learning and instead promotes doing homework simply to get points," said Pope, who is also a co-founder of Challenge Success , a nonprofit organization affiliated with the GSE that conducts research and works with schools and parents to improve students' educational experiences..   Pope said the research calls into question the value of assigning large amounts of homework in high-performing schools. Homework should not be simply assigned as a routine practice, she said.   "Rather, any homework assigned should have a purpose and benefit, and it should be designed to cultivate learning and development," wrote Pope.   High-performing paradox   In places where students attend high-performing schools, too much homework can reduce their time to foster skills in the area of personal responsibility, the researchers concluded. "Young people are spending more time alone," they wrote, "which means less time for family and fewer opportunities to engage in their communities."   Student perspectives   The researchers say that while their open-ended or "self-reporting" methodology to gauge student concerns about homework may have limitations – some might regard it as an opportunity for "typical adolescent complaining" – it was important to learn firsthand what the students believe.   The paper was co-authored by Mollie Galloway from Lewis and Clark College and Jerusha Conner from Villanova University.

Clifton B. Parker is a writer at the Stanford News Service .

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How to stop feeling overwhelmed as a student

Students can feel overwhelmed during their studies, including causes such as homework, exams, and essays. Here are our top tips to alleviate this feeling.

  Students are feeling the pressure to perform. Almost half (36%) of college students said that stress was impacting their academic performance. If you’re feeling stressed and worked, there are some proven ways you can reduce feelings of being overwhelmed as a student.   Finding ways to manage feelings of stress and depression is key to ensuring happiness, health, and academic achievement.   In this blog, we're going to explore why students like you are feeling overwhelmed and provide 10 tips, tools, and techniques every student can use to reduce study-related stress.

Why do students feel overwhelmed?

So, why do students like you feel overwhelmed ? It’s a big question with a range of factors. Transitioning from high school to college is a big change. Students in college have to take on a huge range of new responsibilities, which can cause stress. Other issues that can cause stress include a lack of good time management , changes in routine (eating, sleeping, and exercise), and exhaustion caused by simply doing too much.   Alongside lifestyle changes, study-related stress is high among college students. The more stressed students are, the worse their academic performance . It’s hard to get accurate figures, but some experts suggest the average college student studies up to 36 hours per week – that's the same as a full-time job and leaves little for social activities and opportunities that college offers.   In some cases, students are getting stressed by pushing themselves too hard to achieve unrealistic goals and expectations in their academic and social lives. As well as hours spent studying, most US college students spend 2-3 hours each day on social media . While it's essential to build networks, high levels of social media among college students are linked to worse mental health, and can lead to feeling overwhelmed.   The impact of stress on mental health is clear, with 61% of college students seeking help for anxiety , depression , and other mental health issues . While the stats are worrying, it’s actually a positive sign that students recognize the impact that stress can have on their overall health and happiness – and are seeking help.   Developing some positive study habits and using some proven tools, techniques, and new digital technologies can help every student reduce stress – and we can show you how.

10 ways to stop feeling overwhelmed as a student

Here are 10 things every student can try to reduce study-related pressures and improve academic performance.

1.   Prioritize tasks

Everyone knows how to create a To-Do list, but have you heard about the Eisenhower Matrix ? The Eisenhower Matrix is the brainchild of former president Dwight D. Eisenhower and can help you to differentiate between urgent and important tasks.   Creating an Eisenhower Matrix every day (or at the start of each study session) can help you focus your attention on the tasks and activities that matter most and reduce the risk of feeling overwhelmed.   Here's a great explainer of the Eisenhower Matrix by the productivity experts at Asana. You can download a template that’s free to use to get you started.

2.   Switch off social media to stay focused

Social media is a significant stressor and can easily capture your attention for hours. There are hundreds of tools and programs that can help you remove the temptation to check. One of our favorites is the Google Chrome extension Stayfocusd . It's free, easy to use, and will block social media sites and others while you're studying.   If you’re anything like us, you’ll have your smartphone close to hand as you study. The free app Forest is a fun way to stop you from checking your phone for a set period. You plant a tree on your phone and watch as it grows. Click onto your social feeds or email program, and it’ll wither and die.

3.   Set realistic Goals

One major cause of stress is setting ourselves unrealistic targets or unachievable aims. Do this, and you're setting yourself up to fail.   Success is easier to achieve through hundreds of small steps than one giant leap. Define achievable goals for each study session and create short, measurable objectives. Achieving them can boost your sense of accomplishment and reduce feelings of being overwhelmed.

4.   Create a structured schedule

Plan your week of study activities in advance and break it down into chunks. You can allocate time for classes, study sessions, and breaks. Focusing too long on a single subject or study area for too long doesn’t improve education, says the American Psychological Association . Instead, balance intense and focused study sessions with time to relax and have fun; it's what college is all about, after all!   A consistent routine can enhance focus and productivity and ensure you're progressing towards your objectives.

5.   Embrace the power of 'No'

You can’t do everything, and that's okay. Be selective about your commitments and have the confidence to say no sometimes. It’s important to recognize your limits and turn down social activities, events , or other things that can interfere with your study plans.   Of course, once you’re finished with the books, embrace the power of “yes”!

6.   Use technology to improve studying

New technologies like Glean can help every student to improve the learning process, making studying, revision, and reflection more efficient.   Glean is a personal study tool that enables you to capture every class, enabling you to access a video of every lecture or seminar. You can play and pause, adding notes where appropriate. You can even use the advanced AI facilities to produce accurate transcripts that can remove the need to take notes during lectures, enabling you to immerse yourself in the learning experience.   Glean is an all-in-one solution that can take the stress out of studying, making it more efficient and enjoyable.

7.   Practice mindfulness and meditation

This won’t be for everyone, but mindfulness exercises and meditation are proven to help calm your mind and center your thoughts.   Spending even a few minutes a day can make a significant difference to your mental health and put you in a positive frame of mind – and it doesn’t need to cost a cent. Here is a list of free meditation and mindfulness resources for students .

8.   Organize your study space

It sounds simple, but organizing your study space and materials can reduce stress. Why? Because clutter can be overwhelming and create uncomfortable or unpleasant spaces for studying.   Here’s our guide on how to make your room better for studying .

9.   Eat well and exercise: Take care of your health

It sounds obvious, but our physical health and mental well-being are intrinsically linked. When you're feeling physically stronger, you're better able to fight off feelings of being overwhelmed when studying.   The advice is simple. Without wanting to sound like a nagging parent, be sure to exercise, eat a balanced diet, and get enough sleep. You'll find you're stronger and more able to beat stress.

10.  Ask for help when you need it

There are two types of stress: the kind you can cope with and the type you can't. If you're finding things are getting too much, there's always help available. You can speak to a friend or family member, a faculty leader, or seek help from your college. Never suffer from the feelings of being overwhelmed on your own.   You can find more resources to help you reduce stress and study smarter here .

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3 Strategies to Reduce Student Burnout

When students are overwhelmed, they may disengage from school. Asking for their feedback and giving them some autonomy can help.

It’s the first day of school, and Nina cannot help but feel excited. With the pandemic and some tough classes, seventh grade was hard to handle, but now she is on top of the heap. Eighth grade should be much better! The day begins, and Nina moves from one class to the next. Each period starts with the usual course overview or icebreaker activity and ends with a homework assignment. As the day progresses, she begins to deflate.

When Nina finally gets to her last class of the day, her new English teacher asks everyone to write a timed essay on the summer reading text, which feels like an exhausting task after such a long day. As she rides the bus home, Nina pictures herself repeating similar days for the next nine months. At home, her parents ask how the day went. “The same as last year,” Nina says. “I can’t believe it’s only the first day. I’m so tired.”

Burnout is considered an adult affliction, but students experience it as well. A gradual drop-off in student engagement, particularly after fifth grade as accountability measures intensify, is one significant reason that kids lose their enthusiasm for school. However, a consequent feeling of being overwhelmed is the more pressing cause of student burnout and can become severe enough that kids completely disengage from their classes.

To mitigate this sense of learned helplessness, the most effective strategy is to build better structures for incorporating student voice into instruction. That way, students have more input into what approaches work best for them.

Genuine Involvement, Not Just Lip Service

It is important to ask students to share lesson takeaways and suggestions on a regular basis. Why hypothesize about what students need when they can make their thinking visible? However, soliciting feedback is only the first step; following through on what kids reveal is even more important. Nearly every teacher can identify with the frustration of being asked to weigh in on a school-based issue, only to realize that the decision is a fait accompli and the feedback they provide is for the sake of appearances.

Students are apt to feel the same way when they are asked for their thoughts and see little follow-through. Specifically, making transparent changes to instruction and showing students how and why their ideas influence subsequent lessons is key. If students are not given a genuine voice in the classroom, they will feel less invested in whatever is happening.

To help students see their role in the learning process, go over student contributions with a “feedback on feedback” protocol. Whenever I lead a training session or teach a class, participants need to know their voices matter. For students who are less accustomed to being heard, taking the temperature of instruction is doubly important. However, asking for feedback at the end of a class is just the first of two steps we take to gauge the needs of learners.

Even more important is how we follow through on what people tell us. When we use feedback on feedback effectively as a two-way street, the result is mutual trust and engagement, and in turn less burnout for both teachers and students, the latter of whom especially value the open way in which their ideas are acknowledged. Even if teachers cannot fulfill a request expressed in feedback, explaining why that cannot happen is also a trust-building move.

Provide Product-Focused Feedback

Another move that helps build student voice while increasing focus on how to succeed with a specific product or process (an assignment, a presentation, etc.) is to ensure that kids see teacher feedback as objective. Too often, students burn out because they perceive that adults are grading their hard work unfairly, and they lose motivation to strive.

To mitigate this problem, clearly delineate the differences between feedback, guidance, and evaluation. In Educative Assessment: Designing Assessments to Inform and Improve Student Performance , author and education consultant Grant Wiggins defines feedback as objective information free of value.

For example, if a class is assigned a paragraph of between five and eight sentences to write, and a student writes only three sentences, the teacher can provide the neutral feedback that the paragraph is shorter than the stated expectation for the product. However, many teachers confuse feedback for either guidance or evaluation. In the first case, that might look like a suggestion (e.g., “You need to write more and include details”), and in the second, a judgment-based response (like a letter grade or a “Getting there!”).

The advantage of focusing on clear criteria for success is that students see where their work is in relation to the expected product rather than on who they are as individuals. When they see mistakes as part of an objective process, students are less apt to become upset with the feelings of powerlessness that accompany burnout and more likely to continue engaging in the class.

Respect Individual Working Styles

Adults are often encouraged to use their own individual working preferences (i.e., the conditions under which they are most successful) to their advantage. For example, I know that I write best early in the morning and that if I wait until later in the day, my productivity plummets.

Why are students not afforded the same opportunity to play to their strengths? Perhaps not every day can be devoted to honoring individual work preferences, but teachers who create space for students to choose how they use some of the allotted instructional time will reap the benefits of increased interest and productivity. This student-centered approach also gives teachers more flexibility during the class period, which lowers the exhaustion that leads to burnout for everyone.

To structure a class that gives students the leeway to choose not what they work on, but how they work on it, think of an instructional week in which three products have to be submitted by Friday: a short proposal for a research project, two slides that state the project’s purpose, and a list of possible sources to cite. In addition, the class is also reading two chapters from the textbook and the teacher wants to administer a formative assessment on the reading somewhere in the middle of the week. While some days may be devoted to teacher-directed instruction with the whole class, others can be structured into smaller configurations for student-centered learning.

For example, some students may wish to work on reading the assigned chapters either silently or to one another in a corner of the room, while others draft their project proposals in another corner. As they work, the teacher is free to circulate, conference with individuals, or lead small-group learning. This choice-based philosophy of “hover-free” teaching, shared with specific tools for application in my recent book Teach More, Hover Less , reduces burnout for students by giving them the rare chance to complete work in a way that best suits their needs.

Nobody enjoys feeling burned out, regardless of how old they might be. If we save students like Nina from the burnout that leads to disengagement by implementing the strategies outlined above, our own teaching experiences will be that much richer and more invigorating. Students are not just our most valued clientele; they are also our partners in the classroom, and increasing their voice in the classroom will lead to a better experience for everyone involved.

How to Reduce Homework Stress

If homework is a source of frustration and stress in your home, it doesn’t have to be that way! Read on to learn effective strategies to reduce your child’s homework stress.

Author Katie Wickliff

Published March 2024

 If homework is a source of frustration and stress in your home, it doesn’t have to be that way! Read on to learn effective strategies to reduce your child’s homework stress.

• Key takeaways
• Homework stress can be a significant problem for children and their families
• An appropriate amount of quality homework can be beneficial for students
• Parents can help reduce homework stress in several key ways

Table of contents

• Homework stress effects
• How to reduce homework stress

As a parent who has felt the frustration of watching my child be reduced to tears because of her homework each night, I’ve often wondered: do these math worksheets and reading trackers really make a difference to a child’s academic success? Or does homework cause stress without having a positive impact on learning? 

If your child experiences a significant amount of homework stress, you may feel at a loss to help. However, there are several things you can do at home to minimize the negative effects of this stress on your child–and you! We’ve put together a list of research-based practices that can help your child better handle their homework load.

The Effects of Homework Stress on Students

Does homework cause stress? Short answer: Yes. It’s been well documented that too much homework can cause stress and anxiety for students–and their parents. However, do the benefits of homework outweigh the costs? Is homework “worth” the frustration and exhaustion that our children experience? 

Findings on the benefits of homework at the elementary school level are mixed, with studies showing that homework appears to have more positive effects under certain conditions for certain groups of students.

After examining decades of studies on the relationship between homework and academic achievement, leading homework researcher Harris M. Cooper has proposed the “10-minute rule,” suggesting that homework be limited to 10 minutes per grade level. For example, children in 3rd grade should do no more than 30 minutes of homework daily, while a 1st grader should do no more than 10 minutes of homework. The National Parent Teacher Association and the National Education Association both endorse this guideline as a general rule of thumb. 

Because of these research findings, Doodle believes that an appropriate amount of quality homework can help students feel more positive about learning and can provide parents with a critical connection to their child’s school experience . But to keep learning positive, we need to reduce the amount of stress both students and parents feel about homework.

1. Routine, Routine, Routine

Creating an after-school routine and sticking to it helps children feel organized, but with sports, tutoring, or music lessons, many children have varying weekday schedules. As a former classroom teacher and private tutor, I suggest that families post a weekly schedule somewhere visible and communicate that schedule with their child. 

At our house, we have a dry-erase calendar posted on the wall. Every Sunday evening, I write both of my children’s schedules for the following week–including homework time. We go through the calendar together, and they reference it often throughout the week. I can tell both my son and daughter feel better when they know when they’ll get their homework done.

2. Create a Homework Space

Ideally, your child should have a dedicated homework space. It doesn’t matter if that space is a desk, a dining room table, or a kitchen countertop. What does matter is that the homework area is tidy, because an unorganized homework area is very distracting.

3. Start Homework Early

Encourage your child to start their homework as early as possible. Help them review their assignments, make a plan for what needs to be completed, and then dive in. Naturally, children are more tired later in the evening which can lead to more stress.

4. Encourage Breaks

If you can see your child becoming frustrated or overwhelmed by their homework, encourage them to take a breather and come back to it later. As a teacher and tutor, I called this a “brain break” and believe these breaks are essential. Taking a short break will give your child a chance to step away from a frustrating problem or assignment.

5. It’s Okay to Ask for Help

Sometimes, homework can become just too stressful and overwhelming. In that case, it really is okay to stop. Children can learn to advocate for themselves by making a list of questions for their teacher and asking for help the next day. Depending on their age, you might need to help role-play how to approach their teacher with their frustrations. 

Additionally, parents should never feel afraid to contact their child’s teacher to talk about homework issues. When I was teaching elementary school, I always wanted parents to feel comfortable reaching out about any issues, including homework stress.

6. Get Plenty of Rest

Sleep is critical to a child’s overall wellbeing , which includes their academic performance. Tired kids can’t concentrate as well, which can lead to feeling more overwhelmed about homework assignments. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, kids aged 6-12 should get at least 9 hours of sleep each night.

7. Consider a Homework Group

Organizing a homework group a few times a week is another way for your child to view homework more positively. Working as a group encourages collaboration, while discussions can solidify concepts learned in class.

8. Encourage Positivity

No matter what your school experience was like, it’s important to model a growth mindset for your child. A growth mindset is the belief that your abilities can develop and improve over time. So if your child says something like “ I can’t do this! ” first acknowledge their frustration. Then, encourage them to say, “ I may not understand this yet, but I will figure it out. ” Speaking positively about tough experiences takes practice, but it will go a long way in reducing homework stress for your child.

9. Develop Skills With Fun Games

Feeling stressed about homework is no fun. Completing worksheets and memorizing facts is necessary, but playing games is a great way to inject some excitement into learning. Doodle’s interactive math app is filled with interactive exercises, engaging math games, and unique rewards that help kids develop their skills while having fun.

Lower Math Anxiety with DoodleMath

Does your child struggle with math anxiety? DoodleMath is an award-winning math app f illed with fun, interactive math questions aligned to state standards. Doodle creates a unique work program tailored to each child’s skill level to boost confidence and reduce math anxiety. Try it free  today!

FAQs About Homework Stress

Many studies have shown that homework and stress often go hand-in-hand, often because many children feel pressure to perform perfectly or they have trouble managing their emotions–they get overwhelmed or flooded easily.

You can help your child reduce homework stress in several ways, including by establishing a routine, creating a homework space, encouraging breaks, and making homework fun with online games or math apps.

Lesson credits

Katie Wickliff

Katie holds a master’s degree in Education from the University of Colorado and a bachelor’s degree in both Journalism and English from The University of Iowa. She has over 15 years of education experience as a K-12 classroom teacher and Orton-Gillingham certified tutor. Most importantly, Katie is the mother of two elementary students, ages 8 and 11. She is passionate about math education and firmly believes that the right tools and support will help every student reach their full potential.

Parents, sign up for a DoodleMath subscription and see your child become a math wizard!

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Do our kids have too much homework?

by: Marian Wilde | Updated: January 31, 2024

Print article

Many students and their parents are frazzled by the amount of homework being piled on in the schools. Yet many researchers say that American students have just the right amount of homework.

“Kids today are overwhelmed!” a parent recently wrote in an email to GreatSchools.org “My first-grade son was required to research a significant person from history and write a paper of at least two pages about the person, with a bibliography. How can he be expected to do that by himself? He just started to learn to read and write a couple of months ago. Schools are pushing too hard and expecting too much from kids.”

Diane Garfield, a fifth grade teacher in San Francisco, concurs. “I believe that we’re stressing children out,” she says.

But hold on, it’s not just the kids who are stressed out . “Teachers nowadays assign these almost college-level projects with requirements that make my mouth fall open with disbelief,” says another frustrated parent. “It’s not just the kids who suffer!”

“How many people take home an average of two hours or more of work that must be completed for the next day?” asks Tonya Noonan Herring, a New Mexico mother of three, an attorney and a former high school English teacher. “Most of us, even attorneys, do not do this. Bottom line: students have too much homework and most of it is not productive or necessary.”

Research about homework

How do educational researchers weigh in on the issue? According to Brian Gill, a senior social scientist at the Rand Corporation, there is no evidence that kids are doing more homework than they did before.

“If you look at high school kids in the late ’90s, they’re not doing substantially more homework than kids did in the ’80s, ’70s, ’60s or the ’40s,” he says. “In fact, the trends through most of this time period are pretty flat. And most high school students in this country don’t do a lot of homework. The median appears to be about four hours a week.”

Education researchers like Gill base their conclusions, in part, on data gathered by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests.

“It doesn’t suggest that most kids are doing a tremendous amount,” says Gill. “That’s not to say there aren’t any kids with too much homework. There surely are some. There’s enormous variation across communities. But it’s not a crisis in that it’s a very small proportion of kids who are spending an enormous amount of time on homework.”

Etta Kralovec, author of The End of Homework: How Homework Disrupts Families, Overburdens Children, and Limits Learning , disagrees, saying NAEP data is not a reliable source of information. “Students take the NAEP test and one of the questions they have to fill out is, ‘How much homework did you do last night’ Anybody who knows schools knows that teachers by and large do not give homework the night before a national assessment. It just doesn’t happen. Teachers are very clear with kids that they need to get a good night’s sleep and they need to eat well to prepare for a test.

“So asking a kid how much homework they did the night before a national test and claiming that that data tells us anything about the general run of the mill experience of kids and homework over the school year is, I think, really dishonest.”

Further muddying the waters is an AP/AOL poll that suggests that most Americans feel that their children are getting the right amount of homework. It found that 57% of parents felt that their child was assigned about the right amount of homework, 23% thought there was too little and 19% thought there was too much.

One indisputable fact

One homework fact that educators do agree upon is that the young child today is doing more homework than ever before.

“Parents are correct in saying that they didn’t get homework in the early grades and that their kids do,” says Harris Cooper, professor of psychology and director of the education program at Duke University.

Gill quantifies the change this way: “There has been some increase in homework for the kids in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. But it’s been an increase from zero to 20 minutes a day. So that is something that’s fairly new in the last quarter century.”

The history of homework

In his research, Gill found that homework has always been controversial. “Around the turn of the 20th century, the Ladies’ Home Journal carried on a crusade against homework. They thought that kids were better off spending their time outside playing and looking at clouds. The most spectacular success this movement had was in the state of California, where in 1901 the legislature passed a law abolishing homework in grades K-8. That lasted about 15 years and then was quietly repealed. Then there was a lot of activism against homework again in the 1930s.”

The proponents of homework have remained consistent in their reasons for why homework is a beneficial practice, says Gill. “One, it extends the work in the classroom with additional time on task. Second, it develops habits of independent study. Third, it’s a form of communication between the school and the parents. It gives parents an idea of what their kids are doing in school.”

The anti-homework crowd has also been consistent in their reasons for wanting to abolish or reduce homework.

“The first one is children’s health,” says Gill. “A hundred years ago, you had medical doctors testifying that heavy loads of books were causing children’s spines to be bent.”

The more things change, the more they stay the same, it seems. There were also concerns about excessive amounts of stress .

“Although they didn’t use the term ‘stress,'” says Gill. “They worried about ‘nervous breakdowns.'”

“In the 1930s, there were lots of graduate students in education schools around the country who were doing experiments that claimed to show that homework had no academic value — that kids who got homework didn’t learn any more than kids who didn’t,” Gill continues. Also, a lot of the opposition to homework, in the first half of the 20th century, was motivated by a notion that it was a leftover from a 19th-century model of schooling, which was based on recitation, memorization and drill. Progressive educators were trying to replace that with something more creative, something more interesting to kids.”

The more-is-better movement

Garfield, the San Francisco fifth-grade teacher, says that when she started teaching 30 years ago, she didn’t give any homework. “Then parents started asking for it,” she says. “I got In junior high and high school there’s so much homework, they need to get prepared.” So I bought that one. I said, ‘OK, they need to be prepared.’ But they don’t need two hours.”

Cooper sees the trend toward more homework as symptomatic of high-achieving parents who want the best for their children. “Part of it, I think, is pressure from the parents with regard to their desire to have their kids be competitive for the best universities in the country. The communities in which homework is being piled on are generally affluent communities.”

The less-is-better campaign

Alfie Kohn, a widely-admired progressive writer on education and parenting, published a sharp rebuttal to the more-homework-is-better argument in his 2006 book The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing . Kohn criticized the pro-homework studies that Cooper referenced as “inconclusive… they only show an association, not a causal relationship” and he titled his first chapter “Missing Out on Their Childhoods.”

Vera Goodman’s 2020 book, Simply Too Much Homework: What Can We Do? , repeats Kohn’s scrutiny and urges parents to appeal to school and government leaders to revise homework policies. Goodman believes today’s homework load stresses out teachers, parents, and students, deprives children of unstructured time for play, hobbies, and individual pursuits, and inhibits the joy of learning.

Homework guidelines

What’s a parent to do, you ask? Fortunately, there are some sanity-saving homework guidelines.

Cooper points to “The 10-Minute Rule” formulated by the National PTA and the National Education Association, which suggests that kids should be doing about 10 minutes of homework per night per grade level. In other words, 10 minutes for first-graders, 20 for second-graders and so on.

Too much homework vs. the optimal amount

Cooper has found that the correlation between homework and achievement is generally supportive of these guidelines. “We found that for kids in elementary school there was hardly any relationship between how much homework young children did and how well they were doing in school, but in middle school the relationship is positive and increases until the kids were doing between an hour to two hours a night, which is right where the 10-minute rule says it’s going to be optimal.

“After that it didn’t go up anymore. Kids that reported doing more than two hours of homework a night in middle school weren’t doing any better in school than kids who were doing between an hour to two hours.”

Garfield has a very clear homework policy that she distributes to her parents at the beginning of each school year. “I give one subject a night. It’s what we were studying in class or preparation for the next day. It should be done within half an hour at most. I believe that children have many outside activities now and they also need to live fully as children. To have them work for six hours a day at school and then go home and work for hours at night does not seem right. It doesn’t allow them to have a childhood.”

International comparisons

How do American kids fare when compared to students in other countries? Professors Gerald LeTendre and David Baker of Pennsylvania State University conclude in their 2005 book, National Differences, Global Similarities: World Culture and the Future of Schooling, that American middle schoolers do more homework than their peers in Japan, Korea, or Taiwan, but less than their peers in Singapore and Hong Kong.

One of the surprising findings of their research was that more homework does not correlate with higher test scores. LeTendre notes: “That really flummoxes people because they say, ‘Doesn’t doing more homework mean getting better scores?’ The answer quite simply is no.”

Homework is a complicated thing

To be effective, homework must be used in a certain way, he says. “Let me give you an example. Most homework in the fourth grade in the U.S. is worksheets. Fill them out, turn them in, maybe the teacher will check them, maybe not. That is a very ineffective use of homework. An effective use of homework would be the teacher sitting down and thinking ‘Elizabeth has trouble with number placement, so I’m going to give her seven problems on number placement.’ Then the next day the teacher sits down with Elizabeth and she says, ‘Was this hard for you? Where did you have difficulty?’ Then she gives Elizabeth either more or less material. As you can imagine, that kind of homework rarely happens.”

Shotgun homework

“What typically happens is people give what we call ‘shotgun homework’: blanket drills, questions and problems from the book. On a national level that’s associated with less well-functioning school systems,” he says. “In a sense, you could sort of think of it as a sign of weaker teachers or less well-prepared teachers. Over time, we see that in elementary and middle schools more and more homework is being given, and that countries around the world are doing this in an attempt to increase their test scores, and that is basically a failing strategy.”

Quality not quantity?

“ The Case for (Quality) Homework: Why It Improves Learning, and How Parents Can Help ,” a 2019 paper written by Boston University psychologist Janine Bempechat, asks for homework that specifically helps children “confront ever-more-complex tasks” that enable them to gain resilience and embrace challenges.

Similar research from University of Ovideo in Spain titled “ Homework: Facts and Fiction 2021 ” says evidence shows that how homework is applied is more important than how much is required, and it asserts that a moderate amount of homework yields the most academic achievement. The most important aspect of quality homework assignment? The effort required and the emotions prompted by the task.

Robyn Jackson, author of How to Plan Rigorous Instruction and other media about rigor says the key to quality homework is not the time spent, but the rigor — or mental challenge — involved. ( Read more about how to evaluate your child’s homework for rigor here .)

Nightly reading as a homework replacement

Across the country, many elementary schools have replaced homework with a nightly reading requirement. There are many benefits to children reading every night , either out loud with a parent or independently: it increases their vocabulary, imagination, concentration, memory, empathy, academic ability, knowledge of different cultures and perspectives. Plus, it reduces stress, helps kids sleep, and bonds children to their cuddling parents or guardians. Twenty to 30 minutes of reading each day is generally recommended.

But, is this always possible, or even ideal?

No, it’s not.

Alfie Kohn criticizes this added assignment in his blog post, “ How To Create Nonreaders .” He cites an example from a parent (Julie King) who reports, “Our children are now expected to read 20 minutes a night, and record such on their homework sheet. What parents are discovering (surprise) is that those kids who used to sit down and read for pleasure — the kids who would get lost in a book and have to be told to put it down to eat/play/whatever — are now setting the timer… and stopping when the timer dings. … Reading has become a chore, like brushing your teeth.”

The take-away from Kohn? Don’t undermine reading for pleasure by turning it into another task burdening your child’s tired brain.

Additional resources

Books Simply Too Much Homework: What Can We do? by Vera Goodman, Trafford Publishing, 2020

The Case Against Homework: How Homework is Hurting Children and What Parents Can Do About It by Sara Bennett and Nancy Kalish, Crown Publishers, 2007

The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing by Alfie Kohn, Hatchett Books, 2006 The End of Homework: How Homework Disrupts Families, Overburdens Children, and Limits Learning by Etta Kralovec and John Buell, Beacon Press, 2001.

The Battle Over Homework: Common Ground for Administrators, Teachers, and Parents by Harris M. Cooper, Corwin Press, 2001.

Seven Steps to Homework Success: A Family Guide to Solving Common Homework Problems by Sydney Zentall and Sam Goldstein, Specialty Press, 1998.

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How to make school life a little less difficult for kids

Actually useful ways to help children with homework, bullying, and mental health.

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In early 2020, around the onset of Covid-19 lockdowns, Jessica Mungekar noticed her seventh grade honor student, Layla, retreat. “I knew that she felt really uncomfortable and she wanted to fall into the background,” Mungekar says. “She didn’t want to be noticed and I didn’t quite understand it.”

Meanwhile, Layla was keeping the source of her pain secret from her mother: She was being bullied and was struggling with her identity as a biracial teen in a predominantly white town. Layla feared if she told her mom about the extent of the bullying, Jessica would have called the school, making the problem even worse.

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Things came to a head the summer before Layla’s first year of high school when she shared with her mom details of a traumatic event. Layla urged her mother not to make decisions on her behalf in the aftermath. Instead, Jessica went into what she calls “mama bear mode” and made demands of her daughter: Cut off contact with these friends, join these extracurricular activities, you are only allowed out of the house during these hours. Layla felt like her autonomy was being taken away.

Over the course of a few months, mother and daughter worked to repair their relationship and communication. Now, Jessica says she is sure to listen to Layla instead of immediately offering advice, validates her daughter’s feelings, and gives her freedom to express herself. For her part, Layla confides in her mother all the time, even about her dating life. Her friends often seek out Jessica for counsel, too. “She’s become a safe place where people go to get advice,” Layla, now 16, says. “She’s joyous and doesn’t pass judgment.”

Students are faced with a daily barrage of potential stressors: a demanding course load, tricky social dynamics, managing both their time and emotions. In a four-year study designed to estimate the prevalence of mental disorders in kindergarteners through 12th graders, findings showed one in six students exhibited enough symptoms to meet the criteria for one or more childhood mental disorders, such as anxiety disorders and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. According to a 2019 Pew Research Center report, 61 percent of teens said they felt a lot of pressure to get good grades. About 22 percent of 12- to 18-year-old students reported being bullied during the school year in 2019, per a National Center for Education Statistics survey . None of these statistics takes into account the toll of the pandemic, which set students back academically and had negative effects on their mental health .

Once kids leave the house, parents and other adults in their lives have little influence on their students’ school days. Unable to witness or guide children through the difficulties in and out of the classroom, parents often get piecemeal or incomplete views of how their kids spent the last hours, especially if the child is young and can’t adequately verbalize their struggles or frustrations. Signs that a student may be experiencing hardship at school include increased irritability, difficulty sleeping or lack of sleep, and changes in appetite, says Jessica Kendorski , the chair of the school psychology department and professor at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. They may also say they feel sick in order to stay home, when in reality they may be stressed or anxious about school, Kendorski says.

Another indicator of a struggling child includes extreme people-pleasing, says Meredith Draughn , the school counselor at B. Everett Jordan Elementary School in Graham, NC, and the 2023 American School Counselor Association Counselor of the Year. High school students may also exhibit a “freeze” response, Draughn says. “It’s like well, that kid just doesn’t care, right? That kid’s super apathetic,” she says. “What we find when we dig into it more is they’re so overwhelmed by everything that’s happening that they just choose to do nothing because they don’t know how to address it.”

What, then, is the right way to support the students in your life? The tactics will vary based on the age of your child and the issues they’re facing. Regardless of your approach, experts say to always keep your kids in the loop of any decisions you’re making about their emotional and academic success.

Encourage growth mindset tactics for academic achievement

From homework to challenging classes, students experience a number of academic hurdles. Sometimes, they may fail a test or drop the ball on a project. While some students may criticize themselves (“I’m not smart enough”) or claim the material was too difficult, parents should promote a growth mindset : the ability to learn from setbacks, implement new processes, and improve. “You want to praise the effort and the strategies that they used,” Kendorski says. “If they fail something, you want to talk through ‘Why did you fail this? Let’s talk about what you can do to be successful next time.’”

A fixed mindset is one where people believe their skills are set in stone and they have no possibility of improving. When students in his classroom share fixed mindset sentiments like “I can’t do this,” elementary school teacher Josh Monroe is quick to amend the statement: “You can’t do this yet .” The power of yet helps students “understand that you don’t have to know it all right now — and it’s important that you don’t, that’s how you grow,” he says.

While it’s crucial to encourage a growth mindset with students who use negative self-talk, like “I’ll never learn this” or “I’m not good enough,” a fixed mindset can also backfire if you constantly tell a student “You’re so smart,” Kendorski says. “When things start to get really difficult, you might find kids that don’t want to take chances,” she says, “because they think that if I fail, I’m going to lose that ‘I’m so smart’ title.” Instead, she says, focus on accomplishments based on effort and strategies: “I’m really proud of you for organizing a study group with your friends.”

To help ensure your kids get their homework done and prepare for tests, Kendorski encourages a routine: dedicating a time and a place for schoolwork. If your student retains information more effectively if they study for a little bit each day instead of cramming, offer that as an option.

When the kid in your life asks for help with homework and you’re a little rusty on, say, algebra, don’t feel ashamed to admit you don’t know how to solve the problem, Draughn says. Monroe recommends the online educational tool Khan Academy , which features videos that guide both parents and students through all levels of educational concepts and lessons. For additional academic resources, reach out to your student’s teacher who will know about after-school tutoring sessions or extra guidance, Draughn says. “Going to teachers early and often, when help is needed, is the most crucial part of it,” she says, “because there are those programs, but they do fill up pretty quickly.”

Empower students to navigate difficult social situations with confidence

School can be a social minefield, with kids learning how to independently interact with peers and regulate their emotions. If your child shares that they’re being picked on or ostracized in school, Draughn suggests that you first validate their experience and never downplay their emotions. Ask them what level of support they want: Do they think it would be helpful to talk to a school counselor or a teacher? Or do they prefer you to reach out to the teacher directly? In Layla Mungekar’s experience, she would have opted for her mother to not interfere with her social life. “Letting them lead the way on that is important,” Draughn says. “They may say, I feel like I have the tools to handle this — and that’s great. Then you check in. But doing nothing and just not mentioning it again is not going to help anything.”

You might also start counseling your kid on self-advocacy and assertiveness at home, too, Draughn says, helping them identify moments where they should speak out against bad behavior and pointing out trustworthy adults to whom they can report issues, regardless of whether they are on the receiving end or have witnessed another student being bullied. “If someone is making you feel socially or physically unsafe, that’s the time to speak up,” says Tracee Perryman , the author of Elevating Futures: A Model For Empowering Black Elementary Student Success . Again, only reach out to the school yourself after talking it over with your kid.

However, your child may simply be shy and reserved, not the victim of bullying. Perryman says to help build confidence with the kids in your life by reminding them that what they have to say is important and they have valuable interests and insights worth sharing with others.

When it comes to social media, Jessica Mungekar discovered teens will “do what they’re going to do, whether you want them to or not,” she says. It’s better to listen if your child is involved with social media-related conflict, remind them they are not in trouble, and support them as you work to create a plan together. “I think it’s important in this day and age for kids to have social media because otherwise they get [alienated] by their peers,” Layla Mungekar says. “But it’s a lot safer when parents have those conversations, like yeah, this is going to happen and when it does happen, you should feel safe to come to me and not be blamed for that.”

Experts emphasize the transitory nature of school. While it’s crucial for students to apply themselves academically and make strides socially, remind them that one speed bump, fight with a friend, blunder, or bad grade will not drastically alter the trajectory of their lives. “It’s better that I make those mistakes now,” Layla says, “while I have someone there to help me.”

Promote balance to minimize stress

Just like adults, kids can get stressed due to the demands of school and extracurriculars, as well as conflicts with friends and family. If kids are sleeping very late on weekends or too tired to do activities they typically enjoy, like spending time with friends, they might need more balance in their schedules, Perryman says.

Ask your kid directly: “Are you playing T-ball three nights a week because you like it or you feel like you have to?” or “You had three extracurriculars last semester and it was really overwhelming for you. Do you want to pick two for this coming semester?” Draughn suggests. Remind your kid that just because they step away from a hobby now doesn’t mean they can’t come back to it in the future. Make sure students have one weeknight and one weekend day solely devoted to downtime, too, Draughn says. However, don’t discount the fact that sports and other activities can be rejuvenating for kids, even if they’re not resting.

Parents and supportive adults are quick to problem-solve for the kids in their lives, but Kendorski stresses the importance of asking, “Do you want me to listen? Or do you want me to help?” Your child might just want to vent about a tough baseball practice. When Layla wants validation and a hug from her mom, she asks her “to be a waterfall.” When she’s feeling less emotionally charged, then Layla and her mom can problem-solve.

For high-achieving students who may be stressed about grades and college applications, Kendorski suggests asking your kids what story they’re telling themselves about success. For example, they might worry that a bad test grade means they’ll never get into their dream college. Help them map more realistic outcomes by thinking about the absolute worst-case scenario and alternative paths. For example, the worst that could happen if they fail a single test is maybe they get a C for the quarter. But reinforce how if they study and complete all their homework, the likelihood of failing is minimized.

Remember not to make your stress their stress. Children are intuitive and can pick up on how the adults in their lives are feeling, Kendorski says. Instead of turning away from uncomfortable emotions, encourage open communication. If you’re disappointed in a mediocre grade, try saying, “I’m feeling a little bummed about the C on that test, but that’s my issue. I know you work hard and with some more practice, I know you’ll do better next time.”

Parents should always validate their child’s struggles and encourage caring for their mental health. Whether they’re seeking support from a trusted teacher or you think they’d benefit from speaking with a therapist — ask them how they’d feel about chatting with a professional before scheduling an appointment — remind them that “mental health is health,” Draughn says. That matters more than any test score.

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The Impact of Homework on Student Mental Health

By Happy Sharer

Introduction

Homework is a key part of the educational process. It is often seen as an essential part of learning and helping students to develop important skills. However, there is growing evidence that too much homework can have a negative effect on student mental health. This article will explore the impact of homework on student mental health, examining the correlation between workload and stress levels, analyzing the effects of too much homework on student anxiety, and understanding how homework can lead to depression in students.

Exploring the Impact of Homework on Student Mental Health

Homework has long been seen as an important part of the educational process, but it can also become a source of stress for students. A recent study by the American Psychological Association found that more than two-thirds of students reported feeling overwhelmed by their homework load. The study also found that students who felt overwhelmed were more likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety. It is clear that the amount of homework assigned to students can have a significant impact on their mental health.

Examining the Correlation Between Homework and Student Stress Levels

The amount of homework assigned to students can have a direct impact on their stress levels. Too much homework can lead to feelings of frustration and overwhelm, which can then lead to increased stress levels. A study published in the journal Developmental Psychology found that when students had more homework assignments, they experienced higher levels of stress. The study also found that students who had more homework assignments were more likely to report feeling overwhelmed and anxious.

It is also important to consider the relationship between homework and academic performance. Studies have suggested that too much homework can lead to decreased academic performance, which can then lead to increased stress levels. A study published in the Journal of Experimental Education found that when students had more homework, their performance on tests was lower than those with less homework. This suggests that too much homework can lead to increased stress levels, as students feel pressure to perform at a higher level.

In order to reduce homework-related stress, it is important for students to prioritize their work. Planning ahead and breaking down tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks can help students to feel more organized and in control. Taking regular breaks throughout the day can also help students to stay focused and motivated. Finally, it is important to ensure that students are getting enough sleep in order to maintain their energy levels and reduce stress.

Analyzing the Effects of Too Much Homework on Student Anxiety

Too much homework can also lead to increased anxiety levels in students. A study published in the journal Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review found that when students had more homework, they were more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety. The study also found that students with excessive amounts of homework were more likely to report feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope with the workload.

It is important to understand the psychological effects of too much homework on students. Excessive amounts of homework can lead to feelings of frustration and helplessness, which can then lead to increased anxiety levels. Furthermore, students may start to see homework as a burden rather than an opportunity to learn, which can lead to decreased motivation and further feelings of anxiety.

In order to reduce homework-related anxiety, it is important to set realistic goals and expectations. Setting achievable goals and deadlines can help students to stay focused and motivated. It is also important to ensure that students are getting enough rest and taking regular breaks throughout the day. Finally, it is important to talk to teachers and parents about any concerns or worries that students may have about their workload.

Understanding How Homework Can Lead to Depression in Students

Too much homework can also lead to depression in students. A study published in the journal Pediatrics found that when students had more homework, they were more likely to experience symptoms of depression. The study also found that students with excessive amounts of homework were more likely to report feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and helpless.

It is important to understand the psychological effects of too much homework on students. Excessive amounts of homework can lead to feelings of hopelessness and failure, which can then lead to increased depression levels. Furthermore, students may start to see homework as a chore rather than an opportunity to learn, which can lead to decreased motivation and further feelings of depression.

In order to reduce homework-related depression, it is important to focus on developing positive coping skills. Taking time to relax and practice mindfulness can help students to manage their emotions and stay focused. It is also important to ensure that students are getting enough sleep and taking regular breaks throughout the day. Finally, it is important to talk to teachers and parents about any concerns or worries that students may have about their workload.

Investigating the Relationship Between Homework and Student Self-Esteem

Finally, it is important to consider the relationship between homework and student self-esteem. A study published in the journal Developmental Psychology found that when students had more homework, they were more likely to report feeling inadequate and inferior. The study also found that students with excessive amounts of homework were more likely to report feeling overwhelmed and helpless.

It is important to understand the psychological effects of too much homework on students. Excessive amounts of homework can lead to feelings of worthlessness and failure, which can then lead to decreased self-esteem. Furthermore, students may start to see homework as a burden rather than an opportunity to learn, which can lead to decreased motivation and further feelings of inadequacy.

In order to increase homework-related self-esteem, it is important to focus on developing positive self-talk. Taking time to recognize achievements and celebrate successes can help students to stay motivated and build confidence. It is also important to ensure that students are getting enough rest and taking regular breaks throughout the day. Finally, it is important to talk to teachers and parents about any concerns or worries that students may have about their workload.

In conclusion, it is clear that the amount of homework assigned to students can have a significant impact on their mental health. Too much homework can lead to increased stress levels, anxiety, depression, and decreased self-esteem. It is therefore important to ensure that students are not overloaded with homework and are given the opportunity to learn in a healthy environment. By reducing the amount of homework assigned to students, we can help them to develop important skills without compromising their mental wellbeing.

(Note: Is this article not meeting your expectations? Do you have knowledge or insights to share? Unlock new opportunities and expand your reach by joining our authors team. Click Registration to join us and share your expertise with our readers.)

Hi, I'm Happy Sharer and I love sharing interesting and useful knowledge with others. I have a passion for learning and enjoy explaining complex concepts in a simple way.

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Lazy? Anxious? Overlooked? Teachers Sound Off on Unmotivated Students

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Labeling students who don’t do their work and seem unmotivated as “lazy” has transcended generations in the classroom. As time has gone on, and social science research has gotten more advanced, it’s clear that there’s many factors at play. Technological advancement, a pandemic, and an educational system under stress have only further complicated the question of what drives student apathy.

In a recent EdWeek Opinion piece , Kyle Coppes, a secondary school principal at an international school in Germany, wrote about the nuances of “student laziness.” In response to the article, many teachers felt inspired to share their own opinions on the topic. Some agreed that what seems like laziness is often a symptom of another problem; others insist that sometimes, students just don’t put in the effort that’s needed.

Here’s a collection of the most popular themes from what they had to say.

The success of classrooms reflects the system ...

“as an educational psychologist, i strongly agree but it is not the fault of the teacher. schools are a mirror of society.”, “the education system—or at least where i teach—is primarily responsible for creating the lazy child. maybe lazy isn’t the word we need to be looking at, but rather the unmotivated child.”, “i appreciate the philosophy brought into the argument. furthermore, i very much want to believe the idea here, but this requires a much more practical follow-up question: if the reason students appear lazy, but are not, is that educators are not addressing other issues, how are administrators, school boards, and others in charge of school policy going to change to allow students to get their needs met”, “what if this apathy is a result of the school system itself”, the issue is nuanced, “i can understand my students are avoiding the content by doing many of the things they are doing. i can understand why they are avoiding the content, because they avoided the content during covid and now can’t handle the content before them.”, “i agree there’s usually reasons behind behaviors that appear to be “laziness.” unfortunately, many of the times the classroom teacher has little to no control over many of the factors contributing to that ... family issues, lack of food at home, student mental health problems, etc. this is why student support in terms of counselors, psychologists, and social workers are needed.”.

Gabrielle M.

“You only have to listen, as students tend to know it’s self-inflicted sleep deprivation from texting, surfing, online games, and chats. They start their homework after midnight—2 a.m., and then have to get up at 7-8 a.m. to make it to school. All this from a group that needs more quality sleep than almost any other age bracket.”

“always look further into what is going on with your students. don’t ever just label them lazy and move on—just like i always try and look when the behavior is defiant—99% of the time the kid is crying for help, attention, love, etc. ... i am not doing my students justice to just label them defiant and move on—however—in this case, there is still that 1 percent that is just downright defiant because they want to be …. “, “i totally agree with this. and honestly the first person to tell you kids are lazy are the kids themselves. it’s the only 4 letter word totally banned in my classroom. there is a reason behind their lack of motivation. uncover the reason, address the problem, work gets done. i have spent a lot of my career with kids with school anxiety and avoidance. a lot of teachers just don’t get it.”, “it is true that knowing one’s students, truly knowing them, helps immensely. but there are some factors at work right now that are totally student laziness.”, “it’s not about blame—mindset is the invisible aspect of teaching practice that guides how we respond to students and how they see us. when we label, even subconsciously, a student, they know it —when we bypass the inactions and speak to the ‘function of their behavior’ we can actually move mountains.”, do principals understand what teachers face, “i’m curious how long this principal was a teacher. we are seeing less and less time in the classroom from administrators. experience doesn’t mean expertise but it is one of the requirements for it.”, “this person has clearly been out of the classroom for the past 40 years and most likely spends all of their days in their office hiding from actual responsibility.”, “well, i—like most teachers—agree that we educators can suss out the reasons that a student appears “lazy” and provide formative support ... i would have been more impressed if kyle talked about how, as principal, he supports teachers in this endeavor ....”, “this principal will struggle to keep a fully staffed building.”, “i like the overall tone of this but i’m guessing that this administrator has not had to spend much time guiding classrooms lately. there are some systemic things that have been put in place in many school districts where a student can almost never fail ... and then there’s the added element of how something can look like laziness but it’s masquerading a much deeper issue. that’s its own special consideration.”, “as long as perspectives like this continue placing 100% of the responsibility & accountability for learning on teachers, there will continue to be high burnout and turnover rates. another disconnected administrator missing the mark.”, “kids tell me they don’t care. they google the answers right in front of me instead of trying to do the work. he needs to get into the classroom.”, true laziness can be a factor, some teachers insist, “some students find anything that requires any effort nearly impossible to do.”, “i think a better way to put it is don’t assume laziness is the issue right off the bat. explore other reasons why students are avoiding work. but, sometimes, students will admit to me they just feel lazy ... it can happen.”, “i’m a teacher and sometimes i’m lazy, too. i’m human.”, sign up for edweek update, edweek top school jobs.

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Tiger Times

Learning vs. “Getting By”: Students Stressed with Homework Overload

Jae C. Hong

Students solve problems in a pre-calculus class.

Destiny Albrecht , Staff writer September 16, 2022

When finally getting home after a full day of school, a two hour sports practice and five hour work shift, what student is eager to get to their desk, lay out all of their papers and start on the three hours of homework they have ahead?

When it comes to balancing school with a selection of several other activities such as extracurriculars and jobs, it can get stressful. With homework every night and an after school sport or job, there is no time for students to play catch-up.

Many students handle a busy schedule like this every week. A survey sent out to students said 68% work a job during this school year, 57% of them play a sport as well. How do they juggle homework assignments, tests and projects with hours of work and extracurriculars?

“It definitely gets stressful at times,” senior Mackenzie Petry said. “I feel super overwhelmed with practice five days a week. Not to mention, working 25 hours a week during the school year.” 

Yet, several chapters of reading or multiple papers to write are presented with tomorrow as a due date. 53% of students said that they have homework in three to five classes every day.

Students feel pressured when it comes to the amount of homework in each of their classes. “I think that homework is important but sometimes it is way too much for someone who has a full course load as well as extracurricular responsibilities,” senior Nathan Hollis said.

Teachers should keep in mind that students are getting multiple assignments from other classes as well, so adding their own to the agenda can make it difficult to stay on track.

In many students’ opinions, homework is essential to the learning experience, but the quantity for each and every night is unnecessary. Finland uses a school system that does not give out homework as often as the United States does, and they have one of the highest ranked education systems in the world, according to the New York Times.

“We are just learning how to make it by and not what we really should be learning,” Petry said.

Even during class, students aren’t paying attention because they are trying to complete either the homework assignment given last night that they didn’t have time to finish or the newest release of work so they don’t have homework that night.

As a result, they’re not learning the material being presented that day, which causes them to fall behind schedule. So really, is the cycle never-ending? More work will have to be done in the long run anyways. 

For teachers, this isn’t good either because requirements aren’t met, causing the students’ grades to decrease. Lesson plans could fall apart just like that, causing stress for the teachers as well.

While a lot can be said about the amount of assignments, students also struggle with procrastination, making matters worse. 82% of them fight the urge to wait until a later time to do their work. This causes more stress in the future as well. 

Many students suggest tips such as scheduling a study hall during the school year, putting the phone and other distractions away when working on assignments or having a planner to organize homework for each day.

While these are great recommendations, a number of students requested more time to work on homework during class. Some even suggested spacing out the assignments so they have the opportunity to actually understand and do well on it.

“In my opinion, I think teachers should be giving minimal homework in the first place,” Petry said. “The schedule is way overloaded. College kids may get assignments but not near as many and especially ones that are due as fast as our turn around. Ultimately, isn’t college what they’re supposed to be preparing us for?”

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Students are overwhelmed by homework

A student comes home happy because they just got out of a fun class. Then they disappear for three hours. The parent walks into their room and finds the student sleeping, then sees a two-inch pile of homework on their desk while the kid is passed out on the bed.

Kids are suffering from homework. As a seventh grader at Walker Middle School, I have very bad grades because I am overwhelmed by homework.

Students should not have homework because they are getting overwhelmed and stressed out.

At school, kids are doing hard work. If you are a parent, you should be worried about your students because they are being overwhelmed by homework.

When kids have a lot of homework, they feel like they are being punished, so they are sad, tired and always complaining about homework.

If you are an adult and you are reading this, think about your kids. When they grow up, they aren’t going to have a social life because they had too much homework in their youth.

If you are a student and if you are reading this, tell your parents that you are being stressed out by homework and they might do something about it.

Jacob Fobert, age 12

USD Student Media

Students are overwhelmed

Students are struggling as they adjust to the completely virtual semester. professors and administrators should do more to help., hallie wiltshire / asst. opinion editor.

As with most aspects of our new pandemic-addled world, no one in Fall 2019 would have believed you if you described our current Fall 2020 semester — yet here we are. The transition certainly hasn’t been easy and many students say they are feeling more overwhelmed and stressed than ever. Are USD faculty and administration giving students enough leeway, considering the novel learning experience, global pandemic, nation-wide social justice movement, and general messiness of 2020?

Short answer: no. 

Long answer: Everyone is going through something and life remains atypical despite encouragement to accept this “new normal.” It is unrealistic to expect students to be able to complete assignments at the conventional pace of previous semesters and to remain productive throughout a condensed 14-week semester with no break. 

Some students are working to help provide for their families. Others are caring for younger siblings who are also struggling to adjust to remote learning. Just online school itself can be challenging. Not everyone has a quiet space to attend classes or study. Many students grew accustomed to studying in the library or the SLP, but these options are no longer available. With all of these new responsibilities to juggle, it is no surprise that students are overwhelmed. 

The pandemic continues to affect millions of people across the United States and it is unlikely to disappear soon. A vaccine remains far off on the horizon, with 11 potential vaccines only just having reached phase 3 of clinical trials. When President Harris announced the mandatory shift to campus-wide remote teaching on March 12, there were only 50 COVID-19 cases in San Diego. On October 13, there were 2,883 cases. This is a 5,666% increase from the case numbers in March that prompted the campus to initially close. If students were offered the latitude of pass/fail classes and extended deadlines then, why not now as well?

Some professors seem to be operating under the assumption that since students are always home, they must have more free time to do work. This is not the case. One of my professors continually falls behind on their syllabus and rather than adjusting it, they record and upload supplemental lectures to Blackboard as well as assign additional readings to accompany those lectures. Taking classes remotely allows professors to do this easily and creates an expectation for students to accommodate the extra workload with no issues.

There are some weeks where I don’t leave my apartment for five days straight because I have so many assignments. I feel pressure to produce the same quality of work as I did in an in-person class, and it’s simply impossible. 

Due to COVID-19 safety restrictions, my safe out-of-my-apartment activities are limited to grocery shopping and meandering around Target trying to smell candles through my face mask. I struggle to separate my “school” brain from my “relax” brain, and quickly become drained as a result. Staring at my laptop screen for more than 12 hours a day doesn’t help either. Between class and homework, escaping technology is unfeasible. Eye fatigue, headaches, and pain from sitting at my desk all day are now a normal part of my life. These issues contribute to my diminished ability to concentrate. 

Not all hope is lost, however. Professors can help students get through the semester and end on a strong note. On a foundational level, professors need to demonstrate compassion and flexibility with students. While deadlines should be encouraged to keep students up to date with their work, professors should also be willing to accommodate students if something comes up. Students should also have the option to take any of their classes pass/fail if they so desire, as was offered last semester. This would relieve pressure and assist in the transition to a full semester online.

I urge all USD faculty to consider the stress that students are currently under. Thinking about something as normal as school during a pandemic is hard, and extra work does not make it easier. If you are a student who is feeling overwhelmed, consider reaching out to the Counseling Center on campus. They are offering telehealth assessment, consultation, and support services during business hours. A Mental Health Counselor is also available 24/7 for urgent mental health concerns. Times are tough, but we will all get through this together.

The views expressed in the editorial and op-ed sections are not necessarily those of The USD Vista staff, the University of San Diego, or its student body. 

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Feeling Overwhelmed in College?

Posted: April 12, 2024 | Author: Lindsey Wessling | Read Time: 3 minutes

Balancing coursework, extracurricular activities, social life and personal responsibilities can sometimes feel like juggling too many balls at once. College can be the best four years of your life, but to be honest, not every day will feel like the best day ever. It is totally normal to feel overwhelmed. When the stress hits, it is easy to shut down or feel lost. However, you are never stuck. Here is a game plan for helping you cope with stress before it becomes overwhelming.

How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed

Stress does not have to ruin our lives and experiences. Feeling overwhelmed is common, especially in a fast-paced college environment. Therefore, it is important to correctly manage these feelings when they occur.

Tip #1: Take a Break

When the weight of your responsibilities feels like too much to handle, the most effective action you can take is to step back and breathe. Taking a break does not mean giving up, but rather giving yourself a much-needed rest. Whether it is a moment of meditation, a short walk or getting lunch with friends, a good break can help reset your stress levels. Once you have the chance to reset, your challenges will most likely seem more manageable.

Tip #2: Create a To-Do List

The simple act of writing down what you need to do can be a game changer. Creating a to-do list of your tasks will help you form a clear action plan. Begin your list by jotting down everything on your mind. Then prioritize the tasks based on urgency and importance. Putting your tasks into writing will get them out of your head, and you will be more likely to get everything you need done.

Tip #3: Keep Going

When you are feeling overwhelmed, persistence is key. Even though it is difficult, small steps lead to big results. Focus on what you can do in the moment, rather than the stressful big picture. Momentum is powerful, and once you start checking off your to-do list, you are proving to yourself that you can do it!

How to Avoid Feeling Overwhelmed

Understanding how to handle stress when it hits is important, but it is even better if you can stop that overwhelmed feeling before it even starts. Below are a few steps you can take from the beginning to keep from feeling swamped. By staying ahead of stress, every challenge can be manageable.

Tip #1: Stay Organized

Staying organized is the single most important way to avoid stress. There are many ways to stay organized, including planning ahead and keeping a tidy workspace. Keep an updated calendar or agenda so you can stay up to date with all of your responsibilities and events. There are so many great digital planners or apps that are easy to use as well. Knowing what is coming up and being prepared for it can reduce the likelihood of becoming overwhelmed.

Tip #2: Don’t Get Behind

Procrastination and feeling overwhelmed go hand in hand. The more you delay tasks, the more they pile up, until it feels too daunting to continue. By staying on top of your responsibilities and workload, you can avoid this buildup. If you find yourself falling behind, make adjustments as soon as possible to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Tip #3: Take Care of Yourself

Taking care of yourself is the most important way to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Self-care includes getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, exercising and participating in activities that bring you joy and relaxation. Neglecting your physical or emotional needs can increase stress and decrease your ability to handle difficult situations. Taking care of yourself is necessary for your personal and academic success.

In conclusion, navigating college life does not have to feel like an uphill battle. By implementing these strategies, you can effectively manage and even prevent stress from taking over. With the right approach, every challenge can become an opportunity for growth.

Tags: CurStu Health and Wellness

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From the CRLT Blog

“help: my students are overwhelmed, and so am i”.

Guest Author: Joy Pehlke, Wolverine Wellness

My role at Wolverine Wellness allows me to witness the student experience in multiple ways: through one-on-one wellness coaching conversations, well-being presentations, and discussions in my class, ALA 240: Living Well in College and Beyond . Many students, staff, and faculty hoped that things would get easier once we could go back to some sense of “normalcy.”  Instead, a common theme has emerged. We are struggling with the tension of wishing things would get easier and finding they’ve only become more complicated . We are seeing higher levels of stress and anxiety, and it has become clear that pre-existing issues on campus (burnout, overwhelm, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, racism, loneliness, etc.) have only been amplified by the pandemic. And these aren’t just student issues. Instructors are impacted, too.

My role also allows me to witness the concern, stress, and despair of instructors who are diligently trying to support their students, while also attending to their own well-being. This is a challenging place to operate from day in, and day out. You are not alone.

There are some suggestions for instructors to consider in supporting student well-being. As you review this list, it is important to keep in mind that you are in a unique position to help , but not necessarily to solve .

• Seeking Help. I have heard from some instructors that they are frustrated with students who “won’t seek help.” This is not a failure on the part of the students, nor you for that matter. There are common barriers to help-seeking in the college population, including fierce independence, stigma, perfectionism, not wanting to be a burden, wait times, and wanting to talk with people who share their identities. It matters how you show support , and that you are open to talking, while acknowledging others have more expertise in mental health. If you model an open environment to share hardships, students are more likely to try other forms of help. This CRLT Occasional Paper on Supporting Students Facing Mental Health Challenges has examples to consider (pp. 2-3). Students ultimately want to feel seen, valued, and heard.
• Resisting the Urge. There is a difference between caring about your students’ well-being and wanting to fix or solve student issues. An academic advisor recently said, “that… is something I needed to hear: taking too much responsibility for outcomes is a ‘shadow side’ of caring deeply about students.” One suggestion for offering advice to your students is to offer options that other students have tried , instead of your opinion.

Would it be ok if I suggested a few things that other students have tried when they’ve been struggling? Some students have found it helpful to go to CAPS , other students have tried Wellness Coaching or Wolverine Support Network , some students have reached out to a close friend or family member. Which of these might work for you?

This allows for students to hear that a) they are not alone, b) there are multiple options that other students have tried, and c) they have autonomy about how they might consider asking for help.

• Extensions? While extensions can be helpful for students facing a range of difficult circumstances, they also carry downsides. In particular, they can snowball and affect students’ capacity to complete later assignments. They can also build up so that a semester becomes unmanageable. Keeping track of extensions can also lead to additional stress for faculty and for GSIs who need to grade student work. With this in mind, it is worth exploring options for students other than extensions. For example, you can build in policies such as dropping the lowest grade on quizzes or having a "no-questions-asked" policy of turning in one assignment a few days late. Some instructors might allow retakes on an exam or assignment. Others only offer an extension if the student is able to submit what they've done so far and how they plan to complete the assignment. While policy changes may be difficult at this point in the term, you can engage in conversations with students to explore whether an extension is actually the best option for them, or whether it makes more sense for them to complete the assignment to the best of their ability. These same caveats apply to giving students an incomplete for the entire course, which can also snowball and affect their progress. CRLT’s Occasional Paper on Supporting Students Facing Mental Health Challenges has additional suggestions (p. 6).
• Proactive: What can I do every day/week that supports my well-being? Consider the eight dimensions of well-being .
• Reactive: What can I do in the moment when I’m feeling anxiety or panic?
• Individual: What can I do myself?
• Communal: When do I need to ask for help? When is connection what I really need? Who is one person I can reach out to?
• Ongoing concerns about a student . If you have persistent concerns about a student that you don’t feel equipped to handle, consider contacting the Dean of Students Office .
• Opportunities to learn more . There are additional opportunities for consultation, workshops, and training. Check out the Wolverine Wellness Academic Partnerships page, or CAPS resources for faculty and staff.
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Teachers should give out less homework

Faisa Mohamed

Teachers should give out less homework because many students have other responsibilities outside of school and by reducing homework, students have proven to get more sleep which leads to better physical and mental health. So instead of benefiting students’ learning, it can actually be detrimental to it.

Faisa Mohamed , Staff Writer January 9, 2023

First and foremost, excessive amounts of homework can be detrimental to students’ mental and physical health. It can lead to increased stress and anxiety, as well as sleep deprivation and other health problems. When students are overwhelmed by too much homework, they may become burnt out and lose motivation to learn. I believe that teachers should give out less homework because many kids have work or responsibilities outside of school and don’t deserve to be overworked. By reducing homework, students have proven to get more sleep which leads to better physical and mental health. So instead of benefiting students’ learning, it can actually be detrimental to it. Homework doesn’t necessarily always equate to higher achievement.  

Muntaha Ibrahim, a student at South, thinks there’s too much going on in most students’ lives to stress about homework. “Teens are stressed and overwhelmed.” They are more likely to have problems focusing on topics for extended periods of time. Many students have family problems at home and some are babysitting their younger siblings when they don’t have time for homework. It can be difficult to make homework a priority when you have other responsibilities. Some students have jobs to financially help their parents. Students of color especially often have expectations from their families that they contribute to the household. When you consider inequities in students’ home lives, giving out the same homework to students becomes much more complicated. 

In addition, homework doesn’t motivate people, it just causes extra work and stress. In fact, it might make a student less interested in the subject because they feel overwhelmed. When students do end up doing homework, it is often only to get a good grade, not to actually learn the content. Aisha Ahmed said, “Too much homework can cause students to lose interest in the class because students doing a lot of homework, they’re not able to do their other work properly and wind up losing focus in class.” Despite this, there are also disadvantages to not giving students homework. In some cases, homework gives students the time that they don’t get in class to work and be independent on their own time. Giving homework is teaching in its own way, so students can learn on their time. As a teacher though, it’s effectively their job to do most of the teaching so students’ lives aren’t centered around school and homework.

A potential solution to this situation is that teachers give out homework only if students don’t finish all of their work in class. This way students can complete their unfinished classwork, but it is not so much that it is overwhelming or  too much stress. This may improve students’ mental health. This also benefits teachers because students are more likely to finish their work without feeling overwhelmed.

• Aisha Ahmed
• Muntaha Ibrahim

Faisa Mohamed is a sophomore and it is her first year on newspaper. She joined because she heard good things about it and she thought it would help her...

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Christian • Dec 6, 2023 at 10:21 am

Very interesting: I really appreciate your ideology and I completely agree with you.?

addman • Nov 2, 2023 at 3:45 pm

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kim • Apr 3, 2023 at 11:15 am

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Dylan • Jan 18, 2023 at 1:57 pm

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