Time off, stress on

Nick Giulioni writes:

As the holidays approached, I eagerly awaited Thanksgiving weekend for the time off from school. I looked to catch up on sleep, watch a little bit of football, and maybe squeeze in a few short moments to work on my college applications. This was supposed to be a time of rest and relaxation, but instead, it has caused me quite a bit of angst.

With only a few days until the long weekend, teachers piled on the work, essentially packing a week’s worth of assignments into three days. Whether it was a report on presidential candidates, a large exercise on "Twelfth Night," or doing an entire chapter of math (including a test), I felt bogged down. It seemed that many teachers forgot that this was simply a long weekend, not an extended break and that whatever was being done in class could be concluded on Monday. Some teachers looked at this break as an opportunity to fit more work in, the time off a chance to do school work as opposed to a chance to spend time with family and relax. It seems to me that my school’s respect for vacations has significantly diminished. I remember the days when teachers didn’t assign homework over the weekend, when time off was just that. They believed that students needed a chance to be kids, a chance to have some fun. The school I attend today does not hold these ideals, and I think students suffer as a result.

Comments

[Albert Guy]

For some reason students think every Friday is a holiday. If i teach on Fridays like I'm being paid to do , and my students are there to learn. I cover %20 more material than my collegues who fill Fridays with films urelated to the subject matter and other such meaningless activites students seem to love and administraors turn a blind eye to.