you are going to give a talk about school homework

Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

A conversation with a Wheelock researcher, a BU student, and a fourth-grade teacher

“Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives,” says Wheelock’s Janine Bempechat. “It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.” Photo by iStock/Glenn Cook Photography

Do your homework.

If only it were that simple.

Educators have debated the merits of homework since the late 19th century. In recent years, amid concerns of some parents and teachers that children are being stressed out by too much homework, things have only gotten more fraught.

“Homework is complicated,” says developmental psychologist Janine Bempechat, a Wheelock College of Education & Human Development clinical professor. The author of the essay “ The Case for (Quality) Homework—Why It Improves Learning and How Parents Can Help ” in the winter 2019 issue of Education Next , Bempechat has studied how the debate about homework is influencing teacher preparation, parent and student beliefs about learning, and school policies.

She worries especially about socioeconomically disadvantaged students from low-performing schools who, according to research by Bempechat and others, get little or no homework.

BU Today  sat down with Bempechat and Erin Bruce (Wheelock’17,’18), a new fourth-grade teacher at a suburban Boston school, and future teacher freshman Emma Ardizzone (Wheelock) to talk about what quality homework looks like, how it can help children learn, and how schools can equip teachers to design it, evaluate it, and facilitate parents’ role in it.

BU Today: Parents and educators who are against homework in elementary school say there is no research definitively linking it to academic performance for kids in the early grades. You’ve said that they’re missing the point.

Bempechat : I think teachers assign homework in elementary school as a way to help kids develop skills they’ll need when they’re older—to begin to instill a sense of responsibility and to learn planning and organizational skills. That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success. If we greatly reduce or eliminate homework in elementary school, we deprive kids and parents of opportunities to instill these important learning habits and skills.

We do know that beginning in late middle school, and continuing through high school, there is a strong and positive correlation between homework completion and academic success.

That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success.

You talk about the importance of quality homework. What is that?

Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives. It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.

What are your concerns about homework and low-income children?

The argument that some people make—that homework “punishes the poor” because lower-income parents may not be as well-equipped as affluent parents to help their children with homework—is very troubling to me. There are no parents who don’t care about their children’s learning. Parents don’t actually have to help with homework completion in order for kids to do well. They can help in other ways—by helping children organize a study space, providing snacks, being there as a support, helping children work in groups with siblings or friends.

Isn’t the discussion about getting rid of homework happening mostly in affluent communities?

Yes, and the stories we hear of kids being stressed out from too much homework—four or five hours of homework a night—are real. That’s problematic for physical and mental health and overall well-being. But the research shows that higher-income students get a lot more homework than lower-income kids.

Teachers may not have as high expectations for lower-income children. Schools should bear responsibility for providing supports for kids to be able to get their homework done—after-school clubs, community support, peer group support. It does kids a disservice when our expectations are lower for them.

The conversation around homework is to some extent a social class and social justice issue. If we eliminate homework for all children because affluent children have too much, we’re really doing a disservice to low-income children. They need the challenge, and every student can rise to the challenge with enough supports in place.

What did you learn by studying how education schools are preparing future teachers to handle homework?

My colleague, Margarita Jimenez-Silva, at the University of California, Davis, School of Education, and I interviewed faculty members at education schools, as well as supervising teachers, to find out how students are being prepared. And it seemed that they weren’t. There didn’t seem to be any readings on the research, or conversations on what high-quality homework is and how to design it.

Erin, what kind of training did you get in handling homework?

Bruce : I had phenomenal professors at Wheelock, but homework just didn’t come up. I did lots of student teaching. I’ve been in classrooms where the teachers didn’t assign any homework, and I’ve been in rooms where they assigned hours of homework a night. But I never even considered homework as something that was my decision. I just thought it was something I’d pull out of a book and it’d be done.

I started giving homework on the first night of school this year. My first assignment was to go home and draw a picture of the room where you do your homework. I want to know if it’s at a table and if there are chairs around it and if mom’s cooking dinner while you’re doing homework.

The second night I asked them to talk to a grown-up about how are you going to be able to get your homework done during the week. The kids really enjoyed it. There’s a running joke that I’m teaching life skills.

Friday nights, I read all my kids’ responses to me on their homework from the week and it’s wonderful. They pour their hearts out. It’s like we’re having a conversation on my couch Friday night.

It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Bempechat : I can’t imagine that most new teachers would have the intuition Erin had in designing homework the way she did.

Ardizzone : Conversations with kids about homework, feeling you’re being listened to—that’s such a big part of wanting to do homework….I grew up in Westchester County. It was a pretty demanding school district. My junior year English teacher—I loved her—she would give us feedback, have meetings with all of us. She’d say, “If you have any questions, if you have anything you want to talk about, you can talk to me, here are my office hours.” It felt like she actually cared.

Bempechat : It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Ardizzone : But can’t it lead to parents being overbearing and too involved in their children’s lives as students?

Bempechat : There’s good help and there’s bad help. The bad help is what you’re describing—when parents hover inappropriately, when they micromanage, when they see their children confused and struggling and tell them what to do.

Good help is when parents recognize there’s a struggle going on and instead ask informative questions: “Where do you think you went wrong?” They give hints, or pointers, rather than saying, “You missed this,” or “You didn’t read that.”

Bruce : I hope something comes of this. I hope BU or Wheelock can think of some way to make this a more pressing issue. As a first-year teacher, it was not something I even thought about on the first day of school—until a kid raised his hand and said, “Do we have homework?” It would have been wonderful if I’d had a plan from day one.

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Senior Contributing Editor

Sara Rimer A journalist for more than three decades, Sara Rimer worked at the Miami Herald , Washington Post and, for 26 years, the New York Times , where she was the New England bureau chief, and a national reporter covering education, aging, immigration, and other social justice issues. Her stories on the death penalty’s inequities were nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and cited in the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision outlawing the execution of people with intellectual disabilities. Her journalism honors include Columbia University’s Meyer Berger award for in-depth human interest reporting. She holds a BA degree in American Studies from the University of Michigan. Profile

She can be reached at [email protected] .

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There are 81 comments on Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

Insightful! The values about homework in elementary schools are well aligned with my intuition as a parent.

when i finish my work i do my homework and i sometimes forget what to do because i did not get enough sleep

same omg it does not help me it is stressful and if I have it in more than one class I hate it.

Same I think my parent wants to help me but, she doesn’t care if I get bad grades so I just try my best and my grades are great.

I think that last question about Good help from parents is not know to all parents, we do as our parents did or how we best think it can be done, so maybe coaching parents or giving them resources on how to help with homework would be very beneficial for the parent on how to help and for the teacher to have consistency and improve homework results, and of course for the child. I do see how homework helps reaffirm the knowledge obtained in the classroom, I also have the ability to see progress and it is a time I share with my kids

The answer to the headline question is a no-brainer – a more pressing problem is why there is a difference in how students from different cultures succeed. Perfect example is the student population at BU – why is there a majority population of Asian students and only about 3% black students at BU? In fact at some universities there are law suits by Asians to stop discrimination and quotas against admitting Asian students because the real truth is that as a group they are demonstrating better qualifications for admittance, while at the same time there are quotas and reduced requirements for black students to boost their portion of the student population because as a group they do more poorly in meeting admissions standards – and it is not about the Benjamins. The real problem is that in our PC society no one has the gazuntas to explore this issue as it may reveal that all people are not created equal after all. Or is it just environmental cultural differences??????

I get you have a concern about the issue but that is not even what the point of this article is about. If you have an issue please take this to the site we have and only post your opinion about the actual topic

This is not at all what the article is talking about.

This literally has nothing to do with the article brought up. You should really take your opinions somewhere else before you speak about something that doesn’t make sense.

we have the same name

so they have the same name what of it?

lol you tell her

totally agree

What does that have to do with homework, that is not what the article talks about AT ALL.

Yes, I think homework plays an important role in the development of student life. Through homework, students have to face challenges on a daily basis and they try to solve them quickly.I am an intense online tutor at 24x7homeworkhelp and I give homework to my students at that level in which they handle it easily.

More than two-thirds of students said they used alcohol and drugs, primarily marijuana, to cope with stress.

You know what’s funny? I got this assignment to write an argument for homework about homework and this article was really helpful and understandable, and I also agree with this article’s point of view.

I also got the same task as you! I was looking for some good resources and I found this! I really found this article useful and easy to understand, just like you! ^^

i think that homework is the best thing that a child can have on the school because it help them with their thinking and memory.

I am a child myself and i think homework is a terrific pass time because i can’t play video games during the week. It also helps me set goals.

Homework is not harmful ,but it will if there is too much

I feel like, from a minors point of view that we shouldn’t get homework. Not only is the homework stressful, but it takes us away from relaxing and being social. For example, me and my friends was supposed to hang at the mall last week but we had to postpone it since we all had some sort of work to do. Our minds shouldn’t be focused on finishing an assignment that in realty, doesn’t matter. I completely understand that we should have homework. I have to write a paper on the unimportance of homework so thanks.

homework isn’t that bad

Are you a student? if not then i don’t really think you know how much and how severe todays homework really is

i am a student and i do not enjoy homework because i practice my sport 4 out of the five days we have school for 4 hours and that’s not even counting the commute time or the fact i still have to shower and eat dinner when i get home. its draining!

i totally agree with you. these people are such boomers

why just why

they do make a really good point, i think that there should be a limit though. hours and hours of homework can be really stressful, and the extra work isn’t making a difference to our learning, but i do believe homework should be optional and extra credit. that would make it for students to not have the leaning stress of a assignment and if you have a low grade you you can catch up.

Studies show that homework improves student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college. Research published in the High School Journal indicates that students who spent between 31 and 90 minutes each day on homework “scored about 40 points higher on the SAT-Mathematics subtest than their peers, who reported spending no time on homework each day, on average.” On both standardized tests and grades, students in classes that were assigned homework outperformed 69% of students who didn’t have homework. A majority of studies on homework’s impact – 64% in one meta-study and 72% in another – showed that take home assignments were effective at improving academic achievement. Research by the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) concluded that increased homework led to better GPAs and higher probability of college attendance for high school boys. In fact, boys who attended college did more than three hours of additional homework per week in high school.

So how are your measuring student achievement? That’s the real question. The argument that doing homework is simply a tool for teaching responsibility isn’t enough for me. We can teach responsibility in a number of ways. Also the poor argument that parents don’t need to help with homework, and that students can do it on their own, is wishful thinking at best. It completely ignores neurodiverse students. Students in poverty aren’t magically going to find a space to do homework, a friend’s or siblings to help them do it, and snacks to eat. I feel like the author of this piece has never set foot in a classroom of students.

THIS. This article is pathetic coming from a university. So intellectually dishonest, refusing to address the havoc of capitalism and poverty plays on academic success in life. How can they in one sentence use poor kids in an argument and never once address that poor children have access to damn near 0 of the resources affluent kids have? Draw me a picture and let’s talk about feelings lmao what a joke is that gonna put food in their belly so they can have the calories to burn in order to use their brain to study? What about quiet their 7 other siblings that they share a single bedroom with for hours? Is it gonna force the single mom to magically be at home and at work at the same time to cook food while you study and be there to throw an encouraging word?

Also the “parents don’t need to be a parent and be able to guide their kid at all academically they just need to exist in the next room” is wild. Its one thing if a parent straight up is not equipped but to say kids can just figured it out is…. wow coming from an educator What’s next the teacher doesn’t need to teach cause the kid can just follow the packet and figure it out?

Well then get a tutor right? Oh wait you are poor only affluent kids can afford a tutor for their hours of homework a day were they on average have none of the worries a poor child does. Does this address that poor children are more likely to also suffer abuse and mental illness? Like mentioned what about kids that can’t learn or comprehend the forced standardized way? Just let em fail? These children regularly are not in “special education”(some of those are a joke in their own and full of neglect and abuse) programs cause most aren’t even acknowledged as having disabilities or disorders.

But yes all and all those pesky poor kids just aren’t being worked hard enough lol pretty sure poor children’s existence just in childhood is more work, stress, and responsibility alone than an affluent child’s entire life cycle. Love they never once talked about the quality of education in the classroom being so bad between the poor and affluent it can qualify as segregation, just basically blamed poor people for being lazy, good job capitalism for failing us once again!

why the hell?

you should feel bad for saying this, this article can be helpful for people who has to write a essay about it

This is more of a political rant than it is about homework

I know a teacher who has told his students their homework is to find something they are interested in, pursue it and then come share what they learn. The student responses are quite compelling. One girl taught herself German so she could talk to her grandfather. One boy did a research project on Nelson Mandela because the teacher had mentioned him in class. Another boy, a both on the autism spectrum, fixed his family’s computer. The list goes on. This is fourth grade. I think students are highly motivated to learn, when we step aside and encourage them.

The whole point of homework is to give the students a chance to use the material that they have been presented with in class. If they never have the opportunity to use that information, and discover that it is actually useful, it will be in one ear and out the other. As a science teacher, it is critical that the students are challenged to use the material they have been presented with, which gives them the opportunity to actually think about it rather than regurgitate “facts”. Well designed homework forces the student to think conceptually, as opposed to regurgitation, which is never a pretty sight

Wonderful discussion. and yes, homework helps in learning and building skills in students.

not true it just causes kids to stress

Homework can be both beneficial and unuseful, if you will. There are students who are gifted in all subjects in school and ones with disabilities. Why should the students who are gifted get the lucky break, whereas the people who have disabilities suffer? The people who were born with this “gift” go through school with ease whereas people with disabilities struggle with the work given to them. I speak from experience because I am one of those students: the ones with disabilities. Homework doesn’t benefit “us”, it only tears us down and put us in an abyss of confusion and stress and hopelessness because we can’t learn as fast as others. Or we can’t handle the amount of work given whereas the gifted students go through it with ease. It just brings us down and makes us feel lost; because no mater what, it feels like we are destined to fail. It feels like we weren’t “cut out” for success.

homework does help

here is the thing though, if a child is shoved in the face with a whole ton of homework that isn’t really even considered homework it is assignments, it’s not helpful. the teacher should make homework more of a fun learning experience rather than something that is dreaded

This article was wonderful, I am going to ask my teachers about extra, or at all giving homework.

I agree. Especially when you have homework before an exam. Which is distasteful as you’ll need that time to study. It doesn’t make any sense, nor does us doing homework really matters as It’s just facts thrown at us.

Homework is too severe and is just too much for students, schools need to decrease the amount of homework. When teachers assign homework they forget that the students have other classes that give them the same amount of homework each day. Students need to work on social skills and life skills.

I disagree.

Beyond achievement, proponents of homework argue that it can have many other beneficial effects. They claim it can help students develop good study habits so they are ready to grow as their cognitive capacities mature. It can help students recognize that learning can occur at home as well as at school. Homework can foster independent learning and responsible character traits. And it can give parents an opportunity to see what’s going on at school and let them express positive attitudes toward achievement.

Homework is helpful because homework helps us by teaching us how to learn a specific topic.

As a student myself, I can say that I have almost never gotten the full 9 hours of recommended sleep time, because of homework. (Now I’m writing an essay on it in the middle of the night D=)

I am a 10 year old kid doing a report about “Is homework good or bad” for homework before i was going to do homework is bad but the sources from this site changed my mind!

Homeowkr is god for stusenrs

I agree with hunter because homework can be so stressful especially with this whole covid thing no one has time for homework and every one just wants to get back to there normal lives it is especially stressful when you go on a 2 week vaca 3 weeks into the new school year and and then less then a week after you come back from the vaca you are out for over a month because of covid and you have no way to get the assignment done and turned in

As great as homework is said to be in the is article, I feel like the viewpoint of the students was left out. Every where I go on the internet researching about this topic it almost always has interviews from teachers, professors, and the like. However isn’t that a little biased? Of course teachers are going to be for homework, they’re not the ones that have to stay up past midnight completing the homework from not just one class, but all of them. I just feel like this site is one-sided and you should include what the students of today think of spending four hours every night completing 6-8 classes worth of work.

Are we talking about homework or practice? Those are two very different things and can result in different outcomes.

Homework is a graded assignment. I do not know of research showing the benefits of graded assignments going home.

Practice; however, can be extremely beneficial, especially if there is some sort of feedback (not a grade but feedback). That feedback can come from the teacher, another student or even an automated grading program.

As a former band director, I assigned daily practice. I never once thought it would be appropriate for me to require the students to turn in a recording of their practice for me to grade. Instead, I had in-class assignments/assessments that were graded and directly related to the practice assigned.

I would really like to read articles on “homework” that truly distinguish between the two.

oof i feel bad good luck!

thank you guys for the artical because I have to finish an assingment. yes i did cite it but just thanks

thx for the article guys.

Homework is good

I think homework is helpful AND harmful. Sometimes u can’t get sleep bc of homework but it helps u practice for school too so idk.

I agree with this Article. And does anyone know when this was published. I would like to know.

It was published FEb 19, 2019.

Studies have shown that homework improved student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college.

i think homework can help kids but at the same time not help kids

This article is so out of touch with majority of homes it would be laughable if it wasn’t so incredibly sad.

There is no value to homework all it does is add stress to already stressed homes. Parents or adults magically having the time or energy to shepherd kids through homework is dome sort of 1950’s fantasy.

What lala land do these teachers live in?

Homework gives noting to the kid

Homework is Bad

homework is bad.

why do kids even have homework?

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Coursework/GPA

Everyone struggles with homework sometimes, but if getting your homework done has become a chronic issue for you, then you may need a little extra help. That’s why we’ve written this article all about how to do homework. Once you’re finished reading it, you’ll know how to do homework (and have tons of new ways to motivate yourself to do homework)!

We’ve broken this article down into a few major sections. You’ll find:

• A diagnostic test to help you figure out why you’re struggling with homework
• A discussion of the four major homework problems students face, along with expert tips for addressing them
• A bonus section with tips for how to do homework fast

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to tackle whatever homework assignments your teachers throw at you .

So let’s get started!

How to Do Homework: Figure Out Your Struggles 

Sometimes it feels like everything is standing between you and getting your homework done. But the truth is, most people only have one or two major roadblocks that are keeping them from getting their homework done well and on time. 

The best way to figure out how to get motivated to do homework starts with pinpointing the issues that are affecting your ability to get your assignments done. That’s why we’ve developed a short quiz to help you identify the areas where you’re struggling. 

Take the quiz below and record your answers on your phone or on a scrap piece of paper. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers! 

1. You’ve just been assigned an essay in your English class that’s due at the end of the week. What’s the first thing you do?

A. Keep it in mind, even though you won’t start it until the day before it’s due  B. Open up your planner. You’ve got to figure out when you’ll write your paper since you have band practice, a speech tournament, and your little sister’s dance recital this week, too.  C. Groan out loud. Another essay? You could barely get yourself to write the last one!  D. Start thinking about your essay topic, which makes you think about your art project that’s due the same day, which reminds you that your favorite artist might have just posted to Instagram...so you better check your feed right now. 

2. Your mom asked you to pick up your room before she gets home from work. You’ve just gotten home from school. You decide you’ll tackle your chores: 

A. Five minutes before your mom walks through the front door. As long as it gets done, who cares when you start?  B. As soon as you get home from your shift at the local grocery store.  C. After you give yourself a 15-minute pep talk about how you need to get to work.  D. You won’t get it done. Between texts from your friends, trying to watch your favorite Netflix show, and playing with your dog, you just lost track of time! 

3. You’ve signed up to wash dogs at the Humane Society to help earn money for your senior class trip. You: 

A. Show up ten minutes late. You put off leaving your house until the last minute, then got stuck in unexpected traffic on the way to the shelter.  B. Have to call and cancel at the last minute. You forgot you’d already agreed to babysit your cousin and bake cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale.  C. Actually arrive fifteen minutes early with extra brushes and bandanas you picked up at the store. You’re passionate about animals, so you’re excited to help out! D. Show up on time, but only get three dogs washed. You couldn’t help it: you just kept getting distracted by how cute they were!

4. You have an hour of downtime, so you decide you’re going to watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show. You: 

A. Scroll through your social media feeds for twenty minutes before hitting play, which means you’re not able to finish the whole episode. Ugh! You really wanted to see who was sent home!  B. Watch fifteen minutes until you remember you’re supposed to pick up your sister from band practice before heading to your part-time job. No GBBO for you!  C. You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you’ve got SAT studying to do. It’s just more fun to watch people make scones.  D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you’re reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time.

5. Your teacher asks you to stay after class because you’ve missed turning in two homework assignments in a row. When she asks you what’s wrong, you say: 

A. You planned to do your assignments during lunch, but you ran out of time. You decided it would be better to turn in nothing at all than submit unfinished work.  B. You really wanted to get the assignments done, but between your extracurriculars, family commitments, and your part-time job, your homework fell through the cracks.  C. You have a hard time psyching yourself to tackle the assignments. You just can’t seem to find the motivation to work on them once you get home.  D. You tried to do them, but you had a hard time focusing. By the time you realized you hadn’t gotten anything done, it was already time to turn them in. 

Like we said earlier, there are no right or wrong answers to this quiz (though your results will be better if you answered as honestly as possible). Here’s how your answers break down: 

• If your answers were mostly As, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is procrastination. 
• If your answers were mostly Bs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is time management. 
• If your answers were mostly Cs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is motivation. 
• If your answers were mostly Ds, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is getting distracted. 

Now that you’ve identified why you’re having a hard time getting your homework done, we can help you figure out how to fix it! Scroll down to find your core problem area to learn more about how you can start to address it. 

And one more thing: you’re really struggling with homework, it’s a good idea to read through every section below. You may find some additional tips that will help make homework less intimidating. 

How to Do Homework When You’re a Procrastinator  

Merriam Webster defines “procrastinate” as “to put off intentionally and habitually.” In other words, procrastination is when you choose to do something at the last minute on a regular basis. If you’ve ever found yourself pulling an all-nighter, trying to finish an assignment between periods, or sprinting to turn in a paper minutes before a deadline, you’ve experienced the effects of procrastination. 

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you’re in good company. In fact, one study found that 70% to 95% of undergraduate students procrastinate when it comes to doing their homework. Unfortunately, procrastination can negatively impact your grades. Researchers have found that procrastination can lower your grade on an assignment by as much as five points ...which might not sound serious until you realize that can mean the difference between a B- and a C+. 

Procrastination can also negatively affect your health by increasing your stress levels , which can lead to other health conditions like insomnia, a weakened immune system, and even heart conditions. Getting a handle on procrastination can not only improve your grades, it can make you feel better, too! 

The big thing to understand about procrastination is that it’s not the result of laziness. Laziness is defined as being “disinclined to activity or exertion.” In other words, being lazy is all about doing nothing. But a s this Psychology Today article explains , procrastinators don’t put things off because they don’t want to work. Instead, procrastinators tend to postpone tasks they don’t want to do in favor of tasks that they perceive as either more important or more fun. Put another way, procrastinators want to do things...as long as it’s not their homework! 

3 Tips f or Conquering Procrastination 

Because putting off doing homework is a common problem, there are lots of good tactics for addressing procrastination. Keep reading for our three expert tips that will get your homework habits back on track in no time. 

#1: Create a Reward System

Like we mentioned earlier, procrastination happens when you prioritize other activities over getting your homework done. Many times, this happens because homework...well, just isn’t enjoyable. But you can add some fun back into the process by rewarding yourself for getting your work done. 

Here’s what we mean: let’s say you decide that every time you get your homework done before the day it’s due, you’ll give yourself a point. For every five points you earn, you’ll treat yourself to your favorite dessert: a chocolate cupcake! Now you have an extra (delicious!) incentive to motivate you to leave procrastination in the dust. 

If you’re not into cupcakes, don’t worry. Your reward can be anything that motivates you . Maybe it’s hanging out with your best friend or an extra ten minutes of video game time. As long as you’re choosing something that makes homework worth doing, you’ll be successful. 

#2: Have a Homework Accountability Partner 

If you’re having trouble getting yourself to start your homework ahead of time, it may be a good idea to call in reinforcements . Find a friend or classmate you can trust and explain to them that you’re trying to change your homework habits. Ask them if they’d be willing to text you to make sure you’re doing your homework and check in with you once a week to see if you’re meeting your anti-procrastination goals. 

Sharing your goals can make them feel more real, and an accountability partner can help hold you responsible for your decisions. For example, let’s say you’re tempted to put off your science lab write-up until the morning before it’s due. But you know that your accountability partner is going to text you about it tomorrow...and you don’t want to fess up that you haven’t started your assignment. A homework accountability partner can give you the extra support and incentive you need to keep your homework habits on track. 

#3: Create Your Own Due Dates 

If you’re a life-long procrastinator, you might find that changing the habit is harder than you expected. In that case, you might try using procrastination to your advantage! If you just can’t seem to stop doing your work at the last minute, try setting your own due dates for assignments that range from a day to a week before the assignment is actually due. 

Here’s what we mean. Let’s say you have a math worksheet that’s been assigned on Tuesday and is due on Friday. In your planner, you can write down the due date as Thursday instead. You may still put off your homework assignment until the last minute...but in this case, the “last minute” is a day before the assignment’s real due date . This little hack can trick your procrastination-addicted brain into planning ahead! 

If you feel like Kevin Hart in this meme, then our tips for doing homework when you're busy are for you. 

How to Do Homework When You’re too Busy

If you’re aiming to go to a top-tier college , you’re going to have a full plate. Because college admissions is getting more competitive, it’s important that you’re maintaining your grades , studying hard for your standardized tests , and participating in extracurriculars so your application stands out. A packed schedule can get even more hectic once you add family obligations or a part-time job to the mix. 

If you feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once, you’re not alone. Recent research has found that stress—and more severe stress-related conditions like anxiety and depression— are a major problem for high school students . In fact, one study from the American Psychological Association found that during the school year, students’ stress levels are higher than those of the adults around them. 

For students, homework is a major contributor to their overall stress levels . Many high schoolers have multiple hours of homework every night , and figuring out how to fit it into an already-packed schedule can seem impossible. 

3 Tips for Fitting Homework Into Your Busy Schedule

While it might feel like you have literally no time left in your schedule, there are still ways to make sure you’re able to get your homework done and meet your other commitments. Here are our expert homework tips for even the busiest of students. 

#1: Make a Prioritized To-Do List 

You probably already have a to-do list to keep yourself on track. The next step is to prioritize the items on your to-do list so you can see what items need your attention right away. 

Here’s how it works: at the beginning of each day, sit down and make a list of all the items you need to get done before you go to bed. This includes your homework, but it should also take into account any practices, chores, events, or job shifts you may have. Once you get everything listed out, it’s time to prioritize them using the labels A, B, and C. Here’s what those labels mean:

• A Tasks : tasks that have to get done—like showing up at work or turning in an assignment—get an A. 
• B Tasks : these are tasks that you would like to get done by the end of the day but aren’t as time sensitive. For example, studying for a test you have next week could be a B-level task. It’s still important, but it doesn’t have to be done right away.
• C Tasks: these are tasks that aren’t very important and/or have no real consequences if you don’t get them done immediately. For instance, if you’re hoping to clean out your closet but it’s not an assigned chore from your parents, you could label that to-do item with a C.

Prioritizing your to-do list helps you visualize which items need your immediate attention, and which items you can leave for later. A prioritized to-do list ensures that you’re spending your time efficiently and effectively, which helps you make room in your schedule for homework. So even though you might really want to start making decorations for Homecoming (a B task), you’ll know that finishing your reading log (an A task) is more important. 

#2: Use a Planner With Time Labels

Your planner is probably packed with notes, events, and assignments already. (And if you’re not using a planner, it’s time to start!) But planners can do more for you than just remind you when an assignment is due. If you’re using a planner with time labels, it can help you visualize how you need to spend your day.

A planner with time labels breaks your day down into chunks, and you assign tasks to each chunk of time. For example, you can make a note of your class schedule with assignments, block out time to study, and make sure you know when you need to be at practice. Once you know which tasks take priority, you can add them to any empty spaces in your day. 

Planning out how you spend your time not only helps you use it wisely, it can help you feel less overwhelmed, too . We’re big fans of planners that include a task list ( like this one ) or have room for notes ( like this one ). 

#3: Set Reminders on Your Phone 

If you need a little extra nudge to make sure you’re getting your homework done on time, it’s a good idea to set some reminders on your phone. You don’t need a fancy app, either. You can use your alarm app to have it go off at specific times throughout the day to remind you to do your homework. This works especially well if you have a set homework time scheduled. So if you’ve decided you’re doing homework at 6:00 pm, you can set an alarm to remind you to bust out your books and get to work. 

If you use your phone as your planner, you may have the option to add alerts, emails, or notifications to scheduled events . Many calendar apps, including the one that comes with your phone, have built-in reminders that you can customize to meet your needs. So if you block off time to do your homework from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, you can set a reminder that will pop up on your phone when it’s time to get started. 

This dog isn't judging your lack of motivation...but your teacher might. Keep reading for tips to help you motivate yourself to do your homework.

How to Do Homework When You’re Unmotivated 

At first glance, it may seem like procrastination and being unmotivated are the same thing. After all, both of these issues usually result in you putting off your homework until the very last minute. 

But there’s one key difference: many procrastinators are working, they’re just prioritizing work differently. They know they’re going to start their homework...they’re just going to do it later. 

Conversely, people who are unmotivated to do homework just can’t find the willpower to tackle their assignments. Procrastinators know they’ll at least attempt the homework at the last minute, whereas people who are unmotivated struggle with convincing themselves to do it at a ll. For procrastinators, the stress comes from the inevitable time crunch. For unmotivated people, the stress comes from trying to convince themselves to do something they don’t want to do in the first place. 

Here are some common reasons students are unmotivated in doing homework : 

• Assignments are too easy, too hard, or seemingly pointless 
• Students aren’t interested in (or passionate about) the subject matter
• Students are intimidated by the work and/or feels like they don’t understand the assignment 
• Homework isn’t fun, and students would rather spend their time on things that they enjoy 

To sum it up: people who lack motivation to do their homework are more likely to not do it at all, or to spend more time worrying about doing their homework than...well, actually doing it.

3 Tips for How to Get Motivated to Do Homework

The key to getting homework done when you’re unmotivated is to figure out what does motivate you, then apply those things to homework. It sounds tricky...but it’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it! Here are our three expert tips for motivating yourself to do your homework. 

#1: Use Incremental Incentives

When you’re not motivated, it’s important to give yourself small rewards to stay focused on finishing the task at hand. The trick is to keep the incentives small and to reward yourself often. For example, maybe you’re reading a good book in your free time. For every ten minutes you spend on your homework, you get to read five pages of your book. Like we mentioned earlier, make sure you’re choosing a reward that works for you! 

So why does this technique work? Using small rewards more often allows you to experience small wins for getting your work done. Every time you make it to one of your tiny reward points, you get to celebrate your success, which gives your brain a boost of dopamine . Dopamine helps you stay motivated and also creates a feeling of satisfaction when you complete your homework !  

#2: Form a Homework Group 

If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, it’s okay to turn to others for support. Creating a homework group can help with this. Bring together a group of your friends or classmates, and pick one time a week where you meet and work on homework together. You don’t have to be in the same class, or even taking the same subjects— the goal is to encourage one another to start (and finish!) your assignments. 

Another added benefit of a homework group is that you can help one another if you’re struggling to understand the material covered in your classes. This is especially helpful if your lack of motivation comes from being intimidated by your assignments. Asking your friends for help may feel less scary than talking to your teacher...and once you get a handle on the material, your homework may become less frightening, too. 

#3: Change Up Your Environment 

If you find that you’re totally unmotivated, it may help if you find a new place to do your homework. For example, if you’ve been struggling to get your homework done at home, try spending an extra hour in the library after school instead. The change of scenery can limit your distractions and give you the energy you need to get your work done. 

If you’re stuck doing homework at home, you can still use this tip. For instance, maybe you’ve always done your homework sitting on your bed. Try relocating somewhere else, like your kitchen table, for a few weeks. You may find that setting up a new “homework spot” in your house gives you a motivational lift and helps you get your work done. 

Social media can be a huge problem when it comes to doing homework. We have advice for helping you unplug and regain focus.

How to Do Homework When You’re Easily Distracted

We live in an always-on world, and there are tons of things clamoring for our attention. From friends and family to pop culture and social media, it seems like there’s always something (or someone!) distracting us from the things we need to do.

The 24/7 world we live in has affected our ability to focus on tasks for prolonged periods of time. Research has shown that over the past decade, an average person’s attention span has gone from 12 seconds to eight seconds . And when we do lose focus, i t takes people a long time to get back on task . One study found that it can take as long as 23 minutes to get back to work once we’ve been distracte d. No wonder it can take hours to get your homework done! 

3 Tips to Improve Your Focus

If you have a hard time focusing when you’re doing your homework, it’s a good idea to try and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Here are three expert tips for blocking out the noise so you can focus on getting your homework done. 

#1: Create a Distraction-Free Environment

Pick a place where you’ll do your homework every day, and make it as distraction-free as possible. Try to find a location where there won’t be tons of noise, and limit your access to screens while you’re doing your homework. Put together a focus-oriented playlist (or choose one on your favorite streaming service), and put your headphones on while you work. 

You may find that other people, like your friends and family, are your biggest distraction. If that’s the case, try setting up some homework boundaries. Let them know when you’ll be working on homework every day, and ask them if they’ll help you keep a quiet environment. They’ll be happy to lend a hand! 

#2: Limit Your Access to Technology 

We know, we know...this tip isn’t fun, but it does work. For homework that doesn’t require a computer, like handouts or worksheets, it’s best to put all your technology away . Turn off your television, put your phone and laptop in your backpack, and silence notifications on any wearable tech you may be sporting. If you listen to music while you work, that’s fine...but make sure you have a playlist set up so you’re not shuffling through songs once you get started on your homework. 

If your homework requires your laptop or tablet, it can be harder to limit your access to distractions. But it’s not impossible! T here are apps you can download that will block certain websites while you’re working so that you’re not tempted to scroll through Twitter or check your Facebook feed. Silence notifications and text messages on your computer, and don’t open your email account unless you absolutely have to. And if you don’t need access to the internet to complete your assignments, turn off your WiFi. Cutting out the online chatter is a great way to make sure you’re getting your homework done. 

#3: Set a Timer (the Pomodoro Technique)

Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique ? It’s a productivity hack that uses a timer to help you focus!

Here’s how it works: first, set a timer for 25 minutes. This is going to be your work time. During this 25 minutes, all you can do is work on whatever homework assignment you have in front of you. No email, no text messaging, no phone calls—just homework. When that timer goes off, you get to take a 5 minute break. Every time you go through one of these cycles, it’s called a “pomodoro.” For every four pomodoros you complete, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.

The pomodoro technique works through a combination of boundary setting and rewards. First, it gives you a finite amount of time to focus, so you know that you only have to work really hard for 25 minutes. Once you’ve done that, you’re rewarded with a short break where you can do whatever you want. Additionally, tracking how many pomodoros you complete can help you see how long you’re really working on your homework. (Once you start using our focus tips, you may find it doesn’t take as long as you thought!)

Two Bonus Tips for How to Do Homework Fast

Even if you’re doing everything right, there will be times when you just need to get your homework done as fast as possible. (Why do teachers always have projects due in the same week? The world may never know.)

The problem with speeding through homework is that it’s easy to make mistakes. While turning in an assignment is always better than not submitting anything at all, you want to make sure that you’re not compromising quality for speed. Simply put, the goal is to get your homework done quickly and still make a good grade on the assignment! 

Here are our two bonus tips for getting a decent grade on your homework assignments , even when you’re in a time crunch. 

#1: Do the Easy Parts First 

This is especially true if you’re working on a handout with multiple questions. Before you start working on the assignment, read through all the questions and problems. As you do, make a mark beside the questions you think are “easy” to answer . 

Once you’ve finished going through the whole assignment, you can answer these questions first. Getting the easy questions out of the way as quickly as possible lets you spend more time on the trickier portions of your homework, which will maximize your assignment grade. 

(Quick note: this is also a good strategy to use on timed assignments and tests, like the SAT and the ACT !) 

#2: Pay Attention in Class 

Homework gets a lot easier when you’re actively learning the material. Teachers aren’t giving you homework because they’re mean or trying to ruin your weekend... it’s because they want you to really understand the course material. Homework is designed to reinforce what you’re already learning in class so you’ll be ready to tackle harder concepts later.

When you pay attention in class, ask questions, and take good notes, you’re absorbing the information you’ll need to succeed on your homework assignments. (You’re stuck in class anyway, so you might as well make the most of it!) Not only will paying attention in class make your homework less confusing, it will also help it go much faster, too.

What’s Next?

If you’re looking to improve your productivity beyond homework, a good place to begin is with time management. After all, we only have so much time in a day...so it’s important to get the most out of it! To get you started, check out this list of the 12 best time management techniques that you can start using today.

You may have read this article because homework struggles have been affecting your GPA. Now that you’re on the path to homework success, it’s time to start being proactive about raising your grades. This article teaches you everything you need to know about raising your GPA so you can

Now you know how to get motivated to do homework...but what about your study habits? Studying is just as critical to getting good grades, and ultimately getting into a good college . We can teach you how to study bette r in high school. (We’ve also got tons of resources to help you study for your ACT and SAT exams , too!)

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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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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Talking to Teenagers… About School and Homework

• Post author: Courtney Harris Coaching
• Post published: October 16, 2018
• Post category: Talking with Teenagers
• Post comments: 2 Comments

Fall is here! This means that back to school routines have been in place for several weeks. Alternatively, things may still be in flux as your teen is struggling to find a routine that fits. By now, teachers have likely sent progress reports or updates home, and maybe you’ve even received an “FYI your kid is not meeting expectations” e-mail that has you feeling all kinds of things. And it’s all okay!

October is a great time to refresh and renew the ways you’re supporting your teen in building a healthy relationship with their school life.  Your teenager is in the thick of figuring out how they want to show up, and you are standing witness, doing your best to encourage a healthy, productive level of investment in education and learning.

This is a lot. (And I know YOU know this.)

Looking at the Whole Experience

Some parents I talk to express worry about “the kind of student” their child is. Others are embarrassed. Many feel helpless, uncertain of how to help their child invest in school and their future. On the other hand, other parents don’t know how to help their teen relax and find balance as they obsess about perfection. It’s tiring trying to hold all of this as a parent or caregiver. 

Likewise, teens share that they’re stressed out. Meeting the expectations of school, family, culture, extracurricular programs, and their future (aka college or professional goals) can feel impossible. Some teens hit a wall and shut down. Others amp it up, striving to be the best. The end result is the same as what you may be experiencing, exhaustion. 

So, what can you do now to provide huge support for the short and long-term? Keep reading for 6 Strategies for Talking to Teenagers About School and Homework.

6 Strategies for Talking to Teenagers About School and Homework

1. help your teen find and define their “ why .”.

School and homework will be more meaningful and sustainable when your child has an authentic purpose. Support them in considering “why” and “how” questions: “ How does school support you in growing towards your goals? Why is homework important or supportive? How does school benefit you?” And so on.  Additionally, make space for your teen to explore potential career and creative interests. Help them research their goals and dreams; talk together about the ways their academics today impact (and support) their goals for the future. By now, your teenager knows your opinions and expectations; thus, I encourage you to refrain from sharing advice in these conversations– unless they ask for it.

2. Talk about different learning needs.

Help your child become aware of their own learning styles; normalize this conversation! You might ask questions like, “How do you receive new information best?” (Ex: auditory, written, hands-on, etc.) Together, explore and research tools that support these preferences and needs. For example, your teen might like to try apps for recording lectures, typing notes instead of handwriting, listening to audio books while reading the text, or different note-taking styles. Ask where they learn/study best: “Where in the classroom/school do you feel most focused?” (in the front of the room, in small groups, etc.) If your child has an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) or a 504, ensure that they are ACTIVE parts of their annual meetings, have an open relationship with their case manager, and are well aware of their accommodations and modifications. Teens can tape a copy of these in their planner for quick reference. E-mail me  directly if you’d like to talk more specifically about IEPs and 504s. At first, as you ask these questions, you might get a shoulder shrug or an “I don’t know”, but over time, and with your support and modeling, your teenager will become more in tune with their own thinking.

3. Promote self-advocacy.

As early as possible, help your child understand the concept of seeking help, speaking up, and voicing their needs to their teachers. Discuss appropriate times to do this (before or after class, during tutorials, before or after school, and sometimes by e-mail). Give them conversation starters and role play or practice as needed. When you have conversations using strateies #1 and #2 with your teen, you are supporting them in critical thinking and self-awareness. Their reflections become excellent material to share with their teachers. Ultimately, as your teen voices their needs, they build trust and safety in their learning environments.

4. Always come back to routines .

Systems help us stay on track, emphasize efficiency, and promote stability. Establish routines for homework (for example, no screens unless required for assignments), nutritious snacks, breaks, studying, and organization. Balance is important when it comes to routines; thus, build in breaks and time to decompress. For example, one family I work with snacks and relaxes for 20 minutes after arriving home. They also take 15-minute exercise breaks after each 40-minute chunk of work time. All work stops for dinner at 7:00pm. I often encourage children and teens to use timers to increase accountability, promote self-sufficiency, and deepen investment in the process; your teenager’s buy-in is crucial to mantaining family routines over time. Finally, consider creating a common google calendar or visual schedules on a chalkboard to support communication and commitment to routines within the family.

5. Focus on growth over time, not perfection.

For children who present type-a/perfectionist tendencies (that’s me!) extra academic pressure can be harmful. It can push them deep into overwork and overwhelm. For our children who present apathetic or defeated attitudes, perfection feels impossible, so giving up might feel like the only option. Where you put value, as parents and caregivers, impacts your children. As you focus primarily on growth and continued improvement, your child is likely to feel encouraged, yet not over-pressured. Small wins, small improvements matter; celebrate those!

6. Support your teen in making choices for themselves.

When it comes to your teen’s time outside of school, encourage them to make choices for engaging with their passions and interests. These may boost their “why!” Opportunities include school-sponsored groups (like video game or creative writing club), athletics inside or outside of school, study groups, church or community groups (like volunteering), and even part-time jobs. If your child shares an idea or requests to join a new activity, do your best to support it. Express interest in their motivation for joining. “What gets you excited about this club?” “What do you have to contribute to the group?” Incorporate the routines conversation from strategy #3; check in with your teen’s and the family’s capacity to manage new commitments and consider adjustments that might be made. (Added bonus: These are all resume and college application builders too!)

Finally, you may also find yourself (and your teen) wanting extra support. Together, you and your family can build individual support system maps to support you throughout the year.  Here’s to continued growth in the 2018-2019 school year and beyond!

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Very Informative post. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. Best Certified Teen Life Coach

thanks so much for being here!

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5 Keys to Successful Homework Assignments During Remote Learning

While students and their families are coping with so much, teachers should be mindful to assign only homework that’s truly meaningful. 

How can homework be reimagined during remote or hybrid learning? Are students already spending too much time on their screen—why assign more screen time? What is the purpose of the assignment?

As a middle school instructional coach, I often work with teachers who are unsure of how much to give and what to give. They’re also inevitably worried about finding the time to grade it. As a parent, I know how stressful it can be to balance your own work while also helping your own children with homework.

Since remote learning began in March, some schools have banned homework or modified homework policies, but if you’re a teacher who’s allowed to assign homework or an administrator who sets homework policy, the following suggestions may help.

5 Keys to Making Homework More Meaningful

1. Off-screen reading:  Books, books, books. Whether your students are reading books they chose or assigned novels, quiet reading time (or time listening to audiobooks) is a welcome assignment in most homes—I say this as a mom myself. Students can be held accountable for their reading through Harkness discussions in class or on Zoom, journal entries (written or in Flipgrid-style video), or old-fashioned sticky-note annotations in the book itself.

2. Less is more: Unfortunately, math teachers have the reputation of assigning something like “problems 1 through 45” (OK, maybe I’m exaggerating). Do students need to repeat the same skill over and over? Consider how much time you have in class the next day to actually review several problems. Instead, can you choose four or five rich multistep problems that provide practice and application of the skills? Or, alternatively, offer student choice: “Choose five out of these 10 problems.”

In a humanities or science class, can students answer one extended compare-and-contrast question rather than the chapter review in the textbook?

3. Personalized homework: Many students (and adults alike) love to talk about themselves. If students can make the assignment personal to them, they might feel more motivated to complete it. An example might be to compare the protagonist of the assigned reading with themselves in a Venn diagram. In a language class, they can describe a fictitious superhero using descriptive vocabulary in the language they’re studying. Or assign students to make a Flipgrid-style dance or song describing the scientific method (this example was inspired by TikTok).

4. Family involvement: Use this option carefully, especially now when many parents and guardians are stretched thin. Before making family assignments, be sure to get a feel for your students’ family situations to avoid putting anyone at a disadvantage. Give families a heads-up and plenty of time for such assignments.

If you feel it’s appropriate to proceed, ask students to take a video of themselves teaching a new concept to a family member. To practice operations with fractions, students can bring in a favorite family recipe with the measurements adjusted for fewer servings or multiple servings. Assign a riddle or math puzzle for students to discuss with the family, and ask them to write down the various answers they hear.

Whatever you assign, keep it light, low-stakes, and infrequent.

5. Flipped homework: In my experience, students get tired of watching instructional videos, but a few short, well-planned videos can be useful to assign the night before to spark discussion the next day in class. Follow the video with a short Google Form to ask the student to reflect and/or ask initial questions about what they watched. Use flipped learning sparingly to keep it novel and unique.

What about the grading? With shared docs, older students can easily share their work with their peers for review. Take some time to educate students on how to constructively comment on each other’s work. If a student’s assignment is missing, their partner will let them know, which takes some of the burden off of the teacher. This method should not be used for graded summative assessments and should be monitored by the teacher. Peer review can also serve as a differentiation strategy by grouping students by readiness and ability when applicable.

If your school’s homework policies allow, be creative with your assignments. As you create your assignments, consider the following:

• What will a student learn or gain from this work?
• Is it worth their time?
• Is it creating more home stress?

If we reimagine homework, students might actually cheer instead of groan when it’s assigned. OK, that’s wishful thinking, but they should definitely get more out of their assignments. 

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Oral presentation

Giving an oral presentation as part of a speaking exam can be quite scary, but we're here to help you. Watch two students giving presentations and then read the tips carefully. Which tips do they follow? Which ones don’t they follow?

Instructions

Watch the video of two students doing an oral presentation as part of a speaking exam. Then read the tips below.

Melissa: Hi, everyone! Today I would like to talk about how to become the most popular teen in school.

Firstly, I think getting good academic results is the first factor to make you become popular since, having a good academic result, your teacher will award you in front of your schoolmates. Then, your schoolmates will know who you are and maybe they would like to get to know you because they want to learn something good from you.

Secondly, I think participating in school clubs and student unions can help to make you become popular, since after participating in these school clubs or student union, people will know who you are and it can help you to make friends all around the school, no matter senior forms or junior forms.

In conclusion, I think to become the most popular teen in school we need to have good academic results and also participate in school clubs and student union. Thank you!

Kelvin: Good evening, everyone! So, today I want to talk about whether the sale of cigarettes should be made illegal.

As we all know, cigarettes are not good for our health, not only oneself but also other people around. Moreover, many people die of lung cancer every year because of smoking cigarettes.

But, should the government make it illegal? I don’t think so, because Hong Kong is a place where people can enjoy lots of freedom and if the government banned the sale of cigarettes, many people would disagree with this and stand up to fight for their freedom.

Moreover, Hong Kong is a free market. If there's such a huge government intervention, I think it’s not good for Hong Kong’s economy.

So, if the government wants people to stop smoking cigarettes, what should it do? I think the government can use other administrative ways to do so, for example education and increasing the tax on cigarettes. Also, the government can ban the smokers smoking in public areas. So, this is the end of my presentation. Thank you.

It’s not easy to give a good oral presentation but these tips will help you. Here are our top tips for oral presentations.

• Use the planning time to prepare what you’re going to say. 
• If you are allowed to have a note card, write short notes in point form.
• Use more formal language.
• Use short, simple sentences to express your ideas clearly.
• Pause from time to time and don’t speak too quickly. This allows the listener to understand your ideas. Include a short pause after each idea.
• Speak clearly and at the right volume.
• Have your notes ready in case you forget anything.
• Practise your presentation. If possible record yourself and listen to your presentation. If you can’t record yourself, ask a friend to listen to you. Does your friend understand you?
• Make your opinions very clear. Use expressions to give your opinion .
• Look at the people who are listening to you.
• Write out the whole presentation and learn every word by heart. 
• Write out the whole presentation and read it aloud.
• Use very informal language.
• Only look at your note card. It’s important to look up at your listeners when you are speaking.

Useful language for presentations

Explain what your presentation is about at the beginning:

I’m going to talk about ... I’d like to talk about ... The main focus of this presentation is ...

Use these expressions to order your ideas:

First of all, ... Firstly, ... Then, ... Secondly, ... Next, ... Finally, ... Lastly, ... To sum up, ... In conclusion, ...

Use these expressions to add more ideas from the same point of view:

In addition, ... What’s more, ... Also, ... Added to this, ...

To introduce the opposite point of view you can use these words and expressions:

However, ... On the other hand, ... Then again, ...

Example presentation topics

• Violent computer games should be banned.
• The sale of cigarettes should be made illegal.
• Homework should be limited to just two nights a week.
• Should school students be required to wear a school uniform?
• How to become the most popular teen in school.
• Dogs should be banned from cities.

Check your language: ordering - parts of a presentation

Check your understanding: grouping - useful phrases, worksheets and downloads.

Do you think these tips will help you in your next speaking exam? Remember to tell us how well you do in future speaking exams!  

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Talking about school: why children sometimes find it hard

‘How was school?’ is a big question. To answer, your child has to sum up a whole day, and that’s hard for children (and even adults!) to do.

A child might really want to say, ‘My day was so jam-packed with ideas and classes and social stuff that I don’t know where to start’. So it’s easier just to say, ‘OK’.

Some children feel their school experiences are private, so they might not want to share them. This is a typical part of school-age development as children start to shape their own identities and social worlds. But your child still needs to know you’re available when they’re ready to talk.

Why talking about school is important

Talking with your child about the school day  shows you’re interested in what’s going on in their life. This interest boosts your child’s mental health, happiness and wellbeing. It can also have a very positive effect on your child’s behaviour and achievement. It shows your child that you value school and education, which encourages them to value it too.

Talking together about school also  helps you get to know more about what’s expected of your child at school , how they learn and how they handle challenges. It can help you understand when your child is feeling less interested in school or having problems.

When you’re in touch with your child’s feelings about school, you’re more likely to see problems before they get too big. This way you can work on overcoming challenges together.

And talking about school issues – like school projects or friendship problems – is also a great chance for you to express your family values about things like teamwork, respect for self and others, friendships, relationships, problem-solving and so on.

If your child is having problems at school, you can start by  talking with their teacher . You might also like to read our article on  problems at school: children 9-18 years .

Strategies for talking about school with your child

When your child first gets home from school in the afternoon, they’ll probably be tired and hungry or thinking about other things. So easing the transition from school or after-school activities to home can help your child feel more like talking.

It’s best to avoid asking your child a lot of questions straight away – this can be overwhelming for your child. You can just let your child know that you’re glad to see them, and talk about non-school topics for a while. Younger children will probably also like unpacking their bags and going through any notes before you ask about school.

Saving questions about homework for later on can also take the pressure off!

Every afternoon or evening will be different. Even if your child usually likes to share their day with you, there’ll be days when they don’t want to talk. Sometimes it’s a matter of sensing your child’s mood and picking the right moment. Some days there might not be a right moment at all, and that’s OK.

Simple, positive and specific questions about parts of the day can get your child talking. It’s good to use questions that invite more than a ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘OK’ response. For example:

• What’s the news from school today?
• What was fun?
• What did you like best at school today?
• What does your classroom look like at the moment?
• What did you do in class after recess?
• Who did you hang out with today?
• What subjects did you do today?
• What topics are you working on in science at the moment?

Tips for talking about school with primary school children

These tips can help you get a conversation going:

• Make time to talk. This can often be when you’re doing something with your child. For example, your child might like to talk when you’re walking the dog or preparing dinner together.
• Give your child your full attention if they want to talk with you about their day.
• Take seriously whatever your child tells you. For example, you can say things like, ‘That’s really interesting. Then what happened?’ or ‘And how do you feel about that?’
• Use respectful language when you talk about the school and teachers with or in front of your child. For example, ‘I can see that’s frustrating, but Ms Adams is your teacher and you need to speak respectfully to her’, or ‘Yes, that seems unfair, but perhaps you don’t know the whole story’.
• Use  active listening techniques . These can help you pick up on your child’s feelings and work out whether they want to talk.

Your child’s behaviour and communication style might seem to change overnight when they start school. Suddenly everything’s ‘awesome’, or they’re rolling their eyes at everything you say. Your child is learning all kinds of new things from their friends and teachers, so this is part of developing a unique identity.

Ideas for talking about school with secondary school children

As your child develops into the teenage years, they might want more privacy and time to themselves, which can make it harder to talk about school. But this isn’t the end of your warm, close relationship – it’s just that getting some distance from you is how your child becomes a more independent individual.

Stay connected Staying connected to your child can help you balance respect for their  independence and  privacy with your need to keep in touch with their life. It can also help you pick up on the moments when your child is ready to talk.

Ask about links between schoolwork and future plans At this age, your child might be more open to talking about the links between their schoolwork and what they want to do when they finish school.

So rather than asking about your child’s day-to-day activities, you could try focusing on future plans. For example, ‘How’s the webpage you were designing in information technology coming along? Are you still thinking you might want to get into web design after school?’

Look out for signs of problems Even if you usually have a good relationship with your child, they might not always tell you when they’re having a tough time. If your child is upset or nervous about discussing school or refuses to answer a question, there might be a problem at school.

If you’re worried, you could try talking to other adults who know your child. You could also make an appointment with your child’s year coordinator or the school counsellor to talk about what’s going on.

Stay calm around tricky topics Conversations with your child about school might bring up  tricky topics . Try to stay calm, listen without judgement and focus on how your child is feeling. This is a great chance for you to be supportive and show your child that you value their honesty.

If your child doesn’t want to talk with you about a tricky topic, it might help to find another adult for them to talk with. You could suggest someone they trust and feel comfortable with, like a relative, friend, teacher or counsellor.

Talking with Your Child About School or College

Sample dialogues for parents seeking to motivate their child through school..

Posted July 3, 2021 | Reviewed by Vanessa Lancaster

Do you have a hands-folded child, ever quietly engaged in school except when shooting their hand up in response to the teacher’s question? Does your child eagerly do homework, including the extra credit?

Then this post isn’t for you. It’s for parents whose child is more likely to say, “This homework is stupid,” or “I hate school!”

Here are two sample dialogues. The first embeds common complaints about school. The second dialogue addresses a common issue faced by parents of a college-bound teen . I Intersperse undergirding principles.

Replying to “I Hate School!”

This is difficult because it’s such a broad complaint.

Child: I hate school

Parent: What do you hate about it?

Child: Everything

Parent: Is school too hard or too easy?

Offering a choice encourages a reluctant person to continue the conversation.

Child: It's too easy and too boring . Why do we need to know how to graph an ellipse?

Parent: Why might the math experts have decided that all kids need to know that?

Throwing the question back at the child makes it more likely that s/he will buy the explanation.

Child: I have no idea

Parent: Could it be because they believe it will make you a better thinker?

Child: That’s silly

Parent: Whether or not they’re right, do you feel that striving for a good grade is worth it?

Note that the question was framed neutrally rather than as a leading question such as “You want a good grade, don’t you?" The former is more likely to generate a thoughtful response and perhaps compliance.

The child shrugs.

The parent wisely realizes that's about as much assent as is likely. If the parent waited for the child to say, "You're right," it might be a long wait.

The parent didn’t lose sight of the child’s broad-brush statement, “I hate school:"

Parent: Why else do you hate school?

Child: The kids are mean.

Parent: What do you mean?

Before moving to solutions, the parent clarified the problem, both for her sake and the child's. Asking the child to verbalize it can help crystallize the problem. Of course, this principle is also valid when an adult tells you about a problem.

Child: They steal kids’ lunch, beat kids up at recess.

Parent: All kids do that?

Child: (rolling his eyes) No.

Parent: Do they do that to you?

Child: Sometimes.

Parent: Do you do anything to provoke them?

Child: They call me wimpy, and Einstein and they know I’m not as strong as they are.

Parent: Do you make them feel stupid in class?

The parent had hoped the child would hypothesize a cause, but when s/he didn’t, it’s appropriate to posit a possible cause, especially if posed as a question.

Child: When they give a stupid answer, the teacher often calls on me. She knows I’ll give a better one.

The parent, appropriately deciding not to tell the child to be quieter in class, shifts to looking for another solution, even if it just addresses the symptom.

Parent: Do you tell the recess supervisor about it?

Child: She just tells them to “Stop it,” and then when she’s not looking, they beat me up worse.

Parent: Well, which of these do you think is wise ? Tell the teacher, avoid those kids, try to make friends with them, take karate so you can beat the hell out of one of them, and maybe they’ll leave you alone?

Again, offering choices is often wise.

Child: I’m too chicken to fight them.

Parent: Can you try to avoid them?

Child: I guess.

Again, it's usually too much to expect a child to agree and say, “Thank you. I’ll do that.” Planting seeds is as much as can be expected, especially from the first conversation about a problem.

Responding to “I have plenty of time to do my college applications.”

Parent and child often argue about preparing for college: taking advanced placement courses, doing impressive extracurriculars, studying for the SAT, picking colleges to apply to, and completing the applications.

Parent: Would you please get started on your college applications?

Child: The more you pressure me, the more I won’t do it.

Parent: So I’m between a rock and a hard place: If I leave you alone, you don’t do it. If I pressure you, you don’t do it.

Child: I will .

The child privately recognizes the parent’s dilemma, but, again, it’s unrealistic to expect the child to say, “You’re right.”

Parent: When I ask you to get started on term papers, you say you'll get it done, but you wait until the last second, and so you have to cram to get it done.

The parent is right to invoke the child’s track record even if it generates defensiveness. It plants a needed seed.

Child: And I usually get an A or a B.

Parent: There’s no grade inflation in college application essays.

That’s pretty tough on the kid. It implies that the child’s good grades weren’t really earned, but sometimes tough love is needed.

Child: So I end up at SUNY Stony Brook instead of SUNY Binghamton, big deal.

Parent: You say that now.

Child: You tell me not to care about brand names, and now you tell me to care about Binghamton vs. Stony Brook?

The child used a powerful rhetorical ploy: using the opponent’s argument against the parent and implying hypocrisy. That forces the parent to dig deeper to find a stronger argument.

Parent: You're right. Because it’s higher-stakes than a school assignment, if you let yourself really get into it, you’ll benefit, whether or not you end up at a community college, Cornell, or Columbia. The colleges’ differences, even between Columbia versus SUNY, are small. More important, writing a college application can be a growth experience, maybe the most potentially beneficial so far in your life. Do it well, and you’ll get to know yourself better.

Child: (rolls eyes.)

Again, seeds were planted.

As in all endeavors, excellence in parenting is defined by nuance: when to be declarative, when interrogative? When to use a light hand, when to impose tough love? The good news is that in the absence of extremely restrictive or extremely laissez-faire parenting, most kids’ behavior will end up as it was meant to be: the combination of genetics , education , and peer influence. You can relax – at least a bit.

I read this aloud on YouTube.

A previous post ways to talk with your child about death and dying.

Marty Nemko, Ph.D ., is a career and personal coach based in Oakland, California, and the author of 10 books.

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current events conversation

What Students Are Saying About Remote Learning

Teenage comments in response to our recent writing prompts, and an invitation to join the ongoing conversation.

By The Learning Network

Please note: This post is part of The Learning Network’s ongoing Current Events Conversation feature. We invite students to react to the news via our daily writing prompts and, each week, we publish a selection of their comments.

In “ Coronavirus Is Shutting Schools. Is America Ready for Virtual Learning? ” Dana Goldstein writes about the great shift that began taking place in American education last month. For this week’s roundup of student comments on our writing prompts, we asked students how they have been coping with remote learning .

They told us about all the things they miss about going to school: their friends, teachers, sports, extracurricular activities, even “the loud and crazy lunchroom.”

But some students have discovered that they enjoy getting to work at their own pace, set their own schedule and be free from “the stressful environment of school.”

Others, though, recounted the challenges of distance learning, from struggling to understand assignments and getting easily distracted to not having reliable internet. “If you had told me a few months ago that I would be praying to go to school, I would’ve laughed and called you crazy, but I would do anything to go back to my school,” Hannah from Nashville said.

Before we get to the rest of the comments, we’d like to give a warm welcome to the new students who joined the conversation this week from:

Barcelona; Berkeley, Calif.; Brighton, Mich.; Buckeye, Ariz.; Dawson High School; Easton, Conn.; Englewood, Colo.; Forest Lake Christian School, Auburn, Calif.; Fruitland, Idaho; Fulton Science Academy, Alpharetta, Ga.; Hawkins, Ind.; Irving, Tex.; Lacey, Wash.; Lawrenceville, N.J.; London; Long Beach, Wash.; Malverne, N.Y.; Martin Luther School-Maspeth, Queens, N.Y.; Mexico; New Orleans, La.; Rochester, N.Y.; Roland Grise Middle School; Sunnyvale, Calif.; WLSA Shanghai Academy and Yakima, Wash.

Please note: Student comments have been lightly edited for length, but otherwise appear as they were originally submitted.

‘I did not realize that I took my routine and school day for granted until now.’

School is a place for building friendships, learning responsibility, and getting an escape from the house, but it seems as though the Coronavirus has taken that all away from us. For me, I loved getting to see my friends everyday in the school environment. Now that it’s taken away from me, I realize now that school was my main source of communicating with people. Now I feel as though I’m losing friendships I had at school since we can’t go anymore. School also taught us responsibility. I had a schedule when going to classes and when to wake up and go to bed. Now that I have no reason to have a schedule, I have been going to bed and waking up much later than I used to. There also seems to be a lack of motivation for me now to accomplish tasks because at school, we were given an hour and a half each day to get work done in class but now I keep pushing assignments back until the last second. This definitely won’t be beneficial to my work ethic in the upcoming senior year for me … Thanks to the Coronavirus, I have decided to make every moment of my senior year count and not take it for granted as I did for the past three years of high school.

— Owen Midgette, Norfolk, VA

I did not realize that I took my routine and school day for granted until now. My online school day consists of waking up at 10 am instead of 6 am, working on my laptop in my bed instead of a classroom, and now I make my own schedule. While this sounds pretty enjoyable for any teenager, it has made me miss school. I miss walking down the hallways with my friends. I miss sitting in a classroom with a teacher and other students, having discussions and asking questions. I miss the loud and crazy lunchroom. I truly miss things I didn’t even know that I loved about my school. If you had told me a few months ago that I would be praying to go to school, I would’ve laughed and called you crazy, but I would do anything to go back to my school.

— Hannah, Nashville

Something I find really special about my high school is that we are really focused on student-centered learning. We use a Harkness-style teaching method where all the students and the teacher sit at a round table together and instead of learning through lecturing, we learn from each other. Peer-to-peer interaction is a really pivotal part of education at my school, and it feels like it falls so short in our distance learning. We use Zoom and can see one another and our teacher, but everyone is always muted so as not to interfere with background noise. Our classes have been cut down by ten minutes and instead of having six classes a day, we only have three or four classes synchronously. I feel like my education is not being fulfilled. I have a significant lack of motivation and I miss the thought-provoking discussions I used to have with my classmates during physical school. I am really anxious to get back to school and really foster my love of learning through my peers.

— Emily Barkley, Lawrenceville, NJ

‘The workload has been overwhelming.’

“Oh my goodness … Why there is so much homework?” This was my first reaction to online study as I looked at the homework checklist. Due to the outbreak, most activities, including daily clubs, are canceled at present, thus we do not have much to do at home. At least teachers believe so; therefore, tons of homework overwhelms us everyday. However, we actually get much to do everyday besides homework: standardized tests, such as TOEFL, SAT, AP, etc., needed to be prepared; activities that could be done indoor had to be completed … Homework is the straw which breaks the camel’s back. How I hope that assignment could be a little less and more time could be controllable by ourselves! I am now in China. Online study has already taken place for 2 months so far. Sometimes I really wish to go back to school having lessons face to face with teachers and classmates. School is not only a place for study, but a place to prepare us for future life when we embark upon complicated society and interpersonal relationship. Online education cannot replace school system thoroughly in this aspect. I really miss normal school days. Is the day of returning far?

— Sophie Dai, WLSA Shanghai Academy

The workload … has been overwhelming. The thought process of my teachers seems to be “Oh they have all of this free time now, so I can assign them more work than I normally would.” Or at least something along the lines of that, because my teachers haven’t let up one bit. That’s been the most challenging part of remote learning, because I get easily distracted when I try to work in my house, and that I have even more work than normal, it’s challenging to get everything done. I have been able to keep up with what we’ve been learning for the most part, but it would be nice to have a teacher that could answer my questions and help me in person.

— William, The Barker

I’m in my second week of online distance learning and it’s exhausting! Yes, school now starts at 9 am and we end at around 2:30, so it’s not like I’m doing school work all day. However, now I’m on the computer for about 4 or 5 hours at a time. Before the whole pandemic happened, I only spent about an hour, maybe 2 on the computer both at school and at home. At the end of the day, I don’t want to see another computer for a while. I actually did some research (on the computer) and I found that I was suffering from computer fatigue. Yep, it’s a real thing.

— Miriam, Oakland, CA

I also find it very hard to find an ‘escape’ from school. Since it all takes place at my home, destressing has become more difficult because I feel like school is there with me the entire day. I really hope, in the near future, we will be returning to our school since I am not receiving the best education at home.

— Zoe V., Nashville, TN

‘I find it impossible to actually learn anything new through the distance learning.’

From what I have been through for the past two weeks is that online schooling is really a double edge knife. For example, it’s quite nice working at your own pace so you’re able to be less stressed with deadlines. But at the same time because of that, I have had a great deal of trouble keeping up with all of the work that my teachers have been putting onto me. That’s mostly because my pace is slower than most of my other classmates because my dyslexia and ADHD make it a lot harder to keep things on track because of how free things are. My teachers have been very understanding about it but there is only some much that they can do and I’m honestly quite scared for my end of the year grades. I have done fine this year grade-wise A’s and B’s but since this started they have been going down a bit and I’m not sure what to do because I’m doing what I can but it’s not doing anything to help my grades go up. So I’m just praying for the best at this point.

— Stephan T, Easton CT

I enjoy the new schedule that internet school has given me, since I finally have time to sleep as much as I need and feel well rested and ready to work. Though my new schedule is beneficial, I find it impossible to actually learn anything new through the distance learning. It’s easier for me to get distracted and be lazy with my work, so I’m starting to hate the daily mundanity of distance learning. I never thought I’d want to be back in school until now.

— Cali, King of Prussia, PA

Digital learning hasn’t been the best experience for me. I’m constantly caught in this game of tug of war of too much work and too little. Sometimes I’ll have three projects and four assignments due in one day and other days, I’ll have nothing. The lack of social interaction I, as well as my classmates, are enduring is also a huge factor in me not enjoying online schooling. Only one of my classes has actual online meetings where we can talk, while the others just keep posting work. I can’t learn like that though, so I haven’t really retained any of the information I just spit back at them for a grade.

— Emma B., Cass High School, Georgia

‘I’m often anxious that I will not be able to join and maintain access to online classes and assignments.’

Online school has been a stressful process for many of my friends and me. I live in an area where internet access and WiFi are hard to get and, as a result, I’m not only stressed about school but I’m often anxious that I will not be able to join and maintain access to online classes and assignments. Working at home is hard for me as well since there is no distinct separation of school v.s home. Normally at school, I am able to focus as it is a work environment and I am constantly communicating face-to-face with those around me. At home, I want to get up and go outside and stop staring at my iPad, it gives me headaches and I am tired of looking at it after 4-5 hours a day. Many of my teachers have been seemingly understanding of the issues caused by online school, but at the same time, they are continuing to give the normal work-load.

— Kitty, Stockton, NJ

So far, no, our schools have not yet switched to online. However, they have given us a long list of websites and activity suggestions to keep students occupied in learning while the School District figures out what to do for us … My sister and I just recently came up with our own schedules (which consists of some of the suggested websites and activities of our own) which was fun! I started my school schedule today, since I just got off of Spring Break. My biggest concern, if they do switch to online (which will most likely occur soon) is the lack of technology my family has (like Dana Goldstein writes about in the first paragraph of the article). The School District just sent out a survey to see who is lacking the school supplies necessary to be involved in online school, so hopefully they will be able to rent out computers to families who need them, like mine. We only have one laptop, and sharing one with a timed schedule would be impossible! I’m keeping my fingers crossed! :)

— Leah, Springfield, OR

‘I miss seeing everyone, especially my friends.’

Out of the concerns that Ms. Goldstein expresses, the most relevant one is how schools provide so much more than academics. Social interaction, a way to exercise … I miss seeing everyone, especially my friends, even that teacher who talks too much … I mean, at least they’re there to explain the assignment. Zoom calls and texting and Google Hangouts just can’t replace face-to-face interaction. I’m a dancer too, and dance has always been so infallible to me, I felt like even if schools shut down it would somehow still be there. But it wasn’t. Sometimes I just feel really lost because I feel like I don’t have anything to hold onto. I’m just trying to do well in “class” and waiting for this to end.

— Julia A, California

I too believe that school is more than just academics alone. School is what makes the basis of our early lives, 14 years of work, stress, and success. Not to mention all the great people you meet along the way, such as our mentors and teachers, as well as our lifelong friends. The activities I miss the most in school are going to my locker early in the morning, having quick chats with friends and colleagues, and roaming the halls listening to music. After school activities are another story, I miss going to track practice, making jokes with friends on a local loop (1.5 mile run around campus), and getting a good workout in for the day (thanks Mr. Frazer).

— Ethan Davila, New York

‘I am actually quite fond of it.’

Last week was the second week of E-Learning for my school, and I am actually quite fond of it. While I do understand the social aspect of school — as someone with an Anxiety Disorder lack of sleep and work load gets to me quickly, making this honestly an enjoyable experience for me. I feel as though I can learn the material at my own pace and on my own time, with breaks when I need them. With the stressful environment of school being significantly reduced, in my mind the pros of E-Learning outweigh the cons. I enjoy getting to know my teachers and classmates but I think there is a lot to be learned from the teaching and learning style we’ve had to embrace.

— Ella Mastin, Glenbard West HS

With the new shift to online schooling, I feel like an adult working from home. I get to organize my work schedule so that it works best for me, and I get to complete all of my work from the comfort of my own room. In the mornings I put on a nice shirt, so I look put together when attending online instructional Zoom or Microsoft Teams meetings, but what the camera, my teachers, and my peers cannot see is that I am actually lounging around in the comfort of my sweatpants.

— Tracey N, Dawson HS

Before a normal school day involved me waking up at 5:45 and returning home at 3:30. Now, I wake up at whatever time I’d like, which has had a positive effect on me, reducing my levels of stress overall. I find that I am able to stay on task effectively, as I am able to work at my own pace and at the time I choose to. I find myself adequately occupied with work, as I have spent an average of 3 hours a day on schoolwork, which I feel is the same amount of work I completed in school, with the rest of the hours wasted on irrelevant information. I miss the social aspect most of school, as a social life is impossible to maintain virtually … In addition, the freed time has allowed me to pursue interests not supported by the public school system, as I have had more time to learn to code, and even accomplished creating a Virtual Private Network from scratch.

— David Vallejo, Miami

Since I can plan out my day myself, I feel it suits me better than what school puts students through, though it is challenging to learn new topics of some subjects without direct explanation from a teacher.

— Alicja Paruch, NY

‘A lot of the time, I get confused.’

I am starting my third week of remote learning and let me tell you, I can not wait for the day this whole thing is over. My school went directly into remote learning around the time the first confirmed case was found in my state and I do not like it. I find myself getting distracted much easier and find myself procrastinating more and more. I’m not motivated to complete some work until I realize it will impact my grade, unlike normal school. A lot of the time, I get confused. I don’t have the luxury of being able to ask my teacher why I need to do different when I don’t understand something or don’t know what to do and a lot of the time, an email doesn’t get back to me in the time I am completing my work.

— Tommy J, Saco

My first weeks of online classes have been hard because it’s difficult to stay on task with all the work we are being assigned by teachers. The work isn’t necessarily hard but figuring out how to use the different websites and when a new assignment has been posted takes a while. I am getting better at this as I go just like my classmates but sometimes I’ll miss some assignments I didn’t realize were due.

— Gerlanda Di Stefano, Malverne NY

As someone who’s family is financially stable and has access to a computer, I can say that it hasn’t been extremely hard for me to get my work done. It was hard whenever I didn’t understand something and instead of being able to ask my teachers and get an immediate response, I had to email them and wait for them to email me back. I believe that I have it very lucky and I know that some of my peers are struggling a lot.

I know that my school is trying very hard to help the kids, like providing food for children that relied on school lunches and having a curbside pickup for laptop rentals. They also have paper packets that they mailed so if you didn’t have access to the internet you could still continue learning and not get too far behind, which helps eliminate Dana Goldstein’s concern in that area, but there are still valid points that Goldstein makes that are still problems at my school as well.

— Morgan Sharp, Anna, Texas

Here in England we were all told that schools would almost certainly not shut and if they did it wouldn’t be until after Easter. However, our PM closed schools until September and cancelled all exams all of a sudden, even though he said a few hours before he wouldn’t even close them for two weeks so none of our teachers were prepared. Frustratingly, my school isn’t using Zoom or Google Classroom (and neither are any others that I’ve heard of) but are instead putting work on to the shared area online which we have to manually search through hundreds of files everyday to find that work that has been set for our classes. Only one subject, English has actually given us instructions and tasks to complete with a weekly deadline — the others have just uploaded random files and past papers etc and not told us what to do or when its due … I find it really hard to be motivated to do work / study for exams I am not even going to be taking. I wish my school would make all subjects give us specific tasks with deadlines and maybe use online resources such as Google Classroom so that we have more structure.

— Rachel, London, England

‘I’m missing out on my “high school experience.”’

The worst part of this experience is the fact that I finally made it to high school and now I’m missing out on my “high school experience.” Everyone talks about how high school is some of the greatest years of our life, but right now it’s not off to a spectacular start. I’m only a freshman, but the poor seniors are getting hit the hardest. Not being in school means there’s no sports, no school dances like Prom, and there might not even be a graduation at this point. Imagine getting to senior year and thinking that it’s going to be the best year overall, and then getting told that you won’t get to finish your final season of the sport you’ve played your whole life, or you can’t go to your last dance with the people you’ve been with all of high school. These people might not get to even experience graduation. All of their hard work for the past four years might get handed to them in the form of a PDF or a document in the mailbox.

— Natalie, Yakima, WA

I have been training for weeks to make state competition for poetry interpretation in Speech and Debate, and to see all my hard work go down the drain is disheartening. I felt like that opportunity was robbed from me. Since I am a junior, I now have to wait until senior year to attempt to attend state and it would be my last chance to do it. I really wish I was able to give it a shot this year.

— Jessica Franklin, Dawson High School, TX

Personally the main thing I miss is my sports season, I was looking forward to this years lacrosse season the whole year and it was heart breaking to be on day 4 and have it be cancelled.

— James, Barkoukis

One of the things I’m missing about school is theater. Before school was closed, I had two shows that were going to be performed the next week and now I don’t even know if I’ll ever be able to perform the shows. Overall, this remote learning is an F in my book.

— Kayla C., Cass High School, Georgia

‘I’ve had to become my seven-year-old brother’s teacher.’

Everyday my motivation to do my work decreases and recently all my assignments have been turned in late causing my grades to drop. It has also been very difficult because I’ve had to become my seven-year-old brother’s teacher. My parents aren’t very fluent in English, so they aren’t able to help him with his schoolwork. It’s very challenging to keep up with both his work and my work at the same time.

— Adriana Segura, Cass High School, GA

The switch to distance learning has been hard for my family. I’m lucky enough to go to a school that provides each student with a computer, but for the first two weeks my younger brother (age 9) didn’t. He was sent home with a folder packed with work, but once that ran out, his teacher expected him to go digital. We have a computer, but it’s barely functioning, let alone good enough to run the programs they expected us to use. This was later remedied, but he’s also on an IEP which means he’s used to one on one learning for math, science, and reading as well as holds a general animosity towards learning in general. We’re terrified for what this will do to the progress he’s made. My mom has been struggling to teach it to him so she’s been enlisting my help. I’m happy to do it, but now I’m tackling two work loads a day on top of everything else going on.

— Kaylee Tener, Holicong Middle School

‘I’ve noticed that staying on task gets harder as the week goes on.’

The only thing familiar about my “school days” is getting up in the morning. The similarities come to an abrupt stop there. I eat breakfast each morning with my mom, who now works from home, and converse with her frequently throughout the day. Having a chance to connect with her in this way has is something I am grateful for. During the scheduled lunch break my school includes in its remote learning class schedule, I frequently take naps, mostly out of boredom. Far more distractions — my pet and the availability of food all the time, to name a few — abound as I try to remain engaged in classes and complete assignments. For the most part I am on task, but some of the very same distractions I deal with in school, such as receiving texts from friends or my phone serving as a distraction in and of itself — seem much harder to resist at home. For the most part, though, as a high school senior, I know and accept what work I have to complete and I return to the tried and tested routines that have served me well throughout my high school years.

— Aaliyah Rogers, Martin Luther School-Maspeth, Queens, NY

A school day for me is very different than what I’m used to. I now wake up an hour after I would normally be getting to school, so that’s three hours of extra sleep. I think because of this, my sleep schedule is messed up and I don’t have the structure we used to all get. I’ve noticed that staying on task gets harder as the week goes on. We’re obviously not at school working with our classmates and teachers, so it is hard for me to focus … There’s no structure, which is making it hard to get up and be productive. Overall, online school makes time management extremely difficult and I feel like I’m not even learning in some of my classes.

— Riley S, Brooklyn, NY

‘How harshly are AP exams going to be graded now?’

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Collegeboard announced massive changes to the AP tests: students only have 45 minutes, the tests are now only free response questions, and the major twist, the exams are now online. With this new information, as well as the fact that Collegeboard cut down on the curriculum we are being tested on, many of my classes switched from learning new material to review mode. Instead of preparing for multiple choice questions, I must now scramble to prepare for a writing only test that will determine my fate on whether I receive college credit for the many AP classes I have spent a year taking. My biggest fear now is that it is unknown how the new shortened tests will be graded, leaving me with only the written portion to get a good score on the exam. This added stress was not something I needed in an already stressful year.

— Ryan C, Dawson High School

As a junior, I have been very stressed about how the rest of the school year will pan out. Constant thoughts running through my head are, “When am I going to take the SAT? How harshly are AP exams going to be graded now? What are colleges going to do for admissions next year?” All of these questions are constant thoughts that most teenagers my age are thinking about right now. The work that we are being provided with now is only supplementary; which, does not help students stay motivated to get their work completed. Teachers are doing the best they can but the ones who truly care about their students’ mental health and education are putting in extra time just to help. Sadly, I have one teacher who I know I can count on to go to because she has been sending out constant emails about our AP exams and always asking how we are doing. If as many teachers cared as much as she did, then maybe more students would want to do their work …

— Amaya Lancaster, Branham High School, San Jose, CA

‘I feel for our teachers who have had to change everything about their classes.’

Luckily I have pretty good computer knowledge, but like Ms. Goldstein pointed out, I feel for our teachers who have had to change everything about their classes. Asking teachers to all of sudden offer the same kind of curriculum online is impossible, so it is important we stay patient … I’m not really thinking about what I need from my teachers as much as what our teachers need from us. All we have to do is stay on task and take this seriously while they have to change their jobs from in school to online in a matter of days. The workload isn’t unbearable and the teachers are very lenient, but as long as we don’t take advantage of this and stay diligent we can all get through this.

— Estevan, Corpus Christi, Texas

English Esl Conversation: School, Study, and Homework

English Esl Conversation: School, Study, and Homework . Short Funny Conversations in English to make small talks in English PDF

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Small Talks about School, Study, and Homework

Ideas to make short conversations about school, study, and homework to practice speaking skills and improve the vocabulary..

This lesson can be used on teenagers and adults of elementary to advanced students.

The aim of this lesson is to improve vocabulary and conversation.

Preparation

Print the activity sheet and photocopy one for each student in the class.

Introduction

After going through your regular review and teacher talk, tell the students they’re going to practice conversation talking about School, Study, and Homework .

Group Activity

Break the students up into groups of two or three and let them ask each other the questions in the activity sheet.

The students break up their groups and come together as a class again. Quickly, try the routine as a class without letting the students look at their sheets.

School, Study, and Homework

• What time do you leave your house for school in the morning?
• What time does your school finish?
• How do you get to school?
• Are you ever late for school?
• Do you take extra classes after school?
• How many hours a week do you study English?
• What’s your best subject? What’s your favorite subject?
• What’s your worst subject? What’s your least favorite subject?

• What is the best thing about going to school?
• What is the worst thing about going to school?
• Which teacher gives you the most homework?
• How many hours a week do you do homework?
• Do you make excuses when you don’t do your homework?
• Describe a fieldtrip you have been on?
• Do you like to go on fieldtrips?
• What does your teacher do when students horse around?
• Have you ever been punished by your teacher?
• Have you ever had detention?
• Have you ever cheated on a test?
• Have you ever plagiarized something you wrote?
• Have you ever played hooky?
• How could your school be improved?
• Do you get nervous when you take exams?
• Have you ever aced an exam?
• Does your teacher give you pop quizzes?
• What extracurricular activities do you do?
• Do you play any sports at school?
• Who is your favorite teacher? Why?
• Who is the scariest teacher you know?
• Have you ever won a contest at school?
• What would you like to do in the future?

English ESL Short School, Study, and Homework

Vocabulary for school, study, and homework, write the meaning of the following expressions and then write a sentence using the expression:.

• horse around
• ace an exam
• extracurricular activities
• make excuses
• played hooky

All downloads are in PDF format

Download the pdf for free, subscribe to language advisor for monthly updates, related posts:.

5 tips for not getting tricked online this April Fools' Day — and beyond

Rachel Treisman

It's increasingly hard to tell what's real online, especially on April Fools' Day. Experts offer these tips to avoid getting tricked. Getty Images hide caption

It's increasingly hard to tell what's real online, especially on April Fools' Day. Experts offer these tips to avoid getting tricked.

Myths and misinformation run rampant on the internet all the time these days, but never more reliably than on April 1.

People have celebrated April Fools' Day for centuries with all sorts of jokes and pranks, and while old-school traditions (hello, rubber snakes) remain plenty popular, gags have grown considerably more high tech over the years.

And fake news and announcements — whether by a major company, public figure, a random social media user or your childhood best friend — can take off quickly and morph wildly, thanks to social media.

Games & Humor

April fools' day might be the world's longest-running joke. no one knows how it began.

It can be tough to tell whether something online is real, especially with artificial intelligence making it increasingly easy for anyone to create fake images, video, audio and text.

It took Sam Gregory, for example, under a minute to write the text prompt needed to create a fake image of the Easter Bunny for his kids last year, as he told NPR. He's well-acquainted with the challenges of combating deepfakes as the executive director of WITNESS , a human rights nonprofit whose work involves helping people recognize and respond to deceptive AI.

"We're in this moment where it's much easier to make both personalized and individualized, realistic images and audio and increasingly video, and in the hands of many more people," Gregory said. "And then the flip side of that is that the tools are not easily available on the technical side to spot them."

There are some resources out there — from news literacy nonprofits to trusted media sources — that can help sort fact from fiction. But much of that responsibility falls to internet users themselves.

Part of that involves understanding the moments where myths tend to spread, like in the immediate aftermath of a breaking news event or on April Fools' Day, says Dan Evon, the senior manager of education design at the News Literacy Project and a former Snopes fact-checker.

Untangling Disinformation

Ai fakes raise election risks as lawmakers and tech companies scramble to catch up.

He says April Fools' Day, with its trend of advertisements masked as jokes, is a perfect time for people to get in the mindset of anticipating and investigating misinformation.

"April Fools' Day jokes in general don't try to persuade your politics or make you angry or target the negative emotions that are dangerous online," he told NPR. "And a lot of the things that you find are humorous. So from a news literacy perspective, it's kind of fun to encourage people to practice your skills."

Plus, he notes, some of the rumors that originate on April Fools' Day could have staying power or resurface much later, like the fake image of an elephant carrying a lion cub that circulated years after it was first posted as a prank.

Here are some steps you can take to reduce your chances of getting fooled online, on Monday and beyond.

The biggest piece of advice that Evon tells people is to simply slow down.

"Social media is really fast, and there is so much information that comes at us at once," he says. "You don't have to go through this stuff so quickly, you can take some time — just a few extra seconds — to examine these posts."

Gregory similarly says to stop when you see something that's "too good to be true, or too crazy to be believable, or too-anger inducing."

He cites the SIFT methodology for evaluating information, developed by researcher Mike Caulfield . It stands for: Stop, investigate the source, find better coverage and trace claims, quotes and media to the original context.

Once a piece of media gives you pause, he says, consider who shared it. Are they friend, foe or stranger?

The Protojournalist

5 april fools' pranks gone bad.

"Is it your friend who's sharing it, or someone you know? And is it something they made themselves?" Gregory adds. "Or is it online and it's just a random X account that is trying to explain to you that the King of England has just died, but they seem to generally tweet gossip, and they're based in California?"

In other words: Are they a credible source for the context in which you're encountering the information?

This step is a little trickier on April Fools' Day, Evon adds, because a lot of the jokes are likely to be coming from verified official accounts. That's why it's especially important to consider the context.

"If you're going to encounter an AI image, you don't just see the AI image," he says. "You see where it's been posted, you see the comments that are attached to it, you see the caption that's presented — on April Fools' Day, you see the date. And maybe that makes you a little skeptical of whether or not it's real."

See what others are saying

The next step is to do what experts call "lateral reading," which is basically seeing what else is out there.

"If your only source of information is the one post that you're seeing, there's good reason to be skeptical of that," Evon says.

For instance, he says, if a major tech company is actually announcing a new initiative, there's likely to be news coverage of it from at least some credible sources.

AI images and conspiracy theories are driving a push for media literacy education

This isn't a foolproof test. Just because people are talking about something online doesn't make it reliable — take all the amateur forensic experts analyzing Kate Middleton's controversial family photo , Gregory notes.

But seeing what — and how much — people have to say in the comments section of an X post or TikTok video can be a helpful clue, both experts agree.

"I think it's often worth looking at the comments not because the comments tell you the truth, but the comments tell you if there's a debate around this that merits further investigation," Gregory says.

Look for the original

Another tactic is to try to track down the original image, something Gregory says is easier to do with "shallow fakes," or photos manipulated with basic editing software.

Oftentimes people will take an existing image or video and just say it's from another time or place. Doing a reverse image search can help you challenge or back up that claim.

That basically involves "taking a screenshot and plugging into a search engine and then seeing what pops up," according to Evon. He recommends using sites like Google Images, TinEye and Bing.

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Making sense of those results requires some more critical thinking, Gregory explains.

"It's going to pop up and say, 'Wait a second, someone told you this image was from yesterday, but we have an earlier version that's from last year,' " he says. "Now, it doesn't mean the image is from last year, but it certainly tells you it's not from yesterday."

When it comes to AI deep fakes, Gregory says there are plenty of clues that people have been told to look for to try to spot manipulated photos and videos — from hands that don't look quite right, to garbled writing in an image, to eyes that don't properly blink.

The problem, he adds, is that most of those glitches are going away as companies get better at AI.

"If we had talked a year ago, it would have been more reliable to say, look at the hands. The hands have got better," he says. "If we talked a year ago it'd been more reliable to say, look at the writing. But then companies have introduced ways to write more accurately."

Amplify responsibly

Internet trickery doesn't mean you can never retweet a funny post or play a harmless prank again. But experts urge caution when amplifying information, no matter the date on the calendar.

"There are going to be jokes that people are going to circulate, in a lot of instances these are going to be funny," acknowledges Evon. "I don't think it's ever good to intentionally lie to someone or mislead someone, so if you do share something, maybe comment and remind people that it's fake."

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He offers this broader rule of thumb: If you're skeptical of something, don't help it go viral. And if you do encounter accurate information — like a fact-check or correction — help amplify that instead.

When it comes to reposting, Gregory recommends pausing "in proportion to your emotional reaction." So if you're about to share something inflammatory, defamatory or that reinforces a worldview in a "highly emotional way," he says stop first to consider your motivations for sharing it — and whether that post is the best way to achieve them.

Consider patterns

April Fools' Day may be a unique day in many ways, but it also reflects broader trends in misinformation.

It's not the only day of the year where people should be bracing for falsehoods online, Evon says, noting that people tend to exploit major breaking news stories (like the collapse of the Baltimore bridge ) to promote misinformation.

"What we really want people to do is, we want to learn the patterns that these things follow, so that they can better recognize them in the future," he explains.

This year, Gregory is most expecting to see the proliferation of AI images — because they're so easy to make — and audio, because it's already being seen in so many other contexts, from phone scammers using voice clones to an election-related robocall purported to be from President Biden.

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"I bet we're going to see many, ho-ho-ho April Fools' jokes with audio clones, some of which you and I will never hear because it'll just be me making one for my friend and sending it to them," he says. "And of course if you go on TikTok you're gonna see fake AI audio everywhere. And it cuts across that whole spectrum, from humorous and prank to financial scam to political upheaval."

He also notes that the uncertainty created by AI hasn't only made it easier for people to falsify things, but for people to try to dismiss real footage as fake. That's just another reason, he says, to pay close attention.

• online misinformation
• April Fools Day
• artificial intelligence