A Simple Request to Teachers

By CHRISTIAN WESTPHAL ‘21

I love Thursday. For me, it’s the best day of the week. My schedule is impeccable. I only have three of my core academic classes, so I have a lot of frees. On Fridays, however, I have all my classes without a single free; inevitably, I spend my Thursday evenings doing a large amount of work. I also have two hours of sports and a German writing class. Unsurprisingly, I go to bed pretty late as a result. But what if my teachers posted the homework right after class? I would get at least half of my homework done in school and spend my time at the library working quietly instead of messing around with friends. But I can’t because teachers often decide to wait until 5pm, or even after 5pm (I was once assigned something on Sunday at 7pm) to post. This habit is frustrating for those looking to get ahead on work.

Milton is strange in the sense that we constantly hear the faculty expressing their love for us, their concern for our well being, and their willingness to help us out when things get a little rough. I believe them for the most part. Yet, they still assign us boatloads of homework. No wonder most of us students get nowhere near enough sleep! How am I supposed to get enough sleep if my homework is assigned at 5pm? Like the majority of students, during the evenings I have extracurriculars to do. And I’m only a sophomore. I can’t imagine writing my college applications while still having all these assignments.

I want to be very clear that the point of this article is not for teachers to reduce the nightly homework they assign (though that would be nice), but for them to be more conscious about assigning homework right after class. And yes, of course, I love my teachers, but that my love for them does not change the fact that they should post earlier.

To the faculty at Milton Academy, I have one message: just post homework after class! I can’t see how this request could possibly have a significant effect on your day. All it takes is two minutes: log onto the computer and post the assignment on schoology. Personally, I would really love to get started with my homework earlier! I could spend more time with my family, friends, and of course, my dog. I would be able to use my free periods effectively instead of moping around with my friends. I know for sure the librarians wouldn’t mind silence while I work! Teachers, I appreciate everything you do, except for this habit. Please change it.