Break Means Break Not Work: A Treatise Against Homework Over School Breaks, By Teen Contributor Riley Jensen

This week my school is out for fall break, but I still have a very large project to finish. This project is for my English class over a book that we have been reading for weeks. The project is over Dante’s Inferno and it’s a multiple part project. My class has been working on it for over 2 weeks and we will be presenting after the break. The problem is that the teacher hasn’t been giving us much time in class to complete each part. Each group has to write an essay, make a visual, and write a canto. Now, this may not seem like a lot, but she won’t give you a 100 if you just turn in a powerpoint. She wants things like videos or a whole diorama. I have no issue with the idea of making something like that, but I do have a problem with being told that I will have time in class when I won’t.

This teacher gave us two days for the essay, nobody finished. The teacher gave us two days to write our cantos, nobody finished. She has given us no time in class for our visual so obviously nobody has finished. We have no choice but to work over the break if we want to finish and make a 100. Everyone I have talked to is basically at the same point as us, and everyone is pretty concerned.

The project itself is fine. The instructions are easy to follow, but it’s just so many parts and not enough time. I thought the break was supposed to be my time to take some time away from doing assignments, but now it’s my time to finish a project. I know not many people get this break, but if they did then they would also want it to be an actual break.

Maybe you think I would have time to do this after school, but I don’t. I have tennis practice everyday after school except for Tuesday because that’s match day. Or maybe the other kids in my group could do it after school, but they can’t. They’re all in band. None of us have time. The break is our only option.

I was looking forward to this break. I have been working every night for hours. Some rest time would have been nice. This year has been stressful enough, but it’s getting even more stressful with this project.

I really just want a break, and I need it. Having to work is so tiring. I’m exhausted, but i have to keep working. Please make your breaks actual breaks. We all need it.

Riley, Teen Reviewer

I am a senior in high school and an avid reader. I have been reviewing books on this blog since 2012. I love musical theatre and listen to show tunes a lot. I also love murder books (both fiction and nonfiction), and she wants to go to college to be a forensic scientist after high school. Reading is one of my favorite things to do, so I must put that hobby to good use for my mom.

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