10/8/19
“Mr. Scism, I have so much homework. I was working on it for four hours last night, and I didn’t even get it done.” I’ve heard these complaints before, maybe even said them as a student myself. Concerned about the homework load, I did some investigation and discovered the amount of homework isn’t the problem. While we expect NCHS to provide a rigorous education, our teachers certainly understand that students are very involved and have a life outside of school.
Though I believe the amount of homework given at NCHS is manageable, I also understand that some students still feel overwhelmed by it. I learned something interesting about these students who “work on homework all night” — most of them are what Ana Homayoun calls Sincere Slackers in her book, Social Media Wellness. They really do believe they were working hard on their homework for four hours or all night, but during their homework time, they were also checking Instagram, snapping their friends, waiting for a reply to that text, and, of course, watching a video or ten on YouTube.
Think you might have a Sincere Slacker on your hands? Take a look at these common characteristics to see if they describe your student:
Genuinely thinks they are putting in a great effort when the reality is quite different
Short on sleep
Dependent on phone/social media/video games - screen time
No longer interested in things they used to enjoy such as sports
Very little exercise
Uses phone/social media/video games as an escape from problems
Spends hours in isolation
Finds it hard to put down a screen once they’ve started
Irritable
Sound familiar? Or maybe your student just exhibits one or two of these characteristics. Whether you have a full-blown Sincere Slacker or a not-quite one, there are ways to help. And, it’s important to note, these kids are not bad kids or bad students. They simply might require a little more attention and encouragement from you. If you want to help your Sincere Slacker, help them focus on their sleep habits, encourage them to get functional exercise, and work together to develop stress management techniques.
This week is about identifying Sincere Slacker characteristics in our students. Next week, we’ll discuss a few strategies to help them be more successful and efficient when they do their homework.
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