Reducing Homework by Ensuring That More of the Learning Happens in Class

Like many educators, I’ve noticed a growing tension between what we ask students to do (both in school and out) and what students actually have time to do. However, we often structure learning as if students have two full-time jobs. In his book The Homework Myth, Alfie Kohn argues, “As a rule, the point of homework generally isn’t to learn, much less derive pleasure from learning. It’s something to be finished. And until it is, it looms large in conversations, as an unwelcome guest at the dinner table every night.” I’m not here to debate the value of homework. I’m here to challenge us to rethink the school-homework balance.

Every day, my students move from humanities to math to science to world languages, constantly adjusting to different expectations and teaching styles. This cognitive code switching can be exhausting for even the best student. It’s exhausting for me as a teacher! At the end of the day, often after sports and extracurriculars, my students head home and code-switch all over again. As I reflected on my students’ experience in my physics classroom, I realized that I was part of the problem. My homework assignments were well-intentioned: textbook readings, practice problems, lab reports, real-world sense-making activities, studying for assessments. In hindsight, I was asking my students to shoulder a lot of work outside the classroom.

The turning point came when I stumbled upon the homework policy for the Ashfield School in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, England: Students in year 10–11 should have 45 minutes to an hour of homework per subject per week.

That number stopped me in my tracks. It got me thinking: Could I redesign learning in my physics class to align with the Ashfield policy? When I announced the policy change to my students a week later, they were skeptical (so was I), but we reached an agreement. I would do my best to stay true to the guidelines. They would let me know if I exceeded the limit. Scientific experimentation at its best.

Step 1: Rethink the Classroom Experience

My physics class meets six times for 65 minutes across a two-week cycle. Each class begins with retrieval practice, followed by a data-collection activity, a laboratory experiment, or a lesson structured around the 5E learning model. Then, students engage in problem-solving using the “I Do, We Do, You Do” approach. The “We Do” portion often takes place on large whiteboards or through a modified version of the modeling technique.

I kept the general arc of learning the same. However, I realized that complex problem-solving, data analysis, and drafting lab conclusions happened outside of class. One student noted, “When we get stuck working outside of class, our learning essentially stops.” My students needed the opportunity to ask questions of me and their peers in real time. So, I made two significant changes to my daily agenda. I added a second, more complex problem as a “We Do.” I also designated the day after a laboratory experiment as a data analysis day.

Outside of class, homework became more purposeful. Students might review class notes, attempt optional practice problems, or complete a brief formative check. I call this “revise the week,” an opportunity for students to thoughtfully consolidate their learning rather than extend it.

Interestingly, this approach also made them calmer learners. In a midyear, 2024–2025 academic-year survey, my students reported lower stress levels and increased curiosity about physics. Parents echoed this sentiment. When I announced the policy to my students’ parents at our Upper School Curriculum Night, one parent simply responded, “Oh, thank God!”

Step 2. Replace Unit Tests With Regular Micro-Assessments

Monthly, high-stakes unit tests can be very stressful for students. I wanted a more regular assessment rhythm that was low-stakes and provided my students with prompt feedback that supported long-term retention through active recall. I wanted my students to practice, make mistakes, and build confidence without heavily impacting their grade. 

No more unit tests. I created a new rhythm. One week, students complete an ungraded formative assessment. The next week, it’s a 15-minute graded assessment. This approach allowed students to demonstrate learning in smaller increments while giving me—and my students—regular feedback about their learning. It uncovered a lot of misconceptions.

This steady cadence changed the emotional tone of my class. Instead of looming exams that dominated the conversation, assessments became a more natural part of the learning flow. Students appreciated the consistency. As one student noted, “I like the consistent checks rather than larger ones because it makes building on my learning a lot easier.” The focus subtly shifted from grades to growth. As American clinical psychologist and author Lisa Damour noted in the book Never Enough, by Jennifer Breheny Wallace, “The difference between getting a 91 and a 99 is a life.”

Step 3. Create Community

The most powerful outcome of these changes is the creation of a community of learners. Because more of the intellectual struggle happens in class, my students see each other as collaborators rather than competitors. In this communal physics lab environment, they collaborate on calculations, compare graphs, and work through misconceptions.

As a result, I spend less time answering late-night emails because students have regular opportunities in class to ask questions and explore new ideas. My students and I have become more attentive to how each physics concept builds on the next one within a balanced pace of learning. My students have learned to slow down and think more deeply, and we’ve actually covered more content than in previous years.

The impact for me as a teacher has been equally meaningful, and I am far more intentional about the work I assign outside of class.

There are challenges. Sometimes, the school calendar compresses instruction and I have to temporarily exceed the one-hour guideline for work outside of class. Transparency matters. Because students know I have tried my best to honor the guidelines throughout the year, they’re usually willing to extend some grace when we occasionally have to exceed the limit.

This approach has worked for me. It may not work for your classes. This approach isn’t about lowering standards, reducing rigor, or eliminating homework. It’s about changing how student learning is distributed. It builds understanding and agency within my classroom rather than in isolation, so that learning no longer feels like a second shift.

If you’re curious about this approach, start with a conversation with your students. Do a homework audit. Consider what truly requires independent work versus what benefits from collaboration. You may find that some of the most meaningful learning happens when you bring it back into the classroom.

Ultimately, this shift is about placing the heaviest cognitive lift where support exists while protecting the time students need to live full lives outside of school. When we honor that balance, learning doesn’t shrink—it deepens.