Dear Elementary School…

Elementary school felt like a dream. A really, really good one. But when I woke up from that seven year dream, I was forced to face the reality of the world – “actual” school. Going from having a couple recesses daily and half an hour of homework every week, to “longer”half an hour lunches and a whooping two to three hours of homework per day in junior high. I think it’s safe to admit that I, along with many of my peers, had a rough transition.

Although junior high slightly prepared us for high school, elementary school did not prepare us for junior high whatsoever. In elementary school, beginning from first and second grade, our only assignment was to read nightly for a minimum of 15 minutes. In third and fourth grade, we were assigned spelling homework that was due at the end of the week. It would take the average student 20 minutes to complete it. We had very few “tests,” and the “activities” we did in class were easily comparable to games. Sure, it was a fantastic way to keep immature nine and ten-year-olds occupied for 30 minutes, but this was superfluous in fifth and sixth grade. The consequence of not turning in homework was missing a recess. Sure, at that age, it seemed like the worst punishment to deserve.

Throughout elementary school, the amount of homework barely changed. In seventh grade, my peers and I were shocked and overwhelmed by the amount of assignments and the frequency of tests and quizzes. Luckily, this helped in preparation for high school, but elementary school could have smoothed the transition, by assigning students an hour of homework every night in fifth and sixth grade.

On the other hand of this conflict, elementary school did allow me to enjoy my childhood, which I thank my teachers for. But now, because of how unprepared I was for high school, my teenage years are more composed of homework than experiences.