It's not only when talking about maths; it's a question for every subject you learn in school: what's the right balance in terms of homework?

One thing is certain: it's not easy to answer, and it's definitely not a one-size-fits-all type of answer.

When I was in school, I never really liked homework. I guess it was mostly because I didn't need it. I was able to catch all I needed to learn, all the new stuff, just by being in school (and paying most of the time attention to what was going on there during lessons). So, I didn't feel I needed it; therefore, I didn't like being given homework. It felt like a waste of time for me.

But, of course, I understood that the main purpose of giving homework to students is not to annoy them and steal their precious free time (sure, it might look like that sometimes, but that's not the case =) It should give them a reason to practice, therefore to get better at the topic and help them to understand and learn it.

You could disagree by saying, "If I'd need to practice more, I'd just do it." Well, maybe you, but not everyone has developed (yet) a good level of responsibility and self-accountability to work on their own, so they need to be pushed. So, in terms of school homework, it's simply given to everyone; teachers can't really check everyone's level of responsibility for their own active learning outside of school.

So now we are getting closer to the topic. I can't really influence how much homework you get from your teacher (whether it's your school teacher or your parents – if they educate you at home), but I can tailor it to your needs when we have lessons together. Sometimes, parents ask me to give their children loads of homework.

But too much [homework] is as useful as too little – it's simply not good.

I can hear complaints from those who just say, "but I want to see the best grades, we want to get A*******." (Or 12.5 in the 9-1 system... adds Veronika from the future.) Well, one thing is what you (or your parents or teacher) want; another thing to consider is what you are actually able to achieve. Yes, I had students who did their best, worked really hard, and yet didn't get the grades they wanted. Some of them (fortunately, not many; over the years as a tutor, I had mostly two or three students who simply couldn't achieve what they'd set for themselves) didn't even pass – and it might not have been their fault, really.

I even had a colleague at university, studying maths with me, who was really struggling with it. She tried to pass exams from the first year so many times, even enrolled again in the first year after she used all her attempts and therefore couldn't continue in her study program. I asked her, "Why"? Why do you keep torturing yourself with university maths, when it's probably not the best thing for you? She replied she simply liked it. Well, in that case, that's fine, good luck and let's see. However, remember, you always have the option to choose something else to study.

Some people excel in history, yet maths is not their thing. The good thing is, you only need a certain level of maths. Here in the UK, some good grade from GCSE is all you should be bothered about when your life isn't going to include any economics, science, IT, and other more maths-related pathways (unless you simply like it, as my colleague, and want to try again and again). And to get a sort-of-good-grade in GCSE – good news! – I believe everyone can achieve it. Well, if you have special educational needs, then you might be limited – especially if you don't get the support you need (but don't use that as an excuse, though). And that's a slightly different topic, of course. There's a whole bunch of tips I could write about the best support for different kinds of SEN, but that would have to wait for another time.

Note from the future: While I still haven't actually written an SEN-focused piece, I have hosted a mini video series with guests who talked about various SEN and home education topics related to learning maths. You can access these in my Facebook group here [https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeeducatemaths].

Back to the topic... A proper amount of homework is meant to help you get to the level you're likely to achieve naturally. That applies to every school level.

So now we see what we can achieve and why homework is important; let's think about how much is actually a good amount.

As I said, there isn't any one-word answer for everyone, but I'd simply say – too little is when you don't feel confident yet with the topic; too much is when you reach the point where you were confident and did everything excellently and efficiently, and now you actually start making mistakes or after the first excitement of "finally properly getting it" you start to feel bored and not excited by doing any more practice.

The catch is that some (most? =) students feel bored from the very beginning. The important thing is; first, you need to feel an excitement of understanding the topic. Then, you'll only get bored when you don't move on to a new topic and just keep repeating what you've mastered already. Being bored of too much repetition is certainly understandable, and I'd suggest trying to avoid that, indeed.

Too much homework could also be when you have simply too many subjects to focus on, or, of course, also other non-school activities and commitments to catch up on. Then, you need to sort out your priorities first, because, no matter who you are, everyone in this world has only 24 hours per day (unless you acquired Hermione's time turner =)
Therefore, you should choose wisely how to spend your time. I know at a certain (younger) age, you cannot fully decide yet on your own what to focus on because other people around you chose your path, more or less. Then, it's up to you to discuss your needs with them and find the best way for yourself to manage your (maths) homework load.

But don't get me wrong, I do believe in homework, but it needs to be reasonable. That's why I mostly get to know my students first, and then I'll find what's most suitable for them. If I set any homework, then it can go two ways: I might be telling them what I want them to do, or I might only guide them and let them choose what they feel they need to practice before the next lesson. All of this depends on the factors we talked about above (your goals and level of self-accountability).

And so far, it seems to be working well. If I see that you need to be pushed and work on your maths more, I'll do it and I'll be requiring more from you.
But I know too much is as good as too little – and that means actually not really good =)

So, let's focus on the right amount of homework and practice, which will serve you the best.