Please don’t panic: this is not an article about the pros and cons of homework. But, for now, let’s just say that everyone should be putting their screens away and reading every evening.
‘A little more homework’ was one of the absolute show-stopping songs of 13, The Musical, our 2024 Middle School musical. The lyrics absolutely captured me and my love of Middle School education.
The song begins with Evan singing a calm ballad, truthfully addressing where he is at in life.
‘You should know that I’ll give you the best that I can
But we all have a little more homework to do’
In my experience, Middle Schoolers are indeed trying to do the best that they can, but they are not there yet. Sometimes they are not even sure what they are trying to achieve. They need clear boundaries, lots of opportunities to try new things and scope to make mistakes and try again.
‘And the sky goes blue
And the sky goes black
And no matter what you do
You can’t go back’
Oh yes, that is so, so true. No matter what they have said, what they have done, what regrets the teenager has, they cannot turn back time. We need to be there for them. We need to give them time to understand, to reflect, to repair and to heal.
Of course, the words of the song only came to life because of the fabulous performances of the cast. I asked the highly talented leads – Jack, Hamish and Caitlin – what the lyrics meant to them.
Jack’s favourite lines were:
‘I’m trying to follow
I’m trying to lead
I’m trying to find what is true.’
‘This is a summary of the whole show. Teenagers are trying to find their place, where they fit in. Who they are and their true self,’ Jack said. ‘We should celebrate that everyone is trying to connect and that they are trying to do this in their unique way.’
Hamish’s favourite song was ‘Becoming A Man’.
‘The rule book grows
But no one know
What all the rules allow.’
‘We have to figure out everything,’ Hamish explained. ‘No-one actually tells you what the rules are, what the facts are, and that you have to naturally mature into yourself. And if they tell you exactly, you don’t learn as much. But others can help – peers, teachers, parents – by being supportive, forgiving and compassionate.’
Caitlin was more inspired by the change of tempo in the verse:
‘And the days ahead comin’ on so quick
You can’t get out of the way
You keep runnin’.’
‘It’s true, you can’t look back, you have to keep moving forward, you can’t hide from problems and you can’t stop the next day coming,’ Caitlin said. ‘Teenagers need to be encouraged to have a break from boundary pushing, maybe get up late on Sundays!’
We all had a big discussion about the line:
‘There are too many answers that I didn’t get
I need a little less pressure and a little more time’
‘We get more responsibility but less time,’ Jack explained, referencing the increasing expectations of the upper year levels. ‘There is pressure to perform well and we don’t want to let people down. They can have high expectations.’ Caitlin noted that, ‘There is also peer pressure to fit in and not let friends down. It’s worse in Year 7 but not so bad now.’
Interestingly, Jack, Caitlin and Hamish agreed that pressure can be good. ‘It’s good to push yourself out of your comfort zone if you respond the right way,’ Hamish said. ‘You should ask for help. We should be given time to reflect and grow.’
It seems that parents, teachers and teenagers, all have a little more homework to do. Oh and please don't forget that 2025 subject preferences are due on Thursday 1 August!
Meredith Plaisted
Head of Middle School
