Student Opinions on Homeroom Options
A survey of 43 OHS students, consisting of 38 full-time students and 5 part-time/single-course students, was conducted to support this article. Responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
1: Not effective at all; 5: Very effective
General Thoughts on Homeroom
Respondents were asked to rate how effective homerooms were in building community at OHS. The average ratings were as follows:
Overall: 2.7
Respondents in traditional homerooms: 2.3
Respondents in theme homerooms: 2.8
Respondents in club homerooms: 3.1
Respondents in new student homerooms: 2.5
While the majority of respondents attend homeroom regularly (as shown below), they have mixed thoughts on their effectiveness in building community.
1: I never attend homeroom; 5: I attend all/almost all homeroom meetings
Traditional Homerooms
The majority of respondents—31 out of 43—are either currently in a traditional homeroom or have previously participated in a traditional homeroom.
Some respondents noted that there was generally no purpose to going through the slides because most announcements were already in Pixel Weekly, and most students did not want to be in the class. “In my experience (and I think a lot of other people's experiences), traditional homerooms feel pointless and don't do a very good job of building community, probably because most people don't want to be there and the goal is almost always to get in and out as fast as possible (in some homerooms, we literally finished in less than 5 minutes),” one student writes. “Most teachers seem to recognize that students don't want to be there and zip through the slides. In my experience, the only time I felt like I got something out of a traditional homeroom was when my homeroom teacher went through the slides fast and skipped the boring ‘bonding activities,’ and then we each shared one thing that happened during our week. It was lowkey and a nice place to vent, and our teacher adapted the format to what we as students wanted.”
According to one respondent who previously participated in traditional homerooms, they can be nice if you have friends in the homeroom, but they were generally “pointless besides the check-in and getting surveys done.” Another student—who did not know their homeroom classmates well—describes the experience of being in a traditional homeroom as “sitting through a boring, pointless homeroom with people you barely know.”
Multiple students echoed the sentiment that traditional homerooms could be a good way to meet and see people, but the homerooms generally got in the way of other tasks and sometimes felt like classes.
New Student Homerooms
Two respondents are currently in new student homerooms, and both have observed that it has not been as helpful as they thought for getting accustomed to the OHS environment. As with some of the students in traditional homerooms, one of them says homeroom seems too much like a class. The other student in a new student homeroom writes, “When I decided to join, I thought it would be super helpful by getting me accustomed to my new school environment, but I found that I managed to find my own way around OHS without much help from the homeroom. Next year, I plan on choosing a homeroom that coincides more with my tastes. I still recommend it to the newbies who don't know what to do, though! I've met some great people there and it was nice to know that we were all in the same situation and going through the same fears of being new students. I really like that aspect of the new student homeroom.”
Topic-Based Alternatives: Theme & Club Homerooms
Students have the alternative options of theme and club homerooms (in addition to new student homerooms for new students) if they are not interested in the traditional homeroom style.
Some respondents have had more positive experiences with the alternative homerooms. One respondent has always done the ethics bowl homeroom and has particularly enjoyed being part of the club.
Another student, who is currently in a club homeroom and has previously been in a theme homeroom, writes, “Theme and club homerooms (which are the only homerooms I have been in) are pretty good for finding other students at the school who are interested in similar activities/hobbies as you. Fun activities combined with school announcements are also a great way to keep students informed of what’s happening at the school beyond their classes. That being said, it is still difficult just from being in the same homeroom to create friendships/more intimate relationships after the initial ‘Oh, I know them; they’re in my homeroom’ relationship.”
Several students noted comparisons between theme homerooms and traditional homerooms. “Themed homerooms are better [than traditional homerooms] since they have a purpose and it feels like more of a community,” one student notes, though they admit that they are not particularly interested in the topic of their homeroom and are taking it because it is the only time that works. Another student thinks that while theme homerooms can sometimes have fun topics, they are generally time fillers.
On club homerooms, one student shares, “Having been a part of both traditional and club homerooms, I've found that club homerooms feel much more effective in building community at OHS. They encourage discussion outside of class of common passions and interests. Some can be laid back while others make you feel like you're getting stuff done—both great options depending on what you're looking for.”
Are Homerooms Effective for Building Community?
Unsurprisingly, most students say that theme homerooms do a better job of uniting students with common interests than traditional homerooms, though many students still do not find them particularly effective in building community. Students prefer being able to take homerooms in topics that they enjoy, though their preferences are not always satisfied due to timing. Students in club homerooms noted that participation in their clubs can be effective in building community, making club homerooms a good option for people interested in those clubs.
Some students generally like that homeroom brings them together with other students. “No serious consequences to missing homeroom is nice because a lot of times I'm very tired and oversleep, and whenever I do decide to show up, everyone is very nice and it makes me feel like somebody cares,” one respondent writes, having previously been in a traditional homeroom and currently taking a theme homeroom.
To most students, the most effective elements of homeroom in building a school community seem to be meaningful interactions with other students and discussions about shared interests, which are easier to foster in theme and club homerooms. As many OHS students know by experience, building community requires more than simply being in the same space on a regular basis.
In general, OHS students recommend shortening homeroom and placing the focus on discussing interesting topics. Another option to explore is providing additional methods for students to satisfy the homeroom requirement. At the current point, though, as a general rule to keep in mind for students, one primary aspect of being involved in the school community is participating in clubs and student groups you find interesting, whether through homeroom or another avenue.