Homework Battles

Have you ever tried to get seventeen kids to get their homework done? You ought to come try it some time.

Sometimes, everyone works well and gets it done. And sometimes, it doesn't go quite that smoothly. Most of the time.

And sometimes the homework is stupid. We know it and the kids know it and we have to sit there and prod them along to get it done.

Over the weekend, the third graders (Cindy and Jackson) had to write to 10,000 by 5's, 10's, 20's, and 50's. There is no other word for that but stupid. They got the 50's done. I would have started with the 5's so the hardest part would be done first. Jackson worked on the 10's and the 20's and told us he finished them. But when I checked it last night, neither was finished. He worked on the 5's all day yesterday. It was boring, tedious work, but he made it a lot more boring and tedious than it had to be. For everyone concerned. He and I would agree on so many lines to get done before he could take a break. We would not only count the lines, but number them and then when he finished a line would erase the bottom number. He could have done a half a page each time he did that. When he got to the 4000's, he would write 20 fours spead along ever so often, and then go back and fill in the rest of the numbers. He didn't realize that was taking much longer than to just write the number.

Cindy would be stubborn a while and then work real hard and get a lot done and then return to being stubborn. They both got to eat supper right before bedtime.

At bedtime, Jackson was to 5,000 on the fives. Cindy had her 5's 20's and 50's done and was sort of working on the 10's. When I got up there this morning to get Rosy, Cindy had taken a notion to get hers finished and was diligently working away. She probably finished. Karen had taken a notion for Jackson to work some more. He was all the way up 5,095. I know he didn't finish.

Tonight Cindy, Reina and Daniela were the obstinate ones. Tomorrow night, who knows.

Terri