I’m not a big fan of homework, and I have every intention of pushing back on Baguette’s elementary school teachers if I feel that she’s getting too much work, or homework that is only busy work.
Don’t get me wrong–I see the value in reinforcement and additional practice, particularly as students get older. And I certainly remember bringing home my own worksheets in first grade.
But I firmly believe that homework assignments should be:
- firmly tied to what the student is learning
- no longer than they need to be to provide that additional practice
- age-appropriate
Thus, my bewilderment and dismay when we were requested to provide an “ocean diorama” for Baguette’s classroom.
Dioramas are great, if you’re in, say, fourth grade. They can not only reflect the content of classroom lessons, but give the chance for students to exercise and develop skills such as project planning, space evaluation, making choices, and design and layout.
You know who can’t create a diorama? A two-year-old.
So, given my aforementioned feelings toward homework, how did Mr. Sandwich and I respond? Naturally, we produced this:
