Reason 148

Grading homework. Looking at the giant stack of vocabulary worksheets teetering on the edge of my TV tray can only mean one thing - it's Tuesday. Four years ago I created a vocabulary program for my students that actually reflects what they read, as opposed to a random list of academic words I think they should know because they happen to be twelve. Any time a kid comes across an unknown word in whatever they are reading, she writes it down and then shows me at least 5 words on Friday. Each student shares one word from their list with the class, all the words are defined, and then eight are chosen as that week's vocabulary words to learn. Racing to find words in the dictionary, wearing silly hats, and singing portions of the lesson make Fridays highly entertaining, as well as educational, and students often say the word collection activity is one of their favorites. In order to learn how to use the words, students complete a double-sided worksheet in which they define the word, provide a synonym of it, draw a picture of what the word means, and draw a true oppositie (no, rocks and potatoes don't count as antonyms, Thomas!). Unfortunately, all of those worksheets result in me hunched over on my couch for two hours every Tuesday night, perusing 32 boxes per page almost 150 times. Suffice it to say, I loathe Tuesdays now. Jason, if you ever have a burning desire to correct some 6th grade vocabulary homework, I would be happy to foist a stack or two of worksheets into your lap. Since you are quite the logophile yourself, I fully trust you'll know the meanings of all the words (quick, what does coruscate mean?) and can provide positive feedback or criticism at the top of each page. If you stay focused and whip through the whole batch, we can reward ourselves by chowing down on some bowls of popcorn while grooving to "Glee." I would definitely like Tuesdays a whole lot more if you were part of my weekly vocabulary routine. If you're really lucky I might even let you write some quizzes!