I have always enjoyed word finds and word scrambles. They don't take a lot of thought, and they keep me busy when I need something to pass the time. However, when my daughter received one for homework a few years back, it wasn't enjoyable for her or anyone around her. It was very challenging, due the next day, and took her an hour and a half to complete—time that could have been better spent finishing math homework, studying for an upcoming test, or reading a book.

My husband and I wondered, "What is the purpose of this assignment, and what value could it possibly be providing?" And it made me reflect on the assignments I give my own students. To be respectful of the students' time, I need to be sure I am only assigning work that provides meaningful, authentic practice.

Before I hand out a worksheet or assign a number of problems or pages in a book, I ask myself these questions:

• Will I take the time to grade this? If not, what is the value of having students do work on which they will not receive feedback?
• Is it a good use of time? What benefits will the focused effort on the assignment provide? Would students be better off doing something else?
• How will this assignment help children move forward? Answering this helps me validate my decision to have them spend time completing the assigned task.

Most importantly, I have to remind myself that fair is not always equal and that what is good for one student is not necessarily good for another. Gone are the days when I had to follow a practice book in chronological order and pass every worksheet out to every child. Instead, I have the opportunity to provide each student with individualized work that is a valuable use of his or her time.

Did you figure out the scramble? Let's save trees, time, and brainpower by refusing to assign worthless worksheets.

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