Dena Harrison's "Write in the Middle" Website: No Worksheets! No Busy Work!

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No Busy Work! Just Say "No" to Worksheets!--a personal philosophy
I encourage fellow teacher leaders to post their original "best practice" resources somewhere on-line for other teachers to discover.

When I was a kid in school, our worksheets were printed in purple ink, not black ink. In the days before Xerox machines, teachers had to run off their copies using chemicals and a special machine that printed everything in purple. If the teacher passed out purple worksheets that had been made just recently, they smelled like chemicals. Ask your parents if they remember the smell of their teachers' worksheets before there were Xerox machines. Most of us remember that smell as a pretty great, chemical smell.

As a student, I always did well during worksheet time, which was usually quiet time when I was a kid in school. I worked quietly on these pieces of paper designed to keep me busy. I almost always got a 100% on my worksheets, but I don't think I ever learned very much from completing them. As a teacher now, I know worksheets are not the best way for me to see if you've learned something well, so I try not to use them very often. I have always considered worksheets to be a classroom technique that keeps students busy-- "Busy work" --but doesn't challenge them to think very deeply.

Even though I liked worksheets myself as a student, as a teacher I came to discover that they aren't something I want to use very often. Not saying I never use them; to the contrary, I've collected some pretty amazing ones over the years.

But I am the teacher who tries not to over-worksheet you, my students. I honestly just don't think you show me that you know very much by filling out a worksheet on a topic. I'd much rather assign you a group task or have a whole-class discussion that shows me you learned than pass out a worksheet.

If you really want to impress me on that occasional day that you catch me passing out something akin to a worksheet, do this: Raise your hand politely and ask, "A worksheet? Isn't there a better way for me to show you I know about today's topic, Mrs. Harrison?"

At right, you can a worksheet my mother saved from my school days. Look it over and let me know why you think I didn't prove I knew very much about the topic--apostrophes--when I turned it in for a grade. By clicking the image, you can print out the worksheet and double-check my answers.



		WritingFix is the best website ever. And not just because they have several of my lessons posted! This site covers every writing topic out there!



		If you're not a member of the NNWP's Writing Lesson of the Month Ning, change that fact right now! Click here and create a profile to begin receiving the monthly lessons!



		The NNWP's Going Deep with 6 Trait Language Guide is a great teaching resource. You can order your own copy by visiting the NNWP's Publications Page.



		Creating Writers through 6-Trait Writing by Vicki Spandel. A really great teaching resource!



		The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. My three classroom copies see no dust as they're passed from reader to reader.



		My husband also keeps a webpage of his lessons and his professional development resources. Click here to visit his site.



		Click here to see some of my past students who are "famous" because they were published at the WritingFix website.

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