As Meili and Rosa exited the lunch line, Meili’s new shoes click-clacked slowly across the tile floor. Normally shorter than Rosa, Meili now towered above her.
“Everyone must love my new shoes,” Meili whispered to Rosa. “They’re all staring.”
“They are beautiful, but do you think you could have chosen some that were a little… shorter?” Rosa asked carefully.
“No, everyone is always calling me a shrimp,” Meili replied.
Just then, Meili’s ankle twisted. She sprawled on the floor, her food scattering everywhere. The cafeteria erupted in gasps, and a custodian rushed over to clean the mess. Rosa quickly helped her friend up and put half of her own lunch on Meili’s tray. With a red face, Meili admitted, “Yes, maybe I could have chosen some shorter shoes.”
Schools have been giving homework for as long as they have been in session. The National Education Association suggests that students should be given ten minutes of homework for each grade level. That means a fourth grader should receive, on average, forty minutes of homework per day. 70% of students do not like homework, and many parents agree. Extra-curricular activities leave students with little time to complete their homework at home. As a result, many schools are either doing away with homework or providing students time during the school day to work on homework. Teachers must find new ways of checking student understanding