Curriculum night

OK, the boy child is in 5th grade.  His teacher is young, progressive, and very intelligent.  I dig her teaching style.

Basically, she is anti-punishment, divides the class into 3 groups based on work ethic/motivation, and encourages the kids to learn in their own way.

The problem is that my kid thinks this is a blank check to screw around instead of doing his work!

She doesn't assign homework.  She gives "practice work" in class and if it's completed in class, then there is no homework.

SO- if I ask the boy child, "Do you have any homework?" his answer is always "No"

Even if he has 5 pages to do.

Because they are NOT homework, they're just practice work which he didn't finish in class, but needs to finish at home.

It's not CALLED homework. 

This is how my child thinks.

So last night his practice work was the circulatory system. I did the respirator system with him for an hour the night before, so this makes sense.

What does NOT make sense is this-
BC: "She never taught us this!"
Me: "At all?"
BC: "Nooohooooooooo..."
Me: "I find it hard to believe that YOUR teacher would send you home with 2 pages of homework"
BC (interrupting): "But it's NOT homework, Dad! Gahhhh..."
Me (patient): "Ok, PRACTICE work. Whatever. That you have never been taught this?"
BC: "Well, we had Silent Reading time and she said that she forgot to teach it, so we should get out the paper and she would give us the answers to write down."
Me: "OK, so what happened?"
BC: "Well I decided to read instead."
Me: "Well FUCK MY LIFE" (not really)

ALSO it was clarinet getting day.  Went to the music store, rented the clarinet, etc etc.

Since for 3 hours he did not answer one answer on his PRACTICE work, he had to get up at 6 AM instead of 7 to complete it.

Well, at 6:05 my alarm went off and I went to check on him. SURPRISE!  He was dressed! And clearly wide awake.

And playing with his clarinet. That is to say, putting it together and taking it apart, over and over.

Perfect.

BC: "Can I use the netbook d finish my homework?"
Me: "Sure."
---exit Me, to shower and get dressed for work---
--- return Me ---
Me: "Are you done?"
BC: "Um, no- I'm watching videos."

And this is my life