Homework. No one wants to do it. But no one wants to get in trouble either. So, here are some of the best homework excuses that are serious, funny, and might even work for strict teachers!
50 excuses for not doing homework
Ives said he viewed Musk's concern about bots as a "dog ate the homework" excuse that the billionaire could use to either back out of the deal or lower the price of his proposed buyout, $54.20 a share.
"The bot issue at the end of the day was known by the New York City cab driver and feels more to us like the 'dog ate the homework' excuse to bail on the Twitter deal or talk down a lower price," Ives said.
No Feedback, No Re-DosThe real value of homework and other smaller assignments should be the opportunity for feedback: Students do an assignment, they get timely teacher feedback, and they use that feedback to improve. In many cases, teachers allow students to re-do and resubmit assignments based on that feedback. So a logical consequence of late work could be the loss of that opportunity: Several teachers mentioned that their policy is to accept late work for full credit, but only students who submit work on time will receive feedback or the chance to re-do it for a higher grade. Those who hand in late work must accept whatever score they get the first time around.
From what I have seen, if there is a benefit for turning in homework and students see this benefit more will try to accomplish what the homework is asking. So avoid penalization is okay, but make sure the ones turning it in are getting rewarded in some way.
Additionally, have you administered or seen the no penalty and homework acceptance time limit in practice (for example, all homework must be turned in by the unit test)? I was curious if providing a deadline to accept all homework until the unit test may result in an access of papers I need to grade. From your experience, what practice(s) have you seen work well in the classroom?
Overall I found this article extremely helpful and it actually reinforced many ideas I already had about homework and deadlines. One of my favorite teachers I had in high school was always asking for our input on when we felt assignments should be due based on what extra curricular activities were taking place in a given time period. We were all extremely grateful for his consideration and worked that much harder on the given assignments.
I think having students help determine the due dates for major assignments is a great idea. This works well with online schools too. Remote jobs are the future so helping students learn how to set their own due dates and to get homework done from home will prepare them for the future.
Thanks so much for all your insights on giving assignments or homework. All are very helpful as I prepare to return to work after an extended medical leave. It is good to refresh! Anything we require of our students should be purposeful and meaningful to them, so they will give their best to meet whatever deadlines we set. I also like asking our students when is the best time they can turn work in; this is meeting them halfway. And if one strategy does not work, there are more to try; just read this post. Thanks a bunch!!
While this philosophy seems simplistic at first glance, it is significant because it acknowledges that we as educators must ensure the academic success of our students down to the detail of making sure they complete their homework. No longer do we give zeroes for missing work or half credit for homework a day late. Instead, we require the students to do the work. This lets the students know that we value this homework so much that we will not let them out of it.
Step 2 involves an after-school program called Crusader Club (CC). Students who are still missing work after two weeks in GSH are assigned to the Crusader Club, where they work from 2:15 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Mondays to complete their work under the supervision of a teacher. All staff members are aware of who has qualified for the program via an electronic school share folder. Many of them stop by CC and check in with the students who were missing homework from their class, providing a few minutes of direction and guidance.
Students who are still having homework issues can be kept after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays also. (At the beginning of the school year, we secure parental permission for students to participate in our after-school programs.)
The final step in our homework completion program is General Support Intervention (GSI). If, after four weeks of GSH and two weeks of CC students still are not succeeding because of missing work or low test scores, they qualify for this program.
We understand the concern of those who balk at the idea of pulling students from electives to help them complete homework. However, we do this because these students are unable to do the required work and need to have more time and support during the school day.
I think this strategy is very effective as it really makes students feel more accountable about doing their homework. I would like to suggest this strategy for implementation at my school, but in the community I am in, parents tend to spoil the children too much and what would probably happen is that they would find a way to do the homework for their children so that they don't go through the consequences at school. It's a community where people are very social and are still learning about what being educated is all about. Work habits are probably our most tackled and challenging element that we constantly address and work in with our students, and this strategy to have them do their homework would seem like an inconvenience that the parents don't want their children to go through. So since it already happens that their have their nannies do their homework for their kids, they would probably maximize that so that kids don't stay longer at school. Some parents just don't get it.
I wish our school district could set up a program similar to your GSI. Our middle school was recently flagged as a school in need of improvement due to the percentage of our special ed population not meeting state standards. Unfortunately, we have been trying to get an afternoon detention program or "homework time" program for years with little support from the school board. The results that you boast are impressive however, so perhaps revisiting the issue could be a possibility. We already keep track of student eligibility for sports and clubs through a shared common folder. Flagging those missing assignments doesn't seem like to big of a stretch from that. Thanks again for posting your thoughts. It sounds like you have a solid idea going and I will be interested to hear more about it.
I have always felt that homework is an indicator of how a child is doing in school. I realize that there are many students however who struggle with getting it done in a timely manner, or at all. This can be due to lack of family support, motivation to do the work, or the student who does the work, but doesn't seem to be able to turn the work in. From the comments on the topic of homework, it is easy to see that it is a problem that consumes a lot of time. Finding what works from elementary through secondary school is a challenge we as teachers seem to each wrestle with. I had the opportunity of working in a private school that housed all grades, contained in three separate buildings, with each residing on the same campus. It was fascinating to me to see how separate schools can come together and form a program designed to help the youngest child, to the student at the end of their secondary school years, succeed. It all came about after a group of teachers who taught in the upper grades gave the suggestion that it would make their job so much easier, and easier on their students if the importance of homework was stressed in the early school years. They felt the early introduction to what was expected and how to feel accomplished from their work, would motivate the students to continue with the learned behavior of doing and turning in their homework. During the three years I was at the school, I witnessed an example of a successful professional learning community coming together to develop a program that would benefit both the students and the teachers. There were specific guidelines, activities, responsibilities, and consecutive goals written by the teachers from each of the schools, which in the end showed knowledge, reflection, caring, and hard work by everyone involved. It was up to the community of teachers to implement and guide the program, with the help and support of most of the parents, but it was a joint effort, no one teacher was left to reinvent the wheel and do the testing of what worked and what didn't. A schoolwide initiative that included, elementary, middle, and highschool, worked due to the motivated teachers in each of the schools and the proximity of their working environment, which makes me know it can be done on a smaller scale in a one school initiative; allowing the teachers to work together instead of "enforc[ing] students [to] do homework".
This is a very creative idea about ZAP! I love it! Our school has an "incomplete" policy, so that if the student does not turn in assignments they receive an "I" on their report card. This has not concerned the students or the parents. So, we are in need of a new policy. I certainly feel that if the entire school is facilitating this program it would be very effective. I am going to introduce this concept to my principal tomorrow! This may be a good way to get the community involved, by using a "homework helper" for these students. Thank you so much for this wonderful idea!
I like your idea on a large-scale homework solution. I teach in a small school where we do not have the resources to create extra classes and such, but the middle school teachers and the administrators did create a program just last year called ZAP - Zeros Aren't Permitted. Fifth through eigth grade students who don't get a homework asssignment done get a notice for ZAP, which means his/her names goes on a list and that student is expected to go to a designated classroom during lunch to do homework. They will continue to go to ZAP until all homework is completed. It seems to work fairly well, and at least the students are being made responsible for their work. It hasn't *solved* the homework issue. Our school is in a low income town where many parents do not view school as the most important part of the day (or at least not of the evening) and either do not or can not help their child with the homework. The ZAP program can provide some extra help and support when needed. 2ff7e9595c
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