I have a lot students with missing work. Mostly because they never want to come to school. I have told them that they have 5 days from the day they return to submit any missing assignments per school policy and they don't care. I have given zeros, but that doesn't help. They panic at the end of the 9 weeks and expect me to give them all their missing work. I have some of my co-workers telling me to just take it, but I don't think its fair to those that follow the rules.
It is important to have specific guidelines and stick to them with late work. In 30+ years of teaching, I realize that there are students who love the trade of getting a "0" for not doing any work. I make sure all of my students turn in their work with very few exceptions. They get 10% off per day it is late. I have them make up missing work at times that we have review games and other items like that. That usually does the trick. When they realize they have to do the work, they do it. I have tried zeroes, and that just leaves your low students with their bad habits They find that they can get an "F" in homework and a "B" or "C" on tests and still pass without doing any homework at all. Not on my watch. They need to still do their work.
Hi there, I've tried a variety of policies over the years. I keep coming back to one major thought: Which is more important, the rule or the learning? Personally, I allow late work all the way up to one week before the end of the quarter/semester. This is because I would rather the students do the late work and learn the material than not have the opportunity to learn. I recognize it can foster some poor habits; this is why I meet with each individual student D or F and create a "catch-up plan" to write down which assignments they need to make up and a time frame to make them up. To be honest, it sounds exhausting to try to remember who was absent when and are we on day 4 or 5 or 6 of when you were absent and where does this paper go, etc. I also assign and collect ALL work through CANVAS/Google Classroom. Having all my assignments online has been an absolute game-changer. This allows absent students to always know what their work is (regardless if they or I am absent) - no more sub plan confusions, they can complete work at home if they don't come, and they do not come to me the next day asking what they missed and me rushing to give hand-outs, get set up for class, put out little fires, and start teaching. I also love online because it shows the date and time students turn in work and automatically deducts a "late fee" for me (I choose 10%). I also do not lose work, it helps keep me organized, and the students have CLEAR, written out directions on what to do and how to do. This is KEY for your situation where students are consistently missing and needing to understand missing assignments. In addition, 2-3 times per quarter, I have a "catch-up day" where students work on missing assignments. I also have a "ticket" incentive system and one of the items they can purchase is a "late fee removal" which is quite popular. ---- By the way, I teach at a continuation school also with students who struggle to show up and we are also on the 9-week quarter system. Hope some of these ideas help! If you have any follow-up Qs on any of the above feel free to message me or tag me here for a reply.
