How do you keep track of who turns in their HW? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I've been using a clip board but not sure that I want to stick with that this year. Do you offer incentives if they bring it every day for a week? Month? Quarter? How do you manage your HW policy, is my question. Thanks.
If I am just spot checking something and not collecting it I walk around while they are doing their Do Now and I mark who did NOT do it or who got partial credit. it's less to have to write in my book. So for example if Ann, Sue, Bob and Mike are missing HW they would get a zero in my book. I make the zero so that it fills up the square in the grid so if they hand it in late I put the grade in the middle of the zero and that tells me it is a late assignment. Hope that makes sense.
I have a notebook. I write down names of those who did not do the work. there is enough space to mark the date when it was turned in.
I think that what you do might depend on your grade level and the size of your class(es). Last year I had about 250 students, and there was just no way that I was going to keep track of who turned in what on a clipboard. The only place I "kept track" was in the gradebook, where I entered "missing" for any missing assignments. That was it. At the high school level, that should be enough, in my opinion.
Last year we kept track on their HW sheets and then collected them at the end of the week. I threw away the ones that weren't missing any homework (or maybe 1 or 2 assignments) and kept the others. But it was WAY too much paper and I didn't know what to do with them. This year I'm thinking of doing some sort of weekly or monthly checklist where I just keep track of how many assignments they miss. I keep track so that I can talk to parents about it at parent teacher conferences and/or use it as evidence for admins to explain factors that may be hindering student progress. I don't do HW incentives, but sometimes I'll give out tickets (class reward system) for well done homework or certain assignments. I did do incentives for students who had terrible, terrible homework (as in they never did it). It was kind of like a specialized behavior plan, but for students' whose problem was hw and not actual behavior.
I write the names of the kids that didn't do the assignment on a Post-It. I paperclip it to the papers. I typically won't record papers until I have 100% of 3 days have passed. (I only accept things 3 days late.)
I have a grade book specifically devoted to homework-- the one they give us at school (since I prefer to use a grade/planning book all in one.) Each day, I walk up and down the aisles and check homework. For any kid who doesn't have it, I put a "-". Any kid whose homework is only partiallly done gets an I for incomplete.
They had a special homework sheet and when they turned in a certain number of homework assignments they got an award. It was an incentive to get them to do their homework.
In the past, I've walked around with my tablet and recorded homework directly in to Engrade. It was always a grade for effort/completion versus checking for accuracy. This year, I'm only collecting homework once a week. I know, insane. They are to work on a Spelling Contract throughout the week and read 30 minutes a night. They will record it on a weekly reading log and I will track pages read from day to day. I also found a great missing assignment/missing homework form online that I plan to use for the weekly spelling contract
It depends on the class and the purpose of the assignment for me. For my AP class, students usually have to read the section and take notes. I walk around and check notes at the beginning of the period and record the grade in my gradebook. Students can get up to 5 points for each homework check. I enter into the computer one homework grade for the entire chapter on the days they take their tests. I don't collect/grade reading notes since students are expected to add to them during class discussions each day. Larger written assignments are collected and assigned a certain number of points depending on the length/difficulty of the assignment. I grade HW differently with my freshmen. I usually collect their papers so I can give them feedback, and grade using the following system: Check plus = 10/10 Check = 8/10 Check minus = 6/10 Minus = 4/10 0 = 0/10 The check grade goes on the students' papers and in my paper gradebook. The point equivalents go in my computer gradebook. I use checks so students (and I) know that I only looked at those particular assignments for overall effort and general understanding of the material. Just like with the AP class, some assignments are graded with a point system. It depends on the type of assignment.
I have students fill in a "pink slip" and hand that in if their HW isn't done. The pink slip has a check list of reasons why HW isn't done from "absent when assigned" to "didn't have materials at home to complete" "done, but in locker" etc. I keep the pink slips on my attendance clipboard so I can remind the students next period. If I don't collect the HW, I just jot down names on a post it and put it on my clipboard.
I do the same. I check homework while they work on their do now. I think that face to face interaction motivates students to do their homework so they don't have to explain why they didn't do it to me the next day during homework check. Well, at least that's what I think and it seems to work well for me.
Beware of kids who share homework. One student will do the work, erase their name, and give it to another student to turn in another class period. Theoretically the same homework assignment can be shared for all six periods! How do I know? My daughter told me that this happens at her school all the time (ranked one of the best High Schools in our state). She admitted to doing it with her friends this past year. The horror I felt as a mom and teacher! I know kids cheat, but boy do they get away with so much more than they ever should. How can we stop this? Only by having kids turn in every homework assignment.
In a perfect world I would collect every assignment. But the reality is that I would be swamped after 2 or 3 days of this. It's just not possible or practical.
