I have 25 kids and about 8 kids ALWAYS do their homework. I have incentives if they do their homework. I can't have 17 kids not turning in homework. I gave our first math test and all of the kids who haven't been doing their homework didn't get above a D. I've called parents. I just don't know what to do. Tomorrow I'm going to start holding the kids in during recess if they don't have their homework tomorrow. What do you do if kids don't turn in homework? Thanks in advance!
When there are 17 I don't use the same strategy for all of them. I would make a list of the parents you think you can get to work with you - call them (aim for 7ish). Pick another 5 to keep at recess (those who sometimes don't do it perhaps). Pick another 5 to have the P deal with. If they get that not handing it in is not an option they will start handing it in.
At my 6th grade son's school, if a child does not complete homework (or get a parent's signature on a paper), he/she must attend a one hour "homework club" after school.
First question, is the homework even worth doing? I know I gave my share of useless homework when I first began teaching. Kids are smart, if they see it as busy work... Otherwise, have you tried sitting down and talking to them? Think Love and Logic. Relationship building has amazing powers!
The homework goes with the curriculum. We use Everyday Math and Harcourt Trophies, so the homework matches what we do in school.
I can relate to the parents of these children. My grandson is in 4th grade, and never has any homework. But, when we "help" him look in his backpack, there is lots of homework. Make sure the parents know about the homework--and I don't have any great suggestions.
I have a Choice Time on Friday that students really look forward to. They must have their homework turned in to participate. Fridays students also write a letter to their parents in their behavior book, telling them what grade they got for their behavior and what they learned in school. Then I can make a note to parents if homework was not turned in. Behavior books are signed over the weekend by a parent. One year before I did behavior books, I just had those children who did not turn in homework write a letter to their parent that said 'Dear Parent, I did not get to have Choice Time today because I did not turn in my homework this week." This was also to be signed and returned.
In our school, if a student doesn't have or hasn't completed their assignment by the time it is due, they are assigned working lunch. Student with working lunch take their lunch to a designated area at our school, they receive their assignment and they work on it while they eat. We have had incredible success and great improvements in grades throughout the school since we started doing that.
Keep in mind that while it would certainly be natural to think that they got D's because they didn't do their homework, it is also possible that they're not doing their homework because they don't understand the material in the first place (and got D's for the same reason). It's also possible the incentives aren't something the kids really want.
I kept 1/2 my class in today during recess. One of them was crying! I never thought 4th graders cry over something like this. They got their work done and I called each of their parents to update them on the number of assignments that their child didn't turn in. I'm curious to see if this worked. I'll see who turns in their work tomorrow. 3Sons, I thought about that. I know that most of them can do it because of their performance in class. There are a few students who do struggle. I privately tell them to at least try the work. Some of them usually don't even know where their papers or books are.
I dont' give homework. There's no research to substantiate it, and it's too stressful to keep up with.
It is proably best to give them work you know they can do and a managable amount. Get them into the habit of doing their homework. Then you can increase the academic expectations. First you have to create the work habits.
My fourth grade teacher required us to get our homework/agenda book signed every night. Yes, sometimes kids will forge it (I remember I forgot a couple of times and forged - bad krysmorgsu), but if you then call the parents of kids who are missing homework and inform them that it was signed, so you are confused then the parents will probably crack down even more for the forgeries! Weekly progress reports are good, if you can find the time. If you also have some parents who just don't seem to care, you can always call them nightly or every few days with a homework update. The kids might start doing it because the parents just want your calls to stop! Honestly, what's a parent going to say to you? Stop calling because it's annoying me that you care so much about my child's grade? The other ideas are great, but I'm thinking of last ditch efforts.
We are required to give homework every night. All but 4 kids did their homework last night. Holding them in during recess works wonders!
