Q: This month's question comes from Charlotte who teaches in Indianapolis, Indiana

I would like to know what are some good ways to keep track of students' assignments and make them accountable for missing and unfinished work. This has always been a challenge for me. I have been teaching almost 10 years and every year it gets very frustrating!



A: Your excellent responses:

G. Rowland from Chinook, Mt:
I have a folder for each student just for days when they are absent. On those days, all assignments go into that folder, and when the student returns, all his/her make-up work is easily available.

Barbara from La Plata, MD:
I use bins for each subject. At the end of the day (or subject) I sort the papers and identify who did not commplete or turn in their assignment. This also gives the students some responsibility. By Christmas the majority of the class is turning in their assingments on a regular basis. It keeps the papers organized for me too which makes grading much easier. I have used this with 5th grade and 2nd grade.

Donna Zuckert from Roscoe, NY:
At the beginning of every school year, I fashion a work folder for each student. On the front is an index card divided into as many sections as subjects I teach. When a student fails to turn in an assignment, it is notated under the appropriate subject. When the work is turned in, I erase the assignment. Should a student build up an abundance of missing assignments, a copy of the index card is sent home, followed up by a phone call to parents. Since recess is a very big deal for my 6th graders, if someone owes 3 or more assignments, they do not get recess until work is turned in. This seems to work for the majority of students.

Jane Williams from Arroyo Grande,, CA:
Have a Homework Log. In a file folder, put copies of pages of lists of students' names from your grade book. Have 1-2 pages for each subject if you are a self-contained elementary teacher like me. Staple these pages into the file folder- I like to staple them from the top of the inside of the folder, so that I can just flip up the pages to get to the page I need. At the top of each column put the date and at the bottom of each column put the actual assignment. Have students turn in their assignments each morning, and have a parent lined up to check off each student in the log for each assignment. You may have the parent grade the assignments and place a check, check minus or circle for 0 correct or for not doing the assignment. Or you could just go with a check, hand back the assignments, and have the students grade their own or each other's and go back later and indicate the quality of the work. Or you may just want to check the students off for doing the work regardless of quality. At the end of the quarter or trimester, it's very easy to go through the log to see if each student has done all or most of their homework and/or whether the quality has been what it should have been.

Barbara Hengstenberg from Canton, CT:
I keep 4 bins, labeled "Work Owed". Clipped to each bin are 4-5 binder clips with a student's name on each, in alpha. order (I put the students' names on using small, round colored labels. When a student needs to finish or make up work, it is put in the bin with his/her clip attached to it. When the work is finished, the clip is re-attached to the side of the bin, so it's easy to see who does/does not owe work.

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Lisa Murphy from Greenville, RI:
I use a few different strategies, I hope on the the following will help you. In my grade book, I place a circle where student's grade should be, I can quickly see who is missing an assignment. When it is turned in, I write a small "L" next to the grade indicating that the grade was late. #2 One of our classroom jobs is "scribe". When a student is out, the scribe will write all assignments and collect handouts that are put into a "While you were out folder". The absent student will have all assignments in one place when he/she returns. If there is more than one student absent, I ask for volunteer scribes. #3 Another Idea that I used, create a bullentin board that is title, "While you were out", on it it 5 folders, one for each day of the week. When papers and assignments are handed out, extras are put in the folder for the day. Upon the student's return, he/she collects the assigments from the the day of his/her absence. This also works well when students leave early or are out the classroom for short periods of time

Nancy from Duluth, GA:
I teach in fifth grade and this past year my grade level used a wonderful tool to help us keep up with grading and assignments. We purchased a grading tool called Class Mate Grading (http://www.classmategrading.com/). It helps to organize many aspects of your classroom. It is also inexpensive to purchase. Before using this tool, we calculated our grades by hand and it was time consuming since we weighted our grades. This beauty of this software program that might help you is that it will print out missing assignments reports for your students so you do not have to hand write everything and keep track of them. You can send these reports home with the students and have the parents sign them. It made record keeping for us so much easier. We also used it to print off weekly reports for how the students were doing so when report cards came home, there were no questions. It also allows you to keep contact information on the parents so that you can email the reports to them if you wish.

Glenda Holdridge from Holtville, CA:
Hi Charlotte, I know what you mean, I teach Kindergarten and this will be my 10th year. Keeping track of assignments, whether finished or unfinished has also been a challenge for me. However, last year in my kindergarten class I used some shallow baskets that I purchased at Really Good Stuff to keep track of completed assignments. This is what I did: 1st, I gave each different basket a name. Green=Language Arts. Blue=Math etc. As we began an assignment I would remind the children which basket they would be using at the end of the assignment. At the end of the assignment, I would use the completed papers for directing the children to the next activity. I would call out the names on the completed papers and any children left would have to give me their paper and I would stamp it with a "To be completed at home" stamp and they placed the paper in their "cubbie" to take home. Then the child would go to the white board and write their name, in the area labeled "Incomplete work". The next day, I knew that that child needed to turn in some work to me. It seems that this would take a lot of time, but once the children realize that they have to complete their work in a timely fashion or they will have to finish it at home, there are less who don't finish or have late papers. For some work, I release the children to recess with the completed work, any who have not completed the work will stay behind (stamp their papers "Late") and I talk with them and let them know that during a fun part of the day they will complete this assignment. I realize tests and some other work can not be done this way. For missing work, I make extra copies and send a "2nd request" home or I stamp "2nd request" on the work and have the child complete the assignment during "free time" or "fun time" and when the parent received a graded copy on Friday, they realize that their child failed to complete an assignment. Both of the above procedures I have parents sign a copy of a letter explaining what I expect at "Back to School" night and sent a letter to any who did not attend to be signed and returned. I give them a copy of the sign form and when there is a question I have a signed copy to reinforce this. I hope this helps.

Francy Sears from Fairlawn, OH:
Idea 1: For missing homework, order the carbonless homework pads from Really Good Stuff. I have taught for 25 year, grades 3,4,and 5. Last year I ordered these and they worked beautifully. Idea 2: for daily work have a centralized location where students can turn work in. Have a dependable student use a classlist to check papers off. Have the student then write names on board of students whose work is missing. Tell them it must be turned in to that student by the end of the day. If not send home the Really Good Stuff carbonless missing work sheet. This works!!

Brenda from DuBois, PA:
Charlotte, In our school the parents purchase an assignment notebook made available through the school. On each pre-printed page, each of the subjects are listed and a space for writing the assignment. Also, there is a laminated poster-size copy of the page on the chalkboard.I write the homework on the poster in the AM. The students copy the assignment anytime throughout the day. I check it before they go home, and the parents must sign it when the assignment is completed and returned to me. The students then give me their assignment book in the morning for me to check. This works great and teaches them responsibility. We do this in grades 1-5.Hope this helps.

Deb Peters from Colstrip, Montana:
I've tried all kinds of charts, tables etc. for tracking student work over the past 26 years as a second grade teacher. I've gotten the best results in the past few years using "Free Time Licenses". On the first day of school I explain that I value neat, quality work that is completed on time. As students demonstrate their capabilites of that, they earn a "Free Time License". When any student completes all assignments on time for 5 days in a row he is presented with a license (I just designed and printed them on my computer). The students sign the licenses and I laminate them. Any day when a student does not complete all assignments on time (unless there's a valid reason, like absence or interruption of the day) his license is revoked for the following day. On a day when a student has no license, he must remain at his seat (reading a book, writing a letter, or whatever you wish to allow as in-your-seat activities) during any spare time. He loses out on the privilege of choosing "free time" activities that others with licenses may do out of their seats (puzzles, centers, computers, whatever. . .) Each morning I am careful to post only the licenses of the students who completed all their work on the previous day. If I check this immediately after school, I can find the missing assignments and have them ready for those students to complete first thing the next morning. Once a license has been revoked, it can be reissued after one day of fully-completed work. My students have been strongly motivated by this strategy. Maybe "Really Good Stuff" could even start producing the licenses!!

Ro Farrington from Rotterdam Jct., NY:
I have wire baskets on the table in the back of the room labeled by subject. Students put homework and completed assignments in the appropriate baskets. It is easy for me to check their name off in my plan book when the assignment is handed in. If it is not in the basket I let them know that they are responsible for getting it in. It is very effective. Just make sure they have the name of the subject and the page since sometimes assignments overlap and it is hard to know what assignment it is if they forget to put the proper heading.

Lea Sexton from Millville, MN:
I start a chart each week with student names and boxes under each "graded" assignment. I check off work from the student as it is scored. At "check-out" time, I make students aware of what they have not gotten in. They can do it as "homework" or come in right before class the next day to complete it. On Friday, I go back over the chart to see if any assignment from the week is still missing. (I keep 1 extra of every graded assignment to copy for those "lost" papers.

Marie C Jordan from Mooresville, IN:
Our grade book program has a report section that allows us to print out missing work. That can be printed out and put on the child's clipboard where all unfinished work is stored. The child can then cross out the missing work when it is handed in. Another solution is Hot List: My students had numbers assigned to them for fast identification. I drew a grid on one of my boards on which their numbers were listed in the rows and assignments across the columns. Checkmarks meant that a student's item was missing. Again all unfinished work was kept on student clipboards to be taken to recess or worked on during non-instructional time. To follow up after the school day, any unfinished work went home in the home folder and notes made on student agenda to be signed and returned. For students who don't have the home support, use cadet teachers &/or aides to be "signers."

Kathy Coughliln from Olathe, Kansas:
I use a system called Security Agents! I set up a small desk next to my classroom doorway with a plastic bin placed on it. This is the Security Station. As students come in, they put their assignments in the bin. My 2 Security Agents (a class job that is changed each week) have a class roster list and they label each column with the assignment, then check off the papers as the other students do morning work. When they finish, they ask students who have not turned in their work if they have it. Very often, it's done, but not turned in. This is a "second chance" to get things in on time. The papers and the roster are given to me when they're finished. No one can claim that they turned an assignment in, but I must have misplaced it since it only goes into the bin before being checked off. The students love the system as it empowers them to help in class management, and they love being Security Agents, too! A few have even worn dark glasses when they did the job!

Susan Reardon from Lawrence, MA:
I use a clipboard with a set of class lists for my Literacy and Humanities classes as a checkoff for whatever assignments I may give in the class. As the students pass in their assignments I check them off. Empty spaces allow me to see what each student may have not passed in - the students can also see what is not checked off as I do not put grades on that same sheet. I gives the students some responsibility for catching up work they "forgot" to do. If a student is absent I put an "A" in the space so I'm not chasing him/her for the work. Because I have sixth graders and don's see my Literacy classes every day, work can be passed in late as long as what is scheduled for the week is done in that time frame. Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Gina from Simpsonville, SC:
My chool uses asignment books. When a student doesn't turn in an assignment I stamp that day with a "Homewrok Stamp". The student has to turn in the assignment the next day with the homework stamp signed. If not, they lose recess that day and will have to call home. If you do not have an assignment book, Really good stuff's missing assignment carbonless pad would work just as well. Now you have a copy of what was sent home.

Debbie from Saltsburg, PA:
I keep a student progress sheet on each of my students. On this sheet I mark the date of each assignment, what the specific assignment was (this is important due to the fact that I have 4 different levels of work/test for each teaching objective), possible # of points, # of points earned, total available points so far, total number of points earned so far. If the work is late, incomplete, or not done, I mark it as so. These sheets prove very helpful at parent/conference time, if parents have questions about their childl's performance at any time, I can see where a child is succeeding or may need extra help, plus it helps for accountability. I have written proof of what type of work I have provided that child, and whether it had to be adapted to suit his/her ability level. At the end of the 9-weeks, these sheets go into the students' files that I keep on hand for 5 years or so. Our 6th grade team level came up with a behavioral/assignment plan, with our administrator's input and support. One check = 1 missed recess; 2 checks = 1 missed clubs; 3 checks = teacher call home; 5 checks = child calls home; 8 checks = missed special hour at the end of the 9-weeks; 10 checks = after-school detention. We negated these checks at the end of each 9-weeks, except as it applied to our Olympics, which are held at the end of the year. If the child accumulated a total of 27 checks, he participated in the actual events, but he then reported inside for in-school detention until his next event. (One teacher stayed inside to act as monitor.) If the students accumulated 36 points, he did not participate in the Olympics at all. Students and parents are made aware of this policy at the beginning of the school year, and so far we have had great parental support. Parents and students are also kept up-to-date on the number of checks that individual student has. Never is the total number of points revealed to other students, unless that student reveals their own points. We have been following this policy for a few years now, and it seems to be working for the majority of the students. It builds a sense of responsibility for self, work, and behavior. I think that knowing the consequences before hand, and sticking to them, helps to make this process successful. Of course, there are always those few that no matter what you do, it doesn't work.

Judy from Violet, LA 70092, LA:
Tape index cards labeled at the bottom with students names so that the cards overlap inside a manila folder. Pencil in missed assignments as they are checked each day, erase, if you choose if completed. Give a homework grade based on assignments completed.

Lisa Uccello from Hollister, CA:
I use an "unfinished work folder" all work that is not complete is in the folder. I ask students with unfinished work to meet with me so I can see what is in the folder. As far as assignments I use a sticker chart. I write the assignments across the top and students place a sticker when complete.

Luanne Nelson from Newaygo, Michigan:
You have voiced one of the major concerns that we all have. I have been teaching for 26 years and still look for ways to help kids be accountable and to manage the list of those who need prodding. I have adopted a few techniques which may help a bit: As I am taking role, collecting all those notes for the office, hot lunch numbers, etc., a responsible student it collecting student work at a small teacher's desk at the back of the room. She/he writes the name of the assignment at the bottom of the column, checks them off next to each student's name on the chart, puts a bold circle in the box for any missing work, and a bold box for anyone who is absent that day. The clipboard with that list is given to me ASAP and I call students individually to write their names on the back board for work that needs to be finished at recess. The Assignment Checker is a class job that rotates monthly. Kids can sign up for it and are paid using our class money (we have an auction every other week which coincides with my pay day). As students turn work in, they are also paid for getting it finished neatly, name on paper, etc. If someone has a legitimate excuse for not completing an assignment, I ask that they bring a note from home explaining the unusual circumstance. All of the kids have my home phone number and I expect them to give me a brief call if they are stuck on any aspect of the assignment. I can quickly talk them through the necessary thinking and this eliminates those tear-filled homework sessions with frustrated parents. It also means that "I didn't get it.." is no excuse. I have used this for years and get very few home calls - and the few that I do get are worth the time it takes because they head off more serious, time-consuming problems down the line. Rewards built into the the Assignment Checker system include immediate positive ("money" system) and negative (no pay; name on back board; lose recess time) consequences. I try to keep up on my grading daily and get grades on Grade Quick computer program which allows me to print individual "missing work" reports. I also send a weekly computer-generated grade sheet home each week so that parents know what assignments are still out and what the current grades are in each subject. Parents are expected to sign the grade sheet and return it to me so I know they saw it each week. I will be interested in seeing other teachers' answers to your question as, even with all the above mentioned procedures in place, I continue to have a small group of students each year who simply do not do their homework. I am always looking for new ways to help kids learn to be more responsible. Thanks for the great question!

Sandy from Celina, Ohio:
I check off my students names as I go through the returned homework papers. If someones is missing, they have to stay in at recess and do the work until it is completed. I have a special stamp that requires a parents signature to let them know that their child had to miss recess to complete homework. I also make a zerox copy of the stamped homework incase the signed original copy doesn't come back. If it doesn't, I call the parents and tell them to watch for a zeroxed copy that must be signed and returned. This usually solves the problem.

Marcia Kauffman from Victoria, Texas:
As a special ed teacher this too is a challenge because the students come at different times.I keep a While You were Out Folder for my classroom. In this way I slip papers into the folder during the day, then organize with page numbers etc.at the end of the day. I also keep a running list of what that student owes me. As they return to school I can check off each returned paper.

Beth Stewart from Glen Burnie, Maryland:
Using the microsoft excell porgram, I print out 2 checklist sheets per week, the first I use for attendence, a behavior grade and completed HW. The second, I use for assignments completed in school. As we go over each assignment, either I or my secretary for the week check for completion of assignments. At the end of a week ( or 2 weeks) I check the sheets, and give a ice cream sundae to all who have missled 2 or less assignments. The day before, I let students who are missing assignments know what they need to complete in order to receive their sundae

Sandy Heller from Farmington Hills, Michigan:
I keep a notebook with a piece of lined paper for each student (indexed with numbered tabs). I daily write missing assignments in the book and leave it out on a counter for both children and parents to look at and copy the work that is missing. That saves me from copying it for a parent who asks me to write down all the missing assignments. They can come in to copy it or I can just xerox it for them. It is a pain to write in it daily, but it is worth it in the end.

Debbie Rosenman from Troy, MI:
I give each student a number, based on the alphabetical order of their last names. Every assignment should have that number written in the top left hand corner of the page. I collect assignments in numerical order so I know immediately whose is missing or incomplete. Then I make a list of those students missing an assignment on a sticky note, which I use later to check that the assignments come in the following day. I also write the missing assignment and highlight the words in the student's assignment book. Parents have been told that all highlighted assignments are already late. I keep the sticky notes on a page in a simple notebook which I keep for each day of school. That page lists absences, anectodal behavioral comments on students and other reminders for myself. This has kept me organized and has helps me hold students accountable.

Laura Wharton from Junction City, Oregon:
I had a similar problem when I first started teaching!! My solution was to make a chart from large graph paper with each child's first name in alphabetical order down the side and spaces across the top for each assignment and date due. (Hint: make several copies of the sheet with names to avoid having to make the list repeatedly during the year.) As students turn in their work, I put a check mark by their name in the appropriate column. (Hint: I do not allow students to turn work in prior to the due date to alleviate their panic when I have them turn it in and they can't find it). I also put a circle around the outside edge of the squares for missing work--I found that this is more noticable than leaving the square blank. I put a small AB in the corner of the circle so that I know if the reason for the work being late is from being absent. At any time, each student (and I) know what is missing. Students always turn their work into 'the basket' which sits right under the chart, so it is quick and easy to daily go through and mark what has been turned in--I do not allow students to do the check marks. A notebook is kept by the chart with copies of any handouts/worksheets--with sections for the different subjects. Students know this is where they can find a missing sheet. This has been extremely helpful to me! My students and their parents also appreciate it. On occasion, I will go down the chart and give rewards to all students who have all their work turned in. This is one of my favorite management tools that I am sure to share with all my student teachers.

Karen Copeland from Livonia, MI:
I have tried various methods for holding students responsible for unfinished work. These two have worked best for me - I have forms titled "Notice of Missing Assignment" which are kept in a folder for all to access easily. Students must fill out the form stating the name of the assignment. There is a place for a signature of the student, parent, and teacher. The form informs the parents that the assignment is missing and asks them to see that it gets completed at home and returned the next day. Also, in the front of the room, hanging over an easel is a large spiral chart where I list the assignments we've had that week in colored marker and the names of the students who have not handed in each assignment. This is a visual reminder to the students and myself. I tell the class at the beginning of the day that if their name is on the chart they need to get that assignment to me before they go to recess. When a paper is completed and handed to me, I cross off the child's name and put my initials next to it. It may take several days for all the papers to get done but this constant reminder keeps the students and me from forgetting about the work.

Marlene Grefig from Bay Terrace, New York:
when a student is missing an assignment or homework, that student fills out a form on which s/he indicates the date, assignment, and reason. i keep these at my desk. when the work is made up,the student shows me the work; i write the date and sign my initials. at the end of each month i make copies of the "missing hw slips" for parent signature. i then file them in each student's folder.

Mary Beth Bates from Grain Valley, Missouri:
I teach second graders, so I know what you mean. What I do is have students place their work in labeled baskets (ie math, language arts, etc.) when they are done with the assignment. Then just before lunch I collect the work. I ask that everybody raise their hands, and as I go through the stack of papers I call off the name on each paper, and that student puts their hand down. While I look at the paper for the name I also do a quick check to see that it is done, or is neat enough. Those students that still have their hands up haven't turned a paper in, or have unacceptable work, and their name gets noted on my assignment list.

Joyce Eaton from Woodbury, NJ:
Every morning during opening exercises, I have a responsible student call names from a checklist. The only thing checked off is the homework not done. Then, I take a minute to speak with each child and to schedule time to make up the incomplete homework.

Cindy Fox from Imperial, MO:
I do two things to help me organize students work. All the kids have a number. When papers are completed, the children put their papers in number order in the file. It is easy to go through and check to see who has not finished their work. Then as I record papers, I fill out a grid paper the has the students names down one side. I write the assignment along the top. As I check papers, I put a check in a box by the student's name if the assignment has been turned in on time. I circle the check if the assignment is late. I use this paper at conferences to show parents how their child's work habits are.

Wendi from Nacogdoches, TX:
I am only going into my 2nd year teaching, so you have experienced much more than I have. However, I found one thing that worked for me. I typed a list of my kids' names in Excel and in the next column I left a space for their initials. I taped the list to the front of file folders. Each time I gave an assignment, I wrote the name of the assignment and the date at the top of the folder. When students turned in their work, they initialed beside their name. This helped me keep track of who had turned in work, show parents what their child was missing, and also helped me figure out who a paper with no name belonged to. I graded papers daily, and if I was missing a paper from a student, I reminded him/her and sometimes even gave him/her another copy of the assignment.

Karla from Elizabethtown, Kentucky:
This past year I found a solution that worked with that particular group of students. I used a simple wall-size grid-chart found in school supply catalogs and put the students names down the left side. Each day I wrote the assignments that were due across the top along with the date. As I checked off the students papers each afternoon, I was able to clearly see who had turned in their work and who had not. It also became a visual for the students to double check themselves to see if all their work was in. Often, the assignment had simply been "forgotten" in a folder or book and was quickly turned in once the student realized he/she had an open square by his/her name. As the year progressed, I learned it became even more visual to use a brightly colored highlighter to start on the left by the person's name and continue to the right until I reached an empty square. Even though more assignments may have been turned in, as long as there was an open spot, I wouldn't continue the brightly colored line. For some, it was a motivator to see that their line was not growing as quickly as the others. This wall chart also made an easy reference for students to know what needed to be worked on when other work was finished or during a free-period such as recess. This was also an easy way for students who had been absent to see what work they were responsible for turning in.

Marilyn from Livermore, California:
One thing that has helped me is the use of a folder system for turning in completed assignments. On the outside of the folder is a paper strip listing the assignment page and a class number list. When the student turns in the assignment he/she collates it by number and crosses off his/her class number on the paper attached to the front of the folder. It is very easy to check at recess who has not turned in an assignment. Those needing to finish do so quickly at recess. It is also an easy way to record grades since they are already in order.

Karen from Talbott, TN:
I have found that by keeping a set of hanging folders for every student works well for me in the past. Put the student's name on each hanging file and then throughout the day, you can put the missed work in their slot, instead of it getting misplaced on your desk. Then, when the student returns, he/ she can go to their own file, take it home and then return it to you the following day.

Pauline Watson from Hollywood, FL:
I make up a spreadsheet with my student's names in the first column. The rest of the columns are small boxes for a check mark after the sudent turns the assignment in. THe name of the assigment will be handwritten at the top of each column. I always make at least 10 copies of the page before I start writing the assignments in, so I have a fresh one for each week. This system makes it very easy to see who owes work. My students will even ask to see it so they can see what they still owe. If you e-mail me, I can send you a copy.

JE from Weare, NH:
I have only been in yhe classroom for 3 yrs. However, my mentor teacher had a wonderful strategy that I now use for homework. For each piece of homework handed in the student receives a penny. I paint my pennies red with spray paint and call them my 'ruby pennies'. Each student receives a film cannister to keep pennies in. When the student has earned 10 pennies, he/she can turn them in for a little prize. I go to the dollar store and stock up on small toys, pencils, etc. Because of dealing with such a large group, I collect homework nightly and correct it and put it in a pile. On Fri. morning I put the accumulated homework in students' mailboxes, (this takes @5 min.). I then count up each piece of homework in mailboxes and place the corresponding # of pennies in students' mailboxes. During snack time, I call each student to collect his/her pennies and they can trade, (if they have 10 pennies) for a treat. This method is a great way to teach economics and saving. Students have to count out their pennies just like they would at a bank. It's also a great math lesson:if a student has 14 pennies, I will ask them how many they get to keep if they turn in 10 pennies and so on. My students are 2nd graders but this could be modified for older students. Good luck! PS~for the 1 or 2 students who never send in homework, first: a note goes home, then a phone call. It's always good to check up and see how things are going at home. Sometimes, the lack of homework corresponds to the lack of support a student receives at home. And sometimes students give parents such a hard time that parents 'give up' and don't bother. . If a child is having difficulty with homework I will conference with parents to modify homework for students. If students can do the homework but refuse then I make a packet of missed homework, send it home with a note stating that missed homework will affect student's grades on their report card.

Jane Williams from Santa Maria, CA:
Addendum to my previous answer regarding making children accountable for missing and unfinished work. If students seem to be missing homework or not finishing it frequently, I add this to their weekly Progress Report to their parents. (Don't groan- I have found a way to make this report very fast to do!) I put the responsiblility of finding out what the assignment(s) was that wasn't done on the student (not me). Students have access to the Homework Log. They can turn homework in late, but they know that I don't like grading bits and pieces of old homework (time)and that they lose points for this but that it's better than a 0%. These reports are signed by parents. If that doesn't work, then the students do homework at the end of the week while others are enjoying a fun activity.

Kathleen McMahon from Collingswood, New Jersey:
Duplicate strips with a class list and mark off finished assignments. Use the strips each time you collect work. Save them in your planner until every name has a check. If a child has any missing work on Friday, there is no free time for him or her. It doesn't take long for children to see that their bad habits are making them miss fun.

Jill from La Verne, California:
Near the end of the day, I have a 15 minute make-up time so that my first grade students may finish their assignments. In California it is common for us to have nice sunny afternoons, so we often do this outside. Those who do not have make-up work to finish get to have [an extra] recess. On cold or rainy days when we stay inside, the "recess" is free time (games, centers, etc.) This is very self motivating, and there are few students who do not complete their work. To keep tract of the assignments, I have the kids put the "designated" key assigments into a special red tray that I (or volunteer)check during lunch or seat work time. Incomplete and messy papers are returned to the students prior to our make-up time. It only takes a few minutes to check the papers as I rarely designate more than 2-3 "key" papers each morning. If this work is still not completed, as with other assignments, I send it home for homework. Incomplete homework is made up during the morning recess, so again the students are highly motivated to complete their work. Of course, they also love the stamps and stickers that accompany good, timely assignments!

Joelyn Artz from Grass Lake, MI:
This seems tedious and time consuming to some people but I find it really helps me keep track of who owes me what: I make sure that I "check in" all assingments every day. I never leave school until all student work is looked at. I may not grade it but if it was turned in and I didn't have time to grade it, I at least put a check mark in my grade book for that assignment and then go back later and replace check with actual grade. For those students who did not turn assingment in, they get a large zero in the grade book (one big enough to put the grade in once the assignment is turned in. Then for the missing assignment, I have a file box with each student's name written on a file card and filed alphabetically by first name (seems easier to me that way). For the missing assingment, I take that particular child's card, write the date on a line and next to to date the name of the missing assignment and file the card. I then use Post-It notes to help me remember who is missing each assignment. For example, I have a Post-It with the assignment called "Spelling Sentences" written at the top and then list all students who did not turn that particular assignment in. I then post that note right on my blotter on my desk so it is right in front of me. The next day, or later in the day if I have checked papers during my planning period, I ask the child where the assignment is. If he/she can produce it, (forgot to get out of bookbag, left in desk, etc.) I cross out name on Post-It. If they don't have it finished I remind them that it is a zero in my gradebook and will remain that way until turned in. If and when the assignment is turned in, I write the grade inside the large zero in my gradebook. I don't erase the zero because that helps me be able to visually show parents how many late or missing assignments his/her child had if need be. When assignment is turned in, I cross out name from Post-It, get out the file card and write "OK" and date next to the missing assignment to let me know it has been turned in. Sounds complicated but I have a reputation for being on top of missing and late assignments from teachers, former students, parents, and admin. It sometimes looks like my desk is covered in Post-Its but it sure helps keep me straight. I also remind students that they have a week to get assingment in and then I quit reminding them and the Post-It gets thrown away. They can still turn assignment in without me nagging at them. This seems to work for me. If you are confused, e-mail me and I'll try to explain more. By the way, I have used this in 5th grade and 3rd grade classrooms for 15 years, learned it from a former colleague, and have yet to find a better way to do it. Hope it helps.

Joanne from Two Rivers, WI:
I use a checkoff list with students names down the left side and assignments on top. (I use this for returning report cards, permission slips, etc. also). As I go through papers, I "X" off if it is turned in. If I give it back to them to fix, I just put a dot. If there is nothing in the square, I know they still owe me something. This is easy to use at recess time, I just grab my clipboard and can see at a glance who earned recess or who owes me work!

C Russell from Louisville, Ky:
I have intermediate students (4/5th). I use a homework chart, and my "homework checker" (reliable, neat student) goes through with an overhead pen (so that it can be washed off at the end of the month)and gives a check to those who turned homework in. This chart is always up for the class to see. My team uses a 50 minute reward time on Friday afternoons. One teacher takes "study hall" and students who have incomplete work for that week must miss reward time, completing incomplete tasks in study hall.

Annette Bright from Kansas City, KS:
I collect every assignment in the morning while the kids are doing their morning work. If they don't have it, I make a circle in the spot in my gradebook for that assignment. I make it clear at the beginning of the year that late assignments have 10% taken off the grade automatically. Collecting each assignment can be time consuming, but at least I know if every student has their work turned in and on time.

Marybeth Harter from Westlake, Ohio:
If you assign every student a number at the beginning of the year, when you collect papers you can put them in numerical order quickly without wondering who didn't turn work in. This way, you can simply look what number is missing... and if they label each assignment in the upper right hand corner with their number and assignment ( for instance, #1- Spelling ABC Order) you'll know right away who's turned it in, and who hasn't.

Jennifer from Hagerstown, Maryland:
I hung two pieces of clothesline vertically (with a push pin) on the wall behind my desk. I usually assign homework in Language Arts or Math so each student has a clothespin that has his/her name written in Red for Math and in Blue for Language Arts (if I have the student for both subjects, he/she would have two clips - one with their name written in blue and one in red). One string is to attach all of the clips to. Once the students shows me their work in the morning, I move their clip from the first string to the "completed" string. This allows me to quickly glance at the first string to see who has not completed the homework.

Janette Jude from Inez, KY:
I collaborate with another teacher who makes students write an "I Do Not Have My Homework" letter where they write a letter to that teacher explaining why they did not get their homework. If a student has very many letters from one student, the parent is contacted and shown the letters. It doesn't work with every child but does cut down on a lot of missed assignments.

Hope from Bethpage, NY:
I teach 2nd Grade. This year I devised a system to check students' homework that worked for me. In a record book, I wrote each students name going down the side column. Then in the top, I write the dates for during the week that I give homework. Each day that I check their homework, I either color the appropriate box with either red or a green pencil. Green stands for homework completed. Red stands for homework incomplete. Then in the same red box I put the inital of the homework that was missing; m= math. I found this was an easy way when I was giving grades and writing report card comments.

Tracy Martz from Peoria, IL:
Our school requires the use of a planner, and before that, I gave to my students a weekly plan sheet that I ran off. It is part of my agenda each day that my students write in their planners what their assignments are. When we hand in papers, each student must hand in something...even if it is the pre-printed "no assignment" sheets I have available. I collect these just as I would normal class papers, and these are items I am sure to show parents at conference time...after all, the papers are in their students' handwriting. These also become a quick way to let students know what they are missing. They copy from their "no assignment" sheet to a list...I do not do it for them.

Christine from Azusa, California:
I've divided my "grade book" (a set of class lists, gridded) into separate, colored folders with pockets. All grades go on those forms in the right color folder. Papers for me to grade go in the pockets of the folder. Students who don't have an assignment have to fill out a form ~ just a 3x5 card ~ that states what the assignment was, and why s/he didn't turn it in, and no credit is given for that assignment. I collect the cards in student files (they're wonderful at conferences or at grades time)and when a student has 3 of the cards, a note goes home to the parents explaining that their child is in danger of failing because s/he is not turning in work. My kids also do averaging of their grades weekly, and those who don't turn in work get to see how those zeroes affect their grades. Often that motivates them to see me about making up the missed work, which I allow if it's within a two week period. This has worked well for me for the last few years.

Susan from Pekin, Illinois:
Hi Charlotte, This has been a problem for me for many years too. I have a cardboard unit with several trays for the children to put their work in during the day as they finish. I grade those papers each night and then the next morning after attendance etc. I make piles of each subject and the children bring up their homework. Then i have the children stand and i go through each stack and read their names and they sit when they are called. Those who are standing and don't have their homework have their name on the board and have to work on it at recess. Most don't want to lose recess. For chronic "offenders" I will write a note home to parents. Another option fo rme has been to make them show their assignment notebook and I initial it and I also have the parents do the same. It is a lot of work and I only do that for one or two who really need it. the hope is to not have to do that all year. I hope these ideas help a little.

Peggy Kushuba from Birch Run, Michigan:
We start using planners in 3rd grade. They are to be taken home each night and signed by a parent. When the work is due we have a simple name and check list. I simply check off the child's name when the assignment is handed in to be graded or when they simply must hand it in to be given credit. If the assignment isn't checked off they get a "homework ticket" which is stapled to the planner and sent home. The parent is aware of the missing work and the homework policy goes into effect. We vary this according to grade level so the consequences get progressively more severe as the child matures through middle school and beyond. What if they don't hand in the work? They stay in from recess until it's done even if they have "passed the point of no return". That usually helps them remember.

P. Weesner from Ft. Wayne, Indiana:
For my second graders I keep a list of all of the morning's assignments on the chalkboard. We go over it before we get ready for lunch and recess. I talk about each item, and it's each child's responsibility to ask himself if he's turned that in. For those special few who can't handle this, I keep assignment folders on their desks and that's where they put their finished work instead of turning it in. Then, before lunch, those children must show me their folder. I keep what's done and give them a pass back to finish incomplete work at recess. This has really worked for me.