Homework Excuses

Homework Excuses It would be okay if those are stimulating enough to keep me interested, but unfortunately it’s not. That is why I often found myself skipping some of it. I am actually doing what was stated on this article. If you’re only skipping a handful of assignments the teacher’s barely even ask about it. Sometimes your homework will ask you questions that emphasize the same points. Instead of asking, “Have you started on your writing assignment? ” ask the question differently, “Are you a bit overwhelmed about where to start? ” or “What do you think is making this assignment so difficult to start? ” Try to ask questions that need more than a “yes” or “no” answer. Sometimes, homework is not worth the time investment. The smart student knows the difference between these times and takes action appropriately. Most good students hand in the majority of their homework. That being said, many high scoring students skip stuff. She has told me she feels that the many hours of homework in middle school have prepared her well. If you would like more information about Executive Function Skills, Island Educational Services has a lending library with a variety of resources for families and teachers. We have several wonderful “coaches” who can help students set up systems, create strategy sheets, and provide successful study tips. There are also several websites who have good strategies and ideas; the National Center for Learning Disabilities and LD Online are two excellent sites with additional links. Finally, with the student, create a plan of how a task will be done. When my son started struggling to start chores after school, we created a checklist for each task he was to complete. First, stifle the thought that the student is lazy or doesn’t care about his or her work. Instead, think differently about how to ask questions. As a classroom teacher, I used to hear excuses from a few students every morning about why they did not have their homework. PermalinkFor some reason, I find it hilarious that the homework from teachers that seem obsessed over constantly giving it is not that important. The checklist included my expectations for each chore, the items he would need to complete the chore (broom, sponge, etc.) and how much time might be needed for each task. Then he came up with his own plan of when the chores would be completed. Taking ownership of the tasks and knowing what was expected reduced our arguments and my complaints. While he still needed the occasional nudge, he learned how to start tasks on his own without a lot of excuses or tears. In addition, help a child or teen create visual cues that will help with starting a project. Many families use erase boards in the kitchen or paint a wall with chalkboard paint and create daily schedules. For classrooms, having systems in place when the teacher is unavailable are often very valuable for the student who gets stuck. For example, share it is okay to ask another student for assistance or write down a question for the teacher to answer later or check a notebook for ideas. Not certain of where to start, they put off the task as long as they can. As they realize more time is passing, they become more and more anxious and eventually a sense of inevitability is created ~ I can’t do this task. In younger children, this is often expressed as tears or acting out while in adolescents, there may be slamming doors or outright lying about the task being completed. Many teachers would agree that the number one reason students fail classes is due to missing homework. Creating excuses for homework lowers your grades and encourages a very bad habit for your future. Makes sense that one big assignment is worth more than one out of 20. PermalinkI hate it when professors are giving too many assignments in a span of one week. A teacher might assign 30 problems but half those problems will be nearly identical with different numbers. You might only want to focus on problems that give you trouble and skip questions that you know you can figure out. These priorities work between different classes too. If you don’t have enough time to complete your homework then you should pick the highest priority homework and do it well. Imagine you only have time to complete one assignment but need to complete two.