I am sure you also have students who do not do their homework. This must be one of the most common problems of us as the teachers. And I am one of those teachers.

My Problem

The students who don’t do their homework.

What I always do

1. Keep a record of the students (in a file or a notebook with students’ lists) who do and don’t do their homework.
2. Check the homework signing it very quickly and giving the plus and minus next to the student.
3. Write notes on the homework such as ‘thanks, complete it please or don’t forget it again please’
4. Try to stay calm.
5. Can’t manage to stay calm:)

What I have done so far to solve the problem

1. Give a second chance for them to complete their assignment and convert their minus into plus.
2. Remind them in a threatening way:(
3. Talk to them many times.
4. (Sometimes) give extra homework.
5. Give double extra homework (if they don’t do the homework)
6. Call the parents (if it becomes a habit)
7. Ask those kids to bring something for each student in the class.(a little chocolate or cake maybe)
8. Promise them to give additional points for their oral performance. Invite the assistant principal to the class (if the number of those students is nearly the half.)
9. Try to stop the wild me in me:)

Do you have any suggestions? Help is needed.

1. 

   CoffeeAddict

   07 March 2011 at 12:58

   I don’t think you should give homework at all. No homework – no problem. With the SBS exam hanging over kids’ heads (meaning: dershane, dershane homework, private teachers/tutors) and with all the other homework their other teachers assign them – I have just decided that homework is not worth the hassle.

   You may not believe it but – my kids are not doing any worse for not having to do homework, quite the contrary: they’re doing better!
   CoffeeAddict

   Reply
2. 

   Merve Oflaz

   07 March 2011 at 12:58

   Hello CoffeeAddict,

   Thank you for the suggestion. I wish I could do it. Unfortunately it is a must in our school like many schools in Turkey.

   Reply
3. 

   evab2001

   07 March 2011 at 12:58

   Hi Merve,

   Hope there will be good suggestions. I don’t have any better than yours

   Eva

   Reply
4. 

   nesrineren

   07 March 2011 at 12:59

   nstead of punishing the students, try public praise especially when they do assignments well (also positively comment on the effort). You can also reward the ones who have done the assignments by giving them less work to do the next time.

   Give students options- as they will be the ones who choose the assignment, they will establish a sense of ownership and feel more motivated to do it. Research indicates that students feel more motivated when provided with options and feel the contrary when been imposed on them. You could do the same for deadlines- give them two different dates.

   Every two-three weeks, offer them a chance to compensate for the missing assignments by giving them a challenging tasks. So, let’s say they haven’t done 3 of the assignments, one assignment could go in the place of that challenging one.

   Try to find out whether there is something specific about not doing the homework assignments, preferably one-to-one outside the class time.

   Hope it helps!

   Reply
5. 

   Merve Oflaz

   07 March 2011 at 12:59

   Thank you Eva.

   I’m happy that I tried everyting but I’m sorry none worked for some students.

   Reply
6. The Art Of War

   21 March 2011 at 01:48

   The Art Of War…

   Another good post I found which you’ll probably be…

   Reply
   1. 

      Merve Oflaz

      21 March 2011 at 04:58

      I like the title ‘the Art of War’
      Tried to complete the sentence and once again I realized how creative I am because of the options I found ))

      Reply