Missing Work Log

     When I was student teaching I always had one, two, or more, students who didn't get their assignment in on time. A lot of times, I would find that I would only get assignments in at the end of my student teaching placement because of the fact that they absolutely HAD to have them in because I was leaving and there was no other options after that.

- I tried giving students choice in their assignments so that it would be more meaningful for them,
- I tried giving flexible deadlines,
- I tried offering assignment assistance at lunch hour and after school,
- I tried calling home...

     Well, you get the picture. No matter what you do, there will always be circumstances throughout the year which result in you chasing students for assignments. Lets face it, our students are very busy and/or are still learning time management and completing assignments isn't always priority number one. Furthermore, it can be hard to keep track of it all! I have six different classes (all different subjects) and it can be hard to remember the individual circumstances for each missing assignment.

     This summer, however, I came across this pin on Pinterest that lead to the blog E, Myself, and I. Elizabeth's post on Classroom Organization Tips from April 2011 shared her, "Yellow Sheet" or missing work log. Using her model, here is the form I am using in my classroom:

Here is how it works in my classroom:
- When an assignment is due, everyone has to hand in SOMETHING
- If they don't have the assignment ready to hand in then they grab a
  Missing Work Form which I have photocopied in a folder by my
  desk
- Students fill out:
     - Their Name
     - The Assignment Name
     - The Date It Was Due
     - The Reason Why It Isn't Done
          - I Didn't Understand
          - I Didn't Have The Necessary Supplies
            (they can tell me what they were missing)
          - I Didn't Use My Time Effectively
          - I Had To Work
          - I Had After-School Extracurriculars
          - Other (explain)
- Student then have to sign the form at the bottom
- They then hand in the Missing Work Log in place of their assignment

This log serves many purposes: 
- It allows students to take ownership for their learning by admitting in writing
  that they didn't have an assignment done on time
- It provides a written record for me to track throughout the year
- It lets me know if I need to change things that I'm doing in the classroom
  (if students don't understand then I know that I need to spend more time on a
  concept, differentiate instruction more, provide more support, etc)(if students
  don't have supplies I can make sure I provide supplies or plan activities using
  less supplies)
- It lets the students know if they need to change things that they are doing
  (they may need to look at how they are using their time, consider cutting
  back on other activities, etc)
- It provides parents/guardians with a written record from their child, not from
  the teacher

     When an assignment is handed in the student fills in the day that they handed it in and signs the form again. I keep any Missing Work Logs in my Student Tracking Binder so that I can access them at any time and provide information for myself, administration, parents/guardians, etc. It is important to note that these are not used if a student was absent. If a student missed a class the day an assignment is due, their new due date will be changed to accommodate the time that they missed. If they don't hand in an assignment on their new due date, however, then they would fill out a Missing Work Logs like any other student.

A BIG thanks to Elizabeth for sharing this idea.

What are your thoughts?