CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Homework Management System

Submitted by: Anonymous
From: Ottawa, On
Date Submitted: March 1, 2003

Every month I purchase a blank chart where I write each student's name in the vertical column, and each date in the horizontal boxes along the top.

Whenever a child arrives at school unprepared for class he or she is expected to sign the "Not Prepared For Class Chart". They are encouraged to sign the chart upon entering the classroom, instead of waiting to be "caught". They write their initials in the chart box that matches the date (i.e. in their name row under the correct date).

The student is then expected to glue in one of two types of homework slips into their agenda alerting parents to the situation. One slip says "Today I was not prepared for class. Tonight I have to...." and the other reads "Today I was unprepared for class but managed to complete my work at school". Each slip contains a line for a parent signature.

I have found that this procedure makes homework easier to track, and keeps parents well informed. It also reduces the need for me to nag after my students. When a child signs the chart he/she accepts ownership of the problem, without a lecture from me. At the end of the month, I have a clear visual representation of which students are struggling in the area of homework completion.