The first few weeks of school are coming to a close and it’s time to check in and see how your student is doing when it comes to completing assignments and turning them in. If you have a student that has struggled with missing homework in the past, you know that there are a multitude of places for breakdowns when it comes to consistently completing assignments.
The first step in maximizing the chances that work gets completed is ensuring that your student knows where his teachers are recording assignments that need to be completed. That may seem like a small thing, but particularly as students get older, the number of ways that assignments may be listed can be as varied as the number of teachers your student has. One teacher may list assignments on a board, while another may verbally communicate what is to be done. Still another may use the online resources a school has, while another may distribute homework calendars that cover a variety of timeframes, e.g. one week, one sub-topic, one month, etc.
Assignments simply cannot be done consistently if a student does not know where to look for direction. Have your student sit down and list all of the different classes he is taking. Next, have him list the teacher for each class and then, have him show you how each teacher communicates what is to be done. Listen carefully for signs from your student that he may be confused or uncertain about how work is assigned in a particular class.
If there is any confusion at all on the part of your student, use the opportunity to work together to devise a plan and timetable regarding how to resolve the confusion/lack of clarity. This can include having your student email his teacher or talk with him/her. Get specific. Having your student write down that he will speak to teacher so-and-so during his break on Wednesday is far more valuable than simply allowing him to say, “Yeah, I need to talk with her.”
In any case, the opportunity to teach your student to self-advocate/correct and to delineate specific steps to resolve the confusion is invaluable in teaching your student to take ownership and develop confidence that he can navigate the demands of school.
Next time in the series, we’ll discuss a variety of ways that teachers may assign work and some things that your student can do to ensure that he is “getting it all.”
