Methods for Managing Late work in Classroom | Late Work Policies 

Students showing late work is disheartening for teachers and make them wonder if the student is not well motivated, not able to manage time, etc. But, they may have anxiety issues. Alternatively, they may lack the necessary resources (such as time, space, and technology) to regularly do work at home. More emphasis has recently been devoted to the idea that homework is a matter of equality, and our homework regulations should reflect the knowledge that not all children have equal access to resources. The suggestions below are based on an instructor’s grading philosophy and knowledge of difficulties that affect student work.

Make a clear difference between barriers (things that come up throughout the process that get in the way and that you can assist with) and excuses (things that come up during the process that you can’t help with) (which students present after the deadline).

Establish a clear, efficient channel of contact (email, for example) for pupils to advise you of any issues. Regular communication promotes students to be proactive in issue solving and helps teachers to provide support to students without spending a significant amount of time doing so.

Accepting late work reflects the realities of dealing with clients. This creates positive behaviors. Clients are not persuaded by life events that cause them to be late or miss work. They want the job done right the first time and on schedule.

Other than these the workable strategies that you can use to manage late work in the classroom are: 

Penalties

Without some form of negative consequence, it is assumed that too many students would wait until the end of the marking session to turn in work, or certain situations, will not turn it in at all. As a result, its usefulness as a learning opportunity is diminished. The following are the most prevalent penalties:

Deductions in points

Allow a rising amount of time to be deducted every day/week, or a fixed amount (such as 10%) to be deducted for any late work, regardless of when it is turned in. This strategy promotes students to complete assignments on time while demotivating those who are late.

There will be no feedback or re-dos.

The true benefit of homework and other minor projects should be the opportunity for pupils to get feedback and grow as a result. Late work may result in the loss of that opportunity: accept late work for full credit, but only students who submit work on time will receive comments or the option to redo it for a better grade. Those who turn in late work must accept the grade they receive the first time.

“Life Happens” is a phrase that is used to describe the passage of time.

Because things happen in life that can knock anybody off track, some professors provide passes that students can use to make up for missing assignments. Typically, these passes can only be used to replace low-point assignments and only 1 to 3 passes every semester. Other professors permit students to withdraw a poor grade from the grade book. “Next Class Passes” are another alternative, which provides students an extra day to turn in assignments. As the semester ends, you can also give extra points to students for maintaining that pass as unused as a token of appreciation.

Requests for Extensions

On the due date, students can submit a written Rather than deducting points, request a deadline extension. Students are usually asked to explain why they were unable to complete the work on time when requesting an extension. This not only allows students to reflect on their habits but also allows the instructor to assist them in resolving wider issues that may be impeding their academic progress.

Give Full Credit for Late Work

Some professors accept all late work without punishment, assuming that since the work is essential and we want students to complete it, we should allow them to turn it in whenever they are ready. Other professors are concerned that this strategy may drive more students to abandon their work or postpone the submission until the end. Even though most students continue to turn work in on time, and those who were late under the previous system were still late under the new one, most students continue to submit work on time. The major difference is that the instructor no longer needs to calculate deductions or determine if students have sufficient explanations; instead, the work is simply assessed for mastery.

With several various approaches to late work, it’s evident that there are several philosophies on grading and evaluation, so it’s not surprising that we don’t always arrive at the optimum option on the first try. Experiment with various systems, speak with your coworkers, and be open to trying new things until you discover something that fits you.

Carter Martin

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