missing homework letter to teacher

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The Best Practices for Emailing a Teacher About Being Absent

Last Updated: April 25, 2023 Fact Checked

Sample Emails

• What to Write

Email Etiquette & Tricks

This article was written by Ashley Pritchard, MA and by wikiHow staff writer, Aly Rusciano . Ashley Pritchard is an Academic and School Counselor at Delaware Valley Regional High School in Frenchtown, New Jersey. Ashley has over 3 years of high school, college, and career counseling experience. She has an MA in School Counseling with a specialization in Mental Health from Caldwell University and is certified as an Independent Education Consultant through the University of California, Irvine. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 437,905 times.

It happens! Sometimes you have to miss school. Whether you have a doctor’s appointment during math class or wake up sick with the flu, everyone misses class occasionally. But how can you let your teacher or professor know you’ll be out? A quick email can solve all of your worries and keep everyone updated. In this article, we’ll walk you through how to write an absence email to your instructor so you can stay in their good graces.

Things You Should Know

• State when and why you’ll miss class at the start of your email (and be honest about it).
• Express your apologies for being absent to show the instructor that missing class is the last thing you want to do.
• Ask your teacher or professor for any work you may miss so they know you put your studies first.
• Attach any homework or due assignments to your email to stay up-to-date with your coursework.

What to Put in Your Email

• “Out Sick 3/10”
• “Missing Class on Friday”
• “ENGL 101 - Absent due to family emergency”

• “Good morning, Mr. Dickson,”
• “Dear Professor Smith,”
• “Mrs. Evans,”

• “I wanted to let you know that I will not be in class today because of an unexpected family emergency.”
• “Unfortunately, I cannot attend your lecture on Friday because I have a doctor’s appointment.”
• “I am emailing you to inform you that I will not be in class on Monday, July 17th.”

• “I recognize that we have a paper due on Monday, so I’ll turn it in on Friday instead.”
• “I understand that our Virginia Woolf presentations are due today. Is it possible to record my presentation and send it to you?”
• “I went ahead and attached last night’s homework to this email.”

• “Can I come by during your office hours on Tuesday to pick up the handouts?”
• “Is it possible to get a copy of Friday’s lecture?”
• “What will be focused on in class that day? I’d like to complete any and all work I’ll miss to have ready for you when I return.”

• “I apologize for any inconvenience my absence may cause.”
• “Thank you for understanding. I’ll make sure I have all the required paperwork for you when I return.”
• “The last thing I want to do is miss class, but this was the only appointment available.”

• Stick with a closing like “Best,” “Thank you,” “Regards,” or “Sincerely.”

• The teacher or professor’s email address is typically listed in the syllabus but can also be found on the school’s website.

• For instance, if you know you have a doctor’s appointment on March 16th, email your teacher about your upcoming absence on March 8th.
• If you wake up sick and can’t make it to class, email them as soon as you’ve decided to stay home.

• Ask your doctor’s office for an absent note before leaving the office, even if you don’t think your instructor will ask for one. It’s always better to have it just to be safe.

• Take a picture of a physical assignment with your phone or scan a PDF copy with an app like DocScan .

• Run your email through a grammar checker like Grammarly to catch any mistakes you may have missed.
• Ask a friend or family member to read over your email for a second pair of eyes.

Community Q&A

• Keep your tone polite and formal in your email. Using slang or emoticons can detract from the credibility of your email. [12] X Research source Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0
• If your teacher has a no-email policy, don't email them; instead, tell a friend to pass along a written note for you or call the school office to report your absence. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0
• If you have the teacher's personal email address, don’t use it unless the teacher has specifically asked you to. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 2

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/effective-e-mail-communication/
• ↑ https://www.bu.edu/com/files/2021/11/WC_emails_to_profs_and_TAs.pdf
• ↑ https://www.unr.edu/writing-speaking-center/student-resources/writing-speaking-resources/email-etiquette-for-students
• ↑ https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/writing-resources/different-genres/sending-email-to-faculty-and-administrators
• ↑ https://mhanational.org/how-talk-your-professor-about-your-mental-health
• ↑ https://ugr.ue.ucsc.edu/email

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How To Write an Email to a Teacher About Homework

Communicating effectively with educators is a key skill for students. This article provides a step-by-step guide on how to write an email to a teacher about homework . Whether you have questions, need clarification, or are facing challenges with assignments, this guide helps ensure your communication is clear and appropriate.

To write an email to a teacher about homework , include a clear subject line, a formal greeting, a brief introduction, the purpose of your email, an explanation if needed, a request for assistance or clarification, your availability, a closing thank you, and your signature.

Table of Contents

Preparing to Write the Email

Before composing your email, gather all relevant information about the homework in question. This includes the assignment’s details, deadlines, and specific areas where you need assistance. Organize your thoughts so your email is concise and to the point.

What to Include in The Email to Your Teacher About Homework

• Subject Line : Be specific and concise, e.g., “Question About [Assignment Name] Due [Date].”
• Greeting : Address your teacher formally, using “Mr./Ms./Mrs. [Last Name].”
• Introduction : Start by introducing yourself, especially if it’s early in the school year. Mention your class and the period/session you are in.
• Purpose of the Email : Clearly state the reason for your email. If you have questions or need clarification on the homework, specify what parts you are struggling with.
• Explanation : If you’re facing challenges (e.g., illness, lack of understanding), briefly explain without making excuses.
• Request for Assistance : Politely ask for the help or clarification you need. Be specific about what you’re asking.
• Availability : Mention when you are available for a meeting or extra help, if necessary.
• Closing : Thank your teacher for their time and assistance.
• Signature : End with a polite closing, such as “Sincerely,” followed by your full name and possibly your class/section if it’s a large school.

Email Templates – Emailing a Teacher About Homework

Template 1: seeking clarification on homework.

Subject: Clarification Needed for [Assignment Name] Due [Date]

Dear Mr./Ms./Mrs. [Teacher’s Last Name],

I hope this email finds you well. I am [Your Name] from your [Class Name, Period/Session]. I am writing to seek clarification on the [specific aspect] of our current assignment, [Assignment Name], which is due on [Due Date].

I have reviewed the instructions, but I am still unclear about [specific part you are struggling with]. Could you please provide some additional guidance or examples?

Thank you for your time and assistance. I look forward to your response.

[Your Full Name] [Your Class and Section]

Template 2: Requesting Extension Due to Illness

Subject: Extension Request for [Assignment Name] Due to Illness

My name is [Your Name], from your [Class Name, Period/Session]. I am writing to inform you that I have been unwell for the past few days and have been unable to complete the [Assignment Name] that is due on [Due Date].

I have made considerable progress on the assignment, but due to my illness, I am unable to complete it by the deadline. I respectfully request an extension until [Proposed Extended Date] to submit my work.

Thank you for considering my request. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding in this matter.

Best regards,

Template 3: Asking for Help with Difficult Homework

Subject: Assistance Needed with [Assignment Name]

Hello Mr./Ms./Mrs. [Teacher’s Last Name],

I am [Your Name] from your [Class Name, Period/Session]. I am reaching out because I am having difficulties with [specific aspect] of our homework assignment, [Assignment Name].

Despite reviewing the class notes and textbook, I am still struggling to understand [specific problem or topic]. I would appreciate any additional resources or guidance you could provide.

Could we possibly arrange a time to discuss this further, maybe during your office hours or a free period?

Thank you very much for your help.

Yours sincerely,

Writing an email to a teacher about homework requires clarity, respect, and a willingness to seek solutions. By approaching your teacher with a well-structured email, you can effectively communicate your needs and foster a positive learning environment.

25 Professional Teacher Email Examples

Examples of emails to a school teacher

Teacher Emails are necessary, sometimes. Whether it is to clarify a doubt or to ask for an extension on an assignment, sending an email to a teacher has become a common practice among students and parents. If you are not sure how to address a teacher or how to clearly state the purpose of your email, keep reading.

In this blog post, we will provide you with some examples of emails to a teacher on various topics such as school homework, sick note, a child’s progress, bullying, reporting an incident, or even a late assignment. You can modify these templates to create a personalized professional and effective email.

1. Example teacher email about homework

Dear [Teacher’s Name],

I hope this message finds you well. I had a quick question regarding the homework assigned in class yesterday. I wasn’t quite clear on the instructions for problem #3 and was hoping you could provide a bit more clarity on what is expected.

Thank you for your time and guidance.

Best regards, [Your Name]

2. Example email to a teacher about a late assignment

I apologize for submitting my assignment late. Unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances arose that prevented me from completing it on time. I understand the importance of timely submissions and take full responsibility for my actions. If possible, I would appreciate any guidance or feedback you can provide to help me improve future assignments.

Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

3. Example email to a teacher about a technical issue submitting homework

I trust this email finds you well. I wanted to bring to your attention that I am experiencing some technical difficulties submitting my homework through the online platform. Every time I try to upload the file, I receive an error message and the upload fails.

I have tried different browsers and devices, but the issue persists. Is there any alternative way I can submit my homework? I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

4. Example email to a teacher about being absent due to illness

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to let you know that I won’t be able to attend the class today due to illness. I am experiencing [symptoms] and my doctor advised me to rest at home to avoid spreading any potential sickness.

I will do my best to catch up on the missed classwork and assignments as soon as possible. Please let me know if there is any specific material or tasks that I should prioritize.

Thank you for your understanding and I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

5. Example email to a teacher about access to the class website

I hope you are doing well. I wanted to reach out because I am having trouble accessing the class website. I have tried logging in using my username and password multiple times, but I keep receiving an error message.

I was wondering if there is anything I can do to troubleshoot this issue, or if there is someone I can contact for further assistance. I don’t want to miss any important updates or assignments, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you soon.

6. Example email to a teacher about missing class

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to let you know that I was unable to attend class [insert date] due to [provide a reason for absence]. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, and I would greatly appreciate it if you could let me know what I missed during that class so I can catch up on the material.

7. Example email to a teacher about bullying

I am writing to you about an issue that has been troubling me for some time now. I have noticed that there has been a lot of bullying going on in our class lately and it’s beginning to make me feel uncomfortable and unsafe.

I believe that everyone deserves to feel respected and valued, and I think it’s important that we work together to create a safe and supportive environment for all students. I would like to request that you take action to address this issue and ensure that all students are held accountable for their actions.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,[Your Name]

8. Example email to a teacher about child’s absence

I am writing to inform you that my child, [Child’s Name], was unable to attend school yesterday [Date] due to [Reason for Absence]. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and would like to request any missed assignments or classwork that needs to be completed.

Thank you for your understanding and please let me know if there are any further steps I need to take to ensure that my child stays up to date with their studies.

9. Example email to a teacher about grades

I hope this email finds you well. I was wondering if there is a chance to discuss my grades. I am eager to know where I stand and how I can improve my academic performance going forward.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

10. Example email to teacher about homework grade

I hope this email finds you well. I was hoping you could provide me with some feedback on my recent homework assignment. I received a lower grade than I was expecting and I was hoping to get some insight into what I could improve on for future assignments.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

11. Example email to teacher about a late assignment

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to apologize for submitting my assignment late. Unfortunately, I encountered some unforeseen circumstances that prevented me from completing it on time.

I understand that late submissions may have consequences, and I am willing to accept any penalties that may be assigned. I would also appreciate any feedback or suggestions you may have.

Thank you for your understanding, and please let me know if there are any further steps I need to take to rectify the situation.

12. Email to teacher from parent about their child’s behaviour

I wanted to touch base with you regarding my child’s behaviour in class. I have noticed some changes at home and I wanted to see if anything has been happening at school that could be contributing to this.

Can we schedule a time to chat about this further and discuss ways that we can work together to address any concerns?

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

13. Email to teacher about an incident in class

I wanted to bring to your attention an incident that occurred during class yesterday. [Describe the incident briefly and objectively].

I believe it’s important to address situations like this to ensure a safe and respectful learning environment for all students. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

14. Email from parent to the teacher about child being bullied

I am writing to you to express my concern about my child, [Child’s Name], who has been bullied by some of their classmates. It’s been affecting their mood and behaviour lately, and I would appreciate your help in addressing this issue.

I would like to request a meeting with you to discuss this matter further and find ways to prevent it from happening again. I believe that with your assistance, we can create a safe and inclusive environment for all students.

15. Email to teacher about child’s grades

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to touch base with you regarding my child’s grades in your class. I have noticed that their grades have been slipping a bit and I wanted to ask if there is anything we can do to help improve their performance.

I know that my child is capable of doing well and I want to make sure that they have all the resources and support they need to succeed. Please let me know if there is anything we can do at home to reinforce the material or if there are any additional resources you can recommend.

Thank you for your time and attention in this matter.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

16. Email to teacher about child’s progress

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to touch base regarding my child’s progress in your class. As a parent, I am eager to support my child’s education and would appreciate any insights you can offer on their academic and social development.

Could you please provide an update on how my child is doing in your class? Are there any areas where they excel or struggle? How can I best support their learning at home?

Thank you for all that you do to support my child’s education. I look forward to hearing back from you.

17. Email to teacher about child being sick

Subject: Child’s Absence Due to Illness

I wanted to inform you that my child [Child’s Name] was absent from school today due to illness. They have been experiencing [symptoms] and I believe they should stay at home and rest.

Please let me know if there is any work my child may have missed or any assignments that need to be completed.

18. Email to teacher about a child needing extra support

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out to discuss some concerns I have about my child’s progress in the class. My child has been struggling with [specific area(s) of difficulty] and I was wondering if there are any extra resources or support available to help them succeed.

I know my child is capable of doing well, but they may need some additional assistance. I would greatly appreciate any advice or guidance on how we can work together to ensure their success.

19. Email to teacher asking for something

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to kindly request [insert what you are asking for]. I believe this will greatly benefit my learning experience in your class.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Please let me know if you need any additional information from me.

20. Example email to teacher about failing grades

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out to you regarding my recent grades in your class. I have noticed that my grades have been consistently low, and I am concerned about my performance in the class.

I wanted to ask if there are any additional resources or study materials that you would recommend to help me improve my understanding of the material. I am willing to put in extra effort and time to ensure that I can succeed in your class.

21. Example email to teacher about failing grades version 2

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out to you regarding my recent grades in your class. I have noticed that I am struggling and unfortunately, my recent grades reflect that. I am disappointed in myself and I know that this is not a reflection of my abilities.

I wanted to ask if there is anything I can do to improve my performance in the class. I am willing to put in extra effort and seek additional help if necessary. I am also open to any feedback you may have to offer.

23. Email to teacher about a sick child

I am writing to let you know that my child [Child’s Name] is currently sick and will not be able to attend school for the next few days. As soon as my child is feeling better, they will return to class.

I appreciate your understanding.

24. Email to teacher from parent about new student joining

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to inform you that my child’s friend [New Student’s Name] will be joining your class starting tomorrow. They have recently moved to the area and will be attending [School Name] from now on.

I wanted to reach out and provide any necessary information you might need about [New Student’s Name]. They are a diligent student who enjoys math and science. They are also very involved in sports and love to play soccer.

Please let me know if there is anything else you need from me or if there are any adjustments that need to be made to accommodate the new student. We are looking forward to an exciting school year.

Thank you for your attention.

Best regards, [Parent’s Name]

Explore more Simplestic Email Templates

• Positive Email to Parents from Teacher: 15 Example Emails
• Missing Assignment Email to Teacher: 25 Example Emails

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Students Email Their Parents About Missing Work

In my last blog post titled, “ Stop Taking Grading Home ,” I explained how I use the Station Rotation Model to provide students with real-time feedback as they work instead of taking grading home. I had one teacher ask me what I do when a student arrives at my teacher-led station and has not done the work required. That’s a great question, so I wanted to share my very simple strategy with my readers.

If students have fallen behind on a formal essay, large scale assignment, or project , I require that they begin their session with me at the teacher-led real-time feedback station by writing their parents an email to explain why they have not completed the work they were assigned. They must CC me on the email, use the formal business letter format, and propose a specific action plan to catch up on their work.

This strategy is so simple but so effective! Students are rarely asked to take ownership of and responsibility for their work. Typically, a parent does not realize there is a problem until a zero is entered into a gradebook or report cards are mailed home. Requiring students to contact their parents and take responsibility for their work at various check-points along the process creates an incentive for students to prioritize their school work. This strategy also takes the responsibility off of the teacher, who is typically the person tasked with reaching out to the parents when there is an issue.

The most rewarding part of this strategy are the conversations that take place between parents and their children. Because I am CCed on the initial email, parents typically “reply all” and keep me in the loop as they dialogue with their child. I love the questions parents ask in their follow-up emails, like “Why weren’t you able to complete this part of the assignment when it was due? How are you using your class time? What can I do at home to support you in getting your work done?” I see so much value in encouraging students to have these conversations with their parents.

As soon as I adopted this strategy, more students completed their work on time and several parents thanked me for keeping them in the loop about their child’s progress, or lack thereof.

At the start of this school year, I posted a blog titled “ Who is doing the work in your classroom? ” where I said I planned to try to flip my thought process to make sure students were the ones working because the people doing the work are the ones learning. Each time I was tempted to say, “I could…” I challenged myself and my co-teacher to flip the statement and instead make it a question like “How can students…?” This shift in is what led, in part, to having students email their parents. I remember saying to my co-teacher, “We should email the parents of students who’ve fallen behind on their essays.” Her response was, “Why not make them do it?” Thank goodness for her reminders!

So, whenever you feel daunted by all you have to do as an educator, ask yourself how you can make your students do more of the work in your classroom. From that work will come real learning.

59 Responses

Admirable idea/strategy. Are you keeping statistical evidence on its effectiveness? I love the fact that it puts the ownership right where it belongs. I like it.

I have not spent much time comparing data from this year to last year, but I definitely could. This is just one of many shifts I’ve made this year so I’m not sure comparing data would help me to identify the impact of this one strategy given how much has changed in my approach.

Or…your students could track the data??

I agree with Vicki Healy. However, what do you have student do when there is no email for a parent?

If the station is near the phone – you could have the student call home.

I’ll check it out. Thanks, Sylvia!

I’m still reflecting on the strategy. It is borderline punitive, “if you do not do this…then I will tell your parents.” Have you considered sitting down with student and determining why they did not do the assignment before contacting parents? If this intervention doesn’t work, I can see getting parents involved but bringing them into the situation prematurely seems to destroy any relationship and trust a student has with you.

I work closely with my students throughout the entire process of a piece of writing or a project. We have many conversations daily about what they are working on, where they are at, and what they need from me to be successful. Those conversations are fundamental to my real-time feedback approach to assessment, so these parent emails are not premature. They are designed to inform parents of their progress, or lack thereof, and encourage students to take ownership of that progress. Because I do not use a traditional gradebook (as described in prior posts) this is an important strategy to pull parents into the conversation about their child’s progress.

Your strategy incorrectly assumes that all students have control over their learning environment and productivity.

What about those students whose ineffective parents prevent them from completing or submitting work. How do you avoid making home worse for those kids? Even if the kid has good parents, that doesn’t mean those parents have the skills necessary to help students improve their writing productivity or proficiency.

You also assume that all kids produce writing at the same pace. Have you thought about asking students to log their progress during class and monitoring their writing strategies? Building metacognition will more effectively improve all students’ writing.

How can you make your learning environment more conducive to that child making progress?

Your comment about all of the assumptions I’m making about my kids suggests that you may not be familiar with my work or my approach to teaching. I wonder if after reading a bit more about my work and my current program if you would be asking me to think about how I can make my learning environment more conducive to supporting my students in making progress.

Be The Change You Want to See By Shifting Traditional High School

Stop Taking Grading Home

Synchronous Editing

In the State of California it is MANDATORY that parents are notified if their student will fail a class. If not it is illegal to give a student a failing grade. This strategy not only help students realize it is their responsibility to complete the required work, but meets that requirement. Great job Catlin!

It doesn’t have to be punitive if you make sure the student emails a plan to correct the issue. At that point it is a progress report and action plan for correction.

What do you do for those without email or internet?

I’ve only got one parent without email, so we do a phone call instead.

I really like your blog comments. They are a great reminder for educators to keep students accountable and parents informed along the way. I once, early in my career, had a wise principal ask me” who is doing all the work, Heather? You or the students? I stopped. I love email idea. Cheers from a retired senior science teacher.

Thank you for the comment, Heather!

I have had my students call their parents and do a similar thing using a script for years. It’s highly effective. The kids hate it, the parent love it and it saves me time! I find that the kids work harder to avoid having to call home again. I love the email idea ? I think I will try that next year! Thank you for sharing.

Jen, I would love to see a sample of your phone call script.

I have done this for the past 3 years and find it works exceptionally well. Like you, I do it for major items, not every little thing, unless there’s been a string of incomplete work. It gets them to take responsibility and reflect on their learning skills and time management, and it keeps parents informed as well. I find it has also greatly reduced the amount of students who were coming to class unprepared or with incomplete work. I have not found it to negatively impact the relationship I have with students as I very clearly set the parameters at the beginning of the year and I don’t use it excessively or all the time, only for bigger items. I always try and find out what the backstory is first as well, to help brainstorm solutions and what they could do to avoid these situations in the future (ex. Time management and learning skill strategies). We also spend time at the beginning of the year learning to organize and manage our weekly schedules and figure out where the gaps are to get homework done but also to have fun and relax It may not be every students’ favorite strategy (what grade 6 student likes being held accountable?), but, like parenting, I think that we need to make good decisions for our students or help them make good decisions, whether they’re always popular or not. We’re not there to be their best friends, we’re adults there to support and guide them, and of course also have fun and learn from each other. Anyhow, just my two cents, but it sounds like it’s working for you! Thank you for sharing!

I definitely don’t do it for everything either, Steph.

I just do it for the big stuff. The stuff I’d want to know about as a parent.

Thanks for sharing how you approach using this with your kids!

What age group do you do this with? Secondary or intermediate ? Seems like a good strategy.

Hi Valerie,

I teach 9-10 grade. I feel like this is definitely a secondary strategy.

This is a thought provoking idea. I teach 7th grade and always look for ways to promote self-efficacy and responsibility. I would say that 50% of my students’ parents do not have emails. It’s a battle to communicate effectively. I wonder how your strategy would work via text message? I group text including parent and myself could serve the same purpose. I am so glad I came across your article today.

Thank you, Mary

If your parents are open to that, I’d definitely try it, Mary.

Emailing parents sounds like a really interesting strategy! I’m going to give it a shot. As for texting, it works really well in my room actually. I use Google Voice so the number is anonymous but works through all my devices and email. I definitely recommend it.

I also use a Google Voice number for some school-related things. (I’m outside the US now so it won’t work for everything.) . I really love that balance of reachability/anonymity of Google Voice. I get all the texts and voicemail transcriptions right away even though the number is not forwarded to my cell phone.

Catlin, I am constantly fed and encouraged by your work. Thank you very much for blogging about it. I am sorry there are some who just don’t “get it” or who comment without looking at the big picture. I am so glad you started a podcast, too!

Thank you for your kind words! I’m thrilled you enjoy my blog and my new podcast.

Happy New Year!

We have a system where we can use email to text parents and the responses come back to our email accounts. It is excellent for things like following up on attendance as parents are much more likely to respond to a text than an email.

When I was in high school (early 90s), my Latin teacher had a policy that if you did not complete your homework, you had to write a note to your parents explaining why. Those notes were then saved until parent teacher night. It was the only class for which i consistently did my homework. I knew what I was supposed to do. I knew there was no good reason why I couldn’t do it. She just held me accountable differently than my other teachers.

[…] Love this idea from Caitlin Tucker for addressing missing assignments — Students Email Their Parents About Missing Work […]

[…] I just love my class! We did lots of team building and getting to know you activities today and not much meat. I learned a LOT about some of my kiddos! One of them is even PERFECT (just ask him!) One of the things we did today was the sticky note posters – you know which ones. They are all over Pinterest. Students Email Their Parents About Missing Work. […]

Catlin, This blog post is fantastic. I love the idea of using the station rotation model for teacher led realtime feedback and putting the ownership of the learning on the students. Your solution to the homework issue is brilliant. Students learn responsibility, the connection to home is strengthened, and the teacher load is reduced.

Thanks for all your inspiration. We will be sharing this out to our teachers.

We are hoping to see you when you are in Nebraska this summer!

Ann Feldmann .

Thank you, Ann!

Moving assessment and feedback into the classroom has been incredible. Some teachers whether it’s too “idealistic,” but I think that has more to do with teachers feeling like they need to grade every single assignment. I’ve been much more strategic about what we spend our time assessing/discussing.

I’m excited to be in NE this July to work with teachers on blended learning!

Hi- I’m very intrigued by this idea, but I’m wondering how you get students to write an email when they won’t do their assigned work. Do you have to sit there with them while they write the email? I can’t see my students who refuse to do homework doing this. I love the idea if putting the responsibility on the student instead of me having to contact parents when they fall behind, but I’m wondering what this looks like in practice. Thanks!

Hi Kristen,

My students cycle through my teacher-led station as they work on large scale assignments and receive regular feedback from me. Most of the kids who have to write their parents have done some of the work but not all of it. They sit in my teacher-led station and write their email and don’t get to move onto the next station until I receive the CCed version in my inbox.

I do something similar to this in my classroom. I like that students are held accountable and parents are kept in the loop of what is happening in the classroom. As a parent, I would want to be informed. Success in schools involves parents, teachers and students to be involved 100%.

I love that you are encouraging the students to take ownership for their work, while still keeping parents informed. I can see how it would be a huge help with work completion! Thanks for sharing. I can’t wait to try it with my students!

Simple yet important idea….putting it on students opens up communication among all parties involved. I do this with certain projects (via phone call because our district has restrictions on who elementary students can email). I can see them emailing me and I forward it on to parents. Thanks for the tip!

This is a great idea. What a fantastic way to keep students accountable, but also bring the parents into the classroom. As a secondary teacher myself I find myself not involving parents as much as I would like and this would be a great way to get them more informed about your classroom as well as holding the students accountable. Love it!

Thank you for this clearer picture on how I can better handle missing assignments with my students! Our Principal asks for an email to be sent home letting parents know our student hadn’t completed an assignment. This idea helps my middle schoolers become more accountable for their actions and learning all while completed the required task of notifying parents about the missing assignment. Great idea!

You’re welcome, Phillip!

Students taking responsibility for their learning…AMEN!! Providing a path for students to have open communication with the parents about their learning is so valuable!! Thanks for the GREAT blog post!

I’m waiting for your book to arrive and will be implementing many of your ideas next year. I’m wondering how many students you have through the day? Next year I’ll have 38 in each class for 51 minutes. It’s taken me a long time to conference with kids individually this year and am worried about how I’m going to make this happen on a bigger scale next year with such big classes and short periods.

Hi Marianne,

I’m piloting a program where I am actually co-teaching English, science, and technology, so I have 60 students at a time. My co-teacher and I work in block periods, which does give me a lot of time to work with them. 38 is a lot of kids and 51 minutes is not a lot of time. If I was trying to tackle that, I’d probably plan a 5 station rotation lesson that would extend over the corse of a week. Unfortunately, that means I’m only meeting with one group a day, but I could still work with students in small groups or pull them to work individually. It would make keeping all of my feedback/assessment in class more challenging. I’d have to use technology strategically and really keep all of my feedback super focused.

What do you do about parents who are not involved/supportive of their students and emailing/calling is not going to have an effect one way or the other. I have a group of kids this year who are VERY apathetic toward any kind of work. Unfortunately, the parents are the same way. I know that they are capable of doing the work, they just won’t. I have tried all year to find what motivates them and honestly nothing works! Thoughts?

At that point, Melissa, there isn’t much more I can do. My job is to keep the parents in the loop, but I cannot make a parent follow through. I typically focus my attention on communicating with the students in those cases where I know the parents aren’t involved.

with the advancement of technology of course we also have to upgrade tricks and teaching strategies. and that’s a good, simple but effective strategy

Great idea! I am interested in starting this process in my own classroom. Just curious as to how you began? Did you send home a letter explaining the process and ask for parent emails? If so, could I possibly see an example?

Again, great idea and thank you for sharing! Its extremely important for students to take ownership of their own learning and progress!

Students know their parents’ email addresses. Since they write the emails and CC me, I did not need to collect them. Unfortunately, I cannot share a student email for privacy reasons. Typically, the emails begin with an explanation of what the assignment is, where they should be in terms of progress, where they actually are, and how they plan to catch up. Their action plan is the most important part of the email and must be specific with timelines.

Catlin, I really like this idea. How do they email their parents? Do they compose the email using your email address? I don’t know that many of my students have their own email…but then again, I have never asked.

Hi Danielle,

My students have a school email, so they just compose their emails and CC me. You could have them compose messages using your Remind.com account if they are too young for email.

That is an excellent idea! Thanks, Catlin. I do use Remind every year.

[…] also read about Catlin Tucker’s system of having students email their parents about missing work, and I think it sounds like a productive way to spend some of those minutes next to […]

[…] Students Email Their Parents About Missing Work. In my last blog post titled, “Stop Taking Grading Home,” I explained how I use the Station Rotation Model to provide students with real-time feedback as they work instead of taking grading home. I had one teacher ask me what I do when a student arrives at my teacher-led station and has not done the work required. That’s a great question, so I wanted to share my very simple strategy with my readers. If students have fallen behind on a formal essay, large scale assignment, or project, I require that they begin their session with me at the teacher-led real-time feedback station by writing their parents an email to explain why they have not completed the work they were assigned. […]

I’m curious to know if anyone has tried this with behavior?

This works wonderfully with behavior, homework, classwork or anything. I’ve always used it. I dont usually do emails. I do phone calls, during class, in the hallway, on the spot.

Acting crazy? Call your dad. Cant turn in assignments? Call your dad.

Disrupting my classroom? Call your dad. Oh, your dad is at work and can’t be disrupted? Well all the other students and teachers in the school are trying to work and you’re disrupting them, so…

Catlin, I do something similar using Remind. However, I am the one reaching out to the parents. I love the instant responses I usually get using Remind. I wish there was a way to send a Remind message and CC someone at the same time. I’d love to have them send the message. I was the same way and my kids knew that when it came down to it and they weren’t getting things done that a Remind message would be sent. It didn’t hurt our relationships at all. I really think it strengthened it.

For some of my parents without email, I had students record an audio message from the students and texted it to the parents. I agree it would be nice to have a CC feature in Remind to allow students to initiate that communication with parents and include the teacher.

I also agree with your comment about this strategy strengthening relationships with students. It’s their learning journey, they should be responsible for articulating what is going well and what is not. Ultimately, I think kids understand that.

Take care! Catlin

Has anyone given any thought to how this policy might play out for kids in an abusive family situation? I can easily imagine a scenario in which a kid gets beaten for missing a homework assignment that was already difficult to complete because of a chaotic or abusive home life.

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Dealing With Missing Homework

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In the spring, a young teacher’s fancy turns to thoughts of . . . homework? That’s what happened in the TLN forum discussion group last week, when a fifth-year middle school teacher asked her colleagues: “What’s your feeling about students who won’t or don’t do work outside of school?”

She went on to explain:

I carefully plan my class so that the homework I give is meaningful. Basically, I ask students to continue the reading process we begin in school. Home reading is a valuable habit for them to develop, and practical since I can’t devote enough class time to silent reading for my students to get through books in a timely manner.

Much of the time they have chosen their own books and by October most of my students are reading in class and for homework. But I have a few students who just hold out on me. They read in class, but no matter what, it seems they won’t read at home. These are students who also don’t do any work outside of school in any of their other classes. It’s true they go home to chaotic environments and some have lots of household duties. But does this mean they truly can’t work outside of school? Or are they simply refusing? Is it okay? How hard should a teacher push on this?

My close colleague grew up with both her parents working long hours and she basically raised her four younger brothers and sisters. She was exhausted, but she did her school work despite it and she excelled in school. She is a great teacher and has no sympathy for students who don’t do work outside of school. She believes it’s necessary for students to take responsibility for their education and she refuses to “make excuses for them.” She has the highest number of failing students in the building. Nonetheless, students say they learn a lot from her and come back to visit her, saying she prepared them for high school (we both teach 8th grade).

Where do you stand on students working on assignments outside of school? What about those few that don’t?

A suburban high school English teacher replied:

There are a variety of aspects to consider: the students’ ages, individual circumstances, the expectations of the school and department, the expectations in their high schools, and any relevant standards you operate within.

I’m sure you appreciate the importance of communicating one-to-one with these students and showing that you value them and want to understand the relevant factors that prevent them from doing work. At the same time, you can use that interaction to communicate the importance of what you’re asking—how it will serve them well in the future, that it’s not an arbitrary requirement you cooked up to torture students. Beyond that, I’m not sure what the consequences should be for that age group, in your context.

Working with high school students in the context that I do, I have a clear expectation, consistent with my department, school, and district, that students must do work on their own outside of school. Like you, I aim to keep it relevant and valuable—no busy work. When students don’t do the work, I talk to them, and offer support and flexibility on the amount or timing of work as warranted—but there’s not much chance of getting around the basic expectation of reading and writing outside of school hours.

When students say they just can’t do it, I’m comfortable saying that they also can’t expect a grade of C or higher in the class. I try to present it as a matter of providing evidence. They may very well be capable of satisfactory completion of a high school English class, but if, for whatever reason, they can’t demonstrate it at this time, the grade is unfortunately reflecting that there’s no evidence to warrant a more desirable grade.

Another middle school teacher, in a small midwestern town, wondered: “Should failure be an option?”

I teach 7th grade math and try not to assign homework as such. However, math is very skill-oriented and there are assignments each day. Students who use class time wisely usually have little or no work to complete outside of class. I plan my assignments so students can complete them during class time because I want to be available to help them if they are struggling.

Unfortunately, the students who struggle most tend to be either slow workers or those who care very little about their grades anyway. These students seldom finish their assignments in OR out of class, and consequently, their grades suffer. I have a fairly liberal grading policy. Homework not turned in does not count against students. However, students who do not complete daily work have little chance of being successful on assessments.

I am not sure what the solution is. I have tried working with individual students, writing contracts with parents/students, offering to stay after school to help, whatever. But for some students (and their parents) school is simply not a priority. While I understand that other things interfere with students and time to complete assignments, I also feel that school should be their number one priority right now and somehow we need to make them understand this.

An upper elementary teacher in New York state wrote:

I see great value in the concept of meaningful homework for a variety of reasons. Obviously, it’s valuable for the transfer of content and strategies along with the positive effects of practice and reinforcement. I also think it is a perfect way to provide opportunities to build character in terms of responsibility and personal accountability—skills that can go a long way in life.

A high school teacher in the rural deep south remembered:

I once visited the home of a student who almost never did his homework. I discovered that he lived in a trailer (not double-wide) with five siblings, two cousins, and three adults. There were two light bulbs in the entire trailer: one in the bathroom, the other over the kitchen area. I started making arrangements for him to do his homework in my room after school or early in the morning.

Our local youth ministry operates a homework club that provides space and support for members to do homework a couple of nights each week. We have many parents who are illiterate or semi-illiterate. Some push their children to get an education; others are intimidated by anything from school and embarrassed that they can’t help their children. Consequently, I’ve become much less rigid about work done outside of school. It’s always optional, although I stress the value of it for the doer.

A teacher in California questioned whether there is evidence that homework actually improves learning.

I recently read an article stating that homework had little or no impact on student achievement in content. Other research I’ve read supports that thinking as well. It’s one of those sacred cows that would be worth discussing and learning more about.

Do my kids do work at home? Yes. But mostly they do it on their own terms based on what they need in order to accomplish projects by a certain date. Reading is an expectation too, but it’s always their choice of book. Work completion and quality have risen since I ceased assigning “homework,” and I see how much more serious they are about the work we do in class together.

Rick Wormeli, a TLN forum member who writes and speaks about homework issues frequently as a professional development consultant, had this to say:

Some teachers see homework as evidence of learning. This is true, but it’s formative evidence at best. As such, it is never to be used in the final summative grade, or if used, it should be used with an extremely small influence on the overall grade—2 percent, 5 percent, or similar. Most experts will cringe even at this concession. We should use any evidence gained in assessing homework assignments to provide feedback to students and revise instruction, not as the final declaration of what a child knows and is able to do regarding a standard or outcome.

Homework is definitely practice. In fact, in my middle school classes, we called it what it was—"practice.” The phrasing I used was, “Students, your science practice tonight will be...,” or, “For practice tonight in English, please do the following....” This kept both students and me mindful of homework’s true role in learning (and its weight in grading) and removed a lot of the emotional baggage associated with the term “homework.”

Nowhere else in the world do we grade practice. We don’t give the gold medal to Olympians who trained well and worked hard, we give it to those who achieve the highest results. Homework is the time to practice and wrestle with the ideas, try out hunches, and explore the topic. If the score on our practice work counts for much of our grade, we don’t have the freedom to explore without fear of labeling and rejection.

This, perhaps, is the change in metaphor we need to consider: Grades are not compensation. They never were. Grades are reports of what happened—that’s it. They are communication, and as such, they must be accurate.

If we include such factors as homework performance; the number of days he used a quiet, indoor voice; whether she brought her supplies in a timely manner; if she completed tasks assigned, met deadlines, or brought in canned food for food drives; or a host of other distorting factors, we remove all validity in the initial report of what the students knows and can do regarding the standards/outcomes. Now the grade can no longer be used to inform academic decisions, document progress, or provide accurate feedback. Our enterprise is undermined.

Some suggest that doing homework builds character and therefore should be counted in the grade. I agree that doing assigned tasks, meeting deadlines, managing time, and sticking it out to finish an assignment when you’d rather be watching television all have their place in building character. But responding with inappropriate grading policies is not the way to build moral fiber. Hold students accountable for doing homework and following through on requests from the adults in their lives, but don’t do it through your grading practices. Grades are very poor teachers.

One last thing: There are numerous research reports regarding the impact of homework on student achievement in school, and the correlations are nothing or next to nothing for primary and elementary grades. In middle school there is a small bump, and in high school a slightly higher bump, but the correlation is still stunningly low. We have to accept the fact that while homework is one tool for learning a topic, it is only that—one tool. We have hundreds of other ways to teach students.

If the homework door is closed for whatever reason, it’s not the end of learning. Consider how you would teach if you didn’t have homework assignments to rely upon. When I did this earlier in my career, it changed what I did the classroom. My instruction improved as a result.

So how about you? Is homework important? Do you include it in your grading system? Have your views changed over time?

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Letter To Teacher Requesting Homework

If you would like to monitor your child’s homework every day, here is a simple template you can use to write a letter to the teacher requesting for a homework list.

Dear [teacher’s name],

I am writing to request that you send me a copy of a completed homework list for each day or for each week, whichever you think is more convenient.

I can see from the notes we received from you and [child’s name]’s grades that he has not completed all of your class’ homework. I want to ensure that we resolve this problem so I will start monitoring [child’s name] homework daily and ensure that [he/she] completes everything on time.

We are requesting a copy of the homework list to facilitate this action item. I will work with [child’s name] so [he/she] works on all of [his/her] homework on the list promptly and correctly.

I really appreciate your help and in this matter and thank you in advance for your assistance.

Other Free Letter Templates

• Request Letter to transfer Teacher / Classes
• Request Letter for Special Education Evaluation
• Notifying Teacher of a Child’s Special Diet
• Transcripts Request by a Parent
• Thank You Letter for a Class
• Thank You Letter for a Meeting
• Notification to Drop a Class
• Transcript Request by a Student
• Request Letter for School Transfer
• Request for a School Meditation
• Thank You Letter to a Teacher Before Moving
• Transcript Request – Student (Alternate)
• Thank You Letter to Guidance Counsellor
• Thanking Teacher for Writing a Recommendation Letter
• Dean Meeting Thank You Letter
• Thank You Letter for Teacher’s Concern

• Apology Letter To Teacher For Not Doing Homework

Dear [Teacher's Name],I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to address a matter that I deeply regret and to offer my sincerest apologies. I understand the importance of completing assignments on time, and I acknowledge my failure to meet this expectation in regard to the recent homework assignment due [mention the date]. I value your guidance and the education I receive in your class, and I take full responsibility for not fulfilling my obligations.I want to express my genuine remorse for not submitting the assignment as required. In this letter, I aim to provide an explanation for my lapse, express my commitment to rectifying the situation, and outline my plan to ensure this situation does not repeat itself in the future.

Dear [Teacher's Name],

I hope this message finds you well. I would like to express my sincere apologies for not completing the homework assignment that was due [mention the date]. I understand the importance of completing assignments on time, and I take full responsibility for not meeting this expectation.

I deeply regret not submitting the assignment as it reflects negatively on my commitment to my studies. I understand that consistent effort is crucial for my academic progress, and I assure you that this situation will not be repeated in the future.

I am committed to making up for this lapse by completing the assignment as soon as possible. If there is any opportunity to earn partial credit or complete any extra tasks related to the assignment, I am more than willing to do so.

Once again, I apologize for any inconvenience my incomplete assignment may have caused, and I appreciate your understanding in this matter. I value your guidance and the lessons I learn in your class, and I am determined to improve my performance moving forward.

Thank you for your patience and consideration.

[Your Name] [Your Class/Section] [Your Contact Information]

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to apologize for not having completed the homework that was due [mention the date]. I understand the significance of completing assignments on time and the impact of my actions on my academic progress.

I want to assure you that this was not a result of negligence or lack of interest in the subject. Unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances arose that prevented me from dedicating the necessary time to the assignment. However, I recognize that this should not be an excuse, and I take full responsibility for not meeting the deadline.

I understand the value of the learning process, and I am committed to catching up on the material I missed by completing the assignment as soon as possible. If there are any guidelines or resources you could provide to help me understand the topic better, I would greatly appreciate it.

Once again, I apologize for any disappointment my incomplete assignment might have caused. I appreciate your understanding and patience in this matter and am determined to improve my time management skills and meet the expectations of your class.

Thank you for your guidance.

I hope you are well. I am writing to express my sincere apologies for not having my homework completed for [mention the assignment title and date]. I understand the importance of completing assignments on time and the impact of my actions on my learning experience.

I want to be completely honest in admitting that I procrastinated and mismanaged my time, leading to this oversight. I take full responsibility for my actions and understand that this behavior is not reflective of my commitment to my education.

I am actively working on improving my time management skills and ensuring that such situations do not occur in the future. I assure you that I will complete the assignment and submit it as soon as possible. If there are any consequences or ways I can make up for this mistake, please let me know.

I genuinely appreciate your understanding and patience. I value the knowledge I gain in your class, and I am determined to learn from this experience and become a more responsible student.

Thank you for your consideration.

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to apologize for not completing the homework assigned for [mention the subject and date]. I understand the importance of being diligent with assignments, and I am truly sorry for not meeting this expectation.

I want to be transparent and explain that I encountered unexpected challenges that prevented me from dedicating enough time to complete the assignment. However, I acknowledge that this is not an excuse, and I should have communicated my difficulties earlier.

I am committed to learning from this experience and ensuring it doesn't happen again. I will complete the assignment at the earliest opportunity and submit it for your review. If there are any additional tasks or readings I should complete to make up for this, please let me know.

I appreciate your understanding and guidance. Your class is important to me, and I am determined to demonstrate better responsibility and time management moving forward.

Thank you for your patience.

We are delighted to extend our professional proofreading and writing services to cater to all your business and professional requirements, absolutely free of charge at Englishtemplates.com . Should you need any email, letter, or application templates, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at englishtemplates.com. Kindly leave a comment stating your request, and we will ensure to provide the necessary template at the earliest.

Posts in this Series

• Apology Letter To Principal For Ragging
• Apology Letter To Someone You Love
• Apology Letter To Teacher For Cheating
• Apology Letter To Teacher For Late Submission
• Apology Letter To Teacher For Missing Test
• Apology Letter To Teacher For Talking In Class
• Apology Letter To Victim Of Crime
• Apology Letter After A Flight
• Apology Letter After Accepting Job Offer
• Apology Letter After Breakup
• Apology Letter After Cancellation Of A Meeting
• Apology Letter After Cancellation Of An Event
• Apology Letter After Coming Late In Office
• Apology Letter After Complaint
• Apology Letter After Divorce
• Apology Letter For Betrayed Trust
• Apology Letter For Calling Someone A Name
• Apology Letter For Calling Someone Ugly
• Apology Letter For Cancelling A Job Interview
• Apology Letter For Damaged Office-Company-Factory Property
• Apology Letter For Damaged School Property
• Apology Letter For Disclosing Confidential Information
• Apology Letter For Disturbing Neighbors
• Apology Letter For Hurting Someone You Love
• Apology Letter For Late Payment Of Rent By Company
• Apology Letter For Late School Fees Payment
• Apology Letter For Lost Document
• Apology Letter For Missing A Meeting
• Apology Letter For Noise Complaint In Hotel
• Apology Letter For Not Attending Exam
• Apology Letter For Not Picking Up The Call
• Apology Letter For Not Wearing Safety Shoes
• Apology Letter For Poor Administration
• Apology Letter For Stealing Something
• Apology Letter For Violating School Rules
• Apology Letter From Employee
• Apology Letter Sample For Mistake
• Apology Letter To Boyfriend After Breakup
• Apology Letter To Boyfriend For Being Insecure
• Apology Letter To Boyfriend For Cheating
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• Apology Letter To Client For Delay In Service
• Apology Letter To Client For Sending Wrong Email
• Apology Letter To Controller Examination
• Apology Letter To Customer For Delay In Response
• Apology Letter To Employer, And Asking For Second Chance
• Apology Letter To Girlfriend For Hurting Her
• Apology Letter To Girlfriend For Ignoring Her
• Apology Letter To Girlfriend For Lying
• Apology Letter To Girlfriend For Not Calling
• Apology Letter To Girlfriend For Not Talking
• Apology Letter To Hotel Guest For Construction
• Apology Letter To Hotel Guest For Noise Complaint
• Apology Letter To Landlord For Noise Complaint
• Apology Letter To My Boss For Rejoining
• Apology Letter To Principal For Breaking Rules
• Apology Letter To Principal For Fighting In School
• Apology Letter To Principal For Mistake By Teacher
• Application For Coming Late To School (Apology Letter
• Excuse Letter for Misbehavior in School
• Apology for Missing School Guardian Meeting
• Apology Letter for Being Absent Due to Sickness

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Keeping parents informed on missing homework

Discussion in ' Elementary Education ' started by shoreline02 , May 25, 2016 .

shoreline02 Cohort

May 25, 2016

How do you keep parents informed about their child's missing homework? I teach science and have about 70, 4th grade students. I thought about sending home a weekly slip if students were missing anything and parents would have to sign and return the slip. Also, keeping parents informed about their child's behavior. On the same notice perhaps?  

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otterpop Phenom

I do this: Before handing in homework, every student holds theirs up in the air. I can immediately see and make note of who does not have theirs. Then, I send a quick email to all parents (bcc) of those children saying that their student did not turn in their homework. Simple, easy, quick.  

geoteacher Devotee

shoreline02 said: ↑ How do you keep parents informed about their child's missing homework? I teach science and have about 70, 4th grade students. I thought about sending home a weekly slip if students were missing anything and parents would have to sign and return the slip. Also, keeping parents informed about their child's behavior. On the same notice perhaps? Click to expand...

May 26, 2016

Most of our parents don't have an email or computer. Some have phones that connect to the internet, some don't.  

TXforever Companion

May 29, 2016

I bought duplicate missing assignments notes/ forms from Really a Good Stuff. They're kind of expensive, but it's nice to have instant documentation. When the notes are returned signed, I just put them in a file,  

Sarge Enthusiast

="otterpop, post: 1992615, member: 84048"]I do this: Before handing in homework, every student holds theirs up in the air. I can immediately see and make note of who does not have theirs. Then, I send a quick email to all parents (bcc) of those children saying that their student did not turn in their homework. Simple, easy, quick. Click to expand...

Unfortunately, many of my kid's parents do not have email addresses, computers, or access to internet with their phone. I guess a note home will be my only way to go.  

minnie Habitué

May 30, 2016

I would suggest Remind 101. Every parent in America has a cell now  

shoreline02 said: ↑ Unfortunately, many of my kid's parents do not have email addresses, computers, or access to internet with their phone. I guess a note home will be my only way to go. Click to expand...

I might be able to connect electronically with 25/30 of my parents.  

catnfiddle Moderator

Since I know for a fact all of our parents have access to a portal where they can view their kiddos accounts, I simply call the parents of those who are disengaged and ask they log in. Sometimes, when it's been a terrible year for a few students, I will send a letter home with a copy of the grade book, making sure the envelope doesn't have school insignia (you'd be amazed how many students will intercept mail).  

mathmagic Enthusiast

I do weekly reflection sheets for students that goes home with their papers from the week. This contains a quick 3/2/1 on how they're doing interdisciplinary-wise as well as an "on-time"/late/missing for each homework assignment. It's supposed to come back on Monday, so they will see it over the weekend. Those with numerous missing assignments I have set up a plan to contact daily - briefly listing the night's HW - so that the parents can help build the stronger habits with their child. For me, these methods give a good balance of driving student responsibility and holding them accountable.  

Thank you everyone!  

Rabbitt Connoisseur

Jun 1, 2016

Do you have an assignment notebook or agenda that could be signed by parents? I would only use this with frequent flyers.  

BioAngel Science Teacher - Grades 3-6

Jun 5, 2016

Create a checklist of that week's assignments - check off what assignments came in (with a grade if it's graded) and which assignments did not (you can do this as you go through the week or have it ready to go home for the weekend). (You can probably have students help you do their own checklists as the school year goes on.) The checklist can go into their folder and has to be signed over the weekend and returned with any missing work. You can then put that checklist paper into the student folder and have documentation that the parents saw their grades and missing assignments.  

Jun 6, 2016

I'm so embarrassed to admit this 30+ years later, but I was an expert at screwing with those checklists when I was in middle school. I'd write the assignments in for the teacher to sign, but I'd do it so lightly that I could erase / edit as I felt like doing. If I could do it in the 80s, these kids could do so now. These days, parents have the ability to check grades and assignments online. Even a weekly check using a library computer should work for parents who don't have home internet or smart phones.  

MrsC Multitudinous

All of our students in grades 1-8 have agendas to keep track of homework and assignments. During the first half of the year, I check agendas every day as they leave (it only takes about 2 minutes to do a check of all 28); during the second half of the year, I only need to check about 1/3. I'm strongly leaning towards having a Twitter account for the class next year and posting a photo of the Homework board every day. Between these two methods, everyone will have access to the information.  

catnfiddle said: ↑ These days, parents have the ability to check grades and assignments online. Even a weekly check using a library computer should work for parents who don't have home internet or smart phones. Click to expand...

Jun 9, 2016

catnfiddle said: ↑ I was an expert at screwing with those checklists when I was in middle school. I'd write the assignments in for the teacher to sign, but I'd do it so lightly that I could erase / edit as I felt like doing. Click to expand...

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A teacher suddenly quit her job after 24 years because parents drove her to a breaking point: ‘We didn’t sign up to be a glorified babysitter’

Are you a teacher looking to share insight on issues or things that are working well in your school district? Reach out to me: [email protected]  

Brenda C., a 60-year-old teacher who asked Fortune to withhold her last name due to privacy concerns, has taught grades 7 and 8 for the last 24 years. But stress from parental expectations, combined with years of inadequate behavioral support for her students, drove her to a breaking point. 

Her goal was to make it to the end of the school year before she retired, she said in a video posted on TikTok, but found the stress of navigating difficult parents to be unbearable.

“Parents,” she said in the video, “you need to get off the backs of your teachers.” 

Many school teachers—especially those who work in low-income areas—are struggling to manage large classrooms along with high expectations from parents that they feel are unrealistic. As high levels of burnout and stress are driving a teacher shortage (made worse by the pandemic ), some teachers are encouraging those struggling not to leave the profession entirely, and instead find districts that offer both teachers and students the proper support they need to maintain a sustainable career. 

Brenda spent the majority of her career teaching English language arts and social studies to  middle schoolers in different districts around California’s Bay Area. She spent less than a year at her last job, which was in a district she described as “lower-middle class,” with a lot of children of military parents, who she described as “very transient.” 

In the district, she said, “you have more absent parents, or parents who are not as involved in their children’s education because they’re in the military and they’re moving.” It’s a stark contrast to the district she previously worked at for 12 years, which was also in the Bay Area, but was “an affluent district,” where students had fewer behavioral problems. 

Brenda submitted her letter of resignation on February 14, months before the school year officially ends in June, because she hit a breaking point. “My mom was having health issues back home and I just had a really bad parent meeting, and I had just had it,” she told Fortune, adding, “I had been thinking about resigning for quite a few years prior to that day, but everybody’s got a breaking point in life and my mental health was more important to me at that point than continuing.” 

On the meeting, she said, “I was going into it burnt to the crisp, and the parent said something to the affect of, ‘you’re supposed to meet my child’s needs,’ and that’s what set me off, because that’s not going to happen in a room of 34 children with 34 different needs.” 

“There are some parents who struggle meeting the needs of one child,” she said in her video. “Imagine trying to meet the needs of 34 all at the same time.” 

It’s a sentiment many other teachers can empathize with, including Sarah Pugh, a 32-year-old teacher based in the Metro East suburban area of St. Louis. Pugh, who has been teaching elementary school students for the last 10 years, believes these stresses are much harder for teachers in districts that don’t offer enough support for instructors and students who may be struggling with issues that cause behavioral problems. 

“The issue is those extra supports cost money—and schools are already tight on money,” Pugh told Fortune, adding, “that teacher talked about having 34 students in a classroom. My class sizes are normally 20 students, and we prioritize having smaller classes to help meet the students’ needs better. Not everyone has the money to do that.” 

Pugh has taught third grade at her current school district, which covers 750 children in grades K-4, for five years now, and describes the district as “very diverse, both racially and economic-wise, with a lot of low-income housing.” These situations, she said, often mean children face stresses of poverty at home, including housing instability, trauma, and single-parent households—and also means some parents aren’t able to spend as much time teaching their children core behavioral skills they need.

“In a lot of single-parent households, parents are overstretched trying to make all the ends meet,” she explained, “so it’s not necessarily that they are expecting the teachers to do everything, but some of those things that normally a parent would be teaching gets left behind for survival instincts.” 

Pugh believes the “biggest key to a child’s success is teachers and parents working together as a team,” especially when it comes to addressing behavioral issues that come as children learn how to talk about their feelings, manage their emotions, and interact with others. Students who live in economically-challenged areas, including the districts Pugh and Brenda have taught in, can have behavioral issues that arise from the stresses of poverty, including difficulty self-regulating emotions and attention-seeking behavior that can disrupt classes. 

“It varies from classroom to classroom because all kids are different,” she said. “Things like manners, taking turns in conversations, keeping hands to themselves and how to handle conflicts with another student” are some of the most common behavioral issues she sees.

Pugh said she doesn’t experience serious issues with the majority of her students, but has “been growled at in the past during my first year of teaching.”

These behavioral problems can also go unaddressed for years, creating situations where children never quite learn the basics of self-regulating their emotions and interacting with other students even as they become teenagers. That’s the situation Brenda, who has taught middle school for over two decades, found herself in. 

“Some children are coming into school with so many emotional, social, and spiritual deficits,” she told Fortune, adding, “We didn’t sign up to be a glorified babysitter, psychiatrist, priest or rabbi.”  

To be sure, high levels of stress and burnout is driving an exodus of teachers out of the profession and has contributed to a shortage of teachers in at least one subject area or grade level in 41 states and Washington D.C., according to a 2022 U.S Department of Education report .

Studies led by researcher Tuan Nguyen , an associate professor at Kansas State University, place the current teacher shortage at 55,000 vacant positions and an additional 270,000 teaching posts currently filled by underqualified teachers. 

Teachers, especially those who instruct grades K-12, also report some of the highest levels of burnout than workers in several other industries, including higher education, finance, and retail, according to a poll of over 12,000 full-time U.S. employees by consulting and research company Gallup. The poll shows about 52% of K-12 teachers report feeling burned out “always” or “very often” at work, compared to 35% of employees in higher education and 32% of employees in retail sectors. 

Pugh believes more support for students with behavioral problems is paramount for reducing needless stress for teachers and actually improving the problematic behaviors—and her district could be somewhat of a model for improvements other districts could make. 

At the start of the 2022 school year, her district launched a program called “Character Strong,” a weekly lesson that teaches kids how to speak up about their needs and handle intense emotions or frustrations in respectful and safe ways. 

“The education system is pushing for more social emotional learning standards,” she said, “and I’ve seen that program help students in my class.” 

Pugh’s district also employs two full-time social workers who lead social emotional learning in small settings of two or three students, she said, while her previous district had a social worker who would “come in once a week for half a day, but if you have a lot of behavior needs, that’s not enough.” 

Other things Pugh thinks work well in her district include administrative staff that actively involves teachers in important decisions, like parent-teacher meetings and disciplinary action for students, and being given paid time to attend development training in areas like how to engage with children experiencing trauma. 

For other teachers who are struggling with the stress of parental expectations and inadequate support at school, Pugh offers some tender advice: “Move districts instead of just giving up the job entirely because not all schools are like that. You just have to find the good ones.” 

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