Ah-choo! It’s that time of year, or at least my nose thinks it is! Isn’t early December about the time students begin missing school due to wintertime illnesses, such as the cold and flu? No teacher wants her students to be sick—well, wait a minute, there was a student or two…:0) But seriously, an absent student misses valuable learning. Then there’s the make-up work that needs to be completed and graded.
So how do you keep track of missed assignments? Do you have a classmate gather assignments for the absent student? Do you require an absent student to complete missed homework assignments? Is your make-up work policy different for illnesses than for family vacations? I have so many questions! Please share what works for you!
Eager to learn,
Diane
Each of my children has a “mailbox” and we put a copy of any missed assignments in the absentee’s mailbox. Since I teach kindergarten, I tell the student/family to send the work back whenever it is finished. That puts the responsibility on the family to make up missed work.
As soon as I know a child is going to be out there work goes into their mailbox as well. If the family choses to do it and return it fine. If not I just let it go since its prek. There handwriting without tears workbook is made up the next time they come in during the child’s free time.
Diane, When a child is ill, I do nothing until they return to school. If parents call, I always recommend that their child read a book. Curling up with a good book is something you can do with a cold or mild flu. When the student returns, I assess what will benefit them as far as what work to make up. They may be the top math student, and if they are, most likely I can just talk to them about what they missed. If they are in a low group, then I might give them an assignment to get them up to speed or at least practice what they are weak in. I never stress over absences. It’s a part of life. Think about how you feel as an adult who returns to work after being sick….overwhelmed. I don’t want that for my students.