Reflection #7 – Make-up work
Ah Spring! April showers bring May flowers, etc. This is also the time for a lot of field
trips and sporting events, such as track, that cause students to start missing
school. I know in my classroom there
have been band contests, softball, track and field trips that have caused many
students to miss class time. The thing
that I am struggling with is the make-up work.
Some students come in beforehand to get work and others wait until they
come back. We have a folder that I place
work in but lately it has been crammed.
The problem is what to do with some assignments that we do as classwork
or group work that require the students to be there. I am struggling to come up with new ways to adjust
the assignments in order to allow students to get the points. Some of the assignments are really hard to
arrange into a form that is fair to the students, whether it be the ones who
did the original assignment or those who have the adjusted format. I realize that as teachers we have to work
with the system but I am wondering how we do that fairly for all the
students. Does anyone have any
suggestions for how to take an assignment that is done as a group project in
class and adjust it for a student who has to do it alone, outside of class
time? For example, I had the students
research a person who helped contribute to the Harlem Renaissance and then make
posters to present to the rest of the class.
They were divided into groups of four students, which they divided the
research between them and came together to create the posters and then present
the information to the whole class. The
students who missed class cannot really get together in a group outside of
class so they have to work on it individually.
I am not really having them research enough information to lessen the
amount they have to look up. In
addition, we are moving on to lit circles and so they will not be able to
present their information. I know that
fair does not always mean equal but I am struggling to come up with a
compromise that I feel is fair.
I think it is definitely a struggle! I had students do debates in my class. The students who missed them obviously couldn't debate themselves. I had them fill out the organizer the other students did to prepare, so they did the same amount of prep or more, but they didn't participate in class. The other thing is that they often need to gain the knowledge you created during class, which can be hard to do on their own. I guess for your instance, I would maybe have them research a person and then write a paragraph about it? They wouldn't necessarily have to make the poster or present it. I guess focus on what the goal of the task was. Was it to do the research? To share it? As always, just make sure the students are getting what they need.
ReplyDeleteI am having the same problem! Honestly, I create an alternate assignment for those types of issues. Or, I have the students who are going to be gone turn the work in early. If I have to plan for them to be gone and make an alternate assignment, then plan for harder homework from me. Emergencies happen, sickness happens, all of those things can be helped and different arrangements can be made. I have to be honest, I hate sports. If students choose to participate in them, then it should be on their own time and not mine. I shouldn't have to adjust to sports schedules. Choose to be a part of a private league or club that is after hours.
ReplyDeleteI know students have IEP's and there need to be adjustments made, I am completely happy to adjust for that. But the schedule is made by districts and schools, so why would they take instructional time? It has always seemed to me that sports take precedence. This is even shown at WSU, you'll lose your parking spot, which you paid for, plus you paid for tuition and it's because of sports. Sorry I'm not more sympathetic in this area, it's pretty touchy!
If I do happen to see any positives that work out I'll send them your way!
Jeana, I think this is an issue with all teachers. I have had the same question since I began student teaching. My freshmen miss more school than I thought humanly possible. I have not found a good way to have students make up in class work, I mean they call it IN CLASS for a reason. I don't know if I should exempt them or have them do another assignment, so I do both, depending on the assignment. I can't have them do a discussion outside of class, or have them do any group work outside of class for that matter: and this is the majority of what I do. So, I decided to do assignment sheets, so that way if they are gone, they know what they are missing points for, and they know how to make them up. I have heard one teacher talking about her giving her students a binder with all of the assignments and that way she can just say, we work on this page this day, if they are gone, they already know what needs to be accomplished.
ReplyDeleteIf you find a definite answer to this, please let all of us know =) Keep up the good work!