turning in homework on time

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How to Remember to Turn in Homework

Last Updated: November 29, 2021

This article was co-authored by Emily Listmann, MA . Emily Listmann is a Private Tutor and Life Coach in Santa Cruz, California. In 2018, she founded Mindful & Well, a natural healing and wellness coaching service. She has worked as a Social Studies Teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, and an SAT Prep Teacher. She received her MA in Education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2014. Emily also received her Wellness Coach Certificate from Cornell University and completed the Mindfulness Training by Mindful Schools. This article has been viewed 50,734 times.

You’ve had enough of that soul-crushing stare your teachers hit you with when they find out you forgot your homework again. They silently shake their head as you tell them you finished it, and even enjoyed working on the assignment, but simply left it at home. Even worse, you get home and realize you had brought your homework to class but forgot to turn it in! Again! Fortunately, there are proven steps you can take to help you remember to turn in your homework.

Organizing to Boost Your Productivity

• There is the classic two pocket, a side-folding folder in any color you can imagine, or adorned with the comic book hero, cartoon character, or sports team of your choice. One option is to get a few of these and use one for each of your classes.
• If you have separate folders for each class, keep all of them with you throughout the school day, perhaps in a three-ring binder.
• Alternatively, get yourself an accordion folder. These multi-pocketed wonders, usually equipped with a flap or other mechanism to ensure your materials stay where you put them, can immediately improve your organization. [1] X Research source
• Take time twice a week to organize all your folders or online files. This way they’re kept clean on a regular basis.

• Put any notes, handouts, worksheets, or assignment materials into the proper folder location as soon as you receive them, and keep them there whenever you’re not using them.
• Keep your organizing materials with you. Bring your binder or accordion with you to every single class. This ensures you always have all of your assignments with you for every class.
• For some extra tips, check out How to Be Organized in School.

• Before school every morning, triple check your bag! There’s nothing worse than simply forgetting completed homework at home. Make sure you have your organizing materials with you, and that you placed you completed assignments in them.

Developing Strategies to Remember Your Homework

• As soon as you sit down, take your completed assignment out of its folder and place in on your desk in front of you. Keep it there until you are able to turn it in.
• Get an extra folder exclusively for completed assignments and keep it in the very front of your binder. This way, you’ll be reminded of your completed assignments whenever you access any of your class materials.

• Always write down all of your homework assignments as soon as you are made aware of them. Be extremely detailed with the information you include. For example, jot down the chapters or page numbers of the textbooks or other materials associated with each assignment.
• If your class has a syllabus or course schedule, enter all of the included due dates into your personal planner.
• Include information regarding time slots you will not be able to work on homework, such as music or sports team practices, a babysitting gig, or family meals.

• Tangible planners are easier to update with quick additions or edits.
• It’s always satisfying to cross a completed assignment off with an actual writing utensil.
• Day planners are more appropriate for in-class use. Since you’ll often be assigned homework in class, and want to enter new assignments immediately, this is a particularly important factor.

• Another great source of reminders is your teacher. If you struggle to remember to bring your homework to class, talk to your teacher about it. Your teachers will likely have some helpful advice, and can even remind you the day before homework assignments are due.
• Your teachers will likely remind the whole class if you ask them to start reminding you, which may help your classmates remember their homework too!
• Alternatively, find a friend who will be sure to hold you accountable and remind you what needs to be done.

Using Your Time More Efficiently

• Think about how long it will take you to complete assignments and plan accordingly.
• Schedule specific portions of larger projects separately.
• If you struggle with finding large enough time slots to complete your homework, recognize that you need to make the time to do so. For instance, if you spend a good portion of each evening socializing with friends (online or in person), do all of your homework before you go out or get online.

• Kick starting your day will increase your productivity generally and prepare you for more efficient homework sessions. [2] X Research source
• Stick with it. If you get in the habit of getting up a bit earlier, you’ll likely start going to bed earlier as well.
• Don’t fall into the trap of staying up late working on homework, as your focus and productivity is greatly diminished late at night.
• Don’t procrastinate your homework and try to finish it when you wake up in the morning. It will make your day more stressful and ruin your previous night’s sleep.

• Wear headphones and sit facing a wall if you’re prone to visual distraction.
• Remind yourself that getting your homework done during school hours allows you to do whatever you want in your free time, including hang out with friends.

• If you are ever unsure of an assignment, ask your teacher about it as soon as you have a question.
• Get a jumpstart on weekend homework on Thursday or Friday. If you know you’re going to need to do some homework over the weekend, try to get it done earlier so you can relax and enjoy yourself over the weekend as well.
• Do not leave all of your weekend homework for Sunday.
• Try to plan weekend social activities for Saturday, and dedicate at least a few hours of Friday evening to schoolwork. If you do end up with plans on a Friday night, make sure you set aside a few hours on Saturday to work on homework.

Staying Focused on Your Homework

• Try studying in different environments to find the one that allows you to focus the best.
• Avoid screens, especially TVs. This includes your phone. Put your phone in your bag and leave it there. Only check it during scheduled breaks.
• Wear headphones (or earplugs). Whether in a library or coffee shop, headphones will help reduce the frequency of auditory distractions. Choose music that does not have lyrics, and is more ambient than bass-driven. Think “background music” when you’re making your selection, but know that you can still listen to music you enjoy.
• If you’re studying at home, try to use a room in which you won’t be interrupted by family members or roommates. Let others know you intend to work on homework for a certain amount of time, and ask them to let you be.

• The company of a friend can keep you from wondering what everybody else is up to, and can even make doing your homework feel like hanging out.
• Avoid studying with friends who tend to interrupt a lot, or who have trouble focusing themselves. You can hang with whoever you want once your work is done!

• Include a healthy snack, as well as a water bottle. Not having to get up for sustenance will keep you grinding through your homework for a longer period of time.
• Don’t forget sticky notes. They’re weirdly helpful. Use them as visual reminders of important things to remember, and to keep pages in books you’re studying or otherwise referencing frequently.

• Computers can also help you organize. Familiarize yourself with web-based storage systems like Google Drive and Dropbox. These will allow you to save and access files from anywhere you have internet access. [3] X Research source
• Use a flash drive too. Save all electronic files to both a web-based storage system and a thumb drive. Keep the drive with you at all times. (Get a thumb drive with a keychain attachment!) This way, even if you forget your hard copy, you can print another at school and eliminate the unfortunate “I forgot my homework” scenario.

• Try a 10 minute break after every 50 minutes of focused work.
• Use these breaks to go for a short walk, use the washroom, do a brief physical exercise (like stretching, push-ups, or jumping jacks), or to get a simple chore out of the way.
• Do not allow yourself to get distracted by activities that will prevent you from going back to work or will get your mind out of study mode. For instance, don’t call someone you haven’t spoken with in a while or sit down with friends who are hanging out but not studying.
• Reward yourself when completing assignments – but not before. If you’ve been itching for a bowl of ice cream, don’t dive into the freezer during a break. Instead, enjoy the ice cream once your homework is done for the evening and you can focus all of your attention – or none at all – on every bite.

Community Q&A

• If you’re doing your best to organize, plan, and focus on your homework, but are still struggling to get it all done, talk to a school counselor or your parents. School counselors, in particular, are trained to help students, and they will be happy to work with you on strategies and options to improve your ability to succeed in school. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1

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Why kids don’t hand in their work (even if they did it)

By Amanda Morin

Expert reviewed by Bob Cunningham, EdM

Quick tip 1

Use visual reminders..

Put a sticky note that says “Did you turn in your homework?” on a lunchbox or something else kids use every day. Or have kids keep their completed homework inside their lunchbox or on the very top of a bookbag.

Quick tip 2

Try a homework folder..

Have kids use a folder to bring their homework to and from school. Try a brightly colored folder with pockets. This makes it easier to find in a backpack and keeps papers from slipping out. Check this folder daily.

Quick tip 3

Use calendars and checklists..

Digital or paper calendars, planners, and checklists can help kids remember to turn in homework. Have kids choose a tool that works best for them. Then teach them how to use it.

Quick tip 4

Do a backpack audit..

A messy backpack can make it hard for kids to find their homework. Clean out the backpack together. Then give kids tips for keeping it organized on their own.

When kids complete their homework but don’t turn it in, it’s frustrating. And it can be even more frustrating if kids don’t have an answer to the question, “Why didn’t you hand it in?”

It’s not unusual for kids to forget to turn in their homework from time to time. And some kids choose not to hand in their homework, even if they did it.

Middle-schoolers and high-schoolers may want to seem cool in front of their friends. To some kids that age, caring about getting their homework done isn’t cool. 

Some kids might feel like they’re just “not good” at a class or at school in general. Maybe they had a bad experience with an assignment or a teacher in the past. So they don’t even bother handing in their work — even if they did it.

For other kids, though, getting homework to the teacher is a different kind of challenge. It’s one thing to do homework. It’s another thing to put it in your backpack, bring it to school, find it in your backpack, and remember to turn it in.

It may seem like kids are being lazy or not trying hard enough. But challenges with organization are real.

Dive deeper

Homework and trouble with organization.

The routine to get out the door in the morning is already hard for some kids. Managing to take their homework with them adds another layer. It doesn’t mean that kids don’t want to get it right or aren’t working hard. Kids can want to get organized and still struggle with it.

Other kids may get their homework to school but forget to turn it in. Maybe they can’t find it in their messy backpack. They might be distractible and get sidetracked by something before turning it in. 

Some kids just completely forget to turn homework in. Forgetfulness isn’t uncommon, especially when kids are stressed or tired. And it’s more common for some kids than others, like kids who have trouble with focus or with following directions.

Learn more about what can cause organization challenges .

How a homework contract can help

A homework contract holds everyone accountable for what they need to do to make sure homework gets done and turned in. 

Parents and caregivers: Download a homework contract to use with your child. Use it to outline the ways you’ll help with homework, including how much you’ll help your child get it to school.

Educators: If kids are having trouble turning in their homework, suggest that families try a homework contract. Explore homework contracts and other organization printables for families. 

When kids are completing homework but not turning it in, families and educators should connect and share what they’re seeing. Talk about the classroom policies and routines around homework like: 

Late work policies 

Where and when kids turn in homework 

Online options — can kids turn in homework online, like on Google Classroom? Can they email homework? 

Then use the information to find strategies to try. 

Parents and caregivers: It’s important to talk with your child, too. Ask specific questions about how school is going. For example, does your child feel uncomfortable handing in homework? Is something going on with the teacher? Talk about what’s going on and let them know you’ll work together to find solutions. 

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4 Tips for Completing Your Homework On Time

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• B.A., English, University of Michigan

Homework, a necessary evil according to many teachers, has a lot of students tied up in knots. Some students can never seem to get things turned in on time. In fact, many students do not even realize that they  have  homework until a friend from class texts them or they overhear someone in the halls talking about Ms. So-and-so's terrible, no-good, awful, horrifying worksheet for Chemistry that is due the next day. These five tips for completing your homework on time, however, should help you get that homework finished on time. 

Tip 1: Rely On a Planning System

Most of you by now are well acquainted with a homework planner. It has the dates, the school subjects you are taking, and a whole lot of blank space to write down your homework assignments. Use these planners if you have them. Writing with an actual pencil or pen may seem almost archaic what with technology virtually doing everything for us, but the kinesthetic movement of writing down an assignment into one of those little squares (Language Arts test tomorrow - STUDY TONIGHT), will actually help solidify that homework in your brain.

Plus, when you are packing up to go home at the end of the school day, all you have to do is open up that planner to see which books, folders, and binders need to go home with you so you will not miss out anything that you need to do that evening.

Some people  hate  using planners. They'd rather walk on a pile of crushed glass than actually write something down in a planner. That's quite all right. One student kept a wadded up piece of paper in his pocket where he'd scrawl his assignments. It worked for him, so it was fine. For those of you not keen on planners or crumpled up notes, your phone can come in really handy. Just download a productivity app and type your assignments in there. Or, keep track of all the work due in the notes section of your phone. Or, snap a picture of the homework board in each teacher's class before you head out into the hallway. Or, if you are really dead-set against anything planner-related, then just send yourself a text after each class with your homework assignments for the night.

No matter which planning system you prefer, use it. Check off each item once you get it in your backpack. Your brain can only process so much information at a time, so you absolutely must write your homework down if you plan to complete it on time. 

Tip 2: Prioritize Your Homework Assignments

All assignments are not created equal. It's strongly recommended you use a prioritizing system when you sit down at home with your homework. Try a system a little something like this:

• Examples: Studying for a major test coming up tomorrow. Finishing a major project due tomorrow. Writing an essay worth a LOT of points that is due tomorrow. 
• Examples:  Studying for a quiz coming up tomorrow. Completing a homework sheet that is due tomorrow. Reading a chapter that is due tomorrow. 
• Examples: Studying for a spelling test that will occur on Friday. Writing a blog and posting it on the class board by Friday. Finish a book upon which you will take a quiz on Friday.
• Examples: Reviewing chapters for the midterm exam. Working on an on-going project, research paper, or long assignment due at the end of the quarter. Completing a packet that isn't due for two weeks. 

Once you've prioritized the work you have to do, complete all the 1's first, then the 2's, moving down as you go. That way, if you find yourself pressed for time because Great-Grandma decided to stop over for family dinner and your mom insisted you spend the evening playing bridge with her despite the fact that you have hours of homework ahead of you, then you will not have missed anything vitally important to your grade. 

Tip 3: Get the Worst Assignment Over With First

So, maybe you absolutely hate writing essays (But, why, though when all you have to do is follow these essay tips? ) and you have a major essay staring you in the face that  must  be completed before tomorrow. You also have to study for a major math test, complete a social studies blog by Friday, study for the ACT  next month, and finish up your science worksheet from class. Your "1" assignments would be the essay and the math test. Your "2" assignment is the science worksheet, the "3" assignment is that blog, and the "4" assignment is studying for the ACT. 

Ordinarily, you would start with the science worksheet because you  love  science, but that would be a big mistake. Start with those "1" assignments and knock out that essay first. Why? Because you hate it. And completing the worst assignment first gets it off your mind, out of your homework cache, and makes everything that comes after it appears to be really, really easy. It will be an absolute  joy  to complete that science worksheet once you have written the essay. Why rob yourself of joy? 

Then, once you've completed the stuff due first, you can focus on putting in a little bit of time on the ACT. Easy peasy.

Tip 4: Take Planned Breaks

Some people believe that sitting down to complete homework means that you literally park your behind in a chair and you don't move it for the next four thousand hours or so. That is one of the worst study ideas in history. Your brain only has the capacity to stay focused for about 45 minutes (maybe even less for some of you) before it goes on the fritz and starts wanting to make you get up and dance the Roger Rabbit. So, schedule your study time with breaks actually built in . Work for 45 minutes, then take a 10-minute break to do whatever it is people your age like to do. Then, rinse and repeat. It looks a little something like this:

Homework Time:

• 45 minutes: Work on "1" assignments, starting with the absolute worst.
• 10 minutes: Get a snack, play Pokemon Go!, surf Instagram
• 45 minutes: Work on "1" assignments again. You know you didn't finish.
• 10 minutes: Do some jumping jacks, dance the Macarena, polish your nails.
• 45 minutes: Work on "2" assignments and maybe even finish with any 3s and 4s. Put everything in your backpack.

Completing your homework on time is a learned skill. It requires some discipline and not everyone is naturally disciplined. So, you have to practice checking that you have everything you need for homework when you are still at school, prioritizing your work, plunging into the assignments you loathe, and taking planned breaks. Isn't your grade worth it?

You bet it is. 

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Practical Mama

Practical wisdom and balanced lifestyle for parents

Tips to get students remember to turn in homework

By Practical Mama | This post may contain affiliate links

Towards the end of last year, my son started to have problems with his homework. The issue was not the assignment themselves. He would complete the assignments on time, but then he would frequently forget to turn them in, which would result in reduced grades. As a parent, this was more frustrating to us than not doing the assignment itself.

We didn’t want to jump to the conclusion that our son was a scatterbrain, forgetful or even he didn’t care. We’ve tried to determine the factors causing this issue. We asked him questions every time when he forgot to turn in his homework:

• Was there a dropbox or bin that he should have turned the assignment in?
• Did the teacher ask them to bring their assignments?
• Did the teacher make announcements when they collect them?
• Did the teacher assign a student to pick the completed homework up?
• Did he notice other kids hand their assignments in at all?

Eventually, we came to the conclusion that the situation was a combination of “lack of organizing”, “varying methods of collecting the assignments by teachers” and “forgetfulness”. We started with “lack of organizing” and “forgetfulness”. We offered few alternative options of solutions he could use and he picked whatever he thought would work for him. The keyword is “simplify”. Kids have so many responsibilities and so many distractions these days, picking a suitable solution for oneself is essential. Simple solutions are the best.

Organizing is about being aware of what one has in their environment. It can be their backpack, desk or locker etc. I wasn’t the most organized student myself either. So I can relate. When you are not an inherently organized person, you need to be taught methods and given tools to function. If you or your children have “scatterbrain” or “forgetfulness” problem, organizing by sorting, grouping, ordering, and labeling is your remedy. I highly recommend you to take a look at the 5S Methodology .

Expandable Folder:  My son uses his expandable folder to keep track of his paper based homework. He organized his folder by labeling them for a specific purpose, such as “ new homework “, “ homework to turn in “, “ work in progress ” and “ graded homework ” etc. The important point though is for the student to open the folder up every day at school and at home and go through it, check appropriate sections and take action on it.

At my kids’ school, homework is posted online on Google classroom. All homework have deadlines. They needed to track when each assignment is due, not only to remember the time to turn them in but also prioritize and plan their time to do their homework on time.

Online Calendars: It’s forbidden to use cell phones at their school but laptops are widely used. We use online Google calendars for all of our scheduling but in my humble opinion, excessive use of electronics and online resources for school work cause more distraction for students. Especially, if your kids are having hard time focus as is. There is already so much use of the internet, whether it is classroom portals, online learning websites, e-mailing and messaging for classroom projects. It’s healthier to keep some of the efforts offline.

Post it notes:  You can use post-it notes on a pencil box, folder or another item that student definitely takes out of their backpacks every day. Post-it note should trigger action to turn the homework in.

Locker checklist: If the student has a locker at school, they can create a reminder note, laminate and put it up visibly in their locker. Every time, they visit their locker, they’ll see the note and make sure all their assignments handed in and all their new homework material is put in their backpack.

Final check before school dismissal : Getting into the habit of going through a checklist at the time when they are packing their backpacks before going home is a great way to work the executive functioning part of those growing brains. This can be with the help of an exact same note as the locker checklist, or merely a mental checklist:

• Did I turn in all my assignments?
• Did I put in all new assignments in my folder?
• Did I pack all necessary notebooks and books to complete my assignments?

COMMUNICATING WITH THE TEACHER

It’s also important to talk to the teachers to learn their preferred method of collecting the assignments. During the parent-teacher conferences, we talked to the teachers as well. We asked to have a standard method of turning in the assignments if they varied so that the students would know what is expected. It’s confusing for the students when one day the teachers announce to turn in the assignments, the other day they just assume the homework will be turned into a bin without making an announcement.

We also advised our son to go up to the teacher before the end of the session and ask whether he should turn in the homework if he is in doubt. It is his responsibility to let the teacher know he has completed his assignment on time and has it ready by its due date.

ONLINE HOMEWORK

Online homework is rather easier with one precaution. If homework is an online lesson, the homework is considered submitted when the lesson is complete. However, if an online document needs to be submitted, that has to go on time as well. The same organizing and reminder methods can be used. Also, some portals have check marks to notify the completion of the assignment. The student should have a final review the portal daily before closing down the homework session to make sure they checked all completed assignments as DONE.

I am happy to report that he’s currently in control of turning the assignments on time using these organizing and reminder methods.

Do you have similar issues with your children? If you use any of these methods and find helpful or use other methods which work, please share them in the comments.

You might also like:

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I haven’t tried anything yet, but I will be. These are helpful ideas. My daughter just transitioned to middle and is struggling keeping up with assignments and turning them in.

I don’t understand why teachers cannot just ask the students to turn in their homework. Why is that so hard? Even my college professors, all of them, reminded us to turn in our homework assignments.

I also think that the teachers should remind there students at the end of the day before leaving the classroom to remember all there home work, especially for those students that have problems remembering homework, even before middle school years,to help them start making it a habit.

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Turning in homework

You may notice that your child regularly forgets important books and assignments at school or at home, or she brings home every single book and folder every day, regardless of what the teacher has assigned. As a result, she can’t complete her homework, isn’t sure what she should be working on, or can’t turn her work in on time.

Many school-age school children will have these types of problems at some point, but chronic homework issues that do not seem to improve as your child gains independence and advances in school might indicate that your child is struggling to develop organizational skills . Organization is one of our executive functions: the set of skills that let us effectively execute daily tasks.

Solution: Use a daily planner or assignment book

Explicit instruction and examples of how to use a daily planner or assignment book can help your child overcome organization problems, and develop this critical skill. Explicit instruction is a type of teaching where you clearly outline the steps you child must take to complete a task, and provide specific explanations for each decision. For example:

Don’t do this: Hand your child a daily planner and tell her she can use it to write down homework due dates so she can stay organized.

Try this instead: Sit next to your child with a daily planner open in front of you. Show her where and how to write down the due date of a homework assignment and materials needed, and plan for the days she will need to complete a larger project. Decide on a time at the end of each school day when she will review the notes in her planner, and collect all the books, papers and supplies she’ll need to do her work, and identify an informed adult who will review the planner and your child’s (very full or very empty) backpack.

Remember: If using a daily homework planner was easy for your child, she would have done it already. Lack of organization doesn’t equal laziness — she needs help developing the skills to do the things she knows will help her, and overcome the challenges and barriers that get in her way.

It is perfectly normal for children to experience some degree of difficulty and frustration as they learn to execute new tasks. Toddlers can tantrum, school-aged children can yell and argue, and teenagers can ignore instructions. When deciding if executive function weaknesses require intervention, ask yourself: “How frequently is this occurring? How intense is the experience/significant the impact?” If your answer to these questions is “too much,” “too often,” “I don’t know what to do to change this,” or “it’s only getting worse,” you may benefit from a face-to-face conversation to help problem-solve your concern. Effective problem solving will help you clearly identify the problem, goal, steps it will take to achieve your goal, possible barriers, and available supports.

Resources to develop organization skills

• Focus Keeper
• iHomework 2
• iStudiez Pro Legendary Planner
• Remember the Milk
• Bright Kids Who Can't Keep Up: Help Your Child Overcome Slow Processing Speed and Succeed in a Fast-Paced World
• Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents: A Practical Guide to Assessment and Intervention
• FLIPP the Switch: Strengthen Executive Function Skills
• Late, Lost, and Unprepared: A Parents' Guide to Helping Children with Executive Functioning
• Smart but Scattered Teens: The "Executive Skills" Program for Helping Teens Reach Their Potential
• Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary "Executive Skills" Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential
• Solving Executive Function Challenges: Simple Ways to Get Kids with Autism Unstuck and on Target
• The CEO of Self: An Executive Functioning Workbook
• Train Your Brain for Success: A Teenager's Guide to Executive Functions

Educational and Social Resources for Patients and Families

• Cancer Center Teacher Guide to School Reentry
• Child Mind Institute
• Executive function & self-regulation (Center on theDeveloping Child at Harvard University)
• Learning Works for Kids
• Resource Guide for Adolescent and Young Adult Survivors of Cancer
• The Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR)
• Understood for Learning and Attention Issues
• Wrights Law

Contact the Executive Function Consultation, Education and Skills (EXCEL) Clinic

Life Solutions of Dallas-Fort Worth

Tips to help your student remember to turn in homework, students who struggle with sustained attention and working memory problems often forget to turn in their homework.   not getting credit for homework that’s finished on time is extremely frustrating to everyone involved if this is a problem for your child or teen, try these suggestions., identify the problem, there are a number of ways that homework can get lost between home and the classroom. talk through these situations with your child to identify the problem., is the homework left at home, is the homework lost in the bottom of the backpack, the bottom of the locker, or elsewhere, is turning in the homework in being forgotten in the classroom, once you have identified the problem, consider these suggestions to address it., leaving homework at home, if your student loses track of homework at home, try these suggestions., talk about the fact that her homework is not really completed until she puts it in the right folder or notebook, and packs the folder and notebook into the backpack., have her make a written list for completing her morning routine including putting the homework in the backpack in the morning. it is important that she make the list so that she will take ownership of this process., have her make list all the things she needs to put in her backpack each day including homework. either put this in a clear luggage tag on the backpack or place this list on the wall where she packs up to go., help her link putting the homework in the backpack or notebook to a previously formed habit. for example, if she easily remembers to take her trumpet, she could put her homework folder with it., losing homework in the backpack or elsewhere, if the homework gets lost on the way to the classroom, help your student try different ways of keeping better track of her homework., some students like to use a homework folder so that all the assignments that need to be turned in are in one place., for others, it works best to put the completed homework in their notebook(s) organized by subject., where the homework goes is a matter of preference: the key is to put it in the same place every time so she can find it., forgetting to turn in the homework in class, for a student who forgets to turn in the homework in the classroom, these ideas may be helpful., have her create a written checklist of things to be done when she enters or leaves the classroom., try associating turning in the homework to something that he sees when he walks into or out of the classroom. recently while working with a student on this problem, he stated that his teacher has a “bob the minion” toy beside the basket for homework. i suggested that he needed to go see bob as soon as he walks in the classroom. he hasn’t missed turning in his homework since, if your student uses a planner for tracking assignments, it could also be used as a way to remind her to turn in assignments. your student could add “turn in homework” so that when she writes down that day’s assignment, she will remember to turn her completed homework..

• Have your student ask a friend to give him a secret signal (pat him on the back) to remind him to turn in his homework.  This needs to be a really good friend who has no problem turning in homework and can be trusted not to tell others about this.

There are now smart phone apps and smart watches that can be set to vibrate and show a reminder at a specific time. If this works for your student, talk to her teachers about allowing her to use these tools to address this specific need.

Any or all of the above: try technology, when she prints out a completed assignment at home, your student might also send it to her own email account. then, if she misplaces it somewhere along the way, she could print it out during class or free time (with teacher permission)., an alternative is to have her store completed homework documents on an online information organizing tool like evernote ., an innovative approach might be to ask her teachers if your student could email completed assignments directly to them thus avoiding any possible losses along the way. a number of high school teachers are using google docs and other online file sharing tools for this purpose., need help with this concept, if teachers have set up a system that is not working for your student, talk with them about allowing alternatives., if you need any additional help implementing this concept, call 817.421.8780 to set up an appointment today., ————————————————————-, © 2016, monte w. davenport, ph.d., share what helps your student remember to turn in homework.

The Blue Jay

Why it is NEVER a good idea to turn in late work

Courtney McQuay , Staff Writer | October 19, 2016

It is not uncommon for students to be overwhelmed by the amount of work assigned to them in their classes. Having too much work can make them stressed and more likely to procrastinate. That big pile of homework seems intimidating, but your grade is in jeopardy if you let it sit there. Students often feel that it is okay to do a little bit of their work at a time and take a break in-between assignments, except for when those breaks last longer than it takes for you to complete the assignment. This mindset can end in work not being completed by its deadline, while the student’s workload does not decrease. It does not work like that. Sometimes students feel that it’s okay to turn in an assignment late since one late assignment won’t affect their grade all that much.

But that’s where they’re wrong. One assignment might not impact a grade that much, but when the student turns in the work late, it really impacts the teacher. Instead of having your paper to grade at the same time as everyone else, a teacher must now grade your paper separately, well after they’ve read everyone else’s, and must now go back through the requirements of the assignment and must look back through the answer key, instead of knowing exactly what they are looking for when they grade everybody else’s work at the same time. This causes it to take much longer to grade the assignment than when the assignment is turned in on time, plus most teachers deduct points for being late.

“There comes a point when an assignment loses its value.” says Mrs. Hartman, an English teacher, “it’s not worth turning in.”

Assignments have deadlines for a reason. To get you to do it. If you learn and get into the habit of good time management, then you are set for life past high school. No boss will want an employee that constantly misses a deadline. Plus, missing deadlines puts stress on you, especially if you didn’t do that speech due today. When you turn work in on time, that means you also have less work to do later instead of it piling up. Your grade is also saved. You might actually get a hundred on that assignment.

“Turning in something undone is better than not turning it in.” says Mrs. Hartman, “partial credit is better than no credit. If it’s late, the most you can get is a 60%. That’s the English department’s late work policy.”

Missing due dates in school can impact your learning too. If you don’t do the work, then you won’t understand what is going on in class. If your class is having a discussion over last night’s assignment and you didn’t do it, then you won’t have a clue what’s going on. If the teacher calls on you to summarize what the assignment was over and you didn’t do it, then it can be quite embarrassing for you, and distract the rest of the class.

“Assignments won’t get graded as quickly.” Says Mrs. Hartman, “If you aren’t worried about your grade then I won’t be.”

Turning in work on time also shows that your responsible and well organized. You’re more likely to get a good reputation if you turn in things before their deadline. If you plan how to do your assignments so that they are turned in on time, then you will likely be able to actually do it. Don’t ever leave assignments unfinished and thinking that you will just “do them later” because there likely won’t be a later and you will forget about them. Set reminders if you need to about due dates, and bring the completed assignment to class on that day it’s due.

Do not think that this means that you won’t ever have time for yourself. Finishing things early just lets you relax later knowing that you have everything done. Always schedule time for you to relax between assignments, just remember that you have to come back to them later.“It becomes a cycle.” Says Mrs. Hartman, “college doesn’t accept late work. It’s better to figure it out now, not later.”

“It becomes a cycle.” Says Mrs. Hartman, “college doesn’t accept late work. It’s better to figure it out now, not later.”

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How to Submit Assignments on Time

Struggling to Submit Assignments on Time?

Picture this: after a long week, you’re sitting on the couch with a snack rewatching your favorite show. It’s around ten at night, the blanket’s warm, and you’re comfier than you’ve ever felt before. Right before you fall asleep, you get a nagging feeling you forgot something. You shoot up as that cold pit of dread hits – you have an essay due at midnight. And you haven’t even started writing. Worse, you don’t even know what to write about. If you’ve had this experience or a similar one, don’t worry – you’re not alone. Every semester, thousands of students struggle to submit assignments on time.

And that feeling, that cold pit of dread, still haunts some of us years after graduation. Notably, graduates report having nightmares of missing that important assignment.

Many don’t start working until the last second for a variety of reasons. Indeed, while the stereotype for a procrastinator is the lazy, uncaring college student, many have other responsibilities that take up a lot of time. And with the college mental health crisis being a hot topic in higher education, there’s a lot more to consider than simple laziness.

However, there are methods you can use to turn in work on time. From detailed planning to consistent schedules, students can build basic time management skills as they adjust to college life.

Why it Matters

While these skills are very important later in life, students may not realize how vital it is to turn in homework on time. They don’t see why it matters if they submit their essay at 11:59 pm or 2:30 am. As long as it’s in. But most college professors set some sort of penalty for late work and some can be devastating.

Indeed, the best student can turn in the highest quality essay and still receive a failing grade if it’s submitted late. And the strictest instructors don’t care if you have a valid reason. However,  late policies  vary from professor to professor. Some will give full points as long as you either submitted high-quality work or reached out to them ahead of time. Others won’t accept an essay if you turn it in even a minute after the deadline. In the middle, you’ll find instructors who deduct points based on how many days late you are.

Regardless, unless you find one of those kind professors, your grade will suffer. And you may find yourself repeating the class if your grade takes too many hits. Truly, it’s important to submit assignments on time.

4 Tips to Submit Assignments on Time

Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to just start submitting work on time. No one can wake up one day and have it all together. If it were that simple, we wouldn’t have so many students procrastinating their way through a degree. To succeed, you have to retrain your brain and build  time management skills .

Below we will go over some of the ways you learn how to submit assignments on time.

1. Create a Calendar

Once you start a semester or recognize your struggle to stay on schedule, you should create a calendar of all of the assignments and due dates. Your professor will either provide a schedule or you can find one in the  syllabus . Using these resources, plot all of your courses’ assignments in either a planning notebook or on your phone for the entire semester. You’ll likely need to update them as you go and due dates change. Whether you go traditional or digital should depend on what tool you’ll actually want to use.  

Either way, you’ll have a tool that can help you submit assignments on time.

Indeed, some people love to buy  notebooks and planners , but then never touch them. They tuck them away one day and never pick them back up. Or they don’t update them when due dates change. Indeed, there is no button to quickly change what you’ve written.

But, notably, we tend to remember things better once we’ve written them down. Thus, they can help improve your memory overall. And some students don’t like notifications or will casually snooze them as soon as they go off. For them, a planner works best to help them submit assignments on time.

Going Digital

Today, our phones come with calendars built-in,  apps  that allow you to create events and set reminders weeks in advance. Thus, even the basic ones are perfect for students. You should set up a handful of notifications to go off days and weeks before your due dates. And for those big assignments, you may want to set up reminders two to three weeks beforehand.

If the basic calendar apps aren’t your cup of tea, there are many specialty options designed for students. They’ll allow you to create custom schedules for each of your classes, color code assignments, and more.

In the end, calendars are helpful as they help you remember assignments. Digital ones send you regular customizable reminders. And planners allow you to visualize the work ahead. Whatever your preference, we recommend creating a calendar to help you submit assignments on time. You may even consider using both to ensure that your work gets done.

2. Create (and Stick to) a Schedule

Creating a schedule  is one of the best ways to stay on track in your courses. We’ve all gotten caught up with friends, our favorite show, or just a really good nap before and pushed our homework to the side. Indeed, most of us when left to our own devices will choose fun and relaxing options before doing schoolwork. And that’s okay – you deserve to rest, too. Naps and friends still should be a part of your weekly schedule, but you need to make sure you have time for everything.

Thus, we recommend setting a specific time to read, study, and write essays each week. If possible, it should be at the same time week after week. This scheduling will help you build a routine, which can help you submit assignments on time. Notably, building a routine makes it easier to sit down as you’ll feel that it’s time to work. Instead of thinking “I’ll do it later,” and then finding that you’re too exhausted later, you’ll get your work done

And it may actually help you see your friends more, as procrastination often costs us more free time than it saves. For example, you tell people you can’t come out as you have to do your essay, but, instead, you deep clean the oven. Your essay still needs to be written and you miss another possible night out tomorrow.

3. Ask for Help

A common reason students put assignments off is that they’re confused or frustrated by something. Maybe the rubric wasn’t clear or they don’t understand some of the content. Instead of asking for help, they’ll think “I’ll do it later.”

For some, later ends up being the night before it’s due. Students stay frustrated at the thought of the essay or worksheet and don’t want to touch it. And because the assignment needs extra work to get around the confusion, they end up spending hours on something that could have been finished in one. These students don’t submit assignments on time because they need help and don’t know how to ask for it.

Truly, people of all ages struggle with asking for help. They feel like a burden or want to do it all themselves. However, knowing when you need help is a sign of wisdom, not weakness. We can’t know or do everything ourselves.

If you’re falling behind because you’re confused,  email your professor , use online resources, ask a classmate, or try your college’s tutoring center.

4. Be Kind to Yourself

Finally, one way to help yourself submit assignments on time is to let yourself off the hook. Basically, don’t be hard on yourself when or if you fall behind.

Negative thinking often becomes circular thinking . We fall into a pit of bad thoughts and anger pointed at ourselves. And when we reach that point, it becomes harder and harder to get back on track. We think we should have been able to do this whole college thing with ease and we’re lesser for struggling. But it’s simply not true. Many of us will miss a deadline in our lives, whether at school or work or with another responsibility. It happens. As we said at the beginning of this article, there are a hundred different reasons students fall behind.

Many of us have jobs, some of us have families, and the student mental health crisis is real. Don’t be too hard on yourself for missing a deadline or two. Continue to reward yourself for your hard work and aim to do better.

Final Thoughts

Lakewood University is an accredited online school that offers a variety of degree and certificate programs. We have rolling enrollments and asynchronous courses. In other words, you don’t have to worry about missing a lecture or running late to class. If you plan on enrolling in college while working, Lakewood University offers the flexibility you need to earn your degree.

Don’t hesitate – reach out to our admissions department today to learn more !

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Helping Children with Executive Functioning Problems Turn In Their Homework

On this page:, walk through the process with the child, develop templates of repetitive procedures, provide accommodations, teach the use of tricks and technology that help compensate for organizational weaknesses.

Here are some strategies to help a child who does his or her homework, but doesn’t turn it in:

Walk through the process with the child. For example:

Is the homework getting lost at home? Is the homework getting lost in the bottom of the backpack or the bottom of the locker? Is it in the proper notebook, but forgotten in the process of settling into the classroom?

Once you have identified the sticking point, consider what needs to be added to the routine to get past it.

Try different ways of organizing homework to find the one that best suits your child. Some students do best with a separate homework folder so that everything that needs to be turned in is organized into one place. Others do better when they organize the homework by subject.

If the teachers have set up a system that does not work for your child, talk with them about allowing alternatives. This can also be done as part of a formal individualized plan, like a 504 plan.

Develop templates of repetitive procedures. For example:

• Teachers can create a checklist of things to be done upon entering or leaving the classroom.
• Parents can create written checklists or photo charts for completing chores, preparing to catch the bus in the morning, gathering necessary stuff for sports practice, etc.

Provide accommodations. For example:

Teachers understandably balk at the idea of taking on responsibility for your child’s job of turning in his work. However, repeated performance of a behavior is what makes it a habit; once the behavior is automatic, then the burden is lifted from the executive system.

If you help the teacher to see this as a step in the process of building independent skills, with the prospect of fading out the teacher’s prompting, it may encourage the teacher to get on board.

Teach the use of tricks and technology that help compensate for organizational weaknesses. For example:

For example, after completing an assignment, the student could be taught to enter a note into the next day’s assignments block for that subject. Then, at the end of class, when the student enters that night’s homework assignment, he will see the reminder to turn in what is due that day.

“Turn in homework” can be a programmed reminder set to go off at the beginning or end of the class period. Cell phones often have an alarm function, as well, that can be set for reminder alarms.

If this trick works for your child, talk to your child’s teachers about allowing cell phones in the classroom for this explicit function only.

• When the student prints out an assignment at home, prompt the child to also email it to the teacher and the child’s own web-based email account. Then, if the hard copy is misplaced, the child can print it out during class (with the teacher’s permission) or during free time.

Few problems are as frustrating for parents and kids as not receiving credit for homework that was actually completed on time but never turned in!

One tried and true behavioral strategy to remedy this is to link an already established habit to one that your child needs help acquiring.

To illustrate, Ivan is a seventh grader who forgets almost everything - except his peanut butter and jelly sandwich! - when he leaves home in the morning to catch the school bus. With daily reminders from his parents, he puts his homework folder on top of his lunch in the refrigerator before going to bed each school night. Then, putting the folder in his backpack, along with his PB&J, is a “no-brainer.” Ivan not only gets credit for his completed work but also learns how to creatively generate ways to manage his weaknesses.

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How do i motivate my child to turn in homework.

Motivation for things like homework can be hard for complex kids. How do you motivate your child to turn in homework?

Does your kid do their homework and then neglect to turn it in? Does that make you frustrated, but your child doesn’t seem to care? Here are some thoughts on helping kids turn in homework. It starts with a question about whether it’s even important to you.

Elaine: All right, so we have a question that we want to read to you from a mom who says, "How do I motivate my inattentive kid to do homework ?" But then she goes on to say, "Personally, I don't believe in homework. My kid spends six hours at school, gets home after 4 p.m., and then faces three to four hours of homework a day, so there's no down time, no time to spend with friends, or even just relax."

Diane: It's hard when our values are questioned –

Elaine: ...or are out of sync with what's expected.

Diane: Part of this is about understanding what your child really wants, and so it may be that your child's in line with you, and says, "I really don't want to do homework either." Or your child might be, "My gosh, I really want to get it done." A lot of our kids are focused on pleasing , and doing really well, and so that's the first thing, is to just check in and make sure you're in the same groove that your child is, on this.

The second piece of it is to know that you really do have choices in the matter, and it doesn't always feel like that, because one of the choices probably feels pretty stinky. But this is taking me back to the decision I made to let my son fail band class in 7th grade. It was a lot of work for him to fill out all those little things that said he practiced, and he actually practiced, but he was failing because he wasn't actually turning in his stuff. So we made the choice. I think that that's part of it, is just reflecting on what choices you do have, and being conscious about that.

Elaine: What I would add to that is bringing your kid into that conversation like we did. My son was in an exam period, and was really struggling with a paper that he didn't like the topic , he didn't like the book, he didn't like anything, and he was really having a hard time. I finally looked at him, and I said, "So what if you don't write it?" And he paused, and processed it, and figured it out, and then he came back and he said, "No, I'd lose two grades, too many grades – It's not worth it." But then when he went to finish the paper, he had a different motivation . It was his decision to do it, instead of just something he had to do, and that made a huge difference.

Bottom Line: At the end of the day, whether our kids do their homework, or choose to turn it in, is about how invested they are, and how reasonable it is. Start by getting clear on the real challenge before you focus on the goal of turning in homework.

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How to Do Your Homework on Time if You're a Procrastinator

Last Updated: June 24, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Katie Styzek . Katie Styzek is a Professional School Counselor for Chicago Public Schools. Katie earned a BS in Elementary Education with a Concentration in Mathematics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She served as a middle school mathematics, science, and social studies teacher for three years prior to becoming a counselor. She holds a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in School Counseling from DePaul University and an MA in Educational Leadership from Northeastern Illinois University. Katie holds an Illinois School Counselor Endorsement License (Type 73 Service Personnel), an Illinois Principal License (formerly Type 75), and an Illinois Elementary Education Teaching License (Type 03, K – 9). She is also Nationally Board Certified in School Counseling from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. There are 8 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 554,744 times.

Procrastinating on your homework assignments can make school more stressful and can hurt your grade if you're always finishing homework at the last minute. Once you learn a few techniques to beat procrastination can make homework much easier for you! By keeping organized, setting specific goals, and asking for help, you can transform yourself into an academic star who still has time to watch TV and catch up with friends on Facebook.

Getting Organized

Establishing a Routine

• Set an alarm on your phone to remind you when to get back to work!

Setting Goals

• Very few people can actually work effectively with music playing. If you like to listen to music while you work but find you aren't getting anything done, try going without it for an hour to see if your concentration improves.

Asking for Help

• This doesn't work for everybody. If you find another person distracting, quit working with them.

How Can I Stop Procrastinating?

Community Q&A

Reader Videos

• Good health can improve your study habits and can help you retain what you learn. Exercise, eat well, get plenty of sleep, and skip the alcohol and caffeine. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Ask your parents or a friend to keep your smartphone so you don't get distracted. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Try to set an alarm or a task reminder in your phone. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Even the best students know that they can't work all of the time. Allow some relaxation time for yourself, particularly on the weekends. Good study habits make you work smarter, not harder. Thanks Helpful 121 Not Helpful 9

You Might Also Like

• ↑ Katie Styzek. Professional School Counselor. Expert Interview. 26 March 2021.
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-stop-procrastinating/
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/focused.html
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/homework.html
• ↑ https://childmind.org/article/strategies-to-make-homework-go-more-smoothly/
• ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/take-charge-of-distractions/
• ↑ Ted Coopersmith, MBA. Academic Tutor. Expert Interview. 10 July 2020.
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/school-help-teens.html

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Q: “Can a 504 Plan Help My Son Remember to Turn in His Homework?”

“you can build it into your 504 plan to have the teacher contact you if your son has missing homework assignments or his grades have dropped to a certain gpa.”.

Q: “My seventh grader’s teachers report that he has forgotten to complete assignments or turn in his homework — even though he insists he has done them. I check his computer every night, but some assignments don’t show up as missing for weeks. How can I help him remember his assignments and keep him focused? He has a 504 Plan. Is there anything I should add?” — FrustratedMom

Hi FrustratedMom:

I totally understand your frustration, especially if you and your son are doing everything you can to stay on top of his homework and class assignments. You have many different concerns: You don’t know soon enough when homework is missing , your son thinks he’s getting everything turned in, and you’re also worried about his grades.

Some seventh graders don’t need help remembering homework . However, for students with ADHD and executive functioning challenges, being organized, remembering to do homework, and knowing how and even where to turn it in are all tasks that can be extremely difficult to manage. So, your son may really need help! Seventh grade, for many kids, is a transition year — from elementary school to middle school, from childhood to adolescence. There’s much more going on than just weekly homework. In other words, it can be an overwhelming time.

[ Free Download: Proven Homework Help for Kids with ADHD ]

The good news is that because you already have a 504 Plan in place, you can expect his seventh-grade teacher to implement a system to help him remember to do and turn in his homework.

Before I suggest changes to your son’s 504 Plan, I think it’s important that your son knows you believe he is doing the best he can. It can be really demoralizing for a child to feel like he’s doing everything he’s supposed to, only to discover something went wrong. It could be that your son is turning in the work, but it’s going to the wrong spot, or the teacher has misplaced it. And while it’s possible that your son hasn’t turned in anything, avoid placing blame and instead focus on establishing a system that will help your son be more successful, more accountable, and keep his teacher accountable, too.

Begin by contacting your CSE (Committee for Special Education) point of contact to request an amendment to the 504 Plan. Depending on the district, this may require a CSE meeting, but in some schools, they can just add the amendment and send it to the teachers.

Top 504 Plan Homework Accommodations for ADHD

Here are 504 Plan accommodations that I recommend:

• A prompt from the teacher to turn in assignments . A 504 Plan is not an IEP — it has fewer teeth. 504s work more like recommendations than the enforced rules of an IEP , but it’s often enough to have it in writing that the teacher should prompt the student to turn in work.
• A homework checklist can also help keep your son accountable — not just the online grading system but a physical piece of paper that the student has the teacher initial when he turns in the assignment.
• A paper planner that is checked daily by the teachers to ensure your son has all his assignments noted as well as completed and turned in.
• A special accommodation, such as taking a photograph of his homework or submitting homework via email to eliminate that extra step in class the next day.
• Communication! You can build it into your 504 Plan to have the teacher reach out to you promptly if a certain number of assignments are missing or your son’s grades have dropped to a certain GPA.

[ Free Download: Sample Letter to Request an IEP or 504 Plan Evaluation ]

You can also talk with your son’s team about having extended deadlines for turning in assignments if your son is feeling overloaded and overwhelmed. And many schools offer a second set of textbooks to keep at home to ensure the student has what they need to do homework.

As your son gets older, you may find that the 504 Plan simply isn’t enough. Then you may need to move to an IEP, which gives you more tools to help support your son’s educational needs and stronger requirements for following the ADHD accommodations. Remember, any accommodation that makes it more likely your son will succeed is worth putting in writing!

It sounds like you’re doing all you can from your end. Hang in there, FrustratedMom.

504 Plan: Next Steps

• Free Download: Sample 504 Plan for Students with ADHD
• Learn: “Is My Child with ADHD Entitled to a 504 Plan?”
• Read: Common Problems & Helpful Solutions for Your IEP/504 Plan
• Sign Up: Free Back-to-School Master Class for Parents and Educators

ADHD Family Coach Leslie Josel, of Order Out of Chaos , will answer questions from ADDitude readers about everything from paper clutter to disaster-zone bedrooms and from mastering to-do lists to arriving on time every time.

Submit your questions to the ADHD Family Coach here!

SUPPORT ADDITUDE Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing . Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

Ask the Experts: Read These Next

Turning It In Should Be the Easy Part of Homework, Right?

Q: “How Can We Create a Homework and Study Plan That Works for an ADHD Brain?”

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Ask The Expert: Why Won’t My Son Turn In Homework?

Dear Your Teen:

My 7 th grader frequently does not turn in homework, even though it’s completed. His grades are suffering. We’re all frustrated. Why is he not turning in homework ? And what can I do?

EXPERT | Isaiah Pickens, Ph.D.

Ever forget an appointment and think, “Why didn’t I put it in my calendar?” Now imagine you forgot the appointment and forgot that a calendar exists. While that’s a little far fetched, it may capture how kids who have trouble staying organized feel.

There’s a Mess in Their Heads

Messy desks, misplaced clothes, and not turning in homework are just a few symptoms of the disorganized teenager  who may lack any strategies to stay organized.

Yet parents see that their teens have the ability to complete tasks when someone is hovering. What befuddles parents is the difficulty doing the same when no one is present.

A frustrated parent may wonder, “What’s happening in his head?” Often, his head is where the difficulties originate.

Executive functioning is the neurological process that allows us to organize and plan. For many disorganized teenagers , a deficiency in executive functioning leads to disorganization. Fortunately, parents can help strengthen these skills. Here’s advice about teaching organization skills.

4 Tips to Help Your Teen Develop Executive Functioning Skills and Hand in Homework:

1. make a visual system..

[adrotate banner=”98″]Visual cues that are linked to a routine can ease children into a pattern of organized behavior. For example, use a color-coded filing system that designates a folder for each school subject and one for completed work. Write down each step necessary to successfully complete the task, including the step involving turning in homework . Post these instructions in places your teenager will frequently look, such as the bedroom mirror, the refrigerator and the cover of her class binder. Let your teenager help design the instructions to make the sheet creative and fun. Use a similar process for other areas your child needs to organize such as putting away clothes. Making sure there is a consistent place to store or file goes a long way in helping children develop an organized routine.

2. Develop routines and schedules.

Teenagers sometimes have difficulty gauging how long it will take to complete a task or the best sequence for completing it. Helping your teen  develop schedules, use calendars, and create reminders for completing tasks will provide additional tools for developing an organized routine. Work together to figure out simple strategies for using schedules, calendars, and reminders. Some strategies include setting a phone reminder or pulling out the “completed work” folder at the beginning of each class.

3. Review and adjust strategies.

A daily review of the new routine will provide opportunities to empower your teenager and emphasize areas that are improving. Use this time to allow your child to adjust strategies for staying organized. And highlight the importance of checking to make sure you’ve completed tasks correctly and in their entirety.

4. Reward successes.

Make sure to tell you teenager, “Good job” at the end of the week. Few things motivate a child more than receiving praise from parents on a job well done.

Hopefully, these tips will help encourage your kid to hand in homework on time. Good luck!

Isaiah Pickens, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and founder of  iOpening Enterprises , a creative writing company that creates books, films, and life skills curricula for teens and young adults.

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The Benefits Of Doing Homework In Time: 5 Things You Might Not Know

In general, students may scoff at homework because it takes up their time, is a lot of work, and seems to be never-ending. However, sometimes can be enjoyable and fun. If you have a clear understanding of how doing your homework on time can bring you some great benefits, you are more likely to try and get those questions, projects, reports and other assignments done in a timely fashion.

Here are 5 surprising facts about doing your school work on time

• It teaches you about time management. Yes, this may seem like it’s not related. You may think a benefit would be something like you would know more math or you would be a better writer or something like that. Yet this benefit, that of being skilled with managing your time, is something that will benefit you in every area of your life.
• It teaches you how to be a proficient problem solver. Yes, it applies to all subjects and other issues that may come up in your life. Often while doing your homework you are forced to look for solutions to problems and look at the problems from a different perspective. The teacher doesn’t always explain everything you need to know. You have to learn how to find it yourself.
• Teaches you how to take an active part in your own education. You are responsible for what you learn, how you learn it and how much you remember. You are also responsible for how you use the information you’ve learned. This can promote some deep thinking, as well as helping you to see the bigger picture in life. Instead of always asking, when will I ever use this again? Ask yourself how you think you can apply what you’ve learned to problems that arise in everyday life.
• Teaches you how to work independently as well as work in a group. Most assignments are given and must be completed at home by yourself. However some projects are given that require you to work in a group with other students. Most of the time, class time is given but sometimes you must arrange to meet with the other group members outside of class.
• Teaches you the importance of taking action, of planning your schedule and of staying organized. All these benefits are very valuable to have.

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More From Forbes

Heading back to the office here are 5 ways to make the most of it.

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Going into the office has significant benefits.

Over the last few years, you’ve probably been able to work from home, at least some of the time. But very soon, you may have to go into the office more often, based on your employer’s requirements. There are of course wonderful advantages to remote or hybrid work, but there is also new evidence for the benefits of going back to the office.

They are critical issues—how often you go into the office and whether you go back—because your work influences your happiness, your success and even your friendships. And increasing numbers of companies are insisting employees return. Salesforce is the latest example, requiring five days in the office come October.

Even if you love working from home, don’t despair. You can find terrific reasons to appreciate the office as well.

Why You’ll Want to Go Into the Office

Your personal experience is key, of course, but there is also substantial evidence for the benefits of being in the office.

1. You’ll Make Friends

Friendship is critical to wellbeing, and unfortunately loneliness is rampant today—with 50% of people saying they are lonely.

The workplace can help, because being together in person and having places to gather and connect are significantly correlated with making friends, according to new research by the Survey Center for American Life . In the study, when people lacked access to gathering places (coffee shops, restaurants, community centers, parks, etc.), 43% said they had no close friends or only one or two close friends, compared with 25% who said the same when they did have access. On the other hand, when people had access to gathering places, 34% reported they had many friends, compared with 12% who didn’t have access.

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Place matters to creating and sustaining relationships, because it can be the impetus to get together—and the context for conversation, sharing and getting to know others.

In the workplace, you can invite a colleague to coffee or lunch. You can interact with a teammate before the meeting, and you can build friendships in the midst of the problem solving you’ll do together.

You can feel good about going into the office, because it will help you feel more connected and support you in building collegial relationships.

Engagement and performance have a spillover effect.

2. You’ll Be Smarter

Being present with others can also make you smarter. New research from MIT found that when you’re within 20 meters (about 65 feet) of others, you’ll experience knowledge spillover—in which you learn from each other, get access to new information and build your awareness of issues or perspectives.

Interestingly knowledge spillover can occur intentionally—when you ask a question or gather around a white board to work through issues. Or it can be unintentional—when you’re near your team and you overhear a great idea or get passive exposure to the work going on with others.

You can feel good about going into the office, because it will build your awareness, understanding and knowledge—and allow you to share your expertise with others as well.

3. You’ll Be More Engaged

One aspect of happiness at work is feeling a sense of vitality and energy—and this is influenced by the people around you.

Team members tend to inspire each other, according to a study published in the Journal of Labor Economics . And interestingly, when you’re more engaged, you also tend to perform better and be more satisfied with your work, according to study published by the Association for Psychological Science .

You can feel good about going into the office because you’ll feel more engaged, get more done and experience greater satisfaction as well.

4. You’ll Perform Better

When you’re with other people, you also tend to perform better. In particular, when people were working within 25 feet of a top performer, their own performance increased by 15%, according to a study from Harvard .

You’ll also better accomplish work that is more complex. If you’re doing routine tasks, working at a distance is fine. But for work that is more complex, urgent or high-pressure, in-person is much more successful, based on studies by Maastricht University and Erasmus University.

You can feel good about going into the office, because it will amp up your performance and effectiveness. And when you’re a top performer, you can bring the whole team up as well.

5. You’ll Get Paid and Promoted

Unfortunately if you work remotely, you’re 31% less likely to get a promotion, according to Live Data Technologies . And another poll found similar results, with those working away from the office 24% less likely to receive a promotion—and likely to get smaller increases in pay when they received them, compared with those who worked in the office. These stats were based on a survey by ResumeBuilder .

You can feel good about going into the office, because it will pay off in salary and promotions.

Be Happy No Matter Where You Work

As much as you love your time working from home, you can also plan on a bright future when you have the opportunity to work in the office. It’s a both-and: You can gain advantages from working in both environments.

So, wherever you’re working, lean in—to make friends, get smart, get engaged, perform brilliantly and reap the rewards in pay and promotion.

Here is the study by Maastricht University and Erasmus University .

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