For many High School students, homework is built into their everyday lives, but what about students who have obligations outside of school work? After a long, 6-hour day of school, many students come home only to get out their computers, paper, and pencils and start working again.
In other cases, students don’t have time to come home after school. They get in the car and head to practice, work, etc. For some, this schedule means staying up late and getting their schoolwork done. So what happens if a student forgets an assignment or simply can’t get it done?
When asked if given an overwhelming or manageable amount of work, Sophia Best, a Junior at Wilsonville says, “It depends on the class, some of my classes it a lot of work to do in such a short amount of time.” Sophia notes that her homework load has increased since switching to 8 class periods.
In high school, you’ll find that some teachers are more strict or “chill” than others. Each of them has different policies for late homework. Ms. Koehn, a teacher at Wilsonville High School says, “My late work policy is that anything from the entire Semester can be turned in the Friday before finals week.”
On the other side, some teachers have a more specific policy, such as Mr. Esqueda, another Wilsonville High School teacher. “My late work policy is that students are allowed to retake any quiz or test, (which is the only thing that goes in my grade book), once, and go back as far as one unit.”
Students should strive to be on top of due dates and manage their homework schedule the best they can. While high schoolers are not perfect at managing time, most teachers will provide help if needed. However, some students find themselves not seeking help thinking they have it handled on their own.
While most teachers are helpful and forgiving, students who follow a trend with incomplete or late work are less likely to be forgiven. Those who claim their dog ate every homework assignment they’ve ever had, might not be given a chance to make it up every time.
Once High School is over, graduated students will follow a more strict timeline, so practicing time management skills and learning how to avoid procrastinating is important to start early. Creating a good habit in the beginning will be beneficial in the long run. However, School staff are willing to support high schoolers, so ask for help if needed.
But, the teacher and student relationship goes both ways. While a student has a responsibility to keep up with work and pay attention in class, a teacher has a responsibility to support the best they can, graciously handling students, but also pushing them to the best of their abilities.