Ahhhhhh, Homework

Homework, its a fact of life for students and teachers. Nearly every student has failed to turn in a homework assignment at one time or another. It happens. We’re all human and sometimes we forget, or leave some critical resource at school - like the homework itself. 

Sometimes the reasons for not having one’s homework can show off the creative side of a student or reveal his/her priorities. Here are a few of the answers I received when I asked my fellow teachers:

“What is the most interesting response you have received when a student didn’t have his or her homework?”

Here are some of the replies I received:

I was too busy with _____________________ (Fill in the blank - dance, football, karate, soccer etc.)

Google lost my doc.

I did it but I left it __________________________ (Fill in the blank - on the bus, at my grandmother’s house, in my ELA class, at my friend’s house, Starbucks, the library, etc.)

I spilled something all over it. 

My dog ate it.

My sister ate it.

My Dad was helping me but never gave it back.

My Mom was helping me with it and didn’t put it back in my bag.

My brother and I were doing homework together and he must have mixed it into his papers.

I never got it.

You never gave it to me.

I lost it.

You said it was due (some other day).

That was homework?

We used to be able to do it in X-Block.

I needed help and there was no one to help me.

I forgot.

I didn’t feel like doing it.

I don’t believe in homework.

My parents don’t believe in homework.

I thought I did it but I guess I didn’t.

I had a dream I did it and thought the dream was real.

I gave it to you yesterday.

I left my bag in my Uncle’s car and it was in my bag.

I know I put it in my bag (As the student franticly pulls an amazing quantity of crinkled paper out of his or her bag)

It was too hard.

I had planned on doing it on the bus this morning but I forgot.

I emailed you this morning before school with a question, but you didn’t answer. (BTW this was on a Monday.)

You give too much homework.

I needed paper to make a paper airplane on the bus.

I was doing it in the bathtub and dropped it. The ink all faded and ran before I could dry it off.

I was busy chasing my pet chicken, Maurice.

You never taught us this.

I had to go camping this weekend.

I don’t have to do homework - it’s on my 504.

The Bruins went into overtime last night and I had to stay up to watch.

See what I mean?  If I taught creative writing, some of these would constitute a good start on a short story. Maybe I should incorporate some of these; I’m sorry I could not grade your tests because I was watching the Superbowl.