I chronically turn in work late. Knowing this (and not too set on changing it), I set a first marker of how much I respect a teacher at the beginning of the year with their late-policy. I usually have a few teachers that will allow it with a few points marked off, and occasionally the exceptional teacher who will take it with no consequence at all, but there are always some teachers who will take no exceptions. If it’s not on time, there’s nothing you can do about it. I am not usually fond of these teachers, because they are failing to do what I feel is a fundamental part of their job: help kids learn.
I have a multitude of complaints with the school system. There are a wide array of corrections I would make if I were all-powerful, but if I were given the opportunity to make only one, it would likely be that all teachers must accept and grade all late assignments as if they were submitted on time.
First and foremost, I have no degree in education. I am, however, a child being educated, so I figure I know at least something about learning. I stand to argue that kids do not learn by being told they no longer have a chance, which is essentially what refusing to accept late work is.
Take a hypothetical example:
Kid, for whatever acceptable or unacceptable reason fails to complete an assignment on time.
Later, Kid has time and knows that completing the assignment will help their grade, but remembers that their teacher won’t accept it, so doesn’t bother because in this school system, there is hardly any benefit in being intrinsically motivated.
Thus, Kid never does the assignment, never learns the topic, fails the test, and lives sadly ever after.
A bit of a dramatic example, but I’m sure you get the point.
By telling kids they have another chance to learn, students are way more likely to actually put effort in. Procrastination often stems from having so much stress over a workload that it seems like there is no point in trying at all. I believe relieving that stress would increase the amount of work students end up turning in.
I see no reason why teachers do not accept it. If the complaint is that teachers are people too and they cannot be making time to grade extra work, then understand that it is not more work. They gave the assignment to each of their students; they can be expected to grade each and every one of them. Consideration from students is key also, and allowing teachers the time to grade and enter the score before harassing them about it would help the process run smoother (though some teachers require the reminders).
Additionally, keeping with the theme that teachers are people too and do not have infinite time to spend on their job, apply that logic to students. It is unreasonable to expect kids not to make mistakes. Yes, sometimes they had time to complete an assignment and they did not, but so what? How does it do any good to punish students for being irresponsible by not giving them a chance to correct their mistakes? I am not saying a teacher should just dump a bunch of work on kids asking them to turn it in whenever—give guidelines! Explain why they should complete this assignment on time, but allow them to factor in their own schedules. Teachers are there to teach their subject, but in doing that, they must also teach kids that the classes they are taking are worth the effort. Rachel Tustin, a teacher (obviously), shared that “When students feel valued in your class, their entire attitude changes. When you say to them, ‘I know it’s late. So, what can I do to help you get it done?’ it sends a clear message to students that the work is important, but so are they” (Tustin). On the controversial side, another teacher argued, “Isn’t our goal to help students succeed? Success is more than just learning [a] curriculum. Shouldn’t we be working to teach the whole child? That should include helping them learn responsibility and accountability” (Midgely). I agree that teachers should aim to teach the whole child, but I disagree that dealing in absolutes is the answer. If the reason teachers refuse late work is because they believe they are “helping them [students] learn…accountability,” then I think they overestimate the threat of a zero (Midgely). As I mentioned earlier, procrastination often stems from having so much stress over a workload that it seems like there is no point in trying at all. Knowing that I will get a zero does not exactly motivate me to complete the assignment on time. Rather, it just causes me to feel more stress over failing to complete it. In this case, I have neither learned the material nor accountability; I only know that I tried once, failed, and will never be given the chance to try again. Additionally, is teaching children that they must turn in whatever they have by the due date truly a better lesson than encouraging them to complete work thoroughly even if it takes a bit longer? I would think the world could benefit from kids who come out of the educational system with the idea that work that is done well has more meaning than work that is done on time. I would also figure that when those kids grow up and take leadership positions, the kindness shown to them when they were behind and struggling may encourage them to be kinder in their own lives and jobs.
There are exceptions to this, of course. I understand the necessity for certain assignments to be completed in a certain time frame (ie. presentations where the teacher has allotted a certain day of class for kids to present, and thus it would interfere with the rest of the class to accompany a late presentation). It is the teachers job to determine what will help the good of the class and the individual, and accommodate the late-work policy accordingly, knowing there are some instances it would be detrimental to accept late work. However, I contend that these situations would be few and far between, and as the norm, it is always beneficial to accept late work.
It is not asking too much. It is a correction that has immense benefit and little consequence. It is asking teachers to teach students that taking time out of their lives to learn even a little bit is always worth it, no matter how far behind they are. Teachers so often think about the subjects they are teaching, but please, for the sake of the generation you are raising, think of how you teach may have far more impact than what you teach.