i ' m not doing my homework now

Daniel Wong

11 Excuses for Not Doing Homework (And How to Stop Making Them)

July 5, 2022 By Daniel Wong 6 Comments

If you’re like many students, you’d rather take a nap, talk to your friends online, or play video games.

As you already know, finding reasons not to do your homework will prevent you from succeeding in school .

I’m sure you want to do well in school, and homework is definitely a part of that process.

In this article, I’ll go over 11 of the most common excuses for not doing homework and offer solutions to ensure that you stay engaged in school.

But first, make sure to download your free quick action guide…

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Excuse #1: You lack the required knowledge

Let your parents and teacher know if you’re taking a class and feel as if you lack the necessary skills or knowledge to complete the homework.

Ask your teacher for extra guidance so you don’t fall too far behind. See if your parents can find the time to help you, or you can look for a tutor.

Your teachers are there to help you develop the skills you need to do well in their classes.

You’re not alone in feeling that you lack the necessary skills, so don’t be too embarrassed to ask for assistance. You might even find some great study buddies who feel the same way.

Excuse #2: You lack confidence

Many students compare themselves to their peers, which can lead to a lack of confidence. When that happens, it’s easy to make excuses for not doing the homework.

But here’s what you need to know…

Everyone lacks confidence about something.

You might be good at math but need extra help with English. Perhaps you excel at geography but find biology confusing.

Give yourself a break.

If you lack confidence in your ability to learn a particular subject, get the support you need. Your teachers, parents, and even friends will help you out and give you a needed morale boost.

Excuse #3: Your home life is too hectic

The excuses for submitting assignments late are numerous, but one that I hear often is that it’s too busy or noisy at home to focus.

Finding a quiet space and using earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones can help reduce distractions. This will make it easier for you to finish your homework.

If that doesn’t work, try finding an alternative location to do your work, like the library or a friend’s house.

You can also talk to your parents about it. They might not even be aware of all the interruptions that are preventing you from completing your schoolwork.

Excuse #4: You don’t know where to start

Feeling anxious and overwhelmed are often the main reasons that cause students to not know where to start on their homework.

If you ever feel this way, here’s what I suggest you do:

• Take a deep breath.
• Create a space where you can get organised.
• Make a list of all your assignments and deadlines.
• Work on one assignment at a time.
• Start with an easy assignment to get a quick win, or tackle the most challenging assignment to get it out of the way.

Excuse #5: You have poor study habits

Many students develop bad study habits over their years in school.

Not everyone learns the same way or at the same pace. As such, every student will have different study habits. If what you’re doing isn’t working, try a different approach.

If you’re trying to do your homework as soon as you get home from school but can’t focus, try having a snack and taking a power nap before getting to work instead.

If you’re staying up too late studying, set a rule for yourself that you’ll start doing your homework within one hour of getting home.

Establish a routine where you do your work at roughly the same time each day. Developing routines like this will improve your study habits , which will make you a more effective student.

Excuse #6: School isn’t important to you

A common misconception is that school isn’t important, that what you learn won’t be relevant once you leave school.

This isn’t completely true.

Of course, the education system can be improved. But the knowledge you acquire in school will help you to understand and appreciate the world better.

And the process of becoming a more effective student will lead you to develop traits like self-discipline and responsibility. These are the types of traits you’ll need in order to find success at any stage of life!

Excuse #7: You’re overloaded with after-school activities

I know it can be tough to balance schoolwork and extracurricular activities.

Maybe you’re on a sports team or you spend several hours each week volunteering.

Finding the right balance to ensure you have enough time for homework can be challenging.

When too many afterschool activities get in the way of completing your assignments on time, it’s time to review your schedule. Decide how you can prioritise the activities that are the most important.

You may need to put some activities on hold until you’re consistently staying on top of your schoolwork.

Speak with your coach, teachers, or parents about the ideas they have to help you manage your schedule more effectively.

Excuse #8: Studying is boring for you

If you find that doing your homework is uninteresting, it may be time for you to change your point of view.

I always encourage students to cultivate a growth mindset . This is a mindset where you focus more on the learning process instead of on getting good grades.

Rather than seeing a particular subject as boring, develop a sense of wonder. Decide that you’re going to be intellectually curious, and you’ll discover that we live in a fascinating world.

And while you’re on that journey, remember that the students who succeed in school find ways to get the work done even when they find the subject boring.

For example, if you don’t like math, consider that it isn’t just about numbers – it’s a way of thinking.

Reframing how you think about a subject will enable you to see it as more interesting. In turn, you’ll become a better student over time.

Excuse #9: Your teachers assign too much homework

Sometimes, it may seem like your teachers assign more homework than you can keep up with. You might even believe that what you’re required to do is unreasonable.

If you find yourself in this situation, take a moment to think about everything else you’re doing.

Are you managing your time well?

Are you struggling with a particular class?

Do you use memory techniques to enable you to learn faster ?

Instead of allowing homework to overwhelm you, try talking to your teacher, tutor, or parents to figure out the best way forward for you.

Excuse #10: You already have so much overdue homework

Procrastinating on your homework can lead to a significant pile-up of assignments. This will affect your confidence in being able to complete them.

What’s more, once you get a set of new assignments, you probably won’t know how to do them because you didn’t do the previous assignments.

This creates a vicious cycle where you tell yourself that there’s no point in completing your newly assigned homework because you still have the old ones to do.

When this happens, the likelihood of completing any of the work decreases.

If you’re in this situation, set a reasonable goal of keeping up with all the newly assigned homework while completing, say, one overdue assignment a day, or one overdue assignment every two days.

Excuse #11: You don’t believe you can get good grades

If you hate school, there’s a chance that it’s because you feel the pressure to be a straight-A student .

Here’s the good news: You don’t need to be perfect. After all, there’s no such thing as a perfect student.

But you do have to put in the effort and get the work done. The rest will then fall into place.

If you’re doing your best, you’re doing great! Celebrate your progress and keep moving forward.

Take it one step at a time, and don’t worry too much about what grades you’re getting at the moment.

In closing…

There are many possible reasons for you not to finish your homework.

No matter what those reasons are, it’s important to know that the people around you want to help you succeed.

From teachers to parents to coaches, you have a support network to provide solutions to almost any obstacle you face.

Identify the excuses listed in this article that are relevant to your situation, and apply the suggested solutions.

If you do that, you’ll become a better and happier student who makes far fewer excuses related to homework!

July 7, 2022 at 12:13 pm

Thank you so much for this article. These were the problems I was struggling with. Now that i know the solutions to it ,I’m sure I’ll do better than before.

July 7, 2022 at 1:05 pm

You’re very welcome.

July 7, 2022 at 6:20 pm

I pray that may Almighty God grant you long life, more knowledge, sound health, rest of mind, wealth and happiness, so that you can witness your good impact in this World 🌍. GOD has made you a useful tool for every students and parents that is actually seeking success.

July 7, 2022 at 7:42 pm

Thank you, God bless you too!

July 27, 2022 at 9:29 pm

Thank you so much for this. I have found a couple of solutions for excuses I’ve made in the past. I needed this.

July 27, 2022 at 9:42 pm

You’re welcome.

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How to Get Things Done When You Have No Motivation

No motivation need to be productive try these solutions..

Posted March 22, 2021 | Reviewed by Lybi Ma

• What Is Motivation?
• Find a therapist near me
• A lack of motivation can have many sources, from fatigue to anxiety to feelings of overwhelm. Identifying the root cause is key to overcoming it.
• Low motivation makes it harder to dive into unpleasant tasks. Start with quick, easy, or satisfying tasks, even if they're not high-priority.
• Once you've warmed up, tackle the work that needs to get done, making sure to take regular breaks and reward yourself for each achievement.

No motivation ? You're not alone, especially now. The five steps below can help you overcome the roadblock.

1. Accurately diagnose your feelings.

Many other emotions masquerade as low motivation. If you accurately diagnose your emotions, the path forward will be much clearer.

Your underlying feeling might be:

• Overwhelmed
• Social comparison

If you're overwhelmed, shrink your goal for today until you don't feel overwhelmed. If you are expecting yourself to work for longer than 90-minute blocks, or to get more than three-four hours of highly productive (intensely focused) work done per day, you're potentially psyching yourself out by having unrealistic expectations.

If you're suffering from social comparison, talk to yourself compassionately (explained here ). Are you expecting yourself to perform as well as someone who has practiced more than you have?

If you're feeling fatigued, make sure the problem isn't that you've been resting too much. When people feel low, they sometimes rest a lot and then feel less energetic because of this. (This is easy to do. It actually happened to me over the weekend. There is no shame in it.)

These suggestions don't cover all scenarios, but when you accurately diagnose what you're feeling, you'll likely see a solution.

2. Don't "eat the frog."

The idea of eating the frog refers to doing the task you're least motivated to do first. This can be a great strategy, but if you're feeling low, trying to do your hardest task first can lead to you not getting out of bed.

Ask yourself, "What's the most productive task that is within my capacity right now?" For example, if you'd like to go for a run but you can't get yourself to do that, then going for a walk is better than staying in bed.

No productivity strategy is right for all circumstances. Varying your strategies can be beneficial rather than expecting yourself to always stick to the same robotic system for prioritizing.

3. Do a few minutes of quick but satisfying tasks.

Sometimes you need to warm up into action . To do this, try quick, satisfying tasks, like ordering the vitamins you've run out of, picking up dirty clothes, or changing your sheets.

If you do these tasks too long, they can distract you from more substantial work you need to get done. Five to ten minutes of these types of tasks is great, but don't do in excess of 30 minutes when you have more important things to do. When we overdo busy work, we risk being too tired to start more important work.

4. Plan your reward.

Plan to work on a high-priority task for 90 minutes, then take a break. How do you want to spend your break? Would you like to take a walk or lie out in the sun? Would you like to check a Reddit sub or Slack channel you visit daily? Would you like to message a friend? Would you like to browse swimsuits for a vacation you have coming up? Would you like to do a few minutes of yoga?

Planning and choosing take tremendous mental energy. If you wait to choose what you will do for your break until you're already exhausted from a period of focused work, you may not make a very satisfying choice. Plan your fun from the outset, when you have the cognitive energy to do that. When you choose in advance, you're likely to make a more rewarding choice.

5. Fuel yourself.

Understand how fuel influences your personal concentration , focus, and motivation. Currently, I like drinking electrolyte water in the mornings. Test out what works for you. For example, try eating a high-protein yogurt and see if that gives you the little boost you need. Physical boosts may have meaningful but small effects. For example, they might increase your energy by 10 percent. Small improvements like these can be hard to notice if you're not paying close attention, Consider structured self-experimentation like trying a strategy every day for a week, then no days for a week, and comparing.

Low and no motivation can be a sign of a serious problem like depression or anxiety . For example, for people who are chronically anxious, everything they need to do can feel scary and hard because they're constantly thinking of what could go wrong or ways they're inadequate.

For more serious problems like clinical depression or anxiety, you'll need more than just "tips," but tips like these can be part of the solution. (For more practical ideas along these lines, try this post , which includes a story about how I dealt with low motivation after a major disappointment .)

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Alice Boyes, Ph.D., translates principles from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and social psychology into tips people can use in their everyday lives.

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Why I Stopped Assigning Homework (And 6 Surprising Results) [Episode 96]

Click below to hear why I stopped assigning homework:

Remember the days when you were in school and thought, When I’m a teacher, I’m NEVER going to do this! But then you become a teacher and do exactly what you said you weren’t going to do. Don’t worry, I’m guilty of this too. As soon as I became a teacher, I followed suit with the cycle of assigning homework in my class. However, I had a mindset shift to where now I’m a huge advocate for not assigning homework.

I know for some, this sounds crazy! Most of you probably have a list of questions that include how do you do this, what are the benefits, and how will I know if my students are understanding the concept? And while those are all valid questions, I’ve got answers for you! In today’s episode, I’m sharing why I chose not to assign homework, my strategy in doing so, and the 6 results I learned that may surprise you.

Since not assigning homework is hard for us to grasp, I ask one simple question that asks you to reflect on the meaning of the homework you assign. Once I was truly honest with myself, the decision to not assign homework became easy. With a few tweaks to my lesson plans, pacing, and instructional time, the need for homework became nonexistent. Plus, this new change had a positive impact on my students’ motivation, focus, and academic success in my class.

I acknowledge that making this type of change in your classroom can be scary and, honestly, not for everyone. However, my goal is to provide you with a new perspective and approach to how you view and implement grading in your class. When I stopped making homework a habit in my class, it was transformative for both me and my students, and I know it will be for you and yours, too! 

Topics Discussed:

• My #1 tip for changing up your grading philosophy and practices
• Reflecting on the purpose or meaning of the homework you assign
• 3 strategies to implement when not assigning homework in your class
• The 6 benefits for you and your students when you break the cycle of not assigning homework
• How this idea is correlated to assigning projects as well
• My challenge for you regarding homework for your classes

Resources Mentioned:

• Get the FREE Lab Audit
• It’s Not Rocket Science Free PD
• Download your FREE Classroom Reset Challenge
• Send me a DM on Instagram:  @its.not.rocket.science
• Send me an email: [email protected] 
• Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts

Related Episodes and Blog Posts:

• Episode 95, How to STOP Grading Everything
• Episode 94, How to Deal with Cheating in Your High School Science Classes
• Classroom Management Series: Episode 90 , Episode 91 , Episode 92 , Episode 93
• Episode 74, My #1 Way to Simplify Future Lab Days
• Why I Don’t Assign Homework in High School

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More about Secondary Science Simplified: 

Secondary Science Simplified is a podcast specifically for high school science teachers that will help you to engage your students AND simplify your life as a secondary science educator. Each week Rebecca, from It’s Not Rocket Science, and her guests will share practical and easy-to-implement strategies for decreasing your workload so that you can stop working overtime and start focusing your energy doing what you love – actually teaching!

Teaching doesn’t have to be rocket science, and you’ll learn exactly what you need to do to simplify your secondary science teaching life so that you can enjoy your life outside of school even more. Head to  itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com/challenge  to grab your FREE Classroom Reset Challenge.

Rebecca 0:00 You’re listening to episode number 96 of the secondary science simplified podcast. When I think back to my own high school experience, I think of late nights, I think you’re getting home from a three hour dance class or a play practice, only define myself up well past midnight trying to finish all my homework afterward. And most of the time, I was just doing it to get through it. Whatever I had done was just to get it done and not to really learn from it. I mean, God bless, honestly, my AP European History teacher, I didn’t even end up taking that AP exam, because he and I both knew that I was just doing what I had to do to get by I was not a history girl. I don’t even know why I was in that class. I had already not passed the AP US History exam the year before. And I think I just did it because I was one of those kids that I was like, I do AP everything and like, someone should have been like Sr, just stick with the math and science. So alright, needless to say, do not have fond memories of that. And then when I grew up and decide to become a teacher, like I really just didn’t think twice about assigning homework. I was like, having homework in high school is just what you’re supposed to do. That’s just part of it. We’re preparing them for college. That’s what I always thought. And so I never really thought about not assigning homework to my own students. But over time, my heart really, really changed on this. And I have grown so much, and how I think about this, to the point that now I’m actually incredibly passionate and like a huge advocate about not assigning homework at all, to my high school students. And so that’s what this podcast episode is about. This episode in our series on grading practices, is my number one grading recommendation. Like if you’re not going to start with any of the things I’ve mentioned thus far, I would hope that you would start with this, and that’s to not assign homework, and I’m going to explain why in today’s podcast episode. So let’s do this. This is secondary science simplified a podcast for secondary science teachers who want to engage their students and simplify their lives. I’m Rebecca joiner from it’s not rocket science. As a high school science teacher turned curriculum writer, I am passionate about helping other science teachers love their jobs, serve their students, and do it all in only 40 hours a week. Are you ready to rock the time you spend in your classroom and actually have a life outside of it? You are in the right place teacher friend, let’s get to today’s episode.

Rebecca 2:40 Okay, so obviously, this is kind of a touchy subject. But I really want to get to the heart behind this, but really understand the why. And then I want to share with you guys kind of my strategy and how I approach this. And then I’m also going to share with you six very surprising results that came from this experiment. When I decided a couple of years ago, when I was still teaching full time to not do homework anymore. It honestly went so much better than I ever could have thought. So first, let’s talk about the why though. And I want you to consider what is the purpose of the homework that you’re giving to your students. I know that most of us would say it’s to reinforce what is being learned in class and to make sure that they’re growing and they’re, they’re learning more, they’re understanding more at home, like you don’t have enough class time for them to really get it reinforced. So you want them to do that at home. But if I’m being completely honest and transparent, this is not why I was personally assigning homework for my students, I was assigning homework for my benefit, not for my students. I was assigning it because I didn’t feel like I had enough class time to cover everything. And so I was like, we got to do homework so that you guys can cover some of the stuff that I don’t have time to cover with you. And if I’m being completely honest, I want you to to, like would you say that you’ve been guilty of the same. And maybe I’m alone in this, but I want to say these words out loud, to those of you listening who are like me. And at one point like I couldn’t imagine not assigning homework. And so I want you to consider what is the goal of assigning homework in your class? Why do you really do it? Are you guilty of using homework as a scapegoat? Or are you truly taking the time and energy to assign meaningful homework to your students? And then, if you’re like, No, I am like I’m assigning good reinforcing practice for them. I would then ask, is there another way you could reach the same goal without assigning homework? Because here’s the thing. My other main issue with assigning homework besides my not very great motives for doing it was I didn’t have time to grade it. So it was only adding to their burden and to mind. I had so much on my plate degrade already, which I’ve eliminated over time, as you heard in last week’s episode number 95. But like in the beginning, I just had so much I was like why am I going to add more to it? And sure I could like by check their homework for completion and then we go over it. Because that is what I did. Like anytime I had homework, that’s what I would do, we just spot check it a check it during their bell ringer, and then we’d go over it right away. But then I don’t really know if students are actually doing it, or if they’re just copying it to get it done. You know, these are high school students, we all know how they are. Episode 94 was all about cheating, like, we get how it goes. And so if you’re assigning homework for it to be this reinforcing practice for them, so they can grow in their understanding, are you confident they’re really growing in their understanding? Or are they all just copying it just to get by and to get the grade that you they want to get. And so all of these reflections kind of led me to this place where one grading homework was overwhelming to me. And then to grading something for completion, which is, you know, basically grading for effort, felt inauthentic, because I couldn’t even confirm their effort, since I wasn’t able to witness them actually doing it. And I’ll never forget, like, walking into the hallway. And all these students sitting outside of their lockers at the end of the day, all doing their homework together, but really all copying each other’s homework. And I was like, why am I even assigning this, this is completely pointless. And like I already said, I was really just doing it to try to make my class time easier to take some things off of my plate during our class period. And so I wouldn’t feel as rushed. And none of that was benefiting my students at all. Like even the goal that I wasn’t even shooting for, which is like reinforcing and growing their understanding outside of class, like, I wasn’t even hitting that. And so I was like, You know what, I’m going to commit to not assigning homework anymore. Or if I do assign it, it’s going to be like on the rarest of occasions, it’s not going to be a regular thing, it’s only going to be an exception. And so here’s kind of the strategy I took when I was like, let’s start this great experiment. Let’s see what happens. And so the first thing I did was I decided to start off the year by telling my students that my classes didn’t have homework. Like it was literally in the syllabus, I was like, there’s no homework in this class. And they were thrilled, like day one of the school year, they were like, I love this class, this teacher is awesome. But I followed it up with my strategy, point number two, which was like I explained, hey, the reason that I don’t assign homework is because I respect your time outside of the classroom. I know you guys have lives, I know so many of you have jobs. I know so many of you are in other AP classes in sports, and whenever I get it, but here’s the deal, I’m gonna respect your time outside of class, you will respect my time inside of class. And then I will not have to give you homework. If you give me every minute of your attention in this class period, you will never have a homework in this class period. And I talked about this back in our classroom management series like this was a big procedure of mine that I use to manage whole class behavior was this motivation as a class to not have homework because they knew if they focus, they would not have homework, because I got really strategic about making sure my lesson plans truly were written so that it could all be done in class. And that came with my third point, my strategy, like, we will only have homework, if you don’t respect my time and use your time well in this class, and then we run out of time, you will then have homework. But I’m going to do everything in my power to create enough space in the class period, enough time that we will cover everything we need to cover in this class period. And so that’s what I did. I started the year off this way. I totally reevaluated my lesson plans. I changed my pacing, so that I could slow down and offer more time for practice problems and research projects and things like that in class. Instead of all these like, I was so guilty of always having like an outside research project that they were always working on or something like that, which I will say as a side note, I don’t think is then the world, especially if you have honor students, you can take a lot of this with a grain of salt, I think you can kind of honors and AP classes come with different expectations. But I think this is especially great for those on grade level classes. I mean, and even your honors and AP, like just seeing homework as an exception, not a rule to what’s going to be happening every day. But that’s a tangent, I didn’t mean to go on. And I created time. One of the ways I created time in my class to do more of their homework in class was by decreasing lecture time, and being really ruthless. With the lives and activities I did choose to do with my students. I did a really thorough audit of my labs and resources, which I will link in the show notes. I have a whole free document for you on how to do this and audit your stuff. If you weren’t here back in May, at the start of our summer podcast B. This is like a whole episode. So I will link that for you. But I just wanted to make sure I’m not going to do any busy work anymore. We’re not going to do labs for the sake of doing labs. Everything we do will be meaningful instructional resources that are incredibly intentionally selected. And the kids saw that my students saw that there’s not busy work and Miss joiners class. Like we do stuff for a reason. And it created so much respect for the class and again, it reclaimed a lot of time for me where we were just doing a lot of filler stuff and it was great. So that was my strategy and then Here’s how it turned out, y’all. I truly can’t believe this turnout as well as it did. So these are kind of like some of the results of my little experiment that then led me to do this the next year after that as well. And in for this now to become one of my like, internet platforms. I always think like if there was a beauty pageant for people on the internet, and you know, you had your platform, I feel like beauty pageant contestants always have a platform they’re advocating for this would be my platform, like I’m advocating for this, because I’m so passionate about this. This are prime times, let’s be honest, but I’m not. I’m not trying to make this another primetime podcast, y’all are like, please stop talking about it. Alright, let’s talk about the benefits of my little no homework experiment. So first things first, like I said, my no homework strategy, it built so much rapport with the students from day one. And y’all know, relationships, students are everything, when it comes to effective classroom management, especially on that one on one level, like truly from day one. It made me stand out as a teacher, like they were like, from day one, students were like, wow, she like, genuinely cares about us and like, sees that we have lives outside of school, and wants to respect our time, like that genuinely meant so much to them, you will be the exception to everyone else in your, in your school if you do this, and it’ll make a difference. The second thing that kind of came from that is, again, it motivated them to work hard for me, because they saw that I respected their time. So they respected mine, it totally changed our classroom culture. And that in turn, eliminated a lot of my classroom management issues because they kind of started to self manage a little bit more. I was treating them like adults, and respecting their time. So they started acting more like adults, it was really a beautiful, beautiful thing. Because they knew to the consequence was they’re going to potentially have to use their free time to do work for me, which they didn’t want to do. And another thing too, y’all, this was such a way just to care for my students that have so much going on in their personal lives. And y’all know those students, those students that get home, they ride the bus home, and then they got to care for their siblings. So their mom gets off third shift, or those kids who have to work another job immediately after school, they’re doing the shift from four to midnight, Dairy Queen, or at Starbucks or whatever. And then they’re going home like, those kids are exhausted. And I mean, even the kids that are playing to sports, and they’re in the play, and you know, they’re trying to volunteer like, these kids have a lot going on. I think it is rare nowadays that these kids aren’t overwhelmed in some capacity. And so I just felt like this was a way I really could care for them. And they saw that and they felt that. The third thing I saw is my students just started doing better in my class, which is surprising. Do you think like, oh, you’re you eliminate homework, you eliminate where they’re getting their reinforcement? Shouldn’t they do worse? Not at all. They are doing better in my class, because again, they were giving me so much more of their focus and attention when they’re in my classroom. But then also, a lot of my students said they were actually studying for my class for the first time because they had time to, a lot of times students are like, I never study because I’m always doing homework. So I don’t have time to study on top of that. But my students did have time to study for tests, because I told them like your basically your only homework ever for me is for you to study for my tests, because I’m not going to give you any other homework. And so it actually created space for them to be able to do that. The fourth surprising result from this experiment was, I feel like I became a better teacher, I genuinely do. I think it forced me to be so intentional with class time. And an intentionality that wasn’t there before. Because I kind of knew I always have a scapegoat, like, okay, they will go just, if we don’t get through this, they’ll just have to do it for homework. And like, I just was putting this burden on them. And I was kind of able to pick that back up. And it again, made me a better teacher really challenged me in a great way. Fifth benefit was I save so much time grading wise, it really contributed to me not having to grade as much because like I mentioned in our last episode 95. When I then did grade something, I knew it was an authentic assessment, because everything students I was grading was things that students had done in my presence. So I knew that they weren’t cheating, or at least they were working in a group so I can kind of hear their conversations and make sure they are working together or whatever. And then I would say the six benefit was it really allowed me to help students on a one on one basis in class, because again, I was monitoring everything that you did. So I could walk around and really see like what they were doing. And a lot of times to this looks like as simple as even taking a practice handout that has 10 problems, and just being like, Hey, we’re just going to do the odds in class. And then if you need extra support, you can come to tutoring and I’ll do the evens with you. You know, it just created so much room for flexibility there as well as opposed to being like, here’s 10 problems if you don’t finish in class, it’s for homework and then they’re overwhelmed because they think it’s too many. If they can do five problems they can do 10 That’s a huge I think back in the day it used to be like 2530 problems okay, let’s cut it down to like 10 or 15. Now Mike, let’s come down to five they can do five problems are fine. You know, I just I genuinely think that that you may disagree. So, you may be thinking after I say all this is it possible to never assign homework. It could be, but it isn’t easy. You and I both know, sometimes it happens, you know, sometimes you underestimate how long something will take, or maybe you all end up having a great discussion and things kind of go off that rails. And, you know, you can’t just bump the lesson back till tomorrow because you got to get this in before the test before the end of the quarter or whatever. But I think what was most transformational for my teaching practice was just stopping planning on having homework or making a habit of assigning homework, we’re only gonna have homework, if things get real crazy, or students don’t use their time. Well, it is the exception, it’s not the norm. And it makes all the difference. And I think this really carries over to, to projects outside of class, I was so guilty of kind of really once a quarter, but maybe more once in the semester, I think is once a quarter actually, students having some sort of project outside of class, which I love, I love a non traditional summative assessment, I love them so much. But it was this weight on students always outside of class that they had this project hanging over them. And oftentimes, I was guilty of making the project do after a break, thinking, Oh, I’m giving them six weeks to do this. But then the last week will be over winter break. So then if they haven’t finished up, they can finish up then. But you and I both know, they’re not going to do that they wait to the last minute and then they’re having to do it over the winter break. And now as a parent, I’m like my oldest about to start kindergarten. So I know I’m like a baby parent. I don’t know anything. But I’m like early emotional thinking about how little time I’m going to have with him when he started school full time. I am living for his fall break. I’m living for Thanksgiving break, I’m living for winter break. I can’t wait for every second I get to have with him. And obviously he’s in kindergarten. So he’s not gonna have any homework. But I’m just thinking about I mean, my precious kindergartener is going to be a high school boy, one day, Lord willing, and I’m still gonna want to spend my winter breaks with him, I don’t want him locked in his room or working on a biology project for some teacher, I want him resting and recharging with our family and enjoying the holiday. And I want that for my students to y’all. I’m getting teary. I swear becoming a mother has made me so soft. But like in the best way, I was so rigid, and black and white, and everything I did. And I was so like certain. And I think the older I get one, the more humbled I am. And to the more I’m less certain about everything, and less confident in everything. But I think in the best way, because it makes me hear other people better and take in other ideas better. And so I hope when I give you these podcast episodes, I’m sure they come off a little aggressive, because I get I get passionate, you’ll know I get passionate talking about these things. Because I get passionate sharing my experiences and how they change my life and my students. But I also want you to know that you know yourself best, you know, your students best, you know what is best, you know, you do not have to do everything like me, and you shouldn’t, because you and I are different people. But I hope when you hear this episode, maybe it just gets you starting to think differently about homework. And maybe you’re like, Oh, I hear that I never thought about that with projects, maybe I won’t be assigning a project. Now. That’s due anywhere near breaks, that students will end up doing it over a break, you want to be home enjoying your time off, so to your students, so to their parents, they want to enjoy it with their kids. And so think about that as we move through the rest of the school year. And so that’s kind of just my action set for you with this episode, is just take a few minutes and sit down and really reflect on what we talked about at the top of the episode, which is the reason for why you’re assigning homework kind of really nailed down what that reason is, if it’s a good reason, maybe think of okay, well, is there another way to achieve this goal without it being homework? And then if you’re willing, what if you just kind of decide for a quarter of this year to do the experiment like I did? At this point? You know, it’s September so most some of you have been in school for two months. Some of you just started last week. So you might be thinking like, Okay, well, like you said, you started this the beginning the year we can’t do that. What are you started it for quarter two, quarter two usually falls from most people starts around mid October, sometime in October, what he said at the start of quarter two guys, we’re gonna do something different this quarter. We’re all gonna do homework and kind of approach it with the same strategy as I did and just see how it goes. I can what’s the worst that can happen? You don’t get through as much in quarter two. Okay, well, unless you have an AP course and EOC course. Yeah, you’re supposed to teach the standards but like, who really cares, you don’t get through every single thing perfectly. Again, this is another way I’ve gone soft. And in my older age. I don’t know why I say older age but older than 22 When I started teaching is like when I was 22 teaching an EOC course it would have killed me to skip anything that was on the EOC. But now the older I get, I’m like life’s a learning experience. Like we just all do the best we have. I’d rather think about them as a holistic individual human then worry about their ESC score, their AP Bio score and again, I don’t mean to be flippant, because I know these things matter. I know you know, this can save, like especially AP exams, it saves students money in college and then have to take the course and I get it. I’m not trying to be flippant, but I do just want you to think about it differently maybe than you ever have before, because that’s what I did. And it really changed everything. I mean, truly a one at where I am now on this topic to where I was when I started teaching when I was 22 years old. Alright, so that’s it. I know I mentioned a couple of their podcast episodes that like we’ve talked about little things here and there related to this, and I’ll link those in the show notes at it’s not rocket science classroom.com/episode 96 And this week, I want you to leave a review if you haven’t already. If you’re on that no homework chain. Okay, as my kids would say, choo, choo, get on the train. If you want to try new homework, leave a rating or review and let me know about it. I would love to hear from you.

Rebecca 20:50 All right, teacher friends. That wraps up today’s episode. If you’re looking for an easy way to start simplifying your life as a secondary science teacher, head to It’s not rocket science classroom.com/challenge to grab your classroom reset challenge. And guess what? It’s totally free. Thanks so much for tuning in, and I’ll see you here next week. Until then, I’ll be rooting for you teacher friend.

More Podcast Posts

What to Do When You Care More Than Your Students Do [Episode 123]

How to Nail Your Teacher Job Interview + 3 Mock Lesson Ideas [Episode 122]

Burned Out? When It’s Time to Make a Change [Episode 121]

How to Cut Your Grading Time in Half [Episode 120]

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I Hate Myself for Not Doing My Homework

Reader’s Question

I’m in high school and would consider myself to have above average intellect. Still, I’m getting Ds and Es in school.

I seem to do well on all of the tests, but when I get home from school and I have to do my homework, I just can’t make myself do it. My teachers ask me why I don’t do my homework and I tell them I just don’t care anymore. But in reality I do care — I hate myself for not doing the work. Still, when I get home from school I just can’t make myself do the work. Then, when I get my report card, I look at the grades and just cry myself to sleep. I want to do better but I just can’t seem to make myself work harder. Is this just me being lazy or is there something more?

Psychologist’s Reply

Because there could be so many underlying reasons for your quandary, it’s not possible to make an accurate assessment from such a distance. That’s why it would be in your and your family’s best interest to seek out an evaluation by a mental health professional experienced in such issues.

Some of the possible reasons for your difficulties can include:

The aforementioned are just a few of the many possible explanations for your difficulties other than pure laziness. Your problems might be related to some very different causes other than a deficiency of character. My best suggestion: talk openly with your parents and school counselor about your concerns, and seek a professional opinion about the best ways to address the issues.

Please read our Important Disclaimer .

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All clinical material on this site is peer reviewed by one or more clinical psychologists or other qualified mental health professionals. Originally published by Dr George Simon, PhD on July 29, 2010 and last reviewed or updated by Dr Greg Mulhauser, Managing Editor on July 29, 2010 .

https://askthepsych.com/atp/2010/07/29/i-hate-myself-for-not-doing-my-homework/

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the 5 best homework help websites (free and paid).

Other High School , General Education

Listen: we know homework isn’t fun, but it is a good way to reinforce the ideas and concepts you’ve learned in class. But what if you’re really struggling with your homework assignments?

If you’ve looked online for a little extra help with your take-home assignments, you’ve probably stumbled across websites claiming to provide the homework help and answers students need to succeed . But can homework help sites really make a difference? And if so, which are the best homework help websites you can use? 

Below, we answer these questions and more about homework help websites–free and paid. We’ll go over: 

• The basics of homework help websites
• The cost of homework help websites 
• The five best homework websites out there 
• The pros and cons of using these websites for homework help 
• The line between “learning” and “cheating” when using online homework help 
• Tips for getting the most out of a homework help website

So let’s get started! 

The Basics About Homework Help Websites–Free and Paid

Homework help websites are designed to help you complete your homework assignments, plain and simple. 

What Makes a Homework Help Site Worth Using

Most of the best sites allow users to ask questions and then provide an answer (or multiple possible answers) and explanation in seconds. In some instances, you can even send a photo of a particular assignment or problem instead of typing the whole thing out! 

Homework help sites also offer more than just help answering homework questions. Common services provided are Q&A with experts, educational videos, lectures, practice tests and quizzes, learning modules, math solving tools, and proofreading help. Homework help sites can also provide textbook solutions (i.e. answers to problems in tons of different textbooks your school might be using), one-on-one tutoring, and peer-to-peer platforms that allow you to discuss subjects you’re learning about with your fellow students. 

And best of all, nearly all of them offer their services 24/7, including tutoring! 

What You Should Should Look Out For

When it comes to homework help, there are lots–and we mean lots –of scam sites out there willing to prey on desperate students. Before you sign up for any service, make sure you read reviews to ensure you’re working with a legitimate company. 

A word to the wise: the more a company advertises help that veers into the territory of cheating, the more likely it is to be a scam. The best homework help websites are going to help you learn the concepts you’ll need to successfully complete your homework on your own. (We’ll go over the difference between “homework help” and “cheating” a little later!) 

You don't need a golden piggy bank to use homework help websites. Some provide low or no cost help for students like you!

How Expensive Are the Best Homework Help Websites?

First of all, just because a homework help site costs money doesn’t mean it’s a good service. Likewise, just because a homework help website is free doesn’t mean the help isn’t high quality. To find the best websites, you have to take a close look at the quality and types of information they provide! 

When it comes to paid homework help services, the prices vary pretty widely depending on the amount of services you want to subscribe to. Subscriptions can cost anywhere from $2 to $150 dollars per month, with the most expensive services offering several hours of one-on-one tutoring with a subject expert per month.

The 5 Best Homework Help Websites 

So, what is the best homework help website you can use? The answer is that it depends on what you need help with. 

The best homework help websites are the ones that are reliable and help you learn the material. They don’t just provide answers to homework questions–they actually help you learn the material. 

That’s why we’ve broken down our favorite websites into categories based on who they’re best for . For instance, the best website for people struggling with math might not work for someone who needs a little extra help with science, and vice versa. 

Keep reading to find the best homework help website for you! 

Best Free Homework Help Site: Khan Academy

• Price: Free!
• Best for: Practicing tough material 

Not only is Khan Academy free, but it’s full of information and can be personalized to suit your needs. When you set up your account , you choose which courses you need to study, and Khan Academy sets up a personal dashboard of instructional videos, practice exercises, and quizzes –with both correct and incorrect answer explanations–so you can learn at your own pace. 

As an added bonus, it covers more course topics than many other homework help sites, including several AP classes.

Runner Up: Brainly.com offers a free service that allows you to type in questions and get answers and explanations from experts. The downside is that you’re limited to two answers per question and have to watch ads. 

Best Paid Homework Help Site: Chegg

• Price: $14.95 to $19.95 per month
• Best for: 24/7 homework assistance  

This service has three main parts . The first is Chegg Study, which includes textbook solutions, Q&A with subject experts, flashcards, video explanations, a math solver, and writing help. The resources are thorough, and reviewers state that Chegg answers homework questions quickly and accurately no matter when you submit them.  

Chegg also offers textbook rentals for students who need access to textbooks outside of their classroom. Finally, Chegg offers Internship and Career Advice for students who are preparing to graduate and may need a little extra help with the transition out of high school. 

Another great feature Chegg provides is a selection of free articles geared towards helping with general life skills, like coping with stress and saving money. Chegg’s learning modules are comprehensive, and they feature solutions to the problems in tons of different textbooks in a wide variety of subjects. 

Runner Up: Bartleby offers basically the same services as Chegg for $14.99 per month. The reason it didn’t rank as the best is based on customer reviews that say user questions aren’t answered quite as quickly on this site as on Chegg. Otherwise, this is also a solid choice!

Best Site for Math Homework Help: Photomath

• Price: Free (or $59.99 per year for premium services) 
• Best for: Explaining solutions to math problems

This site allows you to t ake a picture of a math problem, and instantly pulls up a step-by-step solution, as well as a detailed explanation of the concept. Photomath also includes animated videos that break down mathematical concepts to help you better understand and remember them. 

The basic service is free, but for an additional fee you can get extra study tools and learn additional strategies for solving common math problems.

Runner Up: KhanAcademy offers in-depth tutorials that cover complex math topics for free, but you won’t get the same tailored help (and answers!) that Photomath offers. 

Best Site for English Homework Help: Princeton Review Academic Tutoring

• Price: $40 to $153 per month, depending on how many hours of tutoring you want 
• Best for: Comprehensive and personalized reading and writing help 

While sites like Grammarly and Sparknotes help you by either proofreading what you write via an algorithm or providing book summaries, Princeton Review’s tutors provide in-depth help with vocabulary, literature, essay writing and development, proofreading, and reading comprehension. And unlike other services, you’ll have the chance to work with a real person to get help. 

The best part is that you can get on-demand English (and ESL) tutoring from experts 24/7. That means you can get help whenever you need it, even if you’re pulling an all-nighter! 

This is by far the most expensive homework site on this list, so you’ll need to really think about what you need out of a homework help website before you commit. One added benefit is that the subscription covers over 80 other subjects, including AP classes, which can make it a good value if you need lots of help!  

Best Site for STEM Homework Help: Studypool

• Best for: Science homework help
• Price: Varies; you’ll pay for each question you submit

When it comes to science homework help, there aren’t a ton of great resources out there. The best of the bunch is Studypool, and while it has great reviews, there are some downsides as well. 

Let’s start with the good stuff. Studypool offers an interesting twist on the homework help formula. After you create a free account, you can submit your homework help questions, and tutors will submit bids to answer your questions. You’ll be able to select the tutor–and price point–that works for you, then you’ll pay to have your homework question answered. You can also pay a small fee to access notes, lectures, and other documents that top tutors have uploaded. 

The downside to Studypool is that the pricing is not transparent . There’s no way to plan for how much your homework help will cost, especially if you have lots of questions! Additionally, it’s not clear how tutors are selected, so you’ll need to be cautious when you choose who you’d like to answer your homework questions.  

What Are the Pros and Cons of Using Homework Help Sites?

Homework help websites can be a great resource if you’re struggling in a subject, or even if you just want to make sure that you’re really learning and understanding topics and ideas that you’re interested in. But, there are some possible drawbacks if you don’t use these sites responsibly. 

We’ll go over the good–and the not-so-good–aspects of getting online homework help below. 

3 Pros of Using Homework Help Websites 

First, let’s take a look at the benefits. 

#1: Better Grades Beyond Homework

This is a big one! Getting outside help with your studies can improve your understanding of concepts that you’re learning, which translates into better grades when you take tests or write essays. 

Remember: homework is designed to help reinforce the concepts you learned in class. If you just get easy answers without learning the material behind the problems, you may not have the tools you need to be successful on your class exams…or even standardized tests you’ll need to take for college. 

#2: Convenience

One of the main reasons that online homework help is appealing is because it’s flexible and convenient. You don’t have to go to a specific tutoring center while they’re open or stay after school to speak with your teacher. Instead, you can access helpful resources wherever you can access the internet, whenever you need them.

This is especially true if you tend to study at off hours because of your extracurriculars, work schedule, or family obligations. Sites that offer 24/7 tutoring can give you the extra help you need if you can’t access the free resources that are available at your school. 

#3: Variety

Not everyone learns the same way. Maybe you’re more of a visual learner, but your teacher mostly does lectures. Or maybe you learn best by listening and taking notes, but you’re expected to learn something just from reading the textbook . 

One of the best things about online homework help is that it comes in a variety of forms. The best homework help sites offer resources for all types of learners, including videos, practice activities, and even one-on-one discussions with real-life experts. 

This variety can also be a good thing if you just don’t really resonate with the way a concept is being explained (looking at you, math textbooks!).

Not so fast. There are cons to homework help websites, too. Get to know them below!

3 Cons of Using Homework Help Websites 

Now, let’s take a look at the drawbacks of online homework help. 

#1: Unreliable Info

This can be a real problem. In addition to all the really good homework help sites, there are a whole lot of disreputable or unreliable sites out there. The fact of the matter is that some homework help sites don’t necessarily hire people who are experts in the subjects they’re talking about. In those cases, you may not be getting the accurate, up-to-date, and thorough information you need.

Additionally, even the great sites may not be able to answer all of your homework questions. This is especially true if the site uses an algorithm or chatbot to help students…or if you’re enrolled in an advanced or college-level course. In these cases, working with your teacher or school-provided tutors are probably your best option. 

#2: No Clarification

This depends on the service you use, of course. But the majority of them provide free or low-cost help through pre-recorded videos. Watching videos or reading info online can definitely help you with your homework… but you can’t ask questions or get immediate feedback if you need it .

#3: Potential For Scamming 

Like we mentioned earlier, there are a lot of homework help websites out there, and lots of them are scams. The review comments we read covered everything from outdated or wrong information, to misleading claims about the help provided, to not allowing people to cancel their service after signing up. 

No matter which site you choose to use, make sure you research and read reviews before you sign up–especially if it’s a paid service! 

When Does “Help” Become “Cheating”?

Admittedly, whether using homework help websites constitutes cheating is a bit of a grey area. For instance, is it “help” when a friend reads your essay for history class and corrects your grammar, or is it “cheating”? The truth is, not everyone agrees on when “help” crosses the line into “cheating .” When in doubt, it can be a good idea to check with your teacher to see what they think about a particular type of help you want to get. 

That said, a general rule of thumb to keep in mind is to make sure that the assignment you turn in for credit is authentically yours . It needs to demonstrate your own thoughts and your own current abilities. Remember: the point of every homework assignment is to 1) help you learn something, and 2) show what you’ve learned. 

So if a service answers questions or writes essays for you, there’s a good chance using it constitutes cheating. 

Here’s an example that might help clarify the difference for you. Brainstorming essay ideas with others or looking online for inspiration is “help” as long as you write the essay yourself. Having someone read it and give you feedback about what you need to change is also help, provided you’re the one that makes the changes later. 

But copying all or part of an essay you find online or having someone write (or rewrite) the whole thing for you would be “cheating.” The same is true for other subjects. Ultimately, if you’re not generating your own work or your own answers, it’s probably cheating.

5 Tips for Finding the Best Homework Help Websites for You

Now that you know some of our favorite homework help websites, free and paid, you can start doing some additional research on your own to decide which services might work best for you! Here are some top tips for choosing a homework help website. 

Tip 1: Decide How You Learn Best 

Before you decide which site or sites you’re going to use for homework help, y ou should figure out what kind of learning style works for you the most. Are you a visual learner? Then choose a site that uses lots of videos to help explain concepts. If you know you learn best by actually doing tasks, choose a site that provides lots of practice exercises.

Tip 2: Determine Which Subjects You Need Help With

Just because a homework help site is good overall doesn’t mean that it’s equally good for every subject. If you only need help in math, choose a site that specializes in that area. But if history is where you’re struggling, a site that specializes in math won’t be much help. So make sure to choose a site that you know provides high-quality help in the areas you need it most. 

Tip 3: Decide How Much One-On-One Help You Need 

This is really about cost-effectiveness. If you learn well on your own by reading and watching videos, a free site like Khan Academy is a good choice. But if you need actual tutoring, or to be able to ask questions and get personalized answers from experts, a paid site that provides that kind of service may be a better option.

Tip 4: Set a Budget

If you decide you want to go with a paid homework help website, set a budget first . The prices for sites vary wildly, and the cost to use them can add up quick. 

Tip 5: Read the Reviews

Finally, it’s always a good idea to read actual reviews written by the people using these homework sites. You’ll learn the good, the bad, and the ugly of what the users’ experiences have been. This is especially true if you intend to subscribe to a paid service. You’ll want to make sure that users think it’s worth the price overall!

What’s Next?

If you want to get good grades on your homework, it’s a good idea to learn how to tackle it strategically. Our expert tips will help you get the most out of each assignment…and boost your grades in the process.

Doing well on homework assignments is just one part of getting good grades. We’ll teach you everything you need to know about getting great grades in high school in this article.

Of course, test grades can make or break your GPA, too. Here are 17 expert tips that’ll help you get the most out of your study prep before you take an exam.

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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My bright teen is skipping homework and failing classes, and I don’t know what to do

Q: My 15-year-old son, a high school sophomore, has stopped doing his homework when he doesn't like the subject or the teacher, or when he thinks it's stupid, and he's now failing two classes. He has also lied to me about it; he got away with the lies until the school sent notices, so he has all but destroyed my trust in him. This has been going on since grammar school, but it's getting worse as he gets older. I've tried everything I can think of: therapy, taking away the Xbox, using the Xbox or other things as rewards he can earn, letting him handle it on his own, partial involvement, hovering, crying and screaming — and I feel awful about those last two. I'm trying to take your advice to be careful not to damage our relationship over things, but I don't know what else to do. Failing major subjects in high school seems like a problem. Am I wrong to be so concerned? He won't work with a tutor anymore, either. He's a smart kid, so it's not a lack of ability. Please help.

A: I am going to be honest with you: I relate to your son. I started to check out of school around sixth grade and stayed checked out well through high school. I was bright but had stopped caring about most of my classes, and nothing changed my mind. Paid for good grades? Nope. Punishments? Nah. Rewards? Didn’t care. Threats? Didn’t matter. I was only affected by a handful of people, and otherwise, I couldn’t be reached. And this wasn’t even in a pandemic; this was just the ’90s.

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As I see it, your son is a puzzle (as we all are), and we have a couple of the puzzle pieces in front of us. He is bright (a word that doesn’t carry much meaning), he doesn’t do his homework when he is disinterested in the subject and/or teacher, he lies about it, this behavior has been happening since grammar school, every manner of behavior modification has been attempted (and failed), you have tried therapy, and he refuses a tutor. There are many other things I don’t know about your son, including his health, any transitions or traumas for him or the family, possible learning disabilities or differences (yes, you can be bright and have a whole host of learning issues that prohibit learning in a “typical” way) and family structure. I could go on and on!

The big question is why. Why did your son begin to disconnect from school?

Although I can do little to help you in this note, I do want to keep guiding you to the “why” instead of the “what.” Of course we don’t want your son failing courses — no one wants that for their children — but our parenting goal is not getting him to pass classes. It is to understand him, so he can understand and help himself. At 15, he is well on his way to becoming a young man, and whatever is causing his disconnect from school is what needs your attention.

As you discover the “why,” you need to understand why rewards and punishments don’t seem to work with some children, especially when it comes to schoolwork. There is a time and place for typical behavioral techniques. Take something away that children love, they stop the unwanted behavior. Give them something they love, they repeat wanted behavior. Fine. But this only really works when children already care about school, their teachers and, yes, maybe the work. Caring about your integrity, what you produce and how your teacher feels about you is the primary driver of working hard, not rewards or punishments. If you have a teen who is accustomed to not caring about what his teachers or you think, then he is immune to your punishments and rewards. “Not caring” runs both ways; you don’t feel the “bad stuff,” and you also don’t feel the “good stuff.” As a person who didn’t care about a lot of things for a long time, I can say that it is a horrible way to live. I was wretched to parent and educate.

Let’s pause all the behavior-modification shenanigans. Let’s pause the fear of all this failing and what it means for his future. Let’s pause shoving him into therapy or tutoring. Let’s. Just. Stop. Repeat after me: “My son is not a project. He is a fully human young man, and he needs my support and love.” Repeat this over and over and over, then start getting curious. Invite him to eat with you, go on a hike with you, learn a video game with you, anything, and try to get to know him without an agenda. Every single class he is failing can be made up. Every single thing he hasn’t learned can eventually be learned, and I want you to tell him that. I also want you to highlight and discuss what he does well. He is passing classes! He is (maybe) doing chores! These failed classes are not the sum of his person, so stop treating them as if they are.

10 ways to take the struggle out of homework

I also want you to tell him that it’s typical to not want to do well for people to whom we don’t feel connected. My spidey sense is that something (or things) happened in grammar school that caused him to armor up, and the armor has grown thicker. And of course he’s lying to you. When people feel ashamed of their actions (not doing homework and failing), they lie, then they get in trouble for the lie (adding on more shame), which adds to more lying. Let’s just assume he isn’t going to do the homework for some of these classes. We can take out the extra shame layer.

I can hear you having a panic attack, and I know I have not told you what to do to fix this situation, but it is not going to get fixed. Your son is not broken; he just needs support. Please call your pediatrician for a good work-up, and peek around at possible learning issues. (Giftedness is on the table, too.) Please personally reach out to a teacher whom your son loves and respects, and ask for support. What got me through high school? A choir teacher, an AP English teacher, my Mom Mom, my aunt, and the fact that my parents didn’t give up and send me out of the house. That’s it. Find someone your son cares about, and have them start talking, hanging out, checking in, etc. As a former teacher, I did this and was never burdened by it; it is called community, and we all need it.

The most encouraging part about your note is that you know this is a relationship-first issue. Keep that as your North Star, and as your son begins to thaw, you can add other strategies, such as rewards and punishments. Check out Cara Natterson’s “ Decoding Boys ” and think about seeing your own parent coach or therapist. You are doing hard parenting work, and you need a safe place for your fears and big emotions.

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How to Get Out of Doing Homework

Last Updated: March 4, 2024 Fact Checked

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 111 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. 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 282,348 times. Learn more...

Sometimes you just can't get it together and finish your homework. Maybe you had a concert or a game after school and you were too tired to think when you got home. Maybe you ran out of time, or you fell asleep early. Maybe you just had something way better to do! This article will give you ideas for how to get your parents off your back about doing homework and convince your teachers you have a perfectly good reason why you didn't do the assignment. Plus, learn techniques on how to make it look like you made an attempt at your assignment, but life, fate, or technology got in the way. Just don't make a habit of it, or your grades may suffer.

Making Excuses to Your Teacher

• Notice how your teacher reacts when other students forget their homework to gauge how much you can get away with.
• Notice if your teacher collects homework or usually just walks around and glances at your worksheet to make sure you did it.
• Try to get an idea of what your teacher likes. If they have pictures of their cat everywhere, you may be able to use that to your advantage later by telling them your cat is very sick or had to be put down and you were too devastated to finish the assignment.
• Remember that your teacher probably got into teaching because they are passionate about their subject. Participate in class as much as possible: if they believe you love history, too, they're probably more likely to be sympathetic later.
• Find out how much homework counts toward your final grade. If homework only accounts for 20% of your grade and you ace all your tests, projects, and class participation, you might be able to get by without doing homework and still get a decent grade.

• If your teacher expects you to email them your assignment, ask them the next day if they got your email. When they say they didn't, act confused and explain that you definitely emailed them and that you can't believe it didn't go through. They probably can't check to see if you are lying and will probably give you an extension.

• Claim the death of a family member. Make it someone close enough that it would affect you, but not so close that the teacher will find out about it. A great aunt or uncle works as they tend to be older. There is also no limit on the amount of great aunts and uncles you have, whereas with grandparents there is a limited number of times you can use that excuse. Plus, you don't want to tempt karma by saying your grandma died unexpectedly.
• Say that you are having a private family issue and you don't feel comfortable talking about it, but you can't do the homework.
• Tell your teacher your pet died. But be aware that if your teacher happens to be having a conversation with your parents and says something like "Sorry about the dog!" they may find out you were lying.

• Tell the teacher you were in the bathroom when they assigned the work and you completely missed that you had homework. However, if your teacher has a good memory or writes homework on the board or on a school website, there is a high chance this will not work.

• This works best if you are somebody who rarely gets sick(maybe once or twice a year) then you will be more trustworthy if you appear sick.

• If you do this too often your teacher will stop being sympathetic, so make sure it only happens once or twice.

Making It Look Like You Did Your Homework

• If your teacher walks around the class checking for homework, but doesn't take it in, write your homework page and task at the top of some random notes you have for that class. If they're not attentive, they won't notice.
• If they are attentive, try to distract them by asking a question related to the subject or show them a word in the textbook you don't understand.

• Say you must have left it on your desk/in the car/on the bus and ask if you can turn it in at the end of the day. Then you can quickly do the assignment during lunch.
• Be smart when pretending to be upset that you lost your homework. If you usually slack off and don't do your homework, it may seem odd to the teacher when you suddenly worry about not having your homework.

• If you cheat on writing based homework, paraphrase it so your teacher can't tell that you cheated. Also, think about how you usually perform in class. If you don't usually do well in class on homework and tests, your teacher could get suspicious if you get all the answers right. So to be smart, get some answers wrong on purpose.
• Try asking one friend for answers to questions #1 and #2, then another friend for the answers to questions #3 and #4, and so on until the assignment is complete.
• Assemble a study group and let them work out all the answers.
• If you have a friend who owes you a favor, tell them this is how they can repay their debt.

• Bring in a blank flash drive and swear to your teacher you saved it to the drive and you don't know what happened.

• Go into File Explorer and find the file you want to make corrupt. Right click over the file and select 'Open With...', then select Notepad. Once the file opens in Notepad you should see a really bizarre document with gibberish. Click anywhere within the document and type something random in it, disturbing the flow. After this just save and submit. When your teacher opens it, it will show up an error.
• Do not select "use application as default" when selecting Notepad after File Explorer step or else all word documents (.docx) will automatically in Notepad showing gibberish.
• Create a blank image in Paint and save it in .bmp format. After that, forcefully change its format into .doc (right-click and hit Properties), and change the title to the name of your homework assignment. Now, when you try to open the file in any text viewing program, it will show up as a broken file. Send it to the teacher, and if they ask you the next day, just say sorry about this inconvenience and promise to send it this evening. Now, you have an extra day to complete your homework.

Convincing Your Parents

• So your parents check your history? Easy. If you have the Google Chrome browser, you can use Incognito mode. This will not track your history at all. Press ctrl+shift+N at the same time to open an Incognito tab. Remember to close all Incognito tabs before you go back to doing your homework.
• Remember ctrl + w closes a window with one tab without prompt, so it is the perfect way without downloading Firefox and certain add-ons to use the computer without parent's knowing anything of your exploits.

Community Q&A

Tips from our Readers

• Try to sound very stressed about not finishing your homework. Try to only skip homework when you really need to. It might be obvious that you're not trying if you never do it.
• Try to be honest when you get caught. If you lie and get caught, you might be in bigger trouble.
• Remember: in most cases, it is unlikely your teacher will excuse you from doing the homework altogether, even if these tactics work. Go into it thinking they will give you an extension and you will have time to catch up on your work without it impacting your grade. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Homework is there to help you. In the long run, not doing homework will impact not just your report card but your future. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Avoid lame and common excuses. These excuses have no effect, so don't even try to use them. Avoid "I forgot" and "My dog ate my homework" kind of excuses. Using long, boring excuses may make the teacher just dismiss it and tell you to turn it in tomorrow. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://edinazephyrus.com/how-to-fake-sick-successfully/
• ↑ https://corrupt-a-file.net/

About This Article

If you weren't able to finish your homework, there are a few good excuses you can use to keep your teacher off your back. You can blame technology and say your computer or printer broke. If you needed the internet for your homework, say your internet went off for a few hours. Pretending you forgot your homework isn't the best excuse, but it sounds better than admitting you didn't do it. Search through your bag and pretend to look for it, then tell your teacher you must have left it at home. To make it more convincing, see your teacher at the beginning of class and say you had a busy week and forgot to do the homework. You can even tell them you had a family issue. Teachers are unlikely to call you out for being sick, so try going to the nurse before class and telling them you feel sick and you can’t go to class. For more tips, including how to get out of your parents making you do homework, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Erin Waters EDU

Teach Smarter, Not Harder

by Erin Waters • 86 Comments

Why I’m Quitting Homework {And What I’m Doing Instead}

• These are children. With ages in the single digits. Sounds crazy, but at this age, most kids do this weird thing called following the schedule given to them by their parents. In busy households, homework is sometimes put on the back burner—many times understandably so, given the busy-ness. This is an adult choice , and students should not be punished for a decision made by their parents.
• Resources vary from home to home. Many families do not possess the same amount of time, education, language skills, or basic supplies to complete homework assignments. A class of students should not be held to the same set of standards when their home lives most likely vary drastically.

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Reader Interactions

86 comments.

July 7, 2016 at 7:51 pm

July 7, 2016 at 10:03 pm

Erin! Fantastic post! Wow! I LOVE everything about this post AND un homework!!! xxoo, Diane One Giggle At A Time

July 8, 2016 at 12:18 am

Love this! Thank you for sharing!!

July 8, 2016 at 1:45 pm

I love the idea of this, but it leaves out one major point: reading. We all know how important it is for children to read/be read to every day. In some places this happens automatically and doesn't need to be homework. However, this isn't true everywhere. My school assigns reading as "homework" every night. Nothing is taken away of they don't do it and yet assigning it means most of them do. In fact, by the end of the year I had a bunch who would tell me they'd read so much more because they just loved it. I just think it's important to consider that not every community is the same and that not all "homework" is to be vilified.

July 8, 2016 at 2:02 pm

Hannah, I totally agree with you. I also believe that reading is important every night. This post targets the paper & pencil homework. I have and will continue to encourage nightly reading at home!

Thanks so much! 🙂

July 8, 2016 at 2:03 pm

Thanks, Diane, for the sweet feedback! 🙂

Rachael, thank you so much!

July 8, 2016 at 5:43 pm

Maybe I'm jaded from working with older kids but would they not just color in the circles say they did it to get the tickets? How do you know they are actually doing the tasks?

July 8, 2016 at 10:41 pm

I have the same thoughts as Christine Stokes (above). I like to give students the benefit of the doubt, but even with a parent initial spot they can easily just fake it. And unfortunately, the school I've been at has had a record of dishonest students (2nd and 3rd grade). Or some parents take zero interest in their child's school work and would either not even look at the paper or just sign off on all of them to make their child leave them alone or give them what they want. It's sad, but true some of the time. Again, this is from the experiences I've had at my school. Not all situations would be like this, but I'm just trying to think of ways to problem solve. I love this idea though and I would most definitely try to implement it instead of traditional honework. Just wondering how to make it work for me and hold students accountable instead of lying about their work just to get a reward.

July 8, 2016 at 11:21 pm

I always assume the best in my students. I would imagine the majority of my students would follow through honestly, and if there are some that don't, it is disappointing. However, I would hope that celebrating the success and hard work of those who complete the choices weekly could light a fire in those who might be less motivated. At the end of the day, there is no way to prove if they actually did them or not. In my opinion, the risk of a few students not telling the truth is worth the alternative, which would be the traditional homework route. I know every classroom is different, but that's my personal take on it! Thanks for reading, Shannon!

July 8, 2016 at 11:23 pm

Hi Christine! I understand your concern. And I'm not sure about the discrepancy between a younger classroom vs. an older one, as I have only taught younger kids. I always assume the best in my students. I would imagine the majority of my students would follow through honestly, and if there are some that don't, it is disappointing. However, I would hope that celebrating the success and hard work of those who complete the choices weekly could light a fire in those who might be less motivated. At the end of the day, there is no way to prove if they actually did them or not. In my opinion, the risk of a few students not telling the truth is worth the alternative, which would be the traditional homework route. I know every classroom is different, but that's my personal take on it! Thanks for reading, Christine!

July 9, 2016 at 1:28 am

I've thought about having a Reading Club of sorts for next year. The goal is to read 10 mins a night, meaning they should read 1,800 minutes by the end of the year. Every 100 minutes read they would get some sort of prize or reward. I'm thinking a pizza party or pie the teacher in the face for 1,000 minutes read!

July 9, 2016 at 1:30 am

July 13, 2016 at 1:34 pm

I went back to the classroom last year after 2 years as a district specialist. This will be my 2nd year in Second grade and I was surprised by the number of teachers in the school assigning to much homework and then punishing students for not getting it done. I always checked homework as a participation grade. Math was more stru but spelling and reading were done with menus, with all work due at the end of the week. When questioned by other teachers I took the stance that if they didn't do the spelling homework they wouldn't do well on the quiz and that also taking recess was a double punishment. Most kids learned what they needed, you always have the few exceptions that don't do and the parents who complain that it's to much or not enough. I wanted to make sure it wouldn't be more that 20 minutes a nght and understood that families have stuff happening after school so the folder went home on Monday and was due Friday so they really only had 3 nights minimum of homework. It never hurt their grade it only ever helped.

July 13, 2016 at 2:18 pm

I absolutely love this idea and will be implementing it 100%, along with encouraging my team members to do the same thing. I've never been a fan of homework and actually checking the homework. I would find that on top of all the other responsibilities we have, this was on the back burner. Like you, I trust my kids to be truthful and give them the benefit of the doubt. I also thought about maybe on the days they turn in their sheets, that during the Morning Meeting students can volunteer to share what choices they did and that in turn could encourage others since they hear it from their peers.

I do have a question though! Do you still do spelling words/spelling homework? Based on this post it doesn't sound like you do – which is something I've been thinking of cutting out myself. It's more of a hassle than anything :(.

July 13, 2016 at 5:14 pm

Will this work for Middle school students? Are there any changes you would make?

July 13, 2016 at 8:39 pm

That is an awesome idea!

July 13, 2016 at 9:11 pm

Hi there! You will have to change the choices each week, but the overall pack should be beneficial. There are a lot of parent materials and prize materials that are listed in the preview and the product description you can check out!

July 13, 2016 at 9:12 pm

Thanks, Laura!

July 13, 2016 at 9:16 pm

Hi Michelle! I LOVE the idea of sharing during Morning meeting! That's a great way to uphold integrity and also motivate other students to get excited about their own accomplishments if they haven't completed any choices thus far! I encourage sight word practice at home–we don't do spelling lists–but it is not required.

July 14, 2016 at 6:05 pm

I was with you until you mentioned prizes. To get a prize students have to participate. To participate they have to have time. To have time and participate they have to have someone who provide the uninterrupted time, materials, space and different kinds of help. You laid out such a good case at the beginning about why you'd done away with homework because all students don't have these luxuries and are punished. So now you're punishing students in a backwards way by telling them to watch the kids who chose to compete. What about the 5th grade child who never did his homework in my room? I made a home visit and found he was responsible for feeding dinner to and putting his 3 siblings to bed every night. His single mom worked at night. He didn't have time for himself much less homework. Read Alfie Kohn's work on rewards to get some perspective on the effect of the raffle tickets. I like a choice contract – that helps students with their work but doesn't count for or against them. Some kids can't do homework. Period. Unless there's a homework time provided during the day. I love your journey and hope all teachers consider your research and its impact on practice.

July 15, 2016 at 8:51 am

I am on board, but need to know how to handle my fourth graders and developing the responsibility of "studying" for tests. Would you personally still give study guides? I would think so. Parents at my school breathe fire on you sometimes if their child doesn't receive honor roll and that would be less likely if no study guides were sent home. And yes, there are so many that they study guides end up crumpled in the bottom of their bookbag and their parents have no clue how to help them study nor do they even have a grasp of the standards that these young children are required to know.

July 15, 2016 at 8:53 am

Their not they study guides

July 15, 2016 at 1:47 pm

Erin, I can totally tell you spoke straight from your heart on this. I can't express how much I appreciate this post. I very much agree that homework can hurt more than it can help. I love this idea so much and want to scream it from the roof tops! Our students get so much in during their time with us. We take play out of school, we can not also take it out of their home life. I see some great changes in my future. Thanks to putting this out there!! Kristen

July 15, 2016 at 2:37 pm

A concern is what about the class work that isn't finished? In younger grades it isn't a concern of mine, but the older grades they do need to complete their work unless only giving grades on tests. Typically older grades students would be required to finish it for HW if they didn't complete it at school.

My first year of teaching Kindergarten I did this, but had a list of 100 activities hat would for the entire year, students could choose one, parents wrote what number activity from the list, and signed the verification paper.

July 15, 2016 at 6:20 pm

Wow! I've been in education for about 20 years and have always HATED assigning homework–as a teacher and as a parent to a soon-to-be 5th and 2nd graders, I've hated it as a parent. I spent the last 2 years as a district-level coordinator, working with elementary teachers on innovating their classrooms, etc. Now, I'm moving into a new role as an AP, and the principal and I both have the same philosophy regarding homework–we despise it.

This might be a great compromise for those teachers that still want to hold on to it, or parents (because, I've often found that it's the parents that want/need it, not the kids!) who are still asking for it.

July 15, 2016 at 6:23 pm

Pie the teacher???? Why would you feel the need to offer humiliating a teacher as a prize to students? There are much better prizes to offer.

July 15, 2016 at 10:00 pm

Thank you!! I have been saying this since my own kids started school. Although I do some work at home (as all teachers do), I don't sit for hours at night working after getting home. The kids (especially elementary age) shouldn't have to either!! I think family time is far more important than homework (theirs or mine). The ideas I have seen in this article are super family-friendly, and NO MISSING RECESS!!! Love it! Thank you.

July 16, 2016 at 12:53 am

Hi! I love this idea and wholeheartedly am on board with the no homework rule! I teach 5th and noticed your Un-Homework package on your TPT store is to 3rd. Would it work for 5th graders do you think? Obviously I want activities that are age appropriate and not too childish (you know 10 year olds). Thoughts? Suggestions?

July 16, 2016 at 3:38 am

I like this idea, but what about grades? Do you only grade what is done in class?We have to have 12 grades per grading period in each subject. If they don't complete the work, I can't give them a grade.

July 16, 2016 at 11:12 am

To the unknown who has risen through the ranks and is now an AP who hates homework: I shared this with my team yesterday and we all agreed that we would need support from above and that we might possibly be even labeled as "nonproductive" teachers. There are only three elementary schools in my county, a total of close to 1800 students, and we would love to have this be a county wide event. But even a school wide one just to start with and someone like you at the top needs to be there to support the staff. Please remember that as you remain in "office". Top down support is a must for something this unheard of. Seriously sounds silly to say that but once word gets out that one class has NO homework, the other homeroom parents will be all over it, either bashing it or wanting it.

July 16, 2016 at 2:27 pm

Wonderful post!! I agree on the NO homework! BUT I come from a different background! I am a homeschool mom of 4. I believe that while kids need to learn math, phonics, reading and all other subjects they need to learn to LOVE learning! They need to grow in character as well. I come from Being a public school educator and it is hard to break away from what everyone thinks is right. I homeschool because my sons were just being put down constantly and "punished" constantly for not understanding, therefore not finishing HW. I believe we need to give our children the space to learn and allow them to learn at their own pace. I applaud you for making such a wonderful change!! Now if we can only do something about testing!!! ��

July 16, 2016 at 4:05 pm

if only you would of been my son's teacher 🙁 I love this approach, it is so much more inclusive for all types of kids with all kinds of challanges

July 16, 2016 at 4:20 pm

Aw, you are so sweet. I appreciate your feedback! Thanks for sharing 🙂

Monica, thank you so much for your thoughts! I am SO with you on all of this—especially the testing. I have hope that an answer is on the horizon 🙂

July 16, 2016 at 4:24 pm

Hi Kathleen, Thank you so much for taking your time to lend such thoughtfulness to this post. As a classroom teacher, I realize what a risky move this is; however, I am truly blessed with a very supportive administrator, a forward-thinking group of teachers, and a supportive, trusting community of parents. I am fully aware this isn't the norm; and even within this community I expect to encounter some pushback. I think the value in this idea lies in the research; for years, I've had feelings about homework, but it is nice to have data to back it up. I will keep my fingers crossed that the introduction of this new system is a successful one. Please let me know if I can be of any help 🙂 Thanks again!

July 16, 2016 at 4:25 pm

Hi there! At this moment, we only grade homework on a scale that relates to how often they do (or don't) complete the homework. I will be marking NA (not applicable) this year in the homework grading field. I gather other grades from the vast amount of work we do during the day.

July 16, 2016 at 4:26 pm

Hi Micheale! Thanks so much for your feedback! As noted in the product description and blog post, the actual Un-Homework in this pack is targeted to 1st grade; however, a lot of the activities can be adjusted to older or younger students. There is an editable version that is totally customizable so you can use it to fit your exact class! 🙂

July 16, 2016 at 4:27 pm

Hi Kim! Thank you SO much for your feedback! I love your thinking, and am so glad there are other teachers like you who embrace this sentiment. 🙂

July 16, 2016 at 4:29 pm

Hi Pam! I'm not sure where you saw anything about Pie the Teacher? I never mentioned that in my post, nor did I offer it as a prize choice. Perhaps you are confusing this with something else 🙂

July 16, 2016 at 4:30 pm

Hi! Thank you so much for taking the time to lend your feedback! I find it encouraging and invigorating that more and more administrators are adopting this mindset. The education world needs more people like you 🙂 I'm excited to hear how this goes for you and your school! Please keep me posted! [email protected]

July 16, 2016 at 4:32 pm

Hi Michelle, For older grades, it would be up to the teacher's discretion, I suppose. I teach only younger ages, and know what works best for my classroom. I'd be interested to hear from a few upper grade classrooms to hear how they have adapted this system to a different age range! I applaud your Kindergarten efforts, it sounds like a much more time-friendly option!

July 16, 2016 at 11:14 pm

Erin – I have done a lot of research on Homework as well, and I agree with what you write! I have always thought about giving "un-homework" under different categories, such as "Something for My Family," "Something for Myself," "Something for the Community," "Something for Nature," "Something for my House," etc. I teach upper grades – are you planning on creating Un-Homework for grades 4-5? I would love to collaborate with you if you would like a partner!

July 17, 2016 at 2:27 am

I enjoyed your post! I begin my first year teaching this August and am reading up on everything that I can! As far as your idea goes, do you ever include specific math skills throughout the year for students to practice on for un-homework? I'm completely up for trying anything new. I enjoy doing things differently than other teachers and love attempting new things. Do you plan time during school days for extra review of math concepts throughout the year that students may struggle with? I teach second grade and fractions as well as telling time to nearest 5 minutes come to mind.

July 17, 2016 at 4:31 pm

Hannah, I was reading your post and thought, "wow, that's what we do!" Then I saw your name! Lol

July 17, 2016 at 4:32 pm

July 17, 2016 at 6:30 pm

This sounds much harder to do than actually assigning homework. Waste of time and paper if you ask me. 🙁

July 17, 2016 at 7:04 pm

I give a weekly homework packet and frequently have parents tell me that I had my child stay at the table for hours finishing their homework I tell them that does not need to happen. I have had parents make a special trip to the school to drop off their homework. This is a fabulous alternative. I am also a parent of a soon to be 3rd grader and hated the homework battle. I can't wait to try thus out.

July 18, 2016 at 5:22 pm

This was someone's suggestion in the comments.

July 18, 2016 at 8:15 pm

Some teachers would think this is great fun, not humiliating. Their students would be able to do it in fun because of the teacher's attitude. And if the teacher offered it? Well? S/he must be OK with it. (This blogger didn't suggest it her her post, though.)

July 18, 2016 at 9:08 pm

I love this idea and bought the un-homework packet from your store.Last year, I switched from traditional homework to a choice board format so this seems like the next logical step. Do you have a parent letter that consolidates the power point information? I don't know when I would have all parents around to show the power point, and may email it to them, but would like to include a letter introducing the program in my open house packet. I can type one up but if you already have one, it would be one less thing for me to do! Thanks so much!

July 19, 2016 at 10:13 pm

I just think about all of the time I spend each morning checking homework and how that time could be used so much more efficiently to help my students! After reading this article, I'm planning on doing a similar un-homework plan so that I can use the extra time to pull struggling students who really need the extra help and won't receive it at home. Thank you for this article. I'm inspired! 🙂

July 19, 2016 at 10:17 pm

How is this a waste of paper? It's one sheet per student each week rather than 4+ sheets per student per week. And as for it being a waste of time, after your first year of implementing this, you'd have them all ready to go each year. Plus, you get rid of the time you'd waste checking all of the homework you used to give. It might be better to be a little more open-minded rather than begin SO negative.

July 20, 2016 at 3:37 am

This comment has been removed by the author.

July 20, 2016 at 3:40 am

shine FL Girl to NC July 19, 2016 at 11:35 PM Thank you so much for this post. I'm a mom of 2 boys. One of them is in college now and the other is in High School. Homework has ALWAYS been torture here at our house and caused much grief! I am NOT a fan of HOMEWORK, and I have just started teaching. This will be my 2nd year teaching the 1st grade. I would love to implement this for the upcoming year. Kids need the time to be kids again at home!!

July 21, 2016 at 3:56 am

I LOVE this concept! I'm curious on your thoughts… How do you think this would go over in a middle school setting? I just love this idea so much, but am unsure of how to get older kids to buy in. Most of the work would be in the presentation, but I'd love to know your thoughts!

July 24, 2016 at 7:21 pm

Love this idea! But how do you know the students are actually completing the tasks and not just coloring them in to get the tickets?

July 29, 2016 at 11:40 am

I was thinking the same thing!

July 30, 2016 at 4:18 pm

Love love love this concept. My daughter just turned 6 and will be entering First Grade shortly. Her recently retired school director posted this link of her FB page about being spot on, so course, I had to read it. I agree with this 110%. This sounds like the first step in getting kiddos to love school again. After recently reading the stats on the # of kids who fail to graduate HS and # of kids who do graduate/obtain GED that do not go onto college/trade school. So scary. Perhaps taking homework out of the equation will help foster a better love of learning and make kiddos want to go to school. My daughter loves going to school so I will do everything in my Mom power to keep her happy about learning. Thank you for this post!!

August 2, 2016 at 11:14 pm

I love this!! How about 'Family Dinner' as a choice? We have 5 kids, three in sports… we started homeschooling solely to ease our evenings of the homework. Family dinners are a struggle, and yet the most satisfying and enriching moments of our days!!

August 3, 2016 at 10:48 pm

Curious how your teaching partners handle homework? Are they on board? I work in a small school and there is only one other second grade teacher. Unfortunately we have to do similar things such as homework and expectations. Curious how you've handled this. Thanks!

August 4, 2016 at 4:44 pm

My son has gone to a no-homework, no grades school since kindergarten. When children start out with this philosophy, they naturally come home and talk about their day! Or show you what they can do. Ask good questions. It creates a culture of learning that lasts a lifetime. Keep fighting the good fight!

August 6, 2016 at 6:48 pm

Thank you so much for this! I have been wanting to do away with traditional homework for some time! I am definitely considering this! My only hesitation is the prize/rewarding aspect. I don't do rewards and am racking my brain trying to figure out the best way to implement this without rewarding/giving prizes. Any suggestions? Regardless, thank you again for this wonderful idea! It has motivated me to stop hedging and do something about the fact that I hate homework!

August 7, 2016 at 10:48 pm

I wish someone had thought about this when my kids were in grade school. Every year it was the same thing. "Sorry, I have an hour and a half with my kids after work and school before bed and it will not be spent on homework." My kids where punished because of it. None of their teachers understood that as a single mom trying very hard to hold things together that the time I had before bedtime was being taken up by their schoolwork. I also didn't feel it was fair they should be spending 12 hours a day doing school work. But I was the bad mom. I do not regret that decision.

August 9, 2016 at 6:53 pm

Is there any way to get an editable copy so we can change the daily choices?

August 30, 2016 at 7:01 am

It may not work in every situation, but I see some great possibilities to offering choices that involve siblings. Reading to younger siblings before bed. Maybe a choice that has to do with making meals, or even building stuff with younger siblings. You might have to do some digging to find out which families these are and tweak some of those assignments for them or speak with families about those tweaks.

September 1, 2016 at 9:25 am

When I go to the editable template to change my choices, it won't print the template. What can I do???

June 26, 2017 at 3:34 pm

I recently read a book called F.A.S.T. Grading that gives the following as an option for incomplete work: have a make up/completion block at the end of the week that is set aside for this. In the book it was a school-wide program, but I could see it working in individual classrooms as well. While students are completing there work, those who are done are doing some elective type fun learning. Maybe a science experiment, geniuses hour, or other thing that often gets left out when we crowd too much into the curriculum.

Another option could be to figure out why they don't finish. Many students need a longer amount of time to process information, but get the idea after struggling with fewer problems. This is where strong differentiation practices could be helpful. Maybe they aren't finishing because they don't get it, in that case the catch up block is ideal.

June 28, 2017 at 8:20 pm

Love this! But I was wondering how you get your grades? We are suppose to have 2 grades per subject a week. A lot of times I use their homework for a grade. What do you do?

June 30, 2017 at 2:29 pm

شركة تنظيف بالجبيل شركة تنظيف منازل بالجبيل شركة كشف تسربات المياه بسيهات

July 18, 2017 at 5:21 pm

Its an interesting subject, and I think it makes a ton of sense for really little kids (kindergarten – maybe 2nd grade). For older elementary students, I think the repetition that traditionally assigned "homework" provides is really necessary, especially when beginning to get into concepts that require practice and repetition before moving onto higher subjects— long division, fractions, etc. If a school day could be structured so that math or science could be held 2x in the same day, it would help to reinforce higher learning concepts, which is what the point of homework is. But that is not how the (typical) school day is structured. I remember, in 3rd grade, asking my friends how they got such good grades in math (I always felt as if I was having a harder time understanding things). Their response was, after completing the homework assignment, reading through the next day's lesson, so that they were prepared for the following days discussion. Point is, that repetition is necessary, and education, especially in math and science, should not end as soon as you leave the school. The trick is to not make it into a daily "chore", that takes a long time to complete— a few practice problems is all that is necessary to reinforce the day's lesson and begin to prepare the child for the next day.

July 18, 2017 at 5:26 pm

Sorry, I did not sign in– my name is Erin — "unknown" seems so shady 🙂 Do you know if there have been any long term studies on the "un-homework" philosophy? At first it seems like fun. But Do the children begin to not care anymore and not do the assignments after a while? I know that our 12 year old's philosophy with extra credit is— why do it if I am already getting A's and B's? Anyway, thanks for the discussion! Definitely something to think about!

July 31, 2017 at 4:49 am

I am going to teach kinder. Would this work for that age group? I wasn't sure what age you taught.

July 31, 2017 at 4:50 am

August 2, 2017 at 5:13 pm

I just purchased and have my principal's permission to institute! I have many other teachers in my building interested as well. Do you have a discount for a school and/or multiple classroom license? I absolutely love this!

August 2, 2017 at 8:02 pm

Cassie, I am just now reading this post, so am curious as to how you implemented this. The rewards bother me also. I am thinking I could leave out the ticket portion of the papers (if possible edit them out) OR pick five tickets, but those picked got to be the first to share about their unhomework from the previous week. Then others could share as time allowed. Hmmm …

August 2, 2017 at 8:03 pm

Karen, I am just now reading this post, so am curious as to how you implemented this. The rewards bother me also. A LOT. I am thinking I could leave out the ticket portion of the papers (if possible edit them out) OR pick five tickets, but those picked got to be the first to share about their unhomework from the previous week. Then others could share as time allowed. Hmmm …

August 16, 2017 at 4:20 pm

LOVE LOVE LOVE this!! I completely agree with the fact that homework has little to no benefits. The hard part is going to be getting parents (especially those of the "high-flyers") on board, but this is a great start! Thank you 🙂

August 18, 2017 at 10:54 pm

I've been thinking about homework also. I've also decided to not have any. I'm in a Title I school and it's hard enough for some of the kids having both parents working. Thank you so much for this post. Definitely looking into this in your store.

August 18, 2017 at 11:09 pm

August 23, 2017 at 3:31 am

I do a reading challenge to complete with this. Students have a certain amount of books they need to read in each genre to complete the challenge. It's fun and when they complete the challenge they also get prizes.

August 26, 2017 at 3:27 pm

UN-Homework is absolutely perfect! What a fantastic idea. I have limited the homework to one math sheet and 20 minutes of reading per night. A tracking nightmare because I only have about 4-7 kids per night doing it! So this is a wonderful solution! I'll kindly remind parents of 'A Book Before Bed.' AND unhomework. This is a totally fun approach and it gets the parents involved with their kids. LOVE IT!! Thank you!

September 16, 2017 at 11:48 am

I teach upper grades and my kids would LOVE this. I'm going to change it up a little for upper grades. I had to stop sending homework for the very same reasons. Once kids get to a certain age, parents just can't help anymore. I love the idea of a flipped classroom, but in our little Appalachian part of the world, internet is just not available to all of our kids. This would be so much fun and so much more beneficial. Thanks for sharing.

October 25, 2017 at 5:59 am

I am interested in this unhomework idea because now that I am a school age parent I see homework from another perspective. I would like to know if it matters to you to know if your students are actually completing those choises or not. Also, reading is huge and unfortunately not all parents are fans of reading, so how can I still make sure that my students are reading everyday with unhomework?

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I'm writing my homework vs I'm doing my homework

• Thread starter asdasdasd
• Start date Jun 23, 2023

Senior Member

• Jun 23, 2023

I'm writing my homework vs I'm doing my homework. In Polish the two are interchangable no matter the type of the homework. From my experience in English we use only the verb "do". But "to write" kind of makes sense so I want to check with you.  

Grammatically, "I'm writing my homework." is correct, but I'd have to ask "How do you mean?"  

The same for American English. It's not what we say. If I'm reading an assigned chapter in my history textbook, I'm doing my homework. I'm not writing anything. If I'm writing a short story for literature class, I'm doing my homework by writing a story. I'm not writing my homework even though my homework is something written.  

Myridon said: The same for American English. It's not what we say. If I'm reading an assigned chapter in my history textbook, I'm doing my homework. I'm not writing anything. If I'm writing a short story for literature class, I'm doing my homework by writing a story. I'm not writing my homework even though my homework is something written. Click to expand...

"I'm writing my homework." makes no sense, with maths or anything else - it's simply not used. If you say this, you will have to explain what you mean. Added: You could say that you're writing down your homework, but this means that you're making a note of the homework you have to do.  

asdasdasd said: Thanks. And if you're solving mathematical equations, would anyone say "I'm writing my homework"? Technically speaking, they are writing Click to expand...

Edinburgher

We don't write homework, but we do write essays. And if our homework assignment is to write an essay, then we could say "I'm writing my homework essay."  

asdasdasd said: Technically speaking, they are writing. Click to expand...

Myridon said: I wouldn't consider the work done to solve the problems to be writing though. You might solve the problem on your calculator, then write the answer. The mathematics teacher is unlikely to take off for your penmanship, spelling, or grammar if you get the numbers right. Click to expand...

asdasdasd said: So unless we're talking about writing something like an essay, we should choose "do" Click to expand...

ain'ttranslationfun?

For example, your homework could involve watching a video.  

Chasint said: Please believe the answers that have been given. We never , under any circumstances, say "I'm writing my homework." I'm doing my homework. I'm finishing my homework. I'm burning my homework. The dog is eating my homework. I'm writing my homework. EDIT: I suppose it would be possible to invent some unlikely context where 'writing' would be correct, e.g. I'm writing my homework on the back of my brother's head, and will copy it onto paper later. but that would be unusual and exceptional. Click to expand...

Enquiring Mind

See also do / write one's homework .  

Six presumed dead after cargo ship crash levels Baltimore bridge

BALTIMORE — A major Baltimore bridge collapsed like a house of cards early Tuesday after it was struck by a container ship, sending six people to their deaths in the dark waters below, and closing one of the country’s busiest ports.

By nightfall, the desperate search for six people who were working on the bridge and vanished when it fell apart had become a grim search for bodies.

“We do not believe that we’re going to find any of these individuals still alive,” Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon N. Gilreath said.

Jeffrey Pritzker, executive vice president of Brawner Builders, said earlier that one of his workers had survived. He did not release their names.

Up until then, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore had held out hope that the missing people might be found even as law enforcement warned that the frigid water and the fact that there had been no sign of them since 1:30 a.m. when the ship struck Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Moore expressed heartbreak after officials suspended the search for survivors.

"Our heart goes out to the families," he said. "I can’t imagine how painful today has been for these families, how painful these hours have been have been for these families."

It was a crushing blow to the loved ones of the missing men, who had waited for hours at a Royal Farms convenience store near the entrance of the bridge for word of their fate. 

Follow live updates on the Baltimore bridge collapse

The tragic chain of events began early Tuesday when the cargo ship Dali notified authorities that it had lost power and issued a mayday moments before the 984-foot vessel slammed into a bridge support at a speed of 8 knots, which is about 9 mph.

Moore declared a state of emergency while rescue crews using sonar detected at least five vehicles in the frigid 50-foot-deep water: three passenger cars, a cement truck and another vehicle of some kind. Authorities do not believe anyone was inside the vehicles.

Investigators quickly concluded that it was an accident and not an act of terrorism.

Ship was involved in another collision

Earlier, two people were rescued from the water, Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace said. One was in good condition and refused treatment, he said. The other was seriously injured and was being treated in a trauma center.

Moore said other drivers might have been in the water had it not been for those who, upon hearing the mayday, blocked off the bridge and kept other vehicles from crossing.

“These people are heroes,” Moore said. “They saved lives.”

Nearly eight years ago, the Dali was involved in an accident. In July 2016, it struck a quay at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium, damaging the quay.

The nautical commission investigated the accident, but the details of the inquiry were not immediately clear Tuesday.

The Dali is operated and managed by Synergy Group. In a statement, the company said that two port pilots were at the helm during Tuesday's crash and that all 22 crew members onboard were accounted for.

The Dali was chartered by the Danish shipping giant Maersk, which said it would have no choice but to send its ships to other nearby ports with the Port of Baltimore closed.

The bridge, which is about a mile and a half long and carries Interstate 695 over the Patapsco River southeast of Baltimore, was "fully up to code," Moore said.

National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said that her agency will lead the investigation and that a data recorder on the ship could provide more information.

"But right now we're focusing on the people, on the families," she said. "The rest can wait."

President Joe Biden vowed to rebuild the bridge and send federal funds.

"This is going to take some time," the president warned. "The people of Baltimore can count on us though to stick with them, at every step of the way, till the port is reopened and the bridge is rebuilt."

Speaking in Baltimore, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg echoed the president's promise.

"This is no ordinary bridge," he said. "This is one of the cathedrals of American infrastructure."

But Buttigieg warned that replacing the bridge and reopening the port will take time and money and that it could affect supply chains.

The Port of Baltimore, the 11th largest in the U.S., is the busiest port for car imports and exports, handling more than 750,000 vehicles in 2023 alone, according to data from the Maryland Port Administration.

Writer David Simon, a champion of Baltimore who set his TV crime drama "The Wire" on the streets of the city he once covered as a reporter, warned online that the people who will suffer the most are those whose livelihoods depend on the port.

"Thinking first of the people on the bridge," Simon posted on X . "But the mind wanders to a port city strangling. All the people who rely on ships in and out."

Timeline of crash

Dramatic video captured the moment at 1:28 a.m. Tuesday when the Dali struck a support and sent the bridge tumbling into the water. A livestream showed cars and trucks on the bridge just before the strike. The ship did not sink, and its lights remained on.

Investigators said in a timeline that the Dali's lights suddenly shut off four minutes earlier before they came back on and that then, at 1:25 a.m. dark black smoke began billowing from the ship's chimney.

A minute later, at 1:26 a.m., the ship appeared to turn. And in the minutes before it slammed into the support, the lights flickered again.

Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said the workers on the bridge were repairing concrete ducts when the ship crashed into the structure.

At least seven workers were pouring concrete to fix potholes on the roadway on the bridge directly above where the ship hit, said James Krutzfeldt, a foreman.

Earlier, the Coast Guard said it had received a report that a “motor vessel made impact with the bridge” and confirmed it was the Dali, a containership sailing under a Singaporean flag that was heading for Sri Lanka.

Bobby Haines, who lives in Dundalk in Baltimore County, said he felt the impact of the bridge collapse from his house nearby.

"I woke up at 1:30 this morning and my house shook, and I was freaking out," he said. "I thought it was an earthquake, and to find out it was a bridge is really, really scary."

Families of bridge workers wait for updates

Earlier in the day, relatives of the construction crew waited for updates on their loved ones.

Marian Del Carmen Castellon told Telemundo her husband, Miguel Luna, 49, was working on the bridge.

“They only tell us that we have to wait and that they can’t give us information,” she said.

Castellon said she was "devastated, devastated because our heart is broken, because we don’t know how they have been rescued yet. We are just waiting for the news."

Luna's co-worker Jesús Campos said he felt crushed, too.

“It hurts my heart to see what is happening. We are human beings, and they are my folks,” he said.

Campos told The Baltimore Banner that the missing men are from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico.

Active search and rescue ends

The Coast Guard said it was suspending the active search-and-rescue effort at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

"Coast Guard’s not going away, none of our partners are going away, but we’re just going to transition into a different phase," Gilreath said at a news conference.

Maryland State Police Superintendent Roland L. Butler, Jr., said it was moving to a recovery operation. Changing conditions have made it dangerous for divers, he said. 

Butler pledged to "do our very best to recover those six missing people," but the conditions are difficult.

"If we look at how challenging it is at a simple motor vehicle crash to extract an individual, I'm sure we can all imagine how much harder it is to do it in inclement weather, when it's cold, under the water, with very limited to no visibility," he said.

"There's a tremendous amount of debris in the water," which can include sharp metal and other hazards, and that could take time, Butler said.

'A long road in front of us'

Built in 1977 and referred to locally as the Key Bridge, the structure was later named after the author of the American national anthem.

The bridge is more than 8,500 feet long, or 1.6 miles. Its main section spans 1,200 feet, and it was one of the longest continuous truss bridges in the world upon its completion, according to the National Steel Bridge Alliance .

About 31,000 vehicles a day use the bridge, which equals 11.3 million vehicles per year, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority.

The river and the Port of Baltimore are both key to the shipping industry on the East Coast, generating more than $3.3 billion a year and directly employing more than 15,000 people.

Asked what people in Baltimore can expect going forward, the state's transportation secretary said it is too early to tell.

"Obviously we reached out to a number of engineering companies, so obviously we have a long road in front of us," Wiedefeld said.

Julia Jester reported from Baltimore, Patrick Smith from London, Corky Siemaszko from New York and Phil Helsel from Los Angeles.

Julia Jester is a producer for NBC News based in Washington, D.C.

Patrick Smith is a London-based editor and reporter for NBC News Digital.

Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.

Corky Siemaszko is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital.