Managing Make-up Work in the

Middle School Classroom

If there is one thing that we can count on as educators, it is that not every student will be in your classroom, every day, for the entire year. So, how do you manage the work students miss while they were gone?

Have you ever had a student come to you and ask,

"Did I miss anything when I was gone?"

Or, even worse...

"Did I miss anything important when I was gone?"

These are my LEAST favorite student questions! However, I love that my middle school students understand my sarcasm...well, most of them do! So, sometimes I joke around with them and tell them that we couldn't possibly go on without them, or we just sat around and cried because we missed them so much! It usually gets a laugh, but then, they really want to know what they missed.

What then? Explain every missed assignment to each individual student while the rest of your class waits patiently?! Or, get the rest of your class started on an activity while you explain the work they missed? Then the student who was absent is falling even more behind because they are missing the work their classmates are currently doing!

I teach 7th grade and spend a lot of time encouraging and providing opportunities for my students to practice what I call, owning their learning. For me, that means taking responsibility for themselves and their education. It looks like making good choices on where you sit, who you sit with, who you choose to be in groups with, how you conduct yourself in the classroom, how you manage your time, etc. It took me a couple of years to find a system for dealing with absent or makeup work that really fit with my personality and my classroom philosophy. The "What did I miss?" system not only encourages independence but models planning and organization, an area in which most middle school students need support.

The "What did I miss?" calendar:

The "What did I miss?" calendar is posted at the front of my classroom. I keep the current month and the previous month posted at all times. Each day, I, or a student helper update the calendar with the activity(ies) we completed AND where to find them.

The "What did I miss?" crate:

The "What did I miss?" crate sits below the calendar and is home to any hard copy assignments we do. The crate is set up with a folder for each day of the month and the folders are set up in date order.

The "What did I miss?" paper:

The "What did I miss?" paper is a handy way to summarize a list of assignments a student missed. I use this if I know a student will be gone for a lengthy period of time, if a parent contacts me to request work, and as an accommodation for students who may struggle to manage the system alone.

The "What did I miss" system is definitely not full proof. Like any other system, it may work well for some and not for others. I would love to hear about the systems that work in your classroom. Leave a comment below!

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