By Colette Hapi

Happy New Year, everyone! With 2024 upon us, I’ve been reflecting on some of the challenges that my students have faced in managing their assignments so far. One big issue that I’ve noticed is how students are struggling to juggle on-paper and digital homework. This hybrid system has led to a perplexing scenario where parents, eager to support their children, are left in the dark due to delayed school portal updates. The result? Students find themselves lost in a sea of uncertainty, parents are frustrated, and grades appear to be all over the place. But fear not! Together, we can develop a strategy to vanquish this chaos.

With the digital era colliding with traditional paper assignments, students are grappling with a unique set of hurdles. School portals will automatically update an assignment deadline, marking tasks as missing or incomplete – even if a student submitted a hard copy. Teachers don’t always have the bandwidth to grade work the night that it’s turned in, thus causing the portal to possibly show assignments as mistakenly being missing. Students can swear up and down that they’ve turned in their work, but if there’s no update to the school portal, we enter a difficult world where we feel like we have to doubt the student’s honesty. That can lead to tons of resentment and anger directed at the student, the parent, and the teacher. To help reduce these negative feelings, I’ve implemented a simple yet powerful strategy with some of my students to bridge the gap between the analog and digital worlds. This method not only eases the burden on parents but also empowers students to take charge of their academic responsibilities.

The Assignment Tracker Strategy

• Step 1: Empowering Students. I guide my students to maintain an assignment tracker (download a copy of it here!). This isn’t just a digital to-do list; it’s a tangible document that requires a teacher’s signature when an assignment is turned in. This hands-on approach encourages a sense of responsibility and accountability.
• Step 2: Real-time Updates. Rather than relying solely on portal updates, students carry their assignment trackers to class. When they submit a paper assignment, they get the teacher’s signature on the tracker. This simple act becomes a real-time acknowledgment of their submission.
• Step 3: Panicking Parents No More. With teachers updating the portal when they can, parents no longer find themselves in the dark. The assignment tracker acts as a parallel record, providing a tangible way to track their child’s progress without the need for constant portal checks.
• Step 4: Clarity for Students. The assignment tracker isn’t just a formality; it’s a lifeline for students. It serves as a visual representation of their academic journey, allowing students to see exactly what has been turned in and what still requires attention. No more excuses or confusion about the status of assignments!

In the ever-evolving educational landscape, the assignment tracker has proven to be incredibly helpful for my students. It brings order to chaos, empowers students to take control of their academic responsibilities, and provides parents with transparency. I’ve personally witnessed the transformation and am a big proponent of how simple solutions are the most effective. So, here’s to navigating the paper-digital divide and fostering a harmonious academic journey for students, parents, and educators alike. Have a great 2024!