Hi! I liked your form for absent students and I feel your frustration for absent students...but one thing that we don't need is more paperwork! A couple of years ago, I started three things that changed my life with absent kids! First, I made a "coordinator" position...elected by the class and selected at the beginning of the year. I explained that this student needs to have the respect of his or her peers and the responsibility of dealing with assignments and reminders. This person, passed back classwork, wrote assignments on the board, and collected assignments for me that were due. Honestly, I thought it would not work, but I haven't had a class yet in three years that it didn't.

After you elect this person in your class. You need a file spot, where you can hold three folders for each class...labeled, "assignments in", Assignments graded, and "absent assignments." When things are due, the coordnator collects it for the class in the folder. He or she passes graded papers back at the beginning and is responsible for putting HandOuts and assignment sheets for absent people in the folder. Plus, I have a "what's my assignment board?" where this coordinator writes what we did in class and deadlines on the board. Absent kids can check the board and the folder instead saying you didn't tell me what was due...it is their responsiblity.

I keep a "What Did I Miss" Wall. It has a code for any activities that were missed (ex. N = Notes; H = Handout; Q=Quiz, etc.) Any day I have students absent I write a summary of what we did with the appropriate letter behind it. That way, even if it was "just some notes" they know they need to get the information from a classmate. If a quiz or lab was missed, the student knows they need to come to me to schedule a make-up time. On a bookshelf at the base of the "wall" I have an A-Z accordian file folder. Handouts and returned work goes in there by last name. In my current situation I haven't had to use it much as absence is not a big issue, but it does work well when I have to use it.

A friend of mine had used the "class captian" concept mentioned above with great results, too. These "captains" handled attendance and getting copies of any materials that were needed, then filed them in the folder and distributed them to the absent student upon return. Because of privacy issues, the teacher handled any passing back of papers.