Should Students Be Required to Complete Work?

Another part of high expectations is requiring students to complete their work, especially major assignments or assessments.  If something is important enough for you to assign it, then it should be important enough for a student to complete it. Let me clarify a key point. This is not just about the student’s responsibility. You play a major role in his or her success. First, it means we design assignments that are valuable, not just busy work. In addition to helping students understand the value of the work, we hold them responsible for completion.
           When I was teaching, that meant that students who did not complete an assignment stayed with me during lunch and completed it while eating. You don’t have to give up your lunchtime, but requiring students to complete something means you also provide a structure and support to ensure they finish. I was recently in a high school where the teachers posted office hours for students to receive extra help. That’s a great idea, but the students who need the most help usually don’t voluntarily seek it. Another school in the same district offered specified times for help, but it was required for any student who failed a test. The teachers sent a clear message that learning was not a choice.