Okay, so I am using Whole Brain Teaching everyday and love it. , my biggest downfall is missing assignments. Kids are not turning in their work. I love a "no fail" classroom, but how do you solve the problem of those constantly not doing their work?

Continue to follow-through with whatever system you've used for homework / classwork motivation and accountability in the past. Using WBT doesn't mean you need to throw out everything you've done before, so things like homework, your school discipline policy, etc... still stand. Of course, if you have someone who becomes a real issue when it comes to homework / classwork and nooooothing is working, you can always go to the Bullseye Game or the Agreement Bridge to help with that, but don't feel like you can't have a homework-chart or some other method of tracking and motivating students for homework or classwork.

If it's only a small issue for some kids, like distractability (is that even a word??), then you can also use the Scoreboard game to bring their attention to it in class, such as "Oh dear, I noticed not everyone is making progress on their ___________ like I asked, because there are side-conversations going on... mighty groan!" or on the flip side, "Hey, I noticed table 1 got right to work and has been working steadily on their assignment! Mighty cheer!" or, "Wow... this whole row turned in a complete assignment on time. Mighty cheer!" etc...

For kids who have more intense issues like ADD and whatnot, or home situations that make homework a nightmare, you will have to resort to bigger guns than just the Scoreboard game, but it should help with the majority of the little issues and the slow-pokes.

Have you considered assigning a responsible buddy to those who are not turning in their work? This works for some students.
I also have a student checklist by my "done" basket, and when a student turns in his/her work, s/he puts a check next to his/her name. This allows me a quick check to see who has, and has not turned in their work.
Students who have not turned in their work need to complete it during centers, recess, or at home. If it becomes a consistent problem, I contact the parents. Sometimes parents are supportive, but other times I realize that a student is on his/her own regarding completing work at home.
I find it valuable to ask students "why" the work is not done. Is it too difficult? Is the student distracted? Does the student lack motivation? By diagnosing the "why", it may help you to develop a plan to help each student succeed.
Good luck!
Deb Weigel
WBT Intern

You know HW is always a problem in any situation and it seems to be something that drives us all nuts...well...grab that WBT oxygen tank because we've got something that may work! Are you interested?

We like to call it "Can I Have More HW, Please?". We saw a similar idea used here in Southern CA and made some tweeks and I'll give you the high points here;
1. Kids are assigned HW.
2. They come back the next day with it or with out it. You have the class broken into say groups of 6, each group is listed on a small piece of paper that will have the week days on it, a sort of check off sheet.
3. A leader in the class takes their own group and walks around to check on their own list. They simply put an X if the student did their work. (Notice...you're not doing it!)
4. On Friday you have a drawing for the kids that turned in their HW all 4 days. They are drawing WBT's (pronounced, wibbits).
4a. What are WBT's? These are rewards, each one on a small piece of paper, that cost you nothing, yes...I said nothing. Get creative. The most coveted in my class so far is "sit at the teachers desk for 10 minutes", and then "Have lunch with the teacher" (We sit together in the lunch room for a few minutes and just talk with them and their friends). Others are restroom pass, drink pass, lead the line, lead the rules, pass out papers, sit by a friend for 10 minutes, sit on your desk (or under it!) during free reading, and so on.
5. Each WBT has some fine print. They can only use the drink/restroom pass one time during the week. Each WBT must be used by the next drawing, because it needs to be drawn again the next Friday.You know your kids and can pinpoint other things that they may try and sneak by you... Most all of them can only be used once that week, for one day. Once their done they put it back in the bucket/can/WBT holder.
6. You can allow them to trade if they want, but once Monday comes, there is no more trading.
7. If you want you can have the Golden WBT, which is no HW for one night.
This is a flexible game that you can adjust, but it improved my HW an amazing amount. Some kids that never got it in were motivated to do so.

I would start off with multiple awards of only two or three, and then add some more lucrative ones as the year goes on. Remember the Mantra...It's a long year...so you will want to spice it up every couple of week with some new WBT's.

This is an awesome idea! Because I teach kindergarten it is ultimately the parents who must be "responsible" for homework getting done! Yes we have homework in kindergarten...I know...and believe it or not we have homework for 5 different subjects! This took me some getting used to. Ok back on track!

Our school policy is that if kids have two homework misses in one week then they must attend Saturday School. Now don't get me started on my feelings with this...however I was having 10-11 students a week that were having to attend Saturday school. I only have 18 students!!!! OH MY!!!!

So...I decided that I would start a contest...and the prize...and Ice Cream Sundae party ON ME!!! Yes I know this going could cost me money but really I am so not concerned with that(and I will tell you a secret in a bit)! I had tried so many other things and they were not working. And because it isn't the kids who are not doing it IT IS THE PARENTS WHO ARE NOT LETTING OR HELPING THEM DO IT....I felt really bad punishing the parents! So...this is what it looks like...

I have a chart on my door that says...I DID MY HOME WORK DID YOU? Each day that the student brings back their homework they get a star..(YES THE DREADED STAR CHARTS)....and once EVERY CHILD in the class has 10 stars...notice I said EVERY CHILD...we will have an Ice Cream Sundae party...the local Sonic is donating our sundaes so I am even not out of pocket.

Now what is AMAZING...is that ALL...yes ALL 18....students had their homework the following 2 days...we will see how this week goes since we started this on a THURSDAY!!! I sent a note home to parents explaining...and I explained it to the kids. What followed was awesome...this was meant to get the parents on board with the thought..."I don't want my kid left out" but what has happened is the kids have stepped up and are "reminding" the parents they have homework. Some have been more forceful than others LOL! One mom came in and told me that her daughter got up after going to bed and came in the living room and proceeded to announce to the entire family..."I didn't do my homework..and mom you forgot to tell me to do it...if I lose my ice cream party I will be mad".

So we will see how it goes and yes it is a bribe...but I want homework done!!! And when homework is done...they perform better in class!!!

Farrah Shipley
WBT Intern

WOW! Homework in Kindergarten? Our school has a basic "No homework if you keep up in class" policy. The only way a student has homework is if s/he needs extra practice on a skill, did not complete and assignment, or the teacher assigns a project of some sort. (We have a seven hour school day, and homework was losing it's purpose and becoming lots of busy worksheets.) I really do not miss all of the "But my child did his/her homework" when progress reports roll around. My response was usually, "I am sure s/he did. But if s/he did not turn it in, it is difficult for me to give points for a missing assignment." It sounds like you have worked out some solutions to the homework problem! When I responded to this forum originally, I did not read the title, and I thought the question about missing assignments and kids not doing their work was referring to classwork.
Farrah~ Way to go on making an uncomfortable situation work for you. I cannot imagine sending half of my class to Saturday school for not doing homework! Sometimes our school has policies that we, as teachers, find difficult. I applaud you for being a SOLUTION!
Deb Weigel
WBT Intern

I have tweeked the WBT homework plan (outlined in Reksted's response) for kinder in this way:

I want my students to do NEAT, CAREFUL, and COMPLETE homework. So, every Friday we look for homework that meets those criteria. The students who meet this criteria get a golden WiBbiT in their pocket (on the practice cards chart). That coveted golden ticket gets them an extra recess (I have a parent helper take them out during our calendar time). Of course you would have to adapt the reward for your grade level but it works well for us.
Students who do not do all their homework get a "Keep your dear teacher happy" practice card. (afterall, it does not keep your dear teacher happy when you do not turn in your homework).

I also agree with the post about why students are not doing the work. If the certain students are not understanding the material, you may need to differentiate their work. Find out if they have a structured homework procedure at home. They may need help developing good habits. Also~ talk to parents. It helps to get them on board too (when you can:)