absent student assignment form

Managing Absent Students’ Work

• Classroom Management , Freebies , Routines & Systems

Do you struggle with managing work for absent students? For instance, when a student is absent, perhaps you aren’t sure how to make sure that student gets everything he or she needs. Maybe you feel unorganized or like you don’t have to the time to chase after the student and keep track of what was completed or not. I imagine you may even feel frustrated that you have to teach that student separately, when your time is already limited, especially if that student is frequently missing.

Managing the Work of Absent Students

When I first started teaching, I read and tried several different ideas about how to handle the work of absent students. It took me a while to find a system that I really liked and felt worked for me. I’m going to share how I handle it.

Absent buddies… with variation

At the beginning of the year, I go through the school files and take note of the attendance of the previous years for each student. I make a list of students who had excellent attendance and those who had ‘not so hot’ attendance. I keep this list in my desk until after the first few weeks of school. (I always keep in mind that there are exceptions.)  Then after a few weeks into the school year, I assign my students’ absent buddies, but what I typically do is assign my students who have already demonstrated that they can’t handle responsibility well the students who are rarely absent. I do this because it saves me headache down the road and prevents any issues for the student who just doesn’t need (nor can handle) any extra responsibilities.

The Absent Report

Next, I have a very simple sheet called the absent report that sits in a folder near the front of the room. I have multiple copies of it. When there are absent students, their absent buddy is supposed to take one of these reports out of the folder and fill it out throughout the day with what we did and what is due. Then this form is left on the desk of the absent students. If by some chance (and it does happen), both students, the absent student, and the absent buddy are gone, I just fill it in. You can download this form here for free!

Supplying the Materials

As we work through our day and I pass out materials, I always pass them out to the absent students too. For instance, if I pass out interactive notebook pieces, I place them on the desk of an absent student. If I pass out lab sheets, you guessed it, it goes on their desk. I do not place actual manipulatives or science lab materials on their desk, but instead, leave those in a corner for students to complete upon their return as a “station.” By doing this, the student has a “collection” of materials placed on his or her desk, ready and waiting upon return. Then I don’t have to gather the materials at all!

Due Dates and Collection

In my classroom, I have a rule that after I start students on an assignment, they must try working on it on their own for at least the first five minutes. They cannot come to me and immediately say they don’t get it. During this time I move over to the desk of an absent student and verify they have all the materials needed and place a date in the corner of when it’s due. In nearly every school I have worked in, the rule has been “students get 2 days to complete work for every absence.” If a student is absent another day, I just walk by the next day and adjust. I also verify the absent buddy has written on the absent report what we did and what is due. If I have any extra notes to add, I also do it at this time.

A few notes…

At the beginning of the year, when I assign absent buddies, I also go over with students how to correctly complete the absent buddy form. It’s important that they give proper information so the absent students know how to read it upon return. I also have students place their name at the bottom after filling it out so we know who to see if we have any questions.

Upon return, the absent buddy’s job is to assist the absent student to work through what was missed. Then during my “downtime”, I can further help the student. Hopefully, by that point, my assistance is more for clarification and not much more. If the absent student is really confused and not understanding much at all, because he or she missed out on a lot of important stuff (because that is all we teach, right?), I then contact the parents and request the student to come in a little bit before school or a little after. If that doesn’t work, recess it is! (or try that first.)

If a student is absent frequently, you may need to talk to the student to see if there is a problem. Sometimes students don’t want to come to school because there is bullying happening that you may not be aware of. Other times he or she may just feel bored . No matter what, the reality is that students with frequent absences do get behind and unfortunately end up with gaps in their education. When students start to have frequent absences, the best thing you can do is talk with the administration, any school counselors, and any school social workers. It may be time for a parent-teacher conference.

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August 23, 2022 By Brianne Beebe

How to Organize Student Absent Work

How do you organize absent work in your classroom?  Do your students know what to do and where to find it?  Do they know what needs to be submitted for a grade, and what just needs to be completed?  More importantly, do you have a solid system that runs like clockwork?  Keep reading.  I’m sharing my absent work system that I’ve been using for years in my high school classroom.

Wondering what a system is?  Check out this blog post.

Student Absent Work System

The first step in my absent work system is to simply save a copy of all paperwork from the class period.  On my desk , there is a hanging folder where I gather all of the paper copies, one copy for each absent student.  I place the paper standing up (portrait orientation) into the folder so I can see that the papers are there and ready for the next step.

Typically, paperwork includes notes, and maybe some kind of worksheet or homework assignment.

Communicating about Work

One of my favorite parts of my absent work system is the form I use.  The form is a set of instructions that communicates what students need to do .  I include the student’s name, date absent, work that needs to be completed, work that needs to be submitted, and due date of graded work.

Filling out the absent form is a time investment .  It does take me a minute to it fill out.  But it saves me countless minutes of having to answer the same questions over and over from all of the students that were absent.  Especially when students were absent on different days, and then I have to think about what we did, when, and when assignments are due.  It’s so helpful to have everything laid out in an easy to read form.

Click here to get the free form from my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Organizing Absent Work

My other favorite part of my absent work system is how I organize it for my students.  On the wall that students first see when they enter the classroom is a small bulletin board.  For each class period, there is a folder stapled to the bulletin board.  (The folders are color-coded by class period, of course.)

For each absent student, I staple together all of the paperwork from class with the form on top, and place the packet in the folder.  Like on my desk, I place the packets standing up inside the folder so students can see them.

Why the system works

What makes this system work is how visual it is.  There are other systems where student absent work is placed in folders, but laying down inside of the folder.  Which means that students can’t see what has their name on it.  

And some of those systems use numbered folders where students have to remember the date that they were absent.  I don’t know about your students, but my students rarely know the dates they were absent.

The thing is, most students are not chronically absent.  Even though this system becomes a daily routine for me to perform, it’s not a daily routine for students because they’re not absent every day.

Having the papers visible with student names in the folder helps students to remember to gather their absent work when they return.

Absent Work in Google Classroom

But how do students fill in notes that they missed?  This is where Google Classroom comes in.  Every day I have material scheduled in Google Classroom for 8 am.  The material includes a pdf of the notes, and a lesson video if there is one available.

Once class is over, I will export a copy of the filled-in notes, and then upload the pdf to the Google Classroom material.  I just make sure to wait until the end of class to add the notes to Google Classroom.  Otherwise, students present for class may try to use the notes from Google Classroom to fill in the notes without doing any of the thinking.

This is an extra step, but it’s well worth it.  Now that we use Google Classroom, I don’t have to print out copies of the completed notes anymore, saving both time and paper.

Want to hear more about my absent work system?  Check out the video on my YouTube channel .

Need more help creating your own systems?  Systems are the advanced strategy you need to permanently boost your teacher productivity.  Make sure to get on the waitlist for my signature course, the Productive Teacher Toolkit.   It’s all about creating and sustaining the systems you need as a teacher.

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How I Crush the Chaotic Task of Managing Makeup Work for 100+ Students

Finally, a low-prep, compact way to manage assignments when students are absent.

It’s an all too familiar scenario: You planned an awesome lesson and your kids totally got it. You’re ready to move on, when a student enters the room with the dreaded question:

“Did we do anything important yesterday?”

Cue the inevitable searching your desk for the extra handout you set aside for them. Meanwhile, you’re funneling your remaining energy into suppressing the urge to snap back with a sarcastic, “No. We missed you too much to work, so we spent the class watching Disney shorts and making cootie catchers.” (Or maybe not suppressing. No judgment here.)

Here’s how I’ve tried to cut down on the crazy of catching up with absent students, and the new system that I’ll be implementing this year (just in time for nationwide record numbers of chronic absenteeism ).

Where I started

As a first-year teacher, I attempted to implement a personalized mailbox system. Each class period has a milk crate with a file folder for each student. As the photo shows, this system took up a lot of precious space. My entire back countertop was dedicated to managing students’ absent work. The amount of space dedicated to this system definitely was outsized compared to the frequency it was used. Individualized mailboxes are a great resource in elementary classrooms with 30 or fewer students. But mailboxes just weren’t working for the 100+ students in my secondary space. 

When I pivoted to a new system in the next year, it was a drastic swing in the opposite direction. In an attempt to save time setting up and counter space, I pared down to a single milk crate. This was dubbed the Extra Copies Bin, and it stored all leftover handouts from a lesson. The bin was frequented by students who misplaced or needed to revise an assignment, in addition to absent students. I would add each page in an individual file folder to the crate, and use a label at the top to note the number and title of the page. With this system, I’d be labeling one or two file folders every day or so rather than 100+ folders at a time. This was appealing, since the hours of typing, cutting, and assembling that went into the mailbox system were still fresh in my mind. 

The idea of the Extra Copies Bin was simple. When students returned from an absence, they would first check the large table of contents on display in our room. Then, they would pick up any pages added during their absence from the bin. In theory, this sounds easy enough. But middle schoolers have a way of circumventing our best-laid plans. 

The reality was the system required too many steps for my middle schoolers. First, they had to check the large TOC and cross-reference it with their own (which, gasp, may not be accurately updated!). From there, they needed to identify the page in the Extra Copies Bin. Finally, students needed to check with me for an expected due date.

It worked … to an extent. But the system didn’t run as independently as I wanted. Additionally, students could get confused and grab a page they already had rather than the one they needed. While this may be a realistic system for high school students, my middle schoolers needed a little more guidance. It became my mission to marry the compactness of the Extra Copies Bin with the scaffolding of the mailboxes. 

What I’m using now

As previously mentioned, space and ease of setup were big concerns in adopting a new system. After perusing social media for other teachers’ ideas, I settled on a hanging option. Following a few days of indecisiveness, I settled on this hanging file organizer to house my students’ absent work. 

To set up this system, I assigned each class period a color. I already use a color-coding system to organize student binders and turn-in trays (shown in the bottom left corner of the photo below), so it was easy to keep the theme going. The organizer I chose came with labels, but I opted to make my own using removable vinyl and my Cricut for a little extra flair. Because I now only teach five class periods, I designated the final folder for those dreaded no-name submissions. 

So, how does it work?

When a student is absent, I’ll take a copy of the handout we’re using that day and write their name and expected due date on it in pen. Using pen is important if you have kiddos that may want to take some creative liberties with the due date! I train students to check the folder for pages with their name following an absence, and they don’t need to ask when the page is due. Should they forget and ask me what they missed, they can be quickly directed to the class folder to claim their work. 

An additional bonus of this system? When a no-name paper comes in, I can write the block of the turn-in tray it was placed in and file it in the bottom “no name” folder. No more rifling through my grading binder to hunt for no-name pages, or performing forensic analysis to track down the owner. 

A perfect blend 

This system preserves the important parts of the original mailbox and extra-copy systems, blending them to work in my classroom. Students are still responsible for checking for their absent work and completing it in a timely manner. But the system meets them where they are with respect to organization skills and executive functioning. Not to mention, I’m able to reclaim precious space and get the added benefit of organizing their no-name work. I have high hopes for this system! 

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Classroom Forms for Organizing Absent Work

By: Author Sarah Carter

Posted on Published: August 21, 2013  - Last updated: June 27, 2023

Categories Classroom Forms

In a perfect world, every student would be in class every single day.  Sadly, I don’t teach in a perfect world.  Last year, as I began teaching, I knew that I needed to have some way to organize the work that students missed. 

I ended up creating a “While You Were Out” Binder that turned out to be way too time consuming.

After about a week, I stopped using it, and I resorted to a really lazy method.  If a student was absent, they would need to come see me at an appropriate time and ask for what they had missed.  This works okay *if* I can locate the papers they need in the mess that I call my desk, *if* they remember to come ask for them, and *if* students understand what constitutes an appropriate time to ask.  That is way too many “ifs.”

This year, I’m trying something new for managing absent work.  We’re not even a month into school yet, so I don’t know that this works in the long run, but this new system is definitely working better than last year’s system!  On my cabinet, I have a hanging file box that says “Absent?  Look here!”  The first hanging file has a half-page form that I fill out for each student who was absent that day.  I write their name, the date, and check off whatever they missed that day.  If there are any handouts, I staple them to the back of the form.  Since the amount of writing I have to do is minimized, I can get these done in a very small amount of time at the end of the day.  Instead of dreading this end of day task, I actually look forward to it because it’s one of the easiest things to mark off my to-do list!    

When students come to me and say they were absent, all I have to do is point to the box.  I can also easily check and see what students are not picking up the assignments they missed. 

Free Classroom Forms for Managing Absent Work

Absent Look Here Poster (PDF) (945 downloads )

Absent Look Here Poster (Editable Publisher File ZIP) (725 downloads )

Today You Missed Form (PDF) (1285 downloads )

Today You Missed Form (Editable Publisher File ZIP) (1108 downloads )

While You Were Out Binder Cover (PDF) (897 downloads )

While You Were Out Form Example (PDF) (1017 downloads )

You might be interested in the other free classroom forms I have shared.

More Free Printable Classroom Forms

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PiTakesTheCake

Sunday 8th of September 2013

Since both items ate near a high traffic areas, it has worked so far. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=526503647425383&set=a.526503220758759.1073741853.100001972568111&type=3&src=https%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-frc3%2F1268683_526503647425383_1815736158_o.jpg&smallsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash3%2F1176119_526503647425383_1815736158_n.jpg&size=1529%2C2048

I have shoe caddy hanging up on the front of a metal storage cabinet. I use it as a calculator caddy. I have a sign similar to yours. I have a tray attached to the cabinet next to the caddy. I have a sign similar to yours. I have modified your while you were out slip to fit my classroom needs. I use clips to attach it to the tray. I also solved another problem I had. Students not putting their name on their paper. I have sign under the absentee that says, "No name papers. Claims yours before it is moved to the graveyard (trash can). RIP."

Sarah Carter (@mathequalslove)

Thursday 17th of April 2014

I love the graveyard sign! I'm not thrilled with how my absent work handling turned out this year. So, I'm brainstorming again for next year already!

Miss Mathematics

Sunday 25th of August 2013

The last several years, I have had an absent folder for each class period. Whenever I hand out a worksheet, I set some aside and write the names of any students that are out for the day. Then, the next time I see that class, I go to the folder and pass out the papers to kids who were out. This system has worked well for me and I know that my students get the work when they are out - no excuses that they never got that assignment.

I like your idea of a cover sheet, especially since I am going to give interactive notebooks a try this year. Also, the absent bin with the folders gives the kids a little more responsibility to have to get their own work. Thanks for the tip!

Thursday 22nd of August 2013

You will be glad you did this. I use something similar and have for many, many years. I haven't found anything better or quicker, and I have multiple absences every day. Once trained, the students know where to find their work and can come in before school (the eager ones) or between classes if needed. Siblings of students can come pick up work easily also. By the way, your blog is inspiring. I was never as on top of it as you seem to be. I am more of a traditionalist, but your ideas are morphing me!

Great strategy! Organizing absent work is difficult and sometimes annoying, but this strategy works out well. Please keep sharing your smart ways of handling a classroom!

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Try This When Kids Are Absent!

Doesn’t it drive you crazy when kids are absent for several days and you have to gather up a list of assignments they need to complete? Even though I know it’s usually not their fault for being absent, it’s one more management task to add to my already full load. Let’s not even mention the times I’ve had to do this for students whose families take trips to Disney World in the middle of the school year!

I developed this assignment make up form to make my job a little easier when kids are absent. You can download it from the Classroom Management page on Teaching Resources. Here’s how I used it:

• Each day that a student was absent, I placed this form on his or her desk.
• I assigned a student in the same team to write down any classwork or homework assignments on the chart at the bottom.
• If I handed out a graphic organizer or worksheet to complete, I asked the student helper to paperclip it to the back of this form and write the title of the assignment on the front.
• When the absent student returned, he or she was given the packet of make-up work which included due dates.
• As each assignment was turned in, I checked it off and initialed that it was completed. I kept the final form for my own records.
• If a student was particularly forgetful or irresponsible, I made a copy of this form before giving it to the child. In the event that the make-up work was not turned in on time, this form was my proof to the parent that I did provide the child with a list of assignments to complete.
• If students were absent more than one day, I completed prepared a separate form for each day. In fact, I just kept a stack of these forms in my paper organizer because someone was absent almost every day.

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Secondary Sparks

A Teaching Blog

How to Organize Student Absent Work and Missing Assignments

October 24, 2022 by Michelle Rudolph Leave a Comment

It’s the dreaded question, “What did I miss while I was out?” For years, I was guilty of simply excusing assignments because I couldn’t keep up with the missing and absent work. But, I realized there were valuable assignments students were missing out on (or that they really needed to complete, like exams). After a while, I found a system to organize student absent work that wasn’t overwhelming or chaotic.

Create a Dedicated Space

You know what they say, “Out of sight, out of mind.” If you don’t have a dedicated area, in plain sight, in your classroom for missing and absent work, it’s going to be a struggle to keep up with.

Personally, I organize student absent work with a hanging file folder with pockets. I put the hanging folder on a dedicated wall in my classroom. I use these hanging folders from Amazon . Then, I labeled the folders according to class name.

You can also use the filing crates, a mailbox, or paper tray. Consider the system that will be easy for students and you. If the system doesn’t work for you, then you are less likely to keep up with it.

Teach the Routines

Of course, you can’t organize student absent work if students aren’t aware of the system. Ideally you want to teach this at the beginning of the year, but a mid-year change won’t hurt anyone. No matter what, stay consistent with the expectation you have set. If students know they can get away without using the system or turning in work, they will!

When setting expectations, make sure you explain where to find missing work, where to turn that missing work in, and the amount of times students have to complete the work. You might want to put this on a poster or paper and display near the absent work pick-up location.

Get Ahead…of Yourself

Teachers have an endless to-do list every day. Make organizing student absent work easy by preparing in advance. For example, you might print a few extra pages of an assignment to store in the missing work folder.

Then, when taking attendance or as students are working, jot down absent student names on the top of your extra worksheets. Then, slip those into the missing work folder. I have found putting a name on the page makes it much easier on students because there are less questions about what they need to complete.

Keep it Organized

No matter which system you choose, make sure to keep it organized! You can organize your folders by unit or topic, like “light waves” or “plate tectonics”. You can also organize it by month, week, or day.

Each six weeks or quarter, go back through your files and do a clean out. You can even assign a student helper for this task!

This system to organize student absent work has saved me so much time, energy, and has saved my sanity! It also keeps my students accountable for their own work, which is a huge win.

Need another way to keep students organized? Try using agenda slides!

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Preparing for Student Absences

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Designing your course with the expectation that students might miss some class sessions for a wide variety of reasons can make it easier for students and instructors to navigate these situations. These strategies can be helpful in managing student absences.

Remind students to stay home if they are unwell

Talk to your students on the first day and remind students how important it is not to come to class if they are not feeling well. Explain how they can make up class work if they have to miss class due to illness or mental health concerns, referring to course policies in the syllabus. Reassure students that you are available to discuss options if they miss a significant number of class meetings.  Respect student privacy by not requiring or disclosing information about their health, disability status, vaccination status, mental health, and so on.

Build flexibility into your course

The degree of flexibility will vary for each class, depending on the kinds of in-class activities and interactions you have planned. By establishing a shared expectation for the amount of flexibility within your course, you also make it easier for students to know when their absences or needs could make it challenging to complete the course successfully. This can help them determine when to seek additional support, such as requesting accommodation with the Office of Accessible Education (OAE) or requesting a leave of absence through Academic Advising.

Consider the following ideas for building flexibility into your course. We recommend establishing these expectations and a process for managing them clearly at the beginning of the course. This makes it easier to re-share the same information when students ask. 

Allow flexibility in attendance and participation

If your course grading policy includes attendance and participation, consider allowing students to miss a number of sessions without penalty. Another option might be to allow students to earn participation grades by completing an alternative activity.

Offer flexible assignments

Consider including some assignments and activities that do not require an in-person format and could be done in an online or remote format, if needed. Some examples are discussion forums, group tasks that can be done online, writing assignments, problem sets, virtual labs, or virtual visits from course guests. You might even offer alternate homework assignments to be completed in lieu of attending class in person. 

Adopt flexible grading policies

You might also adopt course policies such as dropping the lowest score from a set, allowing students to redo assignments, or allowing assignments to be turned in late under certain circumstances. 

Put essential materials on Canvas

Providing supplemental course content in an asynchronous format on the Canvas course site can be helpful.  Your choices about what items to share can coordinate with the decisions about allowable absences and Zoom participation. For example, asynchronous materials might allow students to make up for missed in-class work and preclude the need for remote access up to a certain point. Consider some of the following ideas:  

• Pre-record short instructional videos:  Instructional videos can range from informal video messages to supplemental lecture presentations. Consider these strategies for pre-recording instructional videos .
• Curate supplemental resources:  such as additional readings, online videos, and so on. Post them on your Canvas course site.
• Prepare asynchronous activities:  such as discussion forums, practice quizzes, or supplemental writing assignments, that absent students could still take advantage of.
• Leverage technology to record class sessions : While recording your class sessions is not required, it may be appropriate for your situation.  Contact the Learning Technologies and Spaces  team for a consultation. If you are in a large technology-enabled classroom, this can be easily achieved. Depending on your situation other solutions such as equipment loans may be suitable.

Find more information on designing and developing your Canvas course at GoCanvas.

Coordinate students to help each other 

You can also empower students to be proactive about continuing their learning through disruptions. Consider these strategies for helping students be independent and resilient learners.

• Assign student note-takers: These students might rotate posting their class notes to Canvas. Stanford instructors who have done this recommend making this assignment a credited component of coursework, or recognizing the student in some other meaningful way.
• Foster a learning community:  Include activities that encourage students to learn about each other as individuals and to form study groups. Consider these  additional strategies for fostering communities . 
• Encourage office hours visits:  Communicate to students the purpose and importance of office hours in the syllabus. Use welcoming and warm language to encourage reticent students to use office hours. Refer to CTL’s syllabus template for suggested statements. 
• accommodations
• well-being coaches
• academic coaches
• Hume Center writing tutors
• FLI opportunity fund
• Communicate registration options:  Share information regarding leaves of absence  and deadlines to drop a course  or reduce course loads .
• Create spaces for students to connect:  Set up a class Slack channel or Ed Discussion forum for students to help each other.

Consider remote attendance carefully

Remind students of the flexibility that is built into your course design and point to the syllabus where this information is available. Refer them to the Office of Accessible Education (OAE) if they require disability-related academic accommodations beyond the flexibility already provided to all students in the course. If you would like to know more about hybrid instruction, please speak with your Dean’s Office, or department leadership, and see "What is a Hybrid course?" for more guidance.

Remote attendance should not broadly replace in-person attendance

Communicate to your students that courses are conducted in person and that remote attendance is only allowed to provide flexibility for students with extenuating circumstances. Remote attendance should not be a replacement for attending class in person. Consider strategies such as in-class learning activities and attendance policies to engage students and encourage attendance.

Consider the impacts on student engagement

For classes with discussion and frequent engagement, having some students on Zoom and others in person can require added planning, both in terms of technology implementation and pedagogic facilitation. See the Tech Support page for details about the various support units across campus that can assist you. 

Check web conferencing capabilities in your classroom

If you would like to use Zoom web conferencing, it is important to confirm that your assigned classroom has the appropriate technology. The Registrar’s Office will reach out to you with your classroom assignment, including information about the room setup and technology before the quarter begins. You can also check classroom capabilities through 25live . If your classroom does not have this capability, visit the Tech Support page to learn about your options.

If using web conferencing, manage student access

If your classroom supports Zoom web conferencing and you decide to use it, consider how you will manage student access. Keep in mind that you may need to be ready to have it available at any time and the impact on student engagement, as discussed above. Similar to allowable absences or dropped assignments, some instructors give students a certain number of no-questions-asked remote attendance days.

Classroom Organization: Managing Student Absences

March 4, 2015 by Crafty Teacher Lady +

In my ‘Organization in the Secondary Classroom’ series, I’ve written about how I manage the paperwork in my classroom (this post has been viewed an incredible 81,000+ times) and how I tackle lesson planning . Today I’m sharing how I manage student absences!

*Update: Due to multiple requests, the two forms I use that are mentioned in this post can be downloaded and amended to meet your specific needs here .

In a perfect world, none of my students would be absent, but between sickness, field trips, in-school detentions, and plain old ‘don’t feel like coming to school’, it’s rare to go a day without having at least one absent student. Before implementing this system, the biggest struggles when dealing with absences was finding an efficient way for students to be responsible for getting the work they missed without the frantic ‘what did I miss’ just as the rest of the class is getting started on the day’s lesson. I’ve used the following system for several years now and it has worked really well!

First, I have a three-ring binder with dividers for each class period. At the start of every week, I make copies of class rosters and place them in the appropriate sections. Although I always take electronic attendance for the school, I also mark down absences on these paper rosters for my own records. I then record the date and a brief note about the lesson done that period, particularly what was due and what was assigned for homework.

I find it incredibly helpful to be able to pull out this binder and cross reference the dates certain assignments were due or assigned with when particular students were absent. Technically the electronic grade book we use can do this, but it’s far more cumbersome to look up information online rather than quickly open my binder. I also use these attendance sheets to record if a student came in tardy, went to the nurse, or any other miscellaneous information. My binder sits on the table in the front of my classroom where I can easily make notes.

Next, either at the end of each class period or at the end of the school day, I look back through my attendance binder and put together the handouts from that day’s lesson and a ‘cover sheet’ that explains what was missed.  I use the cover sheet to record the work that was due the day the student was absent and whether or not they missed a quiz/exam/activity that needs to be made up.

Then the handouts/cover sheets are placed in the ‘absent work bin’ which is on table in the corner of my classroom. Students know that when they return from an absence, they are to go straight to this bin at the start of class and find their work in the hanging folder labeled with their class period. They read the cover sheet and/or the handouts left for them and then check in with me if they have any questions.

If the student has in fact missed an assessment or activity that needs to be made up, they fill out their name, activity to be made up, and when they are coming in for make-up on the clip board next to the ‘absent work’ bin.  This helps me keep track of when certain students are coming in so I can arrange my schedule and holds the student accountable for making up missing assignments in a timely manner. You can download a copy of the sign up sheet I use here  and amend it to fit your needs.

Once I’ve explained the purpose and expectations regarding the ‘absent work’ bin, my students seem to do very well with the autonomy of this system. They can go check the box between classes, at the start of their class period, or really any time that’s convenient for them! I’ve really loved how my attendance binder has allowed me to easily keep track of important data I need readily at my fingertips!

I’d love to know what sorts of ways you’ve found to keep track of student absences so please leave a comment below or connect with me on Facebook or Instagram !

February 9, 2022 at 5:26 pm

Thank you for sharing! I admit I'm not great at keeping track of what my students missed on what day.

You're welcome! Happy to provide some new ideas! Thanks for stopping by the blog! 🙂

Hi can you please send me the word doc for the clipboard you have next to the absent bin for the students to record as they get there makeup work. Please and thank you 🙂

Hi Nannette! I've amended the post to include links to download the forms I use. Hope this helps!

I do something extremely similar to this. I even have the same bin and file folders! The only difference is that in my high school science classroom, children sit at tables of four and each one has a certain job. Person #1 gets the worksheets for the day for everyone at the table. If a student is absent, his neighbor puts his name and the date on it and then puts it in the bin on the way out the door. I've found that the kids are sometimes more consistent with this than I am! PS: LOVE YOUR BLOG!

Love the idea of a 'buddy system'! I might have to try that in the near future! Thanks for stopping by the blog!! Love hearing from fellow high school teachers!

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Hi Mimi- Unfortunately I'm not aware of a way for you to print out my posts at this time. Sorry!

Do you have a copy of your "while you were out…" page? I need to try this!! I just kept sticky notes everywhere and it ends up a mess!

Hi Erika! I've amended the post to include links to download copies of the forms I use. Hope this helps!

I would also love to see a copy of the "while you were out" page!

Hi Christine! I've amended the post to include links to download copies of the forms I use. Hope this helps!

I also was wondering if the forms are available to print?

Hi Hillary! I've amended the post to include links to download copies of the forms I use. Hope this helps!

I would love a copy of your forms- this is a great idea.

Hi Pam! I've amended the post to include links to download copies of the forms I use. Hope this helps!

This is great and just the inspiration I needed to tackle this problem in my classroom. Thanks for your thoughts and work!

Awesome! Happy to hear you've found this post helpful! 🙂

I really love this. I am a new teacher and haven't even had much time to think out how to manage absent work. I teach at an alternative school with about 60% overall school attendance, so managing it is a complete nightmare. Our school demographics and culture mean I allow students to make up work until the last week of the term. Another logistical nightmare. When they inevitably come asking for their work whey want it RIGHT NOW!!!!! So I think I am going to tweak your ledger system to be a sort of order form for missing work. If you're absent, I get your work into the bin at end of day. If you're wanting makeup work, fill out the form, list the assignments you need/want, and you can pick it up from the bin in 24 hours.

The new term starts tomorrow so I'll introduce it to them then. It will take some time before it really gets used, but we'll see how it goes.

Wow! It sounds like you've got your hands full! I'm happy to hear that you've found my post helpful and will be able to tweak my strategies a bit to fit your needs! Best wishes for a successful school year!

I work in a similar alternative setting CWYoung. I would love to hear how this went.

I am using a similar method with an absent binder – my question is what do you do with students who refuse to follow procedure and check the bin? I am inevitably running into students who say "I don't have that hand out" "I didn't know I had to make it up" – when the binder (my version of your bin) is right that in front of the room, next to the door with a big red sign that says "ABSENT BINDER"

It does take time at the start of the year to enforce and remind them about classroom procedures. But, at the end of the day, like with any expectations, it's up to the students to take some initiative and ultimately accept the consequences (whatever they may be) if they don't do what they are supposed to! Isn't teaching fun? Ha ha! 🙂 Hope you are having a nice summer!

How many students to you see on a daily basis? I am looking for a simple way to do this, I have about 100 students a day and on average 10 are absent. Needing some organization for a very new teacher here.

I see about 80-100 students a day and usually have 4 or 5 absences (sometimes more) and have found this system to be the most seamless way of catching them up on what they missed! Hope it helps!

Thank you for sharing this terrific idea. Hopefully it will help both students and teacher to be more organized this fall.

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• Teaching Topics Archive

absent student assignment form

• Thread starter PEPteach
• Start date Aug 11, 2008

Senior Member

• Aug 11, 2008

Full Member

I use Notes Home assignment sheets. They're sold in most teacher supply stores. Also, they are 2-ply, so I have a copy of the assignment sheet and the due date. This is good for documenting, especially when students tell parents they didn't get any makeup work. Here is a link to the form: http://catalog.parentteacherstore.com/notes_home_assignment_sheet-p-19074.html (I hope it was okay to add the link)  

Many teachers on here used Vista Print to create a postcard for the kids. I used that idea instead of the form I had created and could never find when I needed it. I think it is unique and parents will know what to look for.  

Junior Member

• Aug 18, 2008

While you were out form Here is a form that I use in my classroom. I teach 5th grade so it is actually the student sitting next to the absent student who has the responsibility to fill out the form. This keeps me from having to do extra work. I can't take credit for this sheet as I got it from someone here on PTr, but it works really well for me.  

• WhileYouWereOutform[1].doc 26 KB

Perfect Timing! I was just working on something like this! I am thinking of having one of my classroom jobs be "Good Neighbor" have a student fill a sheet like this out for an absent classmate. Thanks for the samples and suggestions!  

Absent Student Work Forms

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