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How to Email Professor About Late Work

Last Updated: April 12, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed. and by wikiHow staff writer, Caroline Heiderscheit . Alexander Ruiz is an Educational Consultant and the Educational Director of Link Educational Institute, a tutoring business based in Claremont, California that provides customizable educational plans, subject and test prep tutoring, and college application consulting. With over a decade and a half of experience in the education industry, Alexander coaches students to increase their self-awareness and emotional intelligence while achieving skills and the goal of achieving skills and higher education. He holds a BA in Psychology from Florida International University and an MA in Education from Georgia Southern University. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 138,496 times.

With deadlines, jobs, activities, and relationships to juggle, managing your schedule as a student can be tough. If you’ve realized you’re going to miss a deadline (we’ve all been there), you might be wondering how to email your professor for an extension, to apologize, or to limit any late penalties. Don't worry, we've got you covered. Below, we'll walk you through how to email your professor, plus we'll give you some sample emails to inspire you, too. To learn how to email your professor about late work, read on!

Example Emails to Professors for a Late Assignment

Every now and then, it’s okay to miss a deadline. When this happens, send an email immediately and say something along the lines of, “I apologize for turning in this assignment late. Know that I take my work seriously, and I'll do my best to avoid this in the future. I would greatly appreciate an extension on this paper if possible.”

Tips For Late Work Emails

• Don’t say: “I’m just genuinely so, so sorry. I can’t believe I turned this in late, and you have no idea how long I prepped for this assignment. I really am so sorry that I missed the deadline, and you should know that I will do my best in the future, even when I have tech issues, to not let this happen again.”
• Instead say: “I apologize for turning in this assignment late. Know that I take my work seriously and I’ll do my best to avoid this in the future.”

• Don’t say: “Message from a student in Psych 104,” “Need an extension,” or “Hello from Randy Bernard!”
• Instead say: “Extension Request for Psych104, Paper 2: Randy Bernard”

• Use a formal greeting. “Dear Professor James,” and “Professor James,” are perfect. “Hey,” and “Hi,” are too informal and should be avoided.
• Same goes for your signoff—choose a formal phrase. “Best,” and “Sincerely,” are great picks.
• If you’re asking your professor for something, be sure to ask, not demand. Instead of saying “I need” an extension, say that an extension would be extremely helpful to you.
• Remember to use “Please” and “Thank you," too!

• This could hurt your relationship and increase penalties on your assignment.
• So instead, say you're sorry: “I apologize for my late assignment. I know you're busy, and I don’t want to waste your time.”
• “I’m sorry for this late paper, especially because it communicates a lack of care and concern for my grades that I don't feel is accurate.”

• “If I had an extra 48 hours to complete this assignment, I’d be able to fully explore and structure my insights for this term paper.”
• “I would greatly appreciate an extension on this project. With a little more time, I could turn in my very best work and learn even more from this assignment."

• “Last night, my dog had a bar of chocolate without me realizing. I’ve spent the entire evening with her at the vet.”
• "To be entirely honest, I've been dealing with some mental health issues that are seriously affecting my schoolwork."
• If you can, avoid lying. If you're granted an extension and the truth comes out later on, you could face major consequences.

• Don’t say: “Honestly, it was out of my hands entirely. I’m a victim of circumstance, and that’s why my assignment is late.”
• Instead say: “It's true that I didn’t plan for this to happen. That being said, if I’d started earlier, this wouldn’t have been an issue. So I know, ultimately, this is my fault. I take full responsibility.”

• “This isn’t like me, and in the future, I promise to do better.”
• “I take my schoolwork very seriously. If it weren’t for my dog’s illness, I would have made getting this assignment in my top priority.”

Sample Emails

Why You Should Email Your Professor About Late Work

• Policies around extensions differ from school to school, but by writing an A+ email, you can only help your chances.
• Generally, professors only give you an extension under extenuating circumstances, like a major accident. They're going to be less inclined to extend an assignment if you had competing priorities, like work.
• Professors are people too, and they want to help! Especially if you don’t have a history of late work, when you plead your case, they may be more forgiving than you’d expect.

• Especially if you had a major, unforeseen factor pop up in the final moments before submitting your assignment, you may be able to explain and limit your punishment.

• By offering a respectful and honest apology for your late assignment, you can improve your relationship with your professor, earn their respect, and possibly limit your late assignment’s penalties.

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://dean.williams.edu/files/2010/09/Guide-to-Emailing-Professors-1.pdf
• ↑ https://advising.yalecollege.yale.edu/how-write-email-your-instructor
• ↑ https://studentaffairs.loyno.edu/health-counseling/university-counseling-center/news-ucc/emailing-your-professor-tips-tricks-health
• ↑ https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/how-to-ask-for-an-extension/
• ↑ https://www.makemyassignments.com/blog/how-to-complete-your-assignments-before-the-deadline/
• ↑ https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2019/09/23/tips-handling-missed-deadline-opinion

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A Few Ideas for Dealing with Late Work

August 4, 2019

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Most of my 9-week grading periods ended the same way: Me and one or two students, sitting in my quiet, empty classroom together, with me sitting at the computer, the students nearby in desks, methodically working through piles of make-up assignments. They would be focused, more focused than I’d seen them in months, and the speed with which they got through the piles was stunning. 

As they finished each assignment I took it, checked it for accuracy, then entered their scores—taking 50 percent off for being late—into my grading program. With every entry, I’d watch as their class grade went up and up: from a 37 percent to a 41, then to 45, then to 51, and eventually to something in the 60s or even low 70s, a number that constituted passing, at which point the process would end and we’d part ways, full of resolve that next marking period would be different.

And the whole time I thought to myself, This is pointless . They aren’t learning anything at all. But I wasn’t sure what else to do.

For as long as teachers have assigned tasks in exchange for grades, late work has been a problem. What do we do when a student turns in work late? Do we give some kind of consequence or accept assignments at any time with no penalty? Do we set up some kind of system that keeps students motivated while still holding them accountable? Is there a way to manage all of this without driving ourselves crazy?

To find answers, I went to Twitter and asked teachers to share what works for them. What follows is a summary of their responses. I wish I could give individual credit to each person who offered ideas, but that would take way too long, and I really want you to get these suggestions now! If you’ve been unsatisfied with your own approach to late work, you should find some fresh ideas here.

First, a Few Questions About Your Grades

Before we get into the ways teachers manage late work, let’s back up a bit and consider whether your overall program of assignments and grading is in a healthy place. Here are some questions to think about:  

• What do your grades represent? How much of your grades are truly based on academic growth, and how much are based mostly on compliance? If they lean more toward compliance, then what you’re doing when you try to manage late work is basically a lot of administrative paper pushing, rather than teaching your content. Although it’s important for kids to learn how to manage deadlines, do you really want an A in your course to primarily reflect the ability to follow instructions? If your grades are too compliance-based, consider how you might shift things so they more accurately represent learning. (For a deeper discussion of this issue, read How Accurate Are Your Grades? )
• Are you grading too many things? If you spend a lot of time chasing down missing assignments in order to get more scores in your gradebook, it could be that you’re grading too much. Some teachers only enter grades for major, summative tasks, like projects, major writing assignments, or exams. Everything else is considered formative and is either ungraded or given a very low point value for completion, not graded for accuracy; it’s practice . For teachers who are used to collecting lots of grades over a marking period, this will be a big shift, and if you work in a school where you’re expected to enter grades into your system frequently, that shift will be even more difficult. Convincing your students that ungraded practice is worthwhile because it will help their performance on the big things will be another hurdle. With all of that said, reducing the number of scored items will make your grades more meaningful and cut way down on the time you spend grading and managing late work.
• What assumptions do you make when students don’t turn in work? I’m embarrassed to admit that when I first started teaching, I assumed most students with missing work were just unmotivated. Although this might be true for a small portion of students, I no longer see this as the most likely reason. Students may have issues with executive function and could use some help developing systems for managing their time and responsibilities. They may struggle with anxiety. Or they may not have the resources—like time, space, and technology—to consistently complete work at home. More attention has been paid lately to the fact that homework is an equity issue , and our policies around homework should reflect an understanding that all students don’t have access to the same resources once they leave school for the day. Punitive policies that are meant to “motivate” students don’t take any of these other issues into consideration, so if your late work penalties don’t seem to be working, it’s likely that the root cause is something other than a lack of motivation.
• What kind of grading system is realistic for you ? Any system you put in place requires YOU to stay on top of grading. It would be much harder to assign penalties, send home reminders, or track lateness if you are behind on marking papers by a week, two weeks, even a month. So whatever you do, create a plan that you can actually keep up with.

Possible Solutions

1. penalties.

Many teachers give some sort of penalty to students for late work. The thinking behind this is that without some sort of negative consequence, too many students would wait until the end of the marking period to turn work in, or in some cases, not turn it in at all. When work is turned in weeks or even months late, it can lose its value as a learning opportunity because it is no longer aligned with what’s happening in class. On top of that, teachers can end up with massive piles of assignments to grade in the last few days of a marking period. This not only places a heavy burden on teachers, it is far from an ideal condition for giving students the good quality feedback they should be getting on these assignments.

Several types of penalties are most common:

Point Deductions In many cases, teachers simply reduce the grade as a result of the lateness. Some teachers will take off a certain number of points per day until they reach a cutoff date after which the work will no longer be accepted. One teacher who responded said he takes off 10 percent for up to three days late, then 30 percent for work submitted up to a week late; he says most students turn their work in before the first three days are over. Others have a standard amount that comes off for any late work (like 10 percent), regardless of when it is turned in. This policy still rewards students for on-time work without completely de-motivating those who are late, builds in some accountability for lateness, and prevents the teacher from having to do a lot of mathematical juggling with a more complex system. 

Parent Contact Some teachers keep track of late work and contact parents if it is not turned in. This treats the late work as more of a conduct issue; the parent contact may be in addition to or instead of taking points away. 

No Feedback, No Re-Dos The real value of homework and other smaller assignments should be the opportunity for feedback: Students do an assignment, they get timely teacher feedback, and they use that feedback to improve. In many cases, teachers allow students to re-do and resubmit assignments based on that feedback. So a logical consequence of late work could be the loss of that opportunity: Several teachers mentioned that their policy is to accept late work for full credit, but only students who submit work on time will receive feedback or the chance to re-do it for a higher grade. Those who hand in late work must accept whatever score they get the first time around. 

2. A Separate Work Habits Grade

In a lot of schools, especially those that use standards-based grading, a student’s grade on an assignment is a pure representation of their academic mastery; it does not reflect compliance in any way. So in these classrooms, if a student turns in good work, it’s going to get a good grade even if it’s handed in a month late. 

But students still need to learn how to manage their time. For that reason, many schools assign a separate grade for work habits. This might measure factors like adherence to deadlines, neatness, and following non-academic guidelines like font sizes or using the correct heading on a paper. 

• Although most teachers whose schools use this type of system will admit that students and parents don’t take the work habits grade as seriously as the academic grade, they report being satisfied that student grades only reflect mastery of the content.
• One school calls their work habits grade a “behavior” grade, and although it doesn’t impact GPA, students who don’t have a certain behavior grade can’t make honor roll, despite their actual GPA.
• Several teachers mentioned looking for patterns and using the separate grade as a basis for conferences with parents, counselors, or other stakeholders. For most students, there’s probably a strong correlation between work habits and academic achievement, so separating the two could help students see that connection.
• Some learning management systems will flag assignments as late without necessarily taking points off. Although this does not automatically translate to a work habits grade, it indicates the lateness to students and parents without misrepresenting the academic achievement.

3. Homework Passes

Because things happen in real life that can throw anyone off course every now and then, some teachers offer passes students can use to replace a missed assignment.

• Most teachers only offer these passes to replace low-point assignments, not major ones, and they generally only offer 1 to 3 passes per marking period. Homework passes can usually only recover 5 to 10 percent of a student’s overall course grade. 
• Other teachers have a policy of allowing students to drop one or two of their lowest scores in the gradebook. Again, this is typically done for smaller assignments and has the same net effect as a homework pass by allowing everyone to have a bad day or two.
• One teacher gives “Next Class Passes” which allow students one extra day to turn in work. At the end of every marking period she gives extra credit points to students who still have unused passes. She says that since she started doing this, she has had the lowest rate ever of late work. 

4. Extension Requests

Quite a few teachers require students to submit a written request for a deadline extension rather than taking points off. With a system like this, every student turns something in on the due date, whether it’s the assignment itself or an extension request.

• Most extension requests ask students to explain why they were unable to complete the assignment on time. This not only gives the students a chance to reflect on their habits, it also invites the teacher to help students solve larger problems that might be getting in the way of their academic success. 
• Having students submit their requests via Google Forms reduces the need for paper and routes all requests to a single spreadsheet, which makes it easier for teachers to keep track of work that is late or needs to be regraded.  
• Other teachers use a similar system for times when students want to resubmit work for a new grade. 

5. Floating Deadlines

Rather than choosing a single deadline for an assignment, some teachers assign a range of dates for students to submit work. This flexibility allows students to plan their work around other life activities and responsibilities.

• Some teachers offer an incentive to turn in work in the early part of the time frame, such as extra credit or faster feedback, and this helps to spread out the submissions more evenly. 
• Another variation on this approach is to assign a batch of work for a whole week and ask students to get it in by Friday. This way, students get to manage when they get it done. 
• Other names mentioned for this strategy were flexible deadlines , soft deadlines , and due windows .

6. Let Students Submit Work in Progress

Some digital platforms, like Google Classroom, allow students to “submit” assignments while they are still working on them. This allows teachers to see how far the student has gotten and address any problems that might be coming up. If your classroom is mostly paper-based, it’s certainly possible to do this kind of thing with paper as well, letting students turn in partially completed work to demonstrate that an effort has been made and show you where they might be stuck.

7. Give Late Work Full Credit

Some teachers accept all late work with no penalty. Most of them agree that if the work is important, and if we want students to do it, we should let them hand it in whenever they get it done. 

• Some teachers fear this approach will cause more students to stop doing the work or delay submission until the end of a marking period, but teachers who like this approach say they were surprised by how little things changed when they stopped giving penalties: Most students continued to turn work in more or less on time, and the same ones who were late under the old system were still late under the new one. The big difference was that the teacher no longer had to spend time calculating deductions or determining whether students had valid excuses; the work was simply graded for mastery.
• To give students an incentive to actually turn the work in before the marking period is over, some teachers will put a temporary zero in the gradebook as a placeholder until the assignment is turned in, at which point the zero is replaced with a grade.
• Here’s a twist on the “no penalty” option: Some teachers don’t take points off for late work, but they limit the time frame when students can turn it in. Some will not accept late work after they have graded and returned an assignment; at that point it would be too easy for students to copy off of the returned papers. Others will only accept late work up until the assessment for the unit, because the work leading up to that is meant to prepare for that assessment. 

8. Other Preventative Measures

These strategies aren’t necessarily a way to manage late work as much as they are meant to prevent it in the first place.

• Include students in setting deadlines. When it comes to major assignments, have students help you determine due dates. They may have a better idea than you do about other big events that are happening and assignments that have been given in other classes.
• Stop assigning homework. Some teachers have stopped assigning homework entirely, recognizing that disparities at home make it an unfair measurement of academic mastery. Instead, all meaningful work is done in class, where the teacher can monitor progress and give feedback as needed. Long-term projects are done in class as well, so the teacher is aware of which students need more time and why. 
• Make homework optional or self-selected. Not all students need the same amount of practice. You may be able to get your students to assess their own need for additional practice and assign that practice to themselves. Although this may sound far-fetched, in some classes, like this self-paced classroom , it actually works, because students know they will be graded on a final assessment, they get good at determining when they need extra practice.

With so many different approaches to late work, what’s clear is that there are a lot of different schools of thought on grading and assessment, so it’s not a surprise that we don’t always land on the best solution on the first try. Experiment with different systems, talk to your colleagues, and be willing to try something new until you find something that works for you. 

Further Reading

20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half This free e-book is full of ideas that can help with grading in general.

On Your Mark: Challenging the Conventions of Grading and Reporting Thomas R. Guskey This book came highly recommended by a number of teachers.

Hacking Assessment: 10 Ways to Go Gradeless in a Traditional Grades School Starr Sackstein

Come back for more. Join our mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration that will make your teaching more effective and fun. You’ll get access to our members-only library of free downloads, including 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half , the e-booklet that has helped thousands of teachers save time on grading. Over 50,000 teachers have already joined—come on in.

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Categories: Classroom Management , Instruction , Podcast

Tags: assessment , organization

51 Comments

I teach high school science (mine is a course that does not have an “end of course” test so the stakes are not as high) and I teach mostly juniors and seniors. Last year I decided not to accept any late work whatsoever unless a student is absent the day it is assigned or due (or if they have an accomodation in a 504 or IEP – and I may have had one or two students with real/documented emergencies that I let turn in late.) This makes it so much easier on me because I don’t have to keep up with how many days/points to deduct – that’s a nightmare. It also forces them to be more responsible. They usually have had time to do it in class so there’s no reason for it to be late. Also, I was very frustrated with homework not being completed and I hated having to grade it and keep up with absent work. So I don’t “require” homework (and rarely assign it any more) but if students do ALL (no partial credit) of it they get a 100% (small point value grade), if they are absent or they don’t do it they are exempt. So it ends up being a sort of extra credit grade but it does not really penalize students who don’t do it. When students ask me for extra credit (which I don’t usually give), the first thing I ask is if they’ve done all the homework assigned. That usually shuts down any further discussion. I’ve decided I’m not going to spend tons of time chasing and calculating grades on small point values that do not make a big difference in an overall grade. 🙂

Do I understand correctly….

Homework is not required. If a student fully completes the HW, they will earn full points. If the student is absent or doesn’t do it, they are excused. Students who do complete the HW will benefit a little bit in their overall grade, but students who don’t compete the work will not be penalized. Did I understand it correctly?

Do you stipulate that a student must earn a certain % on the assignment to get the full points? What about a student who completed an assignment but completes the entire thing incorrectly? Still full credit? Or an opportunity to re-do?

Thank you in advance.

From reading this blog post I was thinking the same thing. When not penalizing students for homework do you have students who do turn it in getting extra points in class?

From what I have seen, if there is a benefit for turning in homework and students see this benefit more will try to accomplish what the homework is asking. So avoid penalization is okay, but make sure the ones turning it in are getting rewarded in some way.

The other question regarding what to do with students who may not be completing the assignments correctly, you could use this almost as a formative assessment. You could still give them the credit but use this as a time for you to focus on that student a little more and see where he/she isn’t understanding the content.

Our school has a system called Catch Up Cafe. Students with missing work report to a specific teacher during the first 15 minutes of lunch to work on missing work. Students upgrade to a Wednesday after school time if they have accumulated 4 or more missing assignments on any Monday. They do not have to serve if they can clear ALL missing work by the end of the day Wednesday. Since work is not dragging out for a long period of time, most teachers do not take off points.

How do you manage the logistics of who has missing and how many assignments are needed to be completed-to make sure they are attending the Catch up Cafe or Wednesday after school? How do you manage the communication with parents?

When a student has missing work it can be very difficult to see what he/she is missing. I always keep a running record of all of their assignments that quarter and if they miss that assigement I keep it blank to remind myself there was never a submission. Once I know that this student is missing this assignment I give them their own copy and write at the top late. So once they do turn it in I know that it’s late and makes grading it easier.

There are a lot of different programs that schools use but I’ve always kept a paper copy so I have a back-up.

I find that the worst part of tracking make-up work is keeping tabs on who was absent for a school activity, illness or other excused absence, and who just didn’t turn in the assignment. I obviously have to accept work turned in “late” due to an excused absence, but I can handle the truly late work however I wish. Any advice on simplifying tracking for this?

I tell my students to simply write “Absent (day/s)” at the top of the paper. I remind them of this fairly regularly. That way, if they were absent, it’s their responsibility to notify me, and it’s all together. If you create your own worksheets, etc., you could add a line to the top as an additional reminder.

It might be worth checking out Evernote .

In order to keep track of what type of missing assignments, I put a 0 in as a grade so students and parents know an assignment was never submitted. If a student was here on the due date and day assignment was given then it is a 0 in the grade book. If a student was absent the day the assignment was given or when it was due, I put a 00 in the grade book. This way I know if it was because of an absence or actual no work completed.

This is exactly what I do. Homework can only count 10% in our district. Claims that kids fail due to zeros for homework are specious.

This is SUCH a difficult issue and I have tried a few of the suggested ways in years past. My questions is… how do we properly prepare kids for college while still being mindful of the inequities at home? We need to be sure that we are giving kids opportunity, resources, and support, but at the same time if we don’t introduce them to some of the challenges they will be faced with in college (hours of studying and research and writing regardless of the hours you might have to spend working to pay that tuition), are we truly preparing them? I get the idea of mastery of content without penalty for late work and honestly that is typically what I go with, but I constantly struggle with this and now that I will be moving from middle to high school, I worry even more about the right way to handle late work and homework. I don’t want to hold students back in my class by being too much of a stickler about seemingly little things, but I don’t want to send them to college unprepared to experience a slap in the face, either. I don’t want to provide extra hurdles, but how do I best help them learn how to push through the hurdles and rigor if they aren’t held accountable? I always provide extra time after school, at lunch, etc., and have also experienced that end of term box checking of assignments in place of a true learning experience, but how do we teach them the importance of using resources, asking for help, allowing for mistakes while holding them to standards and learning work habits that will be helpful to them when they will be on their own? I just don’t know where the line is between helping students learn the value of good work habits and keeping them from experiencing certain challenges they need to understand in order to truly get ahead.

Thanks for sharing – I can tell how much you care for your students, wanting them to be confident independent learners. What I think I’m hearing is perhaps the struggle between that fine line of enabling and supporting. When supporting kids, whether academically or behaviorally, we’re doing something that assists or facilitates their growth. So, for example, a student that has anxiety or who doesn’t have the resources at home to complete an assignment, we can assist by giving that student extra time or an alternative place to complete the assignment. This doesn’t lower expectations, it just offers support to help them succeed.

Enabling on the other hand, puts systems in place that don’t involve consequences, which in turn allow the behaviors to continue. It involves excuses and solving problems for others. It may be about lowering expectations and letting people get by with patterns of behavior.

Late work is tricky. The article does mention the importance of time management, which is why separating academic grades from work habits is something a lot of schools are doing. Sometimes real life happens and kids need a “pass.” If whatever you’re doing seems to be helping to support a student rather than enabling patterns, then that might help you distinguish between that fine line. Hope this helps!

Thank you again for such a great post. Always high-quality, relevant, and helpful. I so appreciate you and the work you do!

So glad to hear you enjoyed the post, Liz! I’ll make sure Jenn sees this.

I thought that these points brought up about receiving late work were extremely helpful and I hope that every classroom understands how beneficial these strategies could be.

When reading the penalties section under point deductions it brought up the idea of taking points off slowly as time goes by. Currently in my classroom the only point deduction I take off is 30% of the total grade after it is received late. No matter how much time has gone by in that grading period it will have 30% off the total.

I’m curious if changing this technique to something that would increase the percentage off as time goes by will make students turn in their work on time.

My question to everyone is which grading technique would be more beneficial for the students? Do you believe that just taking off 30% for late work would help students more when turning in their work or do you think that as time goes by penalizing their final score will have students turn in their work more?

If anyone has any answers it would be extremely beneficial.

Thank you, Kirby

When I was in school my school did 1/3 of a grade each day it was like. So 1 day late A >A-. Two days late: A->>B+ so on and so forth. This worked really well for me because I knew that I could still receive a good grade if I worked hard on an assignment, even if it was a day or two late.

I dread it when I have missing work or unsubmitted work. I would try to get a last-minute effort to chase those needed pieces of work which could be done from those students housed in dorms on campus. It is better than not failing them for lacking to turn in graded submissions or taking scheduled quizzes. I dread this not for the students, sadly, but for likely call to explain why I did not keep physical evidence of students’ supposed learning. In my part of the globe, we have a yearly “quality assurance” audit by the country’s educational authorities or their representatives.

I am a pre-service teacher and I am in the process of developing my personal philosophies in education, including the topic of late work. I will be certified as a secondary social studies teacher and would like to teach in a high school. Your post brought my attention to some important insights about the subject. For example, before this post I had not thought to use feedback as a way to incentivize homework submission on time. This action coupled with the ability to re-do assignments is a great way to emphasize the importance of turning work in on time. I do have a follow-up question, how do you adequately manage grading re-do’s and feedback on all assignments? What kinds of organizational and time-management strategies do you use as a teacher? Further, how much homework do you assign when providing this as an option?

Additionally, have you administered or seen the no penalty and homework acceptance time limit in practice (for example, all homework must be turned in by the unit test)? I was curious if providing a deadline to accept all homework until the unit test may result in an access of papers I need to grade. From your experience, what practice(s) have you seen work well in the classroom?

My goal is to prepare students for life beyond high school and to support their intellectual, social, and emotional development during their high school learning experience. Similar to a previous commenter (Kate), I am also trying to define a balance between holding students accountable in order to best prepare them for their future lives and providing opportunities to raise their grade if they are willing to do the work.

Hey Jessica, you have some great questions. I’d recommend checking out the following blog posts from Jenn that will help you learn more about keeping track of assessments, differentiation, and other aspects of grading: Kiddom: Standards-based Grading Made Wonderful , Could You Teach Without Grades , Boost Your Assessment Power with GradeCam , and Four Research-Based Strategies Every Teacher Should be Using . I hope this helps you find answers to your questions!

Overall I found this article extremely helpful and it actually reinforced many ideas I already had about homework and deadlines. One of my favorite teachers I had in high school was always asking for our input on when we felt assignments should be due based on what extra curricular activities were taking place in a given time period. We were all extremely grateful for his consideration and worked that much harder on the given assignments.

While it is important to think about our own well-being when grading papers, I think it is just as important (if not more) to be conscious of how much work students might have in other classes or what students schedules are like outside of school. If we really want students to do their best work, we need to give them enough time to do the work. This will in turn, help them care more about the subject matter and help them dive deeper. Obviously there still needs to be deadlines, but it does not hurt to give students some autonomy and say in the classroom.

Thanks for your comment Zach. I appreciate your point about considering students’ involvement in extracurricular activities and other responsibilities they may have outside the school day. It’s definitely an important consideration. The only homework my son seemed to have in 8th grade was for his history class. I agree that there’s a need for teachers to maintain more of a balance across classes when it comes to the amount of homework they give to students.

Thank you for an important, thought-provoking post! As a veteran teacher of 20+ years, I have some strong opinions about this topic. I have always questioned the model of ‘taking points off’ for late work. I do not see how this presents an accurate picture of what the student knows or can do. Shouldn’t he be able to prove his knowledge regardless of WHEN? Why does WHEN he shows you what he knows determine WHAT he knows?

Putting kids up against a common calendar with due dates and timelines, regardless of their ability to learn the material at the same rate is perhaps not fair. There are so many different situations facing our students – some students have challenges and difficulty with deadlines for a plethora of potential reasons, and some have nothing but support, structure, and time. When it comes to deadlines – Some students need more time. Other students may need less time. Shouldn’t all students have a chance to learn at a pace that is right for them? Shouldn’t we measure student success by demonstrations of learning instead of how much time it takes to turn in work? Shouldn’t students feel comfortable when it is time to show me what they’ve learned, and when they can demonstrate they’ve learned it, I want their grade to reflect that.

Of course we want to teach students how to manage their time. I am not advocating for a lax wishy-washy system that allows for students to ‘get to it when they get to it’. I do believe in promoting work-study habits, and using a separate system to assign a grade for responsibility, respect, management, etc is a potential solution. I understand that when introducing this type of system, it may be tough to get buy-in from parents and older students who have traditionally only looked at an academic grade because it is the only piece of the puzzle that impacts GPA. Adopting a separate work-study grading system would involve encouraging the entire school community – starting at the youngest level – to see its value. It would be crucial for the school to promote the importance of high level work-study habits right along side academic grades.

I teach a specials course to inner city middle schoolers at a charter school. All students have to take my class since it is one of the core pillars of the school’s culture and mission. Therefore it is a double edge sword. Some students and parents think it is irrelevant like an art or music class but will get upset to find out it isn’t just an easy A class. Other students and parents love it because they come to our charter school just to be in this class that isn’t offered anywhere else in the state, except at the college level.

As you may have already guessed, I see a lot of students who don’t do the work. So much that I no longer assign homework, which the majority would not be able to do independently anyways or may develop the wrong way of learning the material, due to the nature of the subject. So everything is done in the classroom together as a class. And then we grade together to reinforce the learning. This is why I absolutely do not accept missing work and there is no reason for late work. Absent students make up the work by staying after school upon their return or they can print it off of Google classroom at home and turn in by the end of the day of their return. Late and missing work is a big issue at our school. I’ve had whole classrooms not do the work even as I implemented the new routine. Students will sit there and mark their papers as we do it in the classroom but by the end they are not handing it in because they claim not to have anything to hand in. Or when they do it appears they were doing very little. I’d have to micromanage all 32 students every 5 minutes to make sure they were actually doing the work, which I believe core teachers do. But that sets a very bad precedent because I noticed our students expect to be handheld every minute or they claim they can’t do the work. I know this to be the case since before this class I was teaching a computer class and the students expected me to sit right next to them and give them step-by-step instructions of where to click on the screen. They simply could not follow along as I demonstrated on the Aquos board. So I do think part of the problem is the administrators’ encouraging poor work ethics. They’re too focused on meeting proficient standard to the point they want teachers to handhold students. They also want teachers to accept late and missing work all the way until the end of each quarter. Well that’s easy if you only have a few students but when you have classrooms full of them, that means trying to grade 300+ students multiplied by “x” amount of late/missing work the week before report card rolls out – to which we still have to write comments for C- or below students. Some of us teach all the grade levels 6-8th. And that has actually had negative effects because students no longer hold themselves accountable.

To be honest, I really do think this is why there is such a high turnover rate and teachers who started giving busy work only. In the inner city, administrators only care about putting out the illusion of proficiency while students and parents don’t want any accountability for their performance. As soon as a student fails because they have to actually try to learn (which is a risk for failing), the parent comes in screaming.

Yea, being an Art teacher you lost me at “ irrelevant like an art or music .”

I teach middle school in the inner city where missing and late work is a chronic issue so the suggestions and ideas above do not work. Students and parents have become complacent with failing grades so penalizing work isn’t going to motivate them to do better the next time. The secret to teaching in the inner city is to give them a way out without it becoming massive work for you. Because trust me, if you give them an inch they will always want a mile at your expense. Depending on which subject you teach, it might be easier to just do everything in class. That way it becomes an all or nothing grade. They either did or didn’t do the work. No excuses, no chasing down half the school through number of calls to disconnected phone numbers and out of date emails, no explaining to parents why Johnny has to stay after school to finish assignments when mom needs him home to babysit or because she works second shift and can’t pick him up, etc. Students have no reason for late work or for missing work when they were supposed to do it right there in class. Absent students can catch up with work when they return.

Milton, I agree with all of what you are saying and have experienced. Not to say that that is for all students I have had, but it is a slow progression as to what is happening with students and parents as years go by. I understand that there are areas outside of the classroom we cannot control and some students do not have certain necessities needed to help them but they need to start learning what can they do to help themselves. I make sure the students know they can come and talk to me if needing help or extra time, tutor after school and even a phone number to contact along with email if needing to ask questions or get help. But parents and students do not use these opportunities given until the week before school ends and are now wanting their student to pass and what can be done. It is frustrating and sad. I let students and parents know my expectation up front and if they do not take the opportunity to talk to me then the grade they earned is the result.

I am a special education resource teacher and late work/missing work happens quite a lot. After reading this article, I want to try a few different things to help minimize this issue. However, I am not the one making the grades or putting the grades in. I am just giving the work to the students in small group settings and giving them more access to the resources they need to help them be successful on these assignments based on their current IEP. I use a make-up folder, and usually I will pull these students to work on their work during a different time than when I regularly pull them. That way they do not miss the delivery of instruction they get from me and it does not punish my other students either if there is make-up work that needs to be completed. I try to give my students ample time to complete their work, so there is no excuse for them not to complete it. If they are absent, then I pull them at a time that they can make it up.

I too agree with that there’s a need for teachers to maintain more of a balance across classes when it comes to the amount of homework they give to students.

I had a few teachers who were willing to tolerate lateness in favor of getting it/understanding the material. Lastly, my favorite teacher was the one who gave me many chances to do rewrites of a ‘bad essay’ and gave me as much time as needed (of course still within like the semester or even month but I never took more than two weeks) because he wanted me to do well. I ended up with a 4 in AP exam though so that’s good.

Late work has a whole new meaning with virtual learning. I am drowning in late work (via Google Classroom). I don’t want to penalize students for late work as every home situation is different. I grade and provide feedback timely (to those who submitted on time). However, I am being penalized every weekend and evening as I try to grade and provide feedback during this time. I would love some ideas.

Hi Susan! I’m in the same place–I have students who (after numerous reminders) still haven’t submitted work due days…weeks ago, and I’m either taking time to remind them again or give feedback on “old” work over my nights and weekends. So, while it’s not specific to online learning, Jenn’s A Few Ideas for Dealing with Late Work is a post I’ve been trying to put into practice the last few days. I hope this helps!

Graded assignment flexibility is essential to the process of learning in general but especially in our new world of digital divide

It is difficult to determine who is doing the work at home. Follow up videos on seesaw help to see if the student has gained the knowledge or is being given the answers.

This is some good information. This is a difficult subject.

I love the idea of a catch-up cafe! I think I will try to implement this in my school. It’s in the same place every day, yes? And the teachers take turns monitoring? I’m just trying to get a handle on the logistics – I know those will be the first questions I get.

I really enjoyed this post. I think it provides a lot of perspective on a topic that teachers get way too strict about. I just wonder: wouldn’t it be inevitable for students to become lazy and care less about their understanding if there wasn’t any homework (or even if it was optional)? I know students don’t like it, and it can get redundant if they understand the content, but it truly is good practice.

Hi Shannon,

Glad the post helped! Homework is one of those hot educational topics, but I can’t say I’ve personally come across a situation or found any research where kids become lazy or unmotivated if not assigned homework. In fact, research indicates that homework doesn’t really have much impact on learning until high school. I just think that if homework is going to be assigned, it needs to be intentional and purposeful. (If students have already mastered a skill, I’m not sure how homework would provide them much benefit.) Here’s an article that I think is worth checking out. See what you think.

I like how you brought up how homework needs to be given with the understanding that not all kids have the same resources at home. Some kids don’t have computers or their parents won’t let them use it. There is no way of knowing this so teachers should give homework that requires barely any utensils or technology.

I think having students help determine the due dates for major assignments is a great idea. This works well with online schools too. Remote jobs are the future so helping students learn how to set their own due dates and to get homework done from home will prepare them for the future.

This year I am trying something new. After reading this article, I noticed that I have used a combination of some of these strategies to combat late work and encourage students to turn work in on time. I only record a letter grade in the grade book: A, B, C, D, F. If a student turns in an assignment late, I flag it as late, but it does not affect their “grade”.

If a student wants to redo an assignment, they must turn something in. If they miss the due date, they can still turn it in, but lose the opportunity to redo the assignment. Students will meet with me one last time before they turn it in to get final feedback.

At the end of the grading period, I conference with the student about their final grade, looking at how many times they have handed work in on-time or late. This will determine if the student has earned an A or an A+ .

I really appreciate how your post incorporates a lot of suggestions for the way that teachers can think about and grade homework. Thank you for mentioning how different students have different resources available as well. As teachers, we need to be aware of the different resources our students have and tailor our approach to homework to match. I like the idea of grading homework based on completion and accepting late work for full credit at any time (substituting a zero in the grade book until it is turned in). This is definitely a strategy that I’ll be using!

So glad the article was helpful for you! I will be sure to pass on your comments to Jenn.

I also have been teaching for a long time and I have found that providing an END OF WEEK (Friday at 11:59) due date for assignments allows students to get the work completed by that time. It helps with athletes, and others involved in extra curricular activities. I feel this is fair. I give my tests/quizzes on the days assigned and the supplemental work on Fridays.

I personally, as a special education teach, would allow my SPED students extra time to complete the work they have missed. This is in alignment with their IEP accommodations. I would work with each one independently and have remediation with the content that they are having difficulty. This setting would be in a small group and separate classroom.

I really like the idea of a work habits grade. I struggle with students who turn things in late regularly earning the same grade as those who always turn things in on time. A work habits grade could really motivate some learners.

I’ve been in education for 37 years and in all manner of positions. I share this only to also say that things have changed quite a bit. When I started teaching I only had one, maybe two students in a class of 34 elementary students that would not have homework or classwork finished. Now, I have two classes of about 15 each. One group is often half the class on a regular basis not having homework or not finishing classwork on a regular basis- so far. Additionally parents will pull students out to go to amusement parks, etc and expect all work to be made up and at full credit. I believe that the idea of homework is clearly twofold- to teach accountability and to reengage a learner. Classwork is critical to working with the content and, learning objective. We can all grade various ways; however, at some point, the learner has to step up. Learning is not passive, nor is it all on the teacher. I have been called “mean” because I make students do their work in class, refocusing them, etc. I find that is my duty. Late work should be simply dealt with consistently and with understanding to circumstance IMO. You were out or it was late because mom and dad were upset, ok versus we went to Disney for three days and I was too tired. hmm- used to be easy with excused/unexcused absences, now there is no difference. Late with no absence? That can be a problem and I reach out to home and handle it individually at my level.

Hi Jennifer! I really like your sharing about this topic! Late work is a problem that every teacher encounters. Thank you for your consideration of this issue and the many wise ideas you have provided. Your ideas also remind me to reflect on whether my overall program of assignments and grading is in a healthy place. I was inspired by the preventative measures you listed in this post. I want to try to include my students in setting deadlines, especially for some big projects. Students will feel respected by teachers and will be more willing to complete the assignments before deadlines! As you mentioned, some teachers have made homework optional or self-selected, or even stopped assigning homework. I partially agree with that opinion. I indeed try to reduce the amount of students’ homework or even stop assigning homework sometime, but doing related practice in class instead. I believe that the purpose of homework is to aid pupils in mastering the knowledge; it is not a necessary thing.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Yang. Jenn will be glad to know that you found the post inspiring!

Thanks so much for all your insights on giving assignments or homework. All are very helpful as I prepare to return to work after an extended medical leave. It is good to refresh! Anything we require of our students should be purposeful and meaningful to them, so they will give their best to meet whatever deadlines we set. I also like asking our students when is the best time they can turn work in; this is meeting them halfway. And if one strategy does not work, there are more to try; just read this post. Thanks a bunch!!

Jenn will be glad to know the post was helpful for you, Jo!

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Should Teachers Accept Late Work? (A Full Guide With Reasons For and Against)

Late submission of assignments is a routine issue faced by teachers. It’s not uncommon for students to struggle with time management, personal obligations, or unforeseen circumstances that lead to missed deadlines. Educators are divided on the best approach to dealing with late work, and while some say it’s unacceptable, others believe that a more lenient stance is better in the long run. Which of these arguments holds more merit?

Teachers should accept late work within reason. A strict deadline policy, while good for highlighting the importance of time management and consistent standards, can do more harm than good in the long run. A more lenient approach, where late admissions don’t directly translate to zero, shows understanding and compassion, which is more likely to promote positive student responses in the future.

This article explores whether teachers should accept late work, weighing the advantages and disadvantages of such a practice. By examining different perspectives and considering the impact on students’ learning outcomes, you will gain insight into this contentious issue and craft an approach that doesn’t do a disservice to you or your students.

Table of Contents

When Should a Teacher Accept Overdue Assignments?

If a student comes to you with a justifiable excuse and has proof to back up their claim, extending their deadline without any point deductions is the sensible way to go.

For example, if they ask to submit their work later due to health-related issues and can present a medical note from a doctor, it will be unreasonable to refuse their request.

Or, if you are contacted by the student’s parents about a family matter, like the death of a loved one or the need to travel urgently, you should accept this as a genuine reason and grant the student some extra time to submit their work.

However, what happens if a student’s justification is unprovable, or they don’t want to explain why they’ve missed the deadline?

In that case, there are different factors to consider, so the teacher needs to take a more calculated approach before deciding whether to accept any late submissions or not. Nonetheless, it’s always best to be balanced in your resolve and contemplate both sides of the argument.

Reasons For Accepting Late Work

Tolerating late work is not a sign of weakness or bad teaching practice as it does have some potential benefits, especially in the long run. Here are reasons to support why teachers should accept late submissions from students.

Better Quality Work

Though teaching the importance of time management and responsibility is undoubtedly a big part of setting an assignment, students producing good-quality work is even more significant in the grand scheme of things.

Work that is rushed to meet a deadline will likely be below expectations and not accurately portray a student’s skills and abilities .

That’s why most teachers agree that giving students an extra day or two can be the difference between receiving a sub-par submission to one that is of a good standard.

Moreover, if a student knows that they can’t meet the deadline and that the teacher will not show any leniency in this regard, they probably won’t even bother at all.

If extending the deadline by a few days pushes your students to make an effort and produce good-quality work, the compromise is most likely worth it. After all, the main objectives of an assignment are to consolidate the learning and assess students’ level of understanding. Not accepting late work jeopardizes these goals.

Helps Build a Supporting Learning Environment

Perhaps the most meaningful benefit of accepting late work is the positive learning environment it promotes. 

When teachers show leniency toward missed deadlines, they create an atmosphere of support and encouragement, which are fundamental characteristics that help students to develop and improve.

For instance, accepting late work allows students to rectify their mistakes rather than worry about the inevitable repercussions. It encourages them to continue working on assignments even if they miss the initial deadline, fostering a growth mindset and perseverance.

Students also feel more comfortable seeking assistance and clarification, knowing their teacher is approachable and helpful. By promoting open dialogue, we can better understand the reasons behind late submissions and offer appropriate support and guidance.

On the other hand, a no-tolerance policy for late submissions will instill fear and pessimism, having a detrimental effect on progress.

Ultimately, an environment where students feel valued and encouraged will boost their motivation, engagement, and participation, which undoubtedly results in better learning outcomes in the long run.

Demonstrates Compassion and Understanding

In connection with building a supportive learning environment, teachers should accept late work to show and encourage the ideals of compassion and understanding. 

Students, though young, are people with real problems and challenges, just like the rest of us. Therefore, showing some sympathy and consideration can go a long way as they grow into well-adjusted adults and become considerate members of society.

Furthermore, unexpected events occur, and there is often a valid reason preventing a student from submitting an assignment on time. In such cases, teachers should assess the situation empathetically and exercise tolerance.

Remember that you never fully know what students are going through in and outside of school, so giving them the benefit of the doubt with late submissions can avoid adding further stress to their lives.

Enhances Student-Teacher Relationship

We all remember our favorite teacher(s) . They made learning fun and accessible, took the time to get to know each student, and supported and encouraged us. Conclusively, the teaching and learning experience is a whole lot better with strong student-teacher relationships.

And when teachers accept late work, they can improve their bond with students in a number of ways. First, the extra time given to complete an assignment demonstrates that the teacher cares about students’ progress and is invested in their success.

Secondly, it can lead to enhanced communication and more meaningful interactions. If students can rely on their teachers to be understanding about missed deadlines, the parties will be more honest with each other.

Consequently, the teacher’s leniency can strengthen mutual trust and respect, which will undoubtedly help create a better classroom community and lead to better academic outcomes.

Promotes Flexibility and Adaptability

Life is unpredictable, and events out of our control happen to us all. So, in today’s fast-paced world, adaptability is a crucial skill.

The choice to accept late work can become a learning opportunity for students because it teaches them to adjust their plans and adapt to unexpected situations.

For example, a student with genuine intentions to complete an assignment on time may encounter computer issues, like their laptop not working or not having a reliable internet connection.

Instead of giving up and conceding defeat, the student is motivated to seek solutions. This may involve finding an alternative device or taking a trip to a public library to do their work.

Accepting late work cultivates flexibility, which in turn encourages students to be versatile and resilient. This adaptability extends beyond academics and prepares students for the obstacles they may encounter in their personal and professional lives.

Greater Opportunity for Creativity and New Ideas

Deadlines are inescapable and serve important functions. Knowing when something has to be submitted puts the onus on the individual, who can then take measured steps to meet the requirements.

The issue is that our best effort and work do not always align with the parameters of deadlines. Sometimes, great ideas come to us after the due date.

That is why when students are given the opportunity to submit late work, they are more likely to explore alternative approaches and think imaginatively to complete their assignments.

For example, if a student gets a spark of innovation the night before the assignment is due, they may be reluctant to use or build on it due to limited time. However, if they know the deadline is somewhat flexible, the student will be more motivated and inspired to pursue the new idea.

This extra leeway allows for better ideas and unique perspectives to emerge, fostering a culture of creativity and originality.

Develops Problem-Solving

Similar to the importance of being adaptable, accepting late work encourages students to develop their problem-solving skills when finding solutions to overcome challenges.

They learn to identify the underlying issues that caused the late submission and can work on strategies to prevent similar situations in the future.

There are several reasons why students fail to meet deadlines ; the assignment being unclear or too complicated is a common excuse given. In such cases, the student will learn to recognize this as an obstacle, so they can take the initiative by approaching the teacher for further clarity.

Essentially, teachers can help students develop their self-management capabilities in a meaningful way, empowering them to be more responsible and independent.

This problem-solving mindset is a valuable skill that prepares students for the demands and expectations they will face beyond the classroom.

Does Not Limit Participation

Denying a student’s late submission will damage their confidence and motivation. The guilt of turning in an assignment late is hard enough, but to then witness your grade plummet can cause major distress.

It is not rare for students to feel dejected and lose interest in their studies after having their work dismissed. Consequently, their participation in class and the quality of their work take a turn for the worse.

In addition, it is worth noting that content covered in lessons are often closely connected, with topics overlapping and prior knowledge being built on constantly with new information.

So, students who miss assignment deadlines will likely lose out on related educational experiences. In other words, refusing to accept late work can exclude students from future learning and involvement.

Not only does a strict policy on late submissions directly affect the grade and motivation of students, but the resulting constraints on their participation will place them at a greater disadvantage.

To prevent this downward spiral, teachers should strive to maximize student participation, even if it means accepting late submissions.

Avoid Potential Tension With Parents and Administrators

In an ideal world, teachers will prioritize their students’ academic and personal development and be trusted to operate with this intention in mind. This means that parents and administrators work with the teacher, offering guidance and support when needed but counting on the teacher’s abilities and judgment for the most part.

Unfortunately, this is not the reality, and frictions between teachers and administrators/parents occasionally occur.

One area where differences of opinion come to light is grading. Teachers may set clear expectations and guidelines regarding assessment and grades, but this does not make them immune to scrutiny.

Parents and administrators will demand sufficient justification, especially when marks are taken off or grades are lowered. And pointing to a student’s late submission of work may not be met with understanding and support.

To save yourself the trouble of dealing with irate parents or administrators, it might be better to take a more lenient approach to missed deadlines.

The reasons above recommend why teachers should accept late work. This standpoint is supported by Dana Cole, a fellow teacher who explains her point of view about embracing compassion and flexibility in the video below:

However, this school of thinking has its limits too. One would rightfully argue that grading a student who didn’t meet the deadline the same as one who did is unfair and transmits the wrong message to young minds.

Besides this, there are other reasons why not accepting late work may sometimes be the better option.

Reasons Against Accepting Late Work

Is it always a good idea to accept late work? Some educators say no, and here’s why:

Deadlines Promote Self-Management Skills

The main argument against accepting late work is that the purpose and importance of deadlines become eroded.

Setting and adhering to deadlines are an integral part of the learning process. By sticking to deadlines, students grasp how to manage themselves better.

First, they develop essential time management skills as they learn to prioritize work, break the task into manageable chunks, plan ahead, and complete assignments promptly. Students will not have the incentive to organize their time most effectively if there is no deadline or it is loosely implemented.

Next, the ability to adhere to deadlines is a good indicator of someone’s level of discipline. If students demonstrate the effort and commitment to submit assignments on time, then they can replicate this resolve in other aspects of their lives. For instance, disciplined students are more likely to accomplish their goals due to the increased focus and control they have developed with practice.

Deadlines can also instill a sense of responsibility. By setting and sticking to an assignment submission date, teachers are empowering students to fulfill their obligations. This sense of responsibility helps to create a more productive learning environment where students understand their role and can focus on meeting expectations.

Hence, deadlines serve a vital role in the promotion of essential self-management skills, so they should be adhered to.

Avoid Developing a Bad Habit

As mentioned above, meeting deadlines requires effort, perseverance, and commitment. If teachers want to promote these qualities and instill a strong work ethic in students, they must be stricter about accepting late work.

Otherwise, students cannot be blamed for displaying counterproductive habits like procrastination and an inability to manage their time effectively.

For example, when teachers are relaxed about submissions, students will likely delay completing assignments until the last minute and put less effort into their studies. Consequently, the work produced (if any) is of a lower standard and will not reflect their true potential.

Furthermore, giving one student a pass for missing a deadline may encourage others to follow suit. Not only one class but other classes taught by the teacher would start submitting their assignments late.

And without any form of consequence for missing deadlines, a cycle of late submissions will quickly perpetuate. It’s best to nip it in the bud before it becomes a bigger issue.

Once is a mistake. Twice is a pattern. Three times is a habit.

Fairness and Consistency

Students place a great deal of importance on fairness and justice. So if deadlines are extended for some but not others, it can lead to resentment and demotivation. Hence, accepting late work can create a perception of favoritism or unfairness among students.

By not accepting late work under any circumstance (except in rare cases), teachers ensure a level playing field for all, reinforcing the principles of impartiality and equity in the classroom.

Consistency is also a key element of effective classroom management . Teachers should establish clear rules and expectations for all students and uphold these standards as best as possible.

Showing empathy and understanding is one thing, but a teacher who sticks to their word and is consistent will receive more respect and cooperation from students.

For instance, if a teacher sets a deadline but doesn’t stand by it, their students are less likely to be convinced or assured about anything else that teacher says. This could include setting future deadlines or even the instructions given in the classroom.

Upholding the expectations consistently, on the other hand, helps to build trust and credibility while minimizing any confusion, anxiety, or stress students may experience.

Therefore, not accepting late work contributes toward a fairer and more harmonious classroom environment.

Prepares Students for the Real World

Punctuality is a virtue that extends beyond academic settings, and students must understand that deadlines are a common occurrence even outside of school. So, by making sure that work gets handed in on time, teachers better prepare students for life beyond the classroom. This includes a number of elements.

First, deadlines set by a teacher mimic the time constraints and standards that students will encounter in their future careers. Every workplace expects professionalism, reliability, and commitment from its workforce, and students can start developing these traits by meeting deadlines in school.

Not forgetting that the ability to manage time effectively is essential for academic, professional, and personal advancement.

Teachers also help students build the discipline needed to excel in higher education and their careers. And by allowing students to experience the consequences of their actions, they learn accountability and the importance of fulfilling commitments (as discussed above).

Furthermore, the value of punctuality is taught as students recognize that meeting deadlines is a sign of respect for others’ time, which is a characteristic that will serve them well when building relationships.

By instilling these skills early on, teachers equip students with valuable tools for future success.

On the contrary, accepting late work can undermine the importance of these traits, and students who are accustomed to submitting work late may struggle to adapt to a professional setting.

While in school, turning in an assignment late might result in a lower grade at worse. Later in life, it can lead to tensions with others, impacts on health, missed job opportunities, or even getting fired .

Inconvenience for the Teacher

It is well-known that a teacher’s day is busy with a long list of duties that need to be fulfilled. High up on that list is the responsibility to assess and provide timely feedback to students. This is only made harder for the teacher when students submit their work late.

Most teachers allocate specific times for grading. So, if an assignment is handed in after the teacher is done grading other students, it creates a backlog for the teacher and may mean that the late assignment goes unmarked.

Fundamentally, delayed assessment, or not assessing at all, will impede the timely progression of the curriculum and disrupt the flow of teaching and learning.

By enforcing deadlines, such inconvenience can be solved and enable teachers to accurately assess students’ progress and provide prompt feedback.

Your willingness to give your students the benefit of the doubt should always have its limits, most of the time for their own good. As a teacher, you have a responsibility to help students grow into not only knowledgeable but also well-adjusted adults.

Enabling students who perpetually turn in their work late or grade them similarly to their classmates who made an effort to meet the deadlines can send a detrimental message that will hold them back later on in life.

That’s why still enforcing some assignment guidelines is essential in teaching students the importance of time management and taking responsibility. However, there is a way to do that without derailing their academic journey.

How To Best Deal with Late Work

Extreme approaches are rarely effective, so you’ll want to strike a balance between providing second chances and holding students accountable for their actions, i.e., finding a middle ground that can encourage your students to make an effort while still stressing the importance of good time management can go a long way.

In general, the most practical option would be to accept late work within a reasonable window of time. So, if students fail to meet the initial deadline for whatever reason, they still have an opportunity to turn in their work. But when that window passes, it’s time to move on.

Another factor to consider is the implementation of any late penalties. When it comes to illness or other extreme circumstances, taking an understanding approach should be the obvious action. But for students who repeatedly demonstrate poor self-management and a lack of motivation, some form of consequence can serve as a reminder of the expectations.

My suggestion would be to create a system in which an X-day delay translates into an X-point deduction.

For example, if the work gets turned in 1-2 days late, there’ll be an automatic five or 10-point deduction on the assignment. That way, the students can still get a good grade if they produce good-quality work while also learning a lesson on the importance of self-management skills.

Moreover, this type of system can push students to input more effort. Let’s say a student recognizes they won’t be able to turn in their work on time. That means they’ll be extra motivated to submit an excellent assignment since they know they’ll be starting at a 5-point deficit.

Though there are currently no concrete studies to support such arguments, many teachers (including myself) have first-hand experience of how work submitted late can often exceed expectations. Whether that’s because of fewer time constraints or the incentive to do better due to having fewer points available is up for discussion.

Another advantage of this approach is that it helps you grade your students based on their actual assimilation of the subject, not arbitrary timelines.

A zero on an assignment can have a much more significant impact on one’s academic journey than you’d think, and it’s a far too severe form of punishment based on a single instance of poor time management.

Principally, to avoid confusion and frustration, teachers should establish clear expectations regarding assignment deadlines from the beginning. By clearly communicating due dates, late submission policies, and any potential penalties, students can plan their time accordingly and understand the consequences of submitting work late.

Whichever approach you choose, enforcing it consistently is fundamental.

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to the question, “ Should teachers accept late work ,” and your response to the situation will depend on your teaching style and circumstances. However, it usually pays to be reasonably flexible with timelines and allow students to turn in their work rather than have them not bother at all.

You can still develop a system where turning assignments in X days late leads to an X-point reduction. That way, you’ll keep your students motivated to complete assignments while influencing them to make more responsible choices in the future.

• Faculty Focus: An Argument for Accepting Late Work
• The New York Times: Many Teens Report Emotional and Physical Abuse by Parents During Lockdown
• Psychology Today: Why Does My Teen Procrastinate?
• Edutopia: Fact Check: Are Flexible Student Deadlines at Odds With Real Life?
• GIIS Tokyo: The importance of time management in a student’s life
• National Library of Medicine: Academic failure and students’ viewpoint: The influence of individual, internal and external organizational factors – PMC
• The Digit Teachers: Should Teachers Accept Late Work?
• Cult of Pedagogy: A Few Ideas for Dealing with Late Work

Related posts:

• How To Deal With Students Who Won’t Stop Talking (20 Top Tips)
• How To Deal With Angry Elementary Students (13 Top Tips)
• How Would Students Describe You as a Teacher? (7 Answers to Give)
• How Do I Become A Teacher In California?
• Why Do Teachers Not Use Red Pens Anymore?

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Classroom Q&A

With larry ferlazzo.

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to [email protected]. Read more from this blog.

Late Assignments: Tips From Educators on Managing Them

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Today’s post finishes up a two-part series on how different teachers handle late student work.

‘Taking Late Work Can Be Challenging’

Ann Stiltner is a high school special education and reading teacher in Connecticut with more than 20 years of experience in education. She shares her passion and love for working in the classroom at her blog from Room A212 (www.annstiltner.com/blog). Follow her on Twitter @fromrooma212:

Being a special education teacher means most of my students have the IEP modification of extra time, which generally translates to time and a half. For a test a teacher gives a class one hour to do, my student would have 1½ hours. For a project the class had one week to complete, my student would have 11 days. However, even with this extra time, some of my spec. ed. students are not able to complete the work. With diagnoses such as ADHD, LD (Learning Disabilities), or anxiety, they find maintaining focus and accessing one-on-one support difficult to fit into these time constraints. Their motivation is unpredictable based on their mood, family challenges, or social drama.

Due to these factors, I have adopted a policy where I accept work from both regular and special education students at any time for full credit or I take points off for each day late depending on the circumstances and if that will motivate a student to finish.

I realize that taking late work can be challenging for teachers of 100-plus students. It means constantly updating your grade book and keeping track of papers. Some teachers don’t accept late work because they think a firm cutoff teaches students the importance of meeting deadlines. Even though I agree this is an important skill, I fear that some students won’t learn that lesson from a policy of not accepting work late. These students prefer to give up and forget about the assignment in order to feel a sense of control and protect themselves from failure. Getting a zero on an assignment does not make them rethink their decision to not do the work, since a zero to them doesn’t mean the same as it does to us teachers. To them, a zero is the grade they think they deserve based on their past experiences.

I have found a time limit gives students a reason to give up and not try. This is learned helplessness in action. My working definition of learned helplessness is a person’s lack of effort due to previous experiences which have taught them that making even the smallest effort won’t make a difference.

For many students, trying involves a large investment of cognitive effort and a huge risk to put themselves out there. They are not ready to set themselves up for what, they are sure, will make them feel like a failure and especially not in a setting where they might be bullied, yelled at, or insulted. If they do not feel safe and supported, they will not risk being teased by their classmates. This is the thinking behind my policy to accept late work at any time. I do not want my conditions and requirements to be used as an excuse for why they do not engage in my lesson and do the work.

This same philosophy explains why I provide supplies like writing utensils or computer chargers. I consciously decide not to create barriers for a student to complete work. I do not want to rob them of a chance to engage with the material, learn something new, experience deep thinking and feed their curiosity by dictating conditions that they can blame for not engaging in the work. Accepting an assignment late gives them time to get motivated or set up one-to-one support so they can focus on the work when they are ready. I do not want to distract students with rules concerning time limits, pen vs. pencil, or on paper vs. on computer.

Don’t get me wrong: I do have classroom rules and expectations. I want the focus in my class to be on what is most essential—learning. This approach means the student—and their parents—will have a hard time holding me responsible for their grade. The responsibility falls on the student and their choices. This open policy allows me to create rapport when I explain my belief in their ability to do the work and my dedication to provide them the support and necessary modifications to be successful. If and when a student is ready to engage in the work, make an effort and take a risk, I am ready.

‘A Balanced Approach’

Ruth Okoye, Ed.D., is a 30-year veteran educator. She has taught in private and public school settings and is passionate about literacy, educational technology, and ed-tech coaching. She currently serves as the K-12 director at a nonprofit organization:

As an ed-tech coach working with fellow educators in their journey of professional growth, handling assignment submissions beyond the designated due date is a nuanced process that reflects both practicality and a deep understanding of individual circumstances. The approach I adopt recognizes the unique challenges that my learners who are teachers face in their daily lives, and it aims to create an inclusive learning environment that supports their development while acknowledging the diverse contexts in which they operate.

My policy on due dates is rooted in the realization that a one-size-fits-all approach fails to account for the myriad of responsibilities and situations that learners encounter. Rather than rigidly adhering to stringent deadlines, I advocate a balanced approach that considers the academic integrity of assignments and the need for flexibility.

To strike this balance, I establish a preferred due date for assignments, considering the majority of learners and allowing them ample time to complete their work. This desired deadline also has a more concrete counterpart—a hard deadline—that offers a reasonable time frame for those genuinely committed to finishing their tasks. This dual-deadline structure allows proactive learners to demonstrate their dedication while acknowledging the potential challenges others may face.

For example, in a book study, there would be weekly assignments. The posted due dates would give the learners three weeks to get each assignment done. I would establish a hard deadline for all assignments two weeks after the study is completed. I’ve found that for a six- to eight-week book study, that allows ample time for a learner to deal with an external complication and then get back on track.

Of course, the purpose of the assignment plays a significant role in determining the flexibility of the due date. For instance, tasks geared toward in-class reflection, like exit tickets, maintain their original deadline as they serve an immediate and time-sensitive purpose. On the other hand, assignments designed to assess learners’ application of covered material need a more lenient approach, allowing participants the time to digest the content and apply it effectively.

I also believe in allowing learners ample time to attempt tasks and even granting multiple opportunities for submission. This practice is grounded in the understanding that the learning process is not linear, and different individuals require varying duration to internalize and implement new concepts. By granting extensions and multiple tries, I encourage a growth mindset and empower learners to engage more deeply with the subject.

One of the cornerstones of my policy is the recognition that external factors beyond the learning experience can impact a learner’s ability to meet deadlines. Illness, family emergencies, or resource constraints can hinder progress, and rigid due dates should not serve as barriers to measuring their ability to apply course concepts. Instead of penalizing them for circumstances beyond their control, I aim to evaluate their understanding of the material and capacity to use it effectively, irrespective of external hindrances.

So you can see, my approach to handling late submissions from learners revolves around flexibility, empathy, and practicality. By acknowledging the diverse challenges teachers face and tailoring due dates to the purpose of assignments, I create an environment that fosters deep learning, personal growth, and a commitment to the subject matter. This policy recognizes the unique circumstances of each learner. It underscores the overarching goal of professional learning—to nurture and support the development of capable and resilient professionals in education.

What Is the Goal?

Jessica Fernandez is a full-time high school teacher and instructional coach near Chicago who specializes in teaching multilingual English learners and in supporting colleagues to make small language shifts that will benefit all learners:

Fortunately, my high school freshman English PLC has decided to have two categories: formative (anything at all that is practice), which is weighted 10 percent, and summative, which is weighted 90 percent. Since the purpose of formative tasks is to practice a skill they will later demonstrate, late work is accepted until we complete the summative demonstration for that skill. Afterward, there’s not so much of a point, plus it would drive us crazy and make work-life balance tough.

The goal, after all, is to give frequent and prompt feedback so kids can improve before their final summative demonstration. Late points are more of what we used to call “habits of work”; important soft skills, yes, but for our purposes, if the kid practiced for their summative skill demonstration, I’m happy, and I’m not scoring them on timeliness. Who knows what they had going on? I’ve gotten grace, and 10 percent won’t make or break their grade anyway.

Thanks to Ann, Ruth, and Jessica for contributing their thoughts!

Today’s post responded to this question:

How do you handle students turning in work after the due date, and why do you apply that policy?

In Part One , Chandra Shaw, Stephen Katzel, and Kelly Owens contributed their ideas.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] . When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo .

Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email . And if you missed any of the highlights from the first 12 years of this blog, you can see a categorized list here .

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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Emailing your Professor About a Late Assignment: Here’s What You Need to Know

Academic assignments count toward the total marks needed to pass a course. That’s why, whether, in high school or university, you must submit the assignment before the deadline to get the grade. But what if you are late in submitting your assignment?

According to a survey report,  75% of students claimed they faced consequences for late assignment submission  and accepted they were procrastinators. That also includes the missed paper deadline while doing research.

So, how do you communicate with your professor about a late submission in a way that will hopefully avoid academic penalties?

This article will help you write an email about your late assignment.

Table of Contents

Why Should You Write a Late Assignment Submission Email to Your Professor?

You need to inform your professor about a late submission before the assignment deadline. That might help you avoid losing marks. Since the course assignment’s marks adds to the grand total, you can’t afford to lose that grade just because of a late submission.

So, here are the reasons why you should write a late assignment submission email to your professor.

To Tell the Professor About Your Late Assignment Submission

Your professor won’t know that your assignment is going to be late if you don’t inform them. This lack of knowledge will certainly affect your grade. So, writing an email for late assignments must be a priority.

Some professors are generous and might accept your apology letter. But again, you must first tell them by writing an email correctly. Even the kindest professor will probably never give you some leeway if you don’t inform them about the situation first.

On the other hand, some professors are not as gracious and might penalize you even if you tell them you will be submitting your work late. So, the situation also depends on your luck and the faculty you are studying in.

To Explain Why You Will Be Submitting a Late Assignment

Another reason you should email your professor about turning in the assignment late is to give a reasonable excuse. Those reasons could be:

• You were admitted to a hospital.
• You had an emergency.
• There was a power outage, and you lost your internet connection.

However, it’s better if you attach proof with the excuse. Why?

A report indicates that  70% of American students make fraudulent claims  when submitting late assignments. So, be an honest student and never make a false statement for marks.

To Request a Deadline Extension

Some assignments require extensive research, and you might not complete them within the given time frame. That’s when you need to write an email to request an extension of the assignment deadline.

You must remember that professors will only accept deadline extension requests that are sound. They also know the scope of an assignment and might decline your request if the assignment doesn’t require that much research.

So, add assignment extension excuses in your email if they are relevant. For example:

• Computer crashed
• Family emergency
• Job interview

That way, your professor might extend the assignment submission deadline.

To Apologize for The Late Submission of Assignments

Most students submit their assignments on time and get the deserved reward. However, some students submit their assignments late and don’t inform the professor about the late assignment.

Students also don’t tell the class representative (CR) about the late submission and lose marks at the end. Therefore, the best way is to sincerely apologize to your professor and accept responsibility for your mistake.

That will help you stay positive while your professor goes through your email. However, an apology letter is not enough. You must know how to write an email for late assignments appropriately.

How Do You Send an Email Regarding Your Late Assignment?

You couldn’t complete your assignment on time, and now it’s the last moment. Have you left it too late?

When you complete an assignment, you must check that you have done the following:

• Proofread the text for errors
• Formatted it properly
• Included relevant attachments
• Referenced it properly

Your professor has laid out the requirements for submitting an assignment. But now, you are afraid of facing the consequences of a late assignment submission. What can you do?

Firstly, you must keep your nerve. Since the due date is today, you can’t really do anything except write an email to your professor and throw yourself on his or her mercy.

But if you are feeling stressed and facing writer’s block, you might be unsure of how to structure your mail. What should be included?

Correct Email Address

Writing the correct email is the first and most basic element. Most teachers use their academic email addresses to communicate with the class. Therefore, you must write the correct teacher’s email in the “To” section.

Remember that finding the teacher’s email is not simple, especially if your institute has no student portal. In that case, consult your CR or academic department and get the correct email address.

Subject Line

The subject line of an email is important. Unfortunately, many people write something vague or confusing, resulting in either a delayed or non-response.

The recipient of your email, your teacher, expects to receive emails from students correctly. That’s why the email’s subject is the beginning of your email and must be written with clear focus.

But what to write on in the subject line?

Typically, the subject contains the purpose of the email. That should give you a fair idea of what to include.

Since we are talking about late assignments, you should probably write a title like this:

Application for Late Assignment Submission

This subject line will prepare your teacher for the fact that you are going to submit your assignment late and will explain why. Sometimes students face unavoidable delays such as:

• Emergency with a family member
• No internet service

So, you must write this subject in the email and prepare your teacher for what is about to come.

Request for Deadline Extension

You need to back up a deadline extension request with a solid reason. For example, students require deadline extensions when they can’t complete the assignment on time. You can request your professor to extend the deadline in such a situation.

Some assignments need a lot of research, but they have tight deadlines. So, you can also email your professor and ask for an extension if you can’t complete the assignment by the due date.

Remember to write to your professor requesting a deadline extension several days before the due date. That’s a good policy and might convince your teacher that you deserve an extension.

Apology for Submitting the Assignment Late

This subject part means you submitted the assignment late, and now you are apologizing for that. Remember that a sincere apology often works, depending of course on the kind of professor who is supervising your work.  

So, apologize for the late submission, as it shows you are willing to take responsibility for the situation. Once you send the email, remain calm and hope for the best.

Some students face writer’s block and can’t start writing an email. That’s why we recommend you follow this structure:

• Begin with a proper salutation like “Dear Sir/Madam.”
• Start with your name, student ID, class, and section information.
• Inform the professor about your situation and explain why your assignment is going to be late.
• Provide a solid excuse.
• Attach proofs, for example, a doctor’s note or a job application if you went for an interview.
• Apologizing properly will at least get you partial credit.

The body of the email must include all the relevant factors that caused the late assignment submission. You must also write a sincere apology so your teacher understands that you accept responsibility for the situation.

Include the dates you will be able to submit your assignment. That will help you prepare for the next assignment. After that, give your best regards when closing the email.

Your learning institution also encourages you to apologize to your teacher for presenting a late assignment. Once you are done writing the email, send warm regards and check the email again before sending it.

Things to Consider While Writing a Late Assignment Email

To recap, here are four things to remember when writing an email about a late assignment:

Write to the Correct Email Address

Many students fail to inform their professors about their late assignments despite sending an email. Why?

Their email either gets delivered to the wrong recipient or is never delivered. That happens when you use an incorrect email address. Therefore, always make sure to use your teacher’s correct email address.

Write the Subject Title Correctly

The subject line matters a lot, especially if you are requesting a favor from someone. So, carefully analyze the situation and write a clear subject heading. A good email subject line might lighten your teacher’s mood, and they might favor you.

Keep it Short

Your teacher doesn’t have all day to read your email. So, ensure you write a brief email with a  maximum of 3-4 sentences  and avoid irrelevant details. Your teacher might want to call you and communicate in person so that you can explain yourself.

If things are quite serious and you can’t attend the meeting, explain why you didn’t meet the deadline in the email.

Be Polite and Regretful

Your writing style must be polite and regretful because you have made a mistake. You must also end on a polite note so that your teacher will remember your request.

Things to Avoid When Writing a Late Assignment Email

You should avoid the following four things when writing an email for a late assignment.

Familiar Tone

The recipient of this email is your teacher, not your buddy. Therefore, avoid using a familiar tone as it can worsen the situation. You must also provide a valid reason in a professional manner.

Many students who don’t take the teacher-student relationship seriously write informal emails to their professors. They might not know their professor’s reaction. However, their professor might take note of the student’s ID and might penalize them later in some way.

These kinds of emails might also give spurious reasons for late submission like:

• My dog ate my assignment.
• My siblings burned the assignment.
• I forgot that I had to submit the assignment.

This sort of approach and writing style might create unforeseen problems for you in your academic career in the future.

Most teachers are busy during the week and don’t have time to read a long letter or email. So, if you send a long email explaining why you submitted the assignment after the due date, your teacher might simply not read your email.

Students who struggle with writing emails usually write long stories when explaining why they couldn’t submit their assignments on the due date. That’s why they don’t get a new deadline or credit for the late assignment.

Blaming others for your mistake is a sign of immaturity. Even if you are sincerely apologetic but blame someone else for the late paper submission, your teacher might penalize you.

When you blame others, your teacher starts keeping an eye on you. That makes your future academic career more difficult, so accept your mistake and take responsibility. That will help you be more mature in the future.

How Do You Ask a Professor If You Can Submit a Late Assignment?

You must write an email to your professor and inform them that your assignment will be late. Remember to give a genuine reason and submit quality work once your request is approved.

How Do I Apologize to My Professor for the Late Work?

Write an apologetic email to your professor and give a valid reason why you submitted your work late.

Final Words

Always write a professional email to your professor about your late submission or when requesting an extension to your deadline. This email will give your professor a positive impression of you as a student. As a result, you might be eligible to get credit for your late assignment.

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Home » Tips for Teachers » 9 Reasons Why Teachers Should Accept Late Work: Balancing Discipline and Flexibility in Education

9 Reasons Why Teachers Should Accept Late Work: Balancing Discipline and Flexibility in Education

The issue of late work in educational settings is a complex and multi-layered challenge that educators face. In the article “9 Reasons Why Teachers Should Accept Late Work,” we delve into this nuanced topic to provide a holistic view. Late work, a common phenomenon in classrooms, poses significant questions about maintaining a balance between discipline and empathy. The dilemma extends beyond mere rule enforcement; it touches on the core values of education, including fairness, responsibility, and personal development.

This article navigates through the intricacies of late submissions, examining when it is justifiable for educators to accept overdue assignments. We explore the compelling reasons that support accepting late work, such as the enhancement of learning quality, the nurturing of a supportive educational environment, and the importance of adapting to students’ individual circumstances. Conversely, we also consider the arguments against this practice, highlighting the essential role deadlines play in fostering self-management skills and preparing students for real-world expectations.

Who says I’m not? I never said all teachers need to accept late work for good reasons either. I’m just saying that there could be reasons why students turn in late assignments besides “they’re lazy”. I wasn’t trying to have a debate about what teachers should and shouldn’t do. — Danielle™️ (@_D_Eazyy) May 3, 2021

Furthermore, the article provides practical strategies for managing late work effectively. These include balancing leniency with accountability, employing various administrative tactics, and understanding the diverse needs of students. Each section of the article, from evaluating justifiable reasons for delays to implementing fair and effective policies, contributes to a broader understanding of this educational challenge.

What you’ll find on this page:

• When Should a Teacher Accept Overdue Assignments? →
• Reasons For Accepting Late Work →
• Reasons Against Accepting Late Work →
• Effective Strategies for Managing Late Student Work in the Classroom →

When Should a Teacher Accept Overdue Assignments?

When determining whether to accept overdue assignments, teachers should consider each case individually.

In instances where a student presents a valid, documented excuse, such as a medical condition confirmed by a doctor’s note, extending the deadline without penalizing the student is a fair approach. This consideration should also extend to emergencies communicated by the student’s family, like bereavement or urgent travel, recognizing these as legitimate reasons for the delay.

Explore the important considerations on whether to accept late homework in this video, where key questions are posed to help you decide the best approach for your students and yourself.

However, when a student’s excuse is not verifiable or they choose not to disclose the reason for their delay, the teacher faces a more complex decision. In these situations, it’s important to consider the student’s overall academic record, past behavior, and the potential impact on their learning. Teachers should aim for a balance, acknowledging that flexibility can be crucial in supporting students’ diverse needs while also upholding academic standards and fairness for the entire class.

Ultimately, the decision to accept late work should be guided by a combination of empathy, consideration of each student’s unique situation, and a commitment to maintain equitable academic practices.

Reasons Why Teachers Should Accept Late Work

1. encourages high-quality work.

Accepting late work can significantly improve the quality of student submissions. A study by the University of Minnesota found that when students were given extended deadlines, the quality of their work improved by 33%. This is because students often need more time to fully understand and engage with the material.

Rushed work, done just to meet a deadline, often lacks depth and fails to reflect a student’s true abilities. In contrast, when students are given the opportunity to submit work late, they tend to invest more time in research and critical thinking, leading to more comprehensive and insightful assignments.

This not only benefits the students in terms of grades but also enhances their learning experience and overall educational journey. High-quality work is a more accurate measure of a student’s understanding and skills, which is essential for their academic development and long-term success. Hence, allowing for late submissions can be an effective strategy for educators to encourage deeper engagement with course material, promote higher academic standards, and foster a more conducive learning environment.

I recommend watching a video featuring John Larmer and Dayna Laur discussing how teachers can guide students toward producing high-quality work. Their insights can be very valuable for educators looking to enhance student engagement and work standards.

2. Fosters a Supportive Learning Environment

Creating a supportive learning environment is crucial for student success. Research indicates that students perform better in environments where they feel supported and understood. According to a study published in the “Journal of Educational Psychology,” students who perceived their learning environment as supportive had a 40% higher rate of academic success compared to those who did not. Allowing late submissions can be a part of creating such an environment. When teachers show leniency in deadlines, it signals to students that their personal and educational challenges are recognized.

This approach helps in reducing anxiety and stress associated with deadlines, which can often hinder learning. It also encourages students to continue working on assignments even after the deadline, fostering a growth mindset and resilience. Students in supportive environments are more likely to seek help, engage in class activities, and show improved academic performance. Additionally, a nurturing atmosphere helps in developing key soft skills like communication and time management, as students learn to negotiate deadlines and articulate their challenges.

Discover how to foster confident, agile, self-directed learners by watching Jon Stolk’s talk on designing learning environments that enhance learner autonomy, offering choice and control.

Dive into “ 8 Reasons Why Students Should Have Mental Health Days: A Research-Based Analysis ” for insight into the crucial role of mental health in education. This article offers a thorough exploration based on research, highlighting why mental health days are essential for student’s well-being and academic success, and makes a strong case for their adoption in educational policies.

3. Shows Compassion and Understanding

Demonstrating compassion and understanding in educational settings has a profound impact on student well-being and academic performance. The research underscores the importance of teacher empathy in student success. A study from the University of Cambridge found that students who felt understood and supported by their teachers had higher motivation and better academic outcomes. Accepting late work is a practical way to show empathy. It acknowledges the diverse challenges students face, such as family responsibilities, mental health issues, or learning difficulties.

This understanding fosters a positive and inclusive classroom environment, encouraging students to strive for their best without the fear of punitive measures for circumstances beyond their control. Empathetic teaching practices help in building trust and respect, which are crucial for effective learning. When students perceive their teachers as compassionate, they are more likely to engage in learning activities, seek help when needed, and demonstrate increased responsibility toward their studies. This approach does not just cater to academic needs but also contributes to the holistic development of students, preparing them to be empathetic individuals in society.

Explore “Student Motivation – 20 Ways Teachers Can Motivate Their Learners” to uncover effective strategies for inspiring students to study harder and stay engaged in class actively.

4. Strengthens Student-Teacher Relationships

Strong student-teacher relationships are foundational for effective learning. Research by the American Psychological Association shows that positive teacher-student relationships are associated with significant improvements in academic performance, with students in such environments showing up to a 30% increase in academic achievement.

Accepting late work can strengthen these relationships by showing students that their teachers care about their overall success and well-being. This gesture of understanding can build trust and respect, encouraging students to communicate more openly about their challenges and learning needs. When students feel they can discuss their struggles with deadlines without fear of judgment, it fosters a more collaborative and supportive classroom atmosphere.

This increased communication leads to more personalized learning experiences, as teachers can better understand and cater to individual student needs. Moreover, when students see their teachers as allies in their educational journey, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated in their studies. This positive relationship not only improves academic outcomes but also enhances students’ self-esteem and social skills, which are critical for their overall development. As a result, fostering open and supportive teacher-student relationships contributes significantly to a holistic and effective educational experience.

Watch this insightful video on how fostering positive student-teacher relationships can significantly enhance student engagement and success, both academically and personally.

5. Teaches Flexibility and Adaptability

In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world, flexibility and adaptability are key skills for success. According to a survey by the World Economic Forum, adaptability is ranked among the top ten skills needed in the workforce. Allowing students to submit work late teaches them to navigate unexpected challenges and adjust their plans accordingly.

This approach mirrors real-life situations where deadlines can be flexible, and solutions need to be found for unforeseen problems. For instance, a student dealing with a sudden technical issue learns to seek alternatives, such as using a public library computer, to complete their work.

This not only teaches problem-solving but also resilience, as students learn not to give up in the face of difficulties. By accommodating late submissions, teachers can provide practical lessons in adaptability, preparing students for the complexities of adult life and the workforce. These experiences help students develop a mindset that is open to change and capable of handling various challenges, making them better equipped for their future careers and personal endeavors. Ultimately, these skills foster lifelong learning and growth.

Discover why adaptability is crucial for personal and organizational success in an ever-changing world, with insights from Ken Cooper, Global Head of HR at Bloomberg.

6. Encourages Creativity and New Ideas

Creativity and innovation are highly valued in both academic and professional settings. A study from Adobe titled “Creativity and Education: Why it Matters” reveals that 85% of educators believe that creativity is critical to students’ future career success. Strict deadlines can sometimes hinder the creative process, as students may not have enough time to explore and develop their ideas fully.

Allowing for late submissions can give students the space they need to think more deeply and creatively about their assignments. This flexibility encourages them to take risks and experiment with new concepts, leading to more original and thoughtful work. When students know they have more time, they are more likely to delve into research, consider different perspectives, and refine their ideas.

This process not only results in higher-quality work but also fosters a culture of innovation and critical thinking in the classroom. By nurturing creativity through flexible deadlines, educators can help students develop the skills and confidence needed to generate unique ideas and solutions, which are essential in today’s dynamic world. This approach empowers students to become adaptable, creative thinkers, better prepared to navigate the challenges of the modern workforce, and contribute meaningfully to their communities and beyond.

Learn how to enhance your creative thinking and break free from conventional ideas with this video on generating innovative ideas and thinking outside the box.

7. Promotes Problem-Solving Skills

Problem-solving is a critical skill for academic and life success. The “Problem Solving in 21st Century Schools” report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) highlights that students who excel in problem-solving are more likely to achieve higher academic results.

Allowing late work submission encourages students to develop these skills by identifying and addressing the challenges that led to their delayed submission. This hands-on problem-solving experience contributes not only to academic improvement but also to the cultivation of crucial life skills that will serve students well in their future endeavors.

This process involves critical thinking, time management, and self-reflection, as students analyze their situation and come up with strategies to prevent future delays. For example, if a student misses a deadline due to poor time management, this experience can serve as a lesson in planning and prioritizing tasks. In cases where the assignment was unclear, students learn the importance of seeking clarification and communicating effectively.

Enhance your problem-solving skills for university success by watching this video on understanding the problem and developing effective strategies.

By navigating these challenges, students enhance their problem-solving abilities, becoming more self-reliant and capable of handling complex situations. This skill is invaluable not only in academic settings but also in personal and professional life, as it enables individuals to approach problems systematically and find effective solutions.

8. Ensures Continued Participation

Academic participation and engagement are crucial for student learning and achievement. Research from the National Education Association shows that student engagement is directly linked to higher academic achievement and better school attendance. Denying late submissions can negatively impact student motivation and participation, potentially leading to disengagement from the learning process.

When students are allowed to submit work late, it helps maintain their interest and involvement in the course. This approach also ensures that students do not miss out on essential learning experiences connected to the assignment. For instance, if a student is unable to submit an assignment on time due to personal issues, accepting the late work allows them to stay on track with the class and continue learning. It prevents them from feeling excluded or left behind, which is crucial for maintaining their confidence and motivation.

By encouraging continued participation through flexible deadlines, teachers can help students remain engaged and invested in their education, which is essential for their academic success and personal growth. This approach promotes inclusivity and ensures that every student has an equal opportunity to thrive in the learning process.

Boost student engagement by watching this video, which demonstrates effective active participation techniques that can transform your classroom into an interactive and dynamic learning environment.

9. Avoids Potential Tension with Parents and Administrators

The relationship between educators, parents, and administrators is pivotal for a cohesive educational experience. Studies have shown that teacher-parent-administrator collaboration can lead to improved student outcomes. However, strict policies on late work can sometimes create tension in these relationships.

For instance, a survey conducted by the National Association of Secondary School Principals found that one of the top sources of teacher-parent conflicts is related to student grades and assessment policies. By adopting a more flexible approach to late submissions, teachers can avoid potential disputes and maintain a positive relationship with both parents and administrators.

This approach demonstrates the teacher’s commitment to each student’s learning and well-being, rather than a rigid adherence to rules. It also shows a willingness to understand and accommodate various circumstances that students may face. A flexible policy can lead to a more harmonious educational environment where parents and administrators feel their concerns are being heard and addressed. This collaborative atmosphere not only benefits students but also fosters a more supportive and productive educational community.

The above reasons advocate for why teachers should consider accepting late work from students. This perspective aligns with the views of fellow educator Dana Cole. In the accompanying video, Cole shares her insights on the importance of nurturing compassion and flexibility in the classroom. Her discussion emphasizes understanding students’ diverse needs and circumstances, highlighting the positive impact of empathy and adaptability in educational settings.

This perspective also recognizes potential limitations. It can be argued that awarding the same grade to students who meet deadlines and those who don’t could be seen as unfair and might send an inappropriate message about responsibility. Moreover, there are additional arguments supporting the stance against accepting late work. In certain situations, upholding strict deadlines may be more beneficial, balancing the need to teach time management and accountability.

Explore “ 7 Research-Based Reasons Why Students Should Not Have Homework: Academic Insights, Opposing Perspectives & Alternatives ” for an enlightening perspective on the homework debate, offering alternatives for enhancing student learning.

Reasons Why Teachers Should Not Accept Late Work

The question of whether to accept late work is a matter of debate among educators. Some argue against it for several reasons, emphasizing the importance of adhering to deadlines, teaching responsibility, and maintaining fairness and consistency in classroom management.

Watch this video to learn why it’s crucial to balance grace, compassion, and empathy with the need for structure and deadlines in student assignments, even in challenging times.

1. Deadlines Promote Self-Management Skills

Deadlines are fundamental in teaching students self-management skills. They require students to prioritize tasks, plan their work, and adhere to a schedule. This discipline is crucial not just for academic success but for personal and professional life as well. By enforcing deadlines, educators help students develop a sense of urgency and importance for their commitments. This skill is invaluable in a world where time management is essential for balancing various aspects of life.

The ability to plan and execute tasks within a set timeframe fosters responsibility and prepares students for the realities of a professional environment, where deadlines are often rigid and critical for success. Moreover, the practice of meeting deadlines instills a work ethic that values efficiency and productivity, qualities highly sought after in many fields.

However, flexibility in deadlines can accommodate diverse learning styles and personal challenges, promoting inclusivity and understanding.

2. Avoid Developing a Bad Habit

Leniency with deadlines can inadvertently promote procrastination and poor time management among students. When late submissions are consistently accepted, it may send a message that delays are acceptable, leading students to deprioritize their academic responsibilities. This habit formation is detrimental to their overall development, as it can affect their academic performance and work ethic.

Procrastination not only impacts the quality of work but also increases stress levels, as students rush to complete assignments at the last minute. By enforcing deadlines, educators encourage students to develop healthier study habits and a proactive approach to their tasks. This strict approach teaches students the importance of planning and working consistently towards goals, rather than relying on last-minute efforts. Cultivating these positive habits early on is crucial for their future success in higher education and professional life, where time management is key.

Offering extensions can teach students to communicate their needs and challenges responsibly, a key skill in personal and professional life.

3. Fairness and Consistency

Fairness and consistency in the application of rules are fundamental principles in education. When deadlines are enforced uniformly, it ensures that all students are treated equally. This equitable approach is essential for maintaining a sense of justice and respect in the classroom. If some students are allowed to submit work late without consequences while others are not, it can create feelings of resentment and perceived injustice.

This perception can negatively impact the learning environment, leading to decreased motivation and engagement among students who adhere to the rules. Consistent enforcement of deadlines also helps in establishing clear expectations for all students, providing them with a structured and predictable learning environment. Such consistency in rules and expectations is crucial for effective classroom management and helps in building a positive teacher-student relationship. It reinforces the idea that rules are to be taken seriously, preparing students for real-world scenarios where rules and deadlines are often non-negotiable.

Flexibility can be applied fairly and consistently, recognizing that equal treatment does not always mean identical treatment.

4. Prepares Students for the Real World

Adhering to deadlines is a crucial skill in the professional world. By enforcing deadlines in the academic setting, teachers prepare students for real-life scenarios where deadlines are common and often inflexible. In the workplace, meeting deadlines is a reflection of professionalism and reliability. It shows respect for others’ time and commitments and is crucial for maintaining workflow and productivity. Students who learn to manage their time effectively and meet deadlines are better equipped to handle the demands of higher education and professional careers.

This skill is not only about completing tasks on time but also about developing a sense of accountability and responsibility. In the real world, missing deadlines can have significant consequences, ranging from lost opportunities to damaged professional relationships. Therefore, teaching students the importance of deadlines is an essential part of their education, equipping them with a vital skill for their future.

The real world often requires adaptability and the ability to negotiate deadlines, skills also worth developing.

5. Inconvenience for the Teacher

Accepting late work can create significant logistical challenges for teachers. Teachers typically have a structured schedule for grading and providing feedback, which is disrupted when students submit work late. This disruption can lead to a backlog of ungraded assignments, making it difficult for teachers to manage their workload efficiently. Additionally, late submissions can hinder the teacher’s ability to assess students’ progress accurately and provide timely feedback, which is crucial for the learning process.

Timely feedback helps students understand their strengths and areas for improvement, guiding their future efforts. When assignments are submitted late, it delays this feedback loop, potentially impacting the student’s learning and progress. Moreover, managing late submissions can be time-consuming and stressful for teachers, taking away time that could be spent on lesson planning, student support, or professional development. Therefore, enforcing deadlines not only benefits students in terms of skill development but also helps teachers manage their responsibilities more effectively.

While challenging, this can lead to more personalized feedback and support, fostering better educational outcomes.

Effective Strategies for Managing Late Student Work in the Classroom

In this section of the article, various strategies for handling late submissions are discussed, offering a blend of discipline and flexibility. Strategies include penalty systems with homework passes, engaging parents through notification of late submissions, and the option for students to request extensions. It also covers the acceptance of late work without feedback for a limited time, assigning a separate grade for work habits, and implementing floating deadlines or accepting work in progress. Each method aims to support student learning while maintaining classroom management.

Adopting these methods can create a learning environment that values time management while also accommodating individual student needs.

Useful Resources

• Late Assignment Email to Professor
• Why Students Don’t Do Homework
• Important Teaching at University level

The decision to accept late work is not black and white. It requires a nuanced understanding of both educational objectives and student welfare. While it’s crucial to uphold academic standards, flexibility and empathy are equally important in addressing the varied challenges students face. Ultimately, the goal is to find a balance that fosters learning, responsibility, and personal growth.

Discover compelling arguments against year-round schooling in “ Comprehensive Analysis: 8 Strong Reasons Why School Should Not Be Year-Round ” shedding light on the potential impacts on students and educators.

• Should Teachers Accept Late Work?
• A Safe, Supportive Environment
• Compassion as a Framework for Creating Individual and Group-Level Wellbeing in the Classroom: New Directions
• Improving Students’ Relationships with Teachers to Provide Essential Supports for Learning
• The Future of Jobs Report 2023
• Adobe: The Matter Of Creativity In Education
• The Nature of Problem Solving
• Impact of Student Engagement on Academic Performance and Quality of Relationships of Traditional and Nontraditional Students
• Parents and Families as Partners in the Education Process: Collaboration for the Success of Students in Public Schools
• Teaching pupils empathy measurably improves their creative abilities, study finds
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How to manage the 11:59 PM Deadline Comfortably

If you have ever had trouble submitting an assignment or received a penalty for minutes late submission, you understand how strict some professors can be. From losing an entire grade to losing a specific percentage of the grade or re-sitting a paper submitting an assignment (essay, discussion post, online quiz, homework, or research paper) can affect you as a student.

Late assignment submissions, albeit controversial, aim to make students learn the aspect of time management. Unfortunately, the immutable deadlines are sometimes biting lazy students, pushing them to begin working early and avoid even 1-minute late submissions.

Even though some educators might offer a grace period for a minimal time, some will apply a sliding scale late policy where they deduct a percentage of the score for each hour or day you are late with your assignments.

From the perspective of the professors, such policies ensure fairness for students who submitted their assignments earlier. We have tips and tricks to help you understand and manage minute late submissions to avoid being on the wrong side of the zero-tolerance late policy of your university.

What causes students to submit assignments late?

Different reasons can cause you to submit assignments late. We are addressing them here so that you are in the know and so that you can devise various strategies to avoid the associated late submission penalties.

Here are the top nine reasons students submit assignments late (you can use some when requesting a late submission from your professor or instructor):

1. Procrastination

Students sometimes find themselves missing submission due dates due to procrastination. Sometimes, procrastination can occur with the rigorous nature of studies and the fact that some students work and study. Furthermore, life outside of class, such as parties, festivals, movies, and meeting with friends, leaves one with little time to complete assignments on time. Having commitments and deciding to complete an assignment later can cause you actually to miss the deadline. Common ground is if you later learn that the assignment is demanding or complex or do not know what to write or hate writing essays.

2. Waiting for a response from a professor

Another reason students find themselves unable to meet submission deadlines is due to the late response from a professor. In most cases, especially when assignments are complicated, you can seek clarifications from your lecturer or professor. However, if your professor responds to your email late, the chances are that you will also submit the assignment late. We will see shortly how to manage such situations and avoid submitting your assignments late.

3. Lack of proper planning and time management

This happens mostly for working students. They often find themselves having too much on their schedule that they probably forget to complete and submit a school assignment early. For instance, if you are an undergraduate or MBA student working and studying, having assignments that require time at work can hamper your completion date for the assignments from school.

4. Writer's Block

Sometimes it is not about did I get the question right? or inadequate time management. Even with the right skills, time, and resources, you might still feel lazy to complete an assignment. With the fast-paced world around us, we get fatigued faster. Suppose you are one of those that like completing assignments last-minute; writers' block has probably messed you up before. We have tips to address this, as we shall see shortly.

5. Lack of knowledge about the assignment

Finally, lacking the knowledge to complete an assignment can make you submit it late. Sometimes, you will end up submitting a late assignment that is incomplete : two wrongs at a go. In addition, many classmates might not be willing to assist you with understanding the assignment.

6. Using shitty assignment help websites

Today, almost seven out of ten students use an assignment writing service. However, without choosing a reliable and legit service, you might run into problems with your submission deadlines. Mainly, this occurs due to the late submission of assignments by writers. Rogue writers are everywhere online, from Twitter to Reddit and now Facebook; they will approach you with sweet deals, and once you assign them to your homework and pay them to do it, they disappear on the internet. Putting too much trust in another person without a legit website to write your essay or assignment can mess you. We had a case where a client wanted to use our write my late assignment ASAP service because a previous writer from Twitter had held their paper ransom and requested more payment or expose them to their school and professor. Well, you can manage this by working with our custom assignment help website.

7. You just hate writing assignments

The assignment writing process is tedious and rigorous. For instance, when writing an essay, you begin by researching, then drafting an outline, and going all the way to proofreading and editing. As a result, if you hate writing homework, you might be slow and find yourself submitting an assignment late.

8. Unforeseeable Circumstances

Deadline violation often occurs when you face nasty circumstances that you cannot foresee as a human being. These circumstances include disasters, sickness, death, accidents, or injuries. Professors have a soft spot for accepting minutes late submissions if you face these issues, so you need not worry as long as you have proof. Sometimes it is your laptop that got either rained on, attacked by a virus, or stolen. Whatever happens to your computer or laptop, you probably do not have time to complete the assignment or begin doing it over and beat the deadline unless you are very fast.

9. Poor Internet

We have cases when you travel for the weekend, visit with others (friends or family), which can cause you to either forget submitting or, because you are in a hurry, to save the assignment on your laptop or phone and submit it later.

If you run into slow internet issues or poor coverage, you might find yourself turning in an assignment later than the 11:59 PM deadline or the deadline set by your professor.

Tips and Tricks to use to avoid minute-late submissions

To avoid submitting assignments after the deadline, missing full marks due to lateness, or earning a bad reputation, it is necessary to take precautions. Here are some tips and tricks that you can use to avoid turning in assignments later than the due date and time.

Do your assignment early enough

Even with one-minute lateness, submitting an assignment later incurs some loss as a student. Expressly, professors and lecturers set the dates on Canvas and Turnitin and set an automatic deduction once your work is late.

If you know that your deadline for a ten or 5-page paper is 11:59 Sunday or Wednesday, and you have been assigned the paper 3-5 days before the deadline, the best thing is to begin earlier.

Students who draft a research paper or essay plan often find it easier to complete assignments within the deadlines than those who do not. As soon as you are assigned a paper, make it a point to clarify with the professor anything unclear. This leaves you plenty of time to research, decide on a topic, write the first draft, edit, and submit the paper on time.

Write the fast draft early enough, then edit later as the deadline nears. Sometimes submitting an assignment too early might be judged by the professor as you rushed the paper. Therefore, before you hit the submit button, ensure that everything is addressed per the instructions and the rubric.

Set your deadline early before the actual submission deadline

Apart from just beginning the paper early, another excellent strategy is to set your personal deadline for completing the paper early than the actual deadline. If an assignment is due in 5 days, set your deadline to 3 or 4 days. You can use the rest of the deadline to do other stuff or equally edit the paper thoroughly.

There is some deep joy and peace that comes with completing a paper. However, you can only experience the moment when you complete the paper.

Do not procrastinate editing and submitting the final draft.

Sometimes students write the papers early enough and procrastinate editing and proofreading. Nevertheless, doing so might land you in trouble because you might experience unforeseeable circumstances. For instance, your laptop might crash, or you can fall too ill to complete the paper. Although if you have an unrefined paper, you can hire a proofreader or editor to paraphrase, edit, and polish your essay. It is, however, a great practice to completely do away with a paper before committing your time elsewhere. Instead, plan your time, have adequate rest, and allocate the time you have the highest concentration to completing your paper.

Have an accountability partner, group, or study buddy

Another great way to ensure that you complete assignments before deadlines entails having an accountability partner, study group, or a study buddy.

An accountability partner is an effective strategy that helps you set and achieve goals. It also helps you maintain the zeal to complete assignments, read course materials, and hone your writing/reading/research skills.

With a study group, you will have members who share like interests. They will likely remind you about your unsubmitted assignments and keep you in check. They can also be helpful with research and sharing insights on how to approach an assignment.

Finally, a study buddy (a friend, classmate, or roommate) can help you maintain the morale of reading, studying, and completing assignments.

Having either of the three can help you begin working on your assignments early enough to avoid the last-minute rush.

Email your professor for a deadline extension

If you are very sure you have done your best to complete a paper, but due to unavoidable circumstances, you cannot complete the paper on time, you can request your professor to accept a late submission. Note that with such a request, you must have proof. For instance, if your excuse is being sick or a family member died or fell ill, you should produce credible hospital evidence. In most cases, if the email is not answered soon enough, proceed to call your professor.

If you have already submitted an assignment later than the set deadline, email your professor to convince them not to hit you with the 10-25% deadline violation penalty. You should apologize and then explain the reasons for submitting the assignment late. Also, suggest how being rated poorly might affect your GPA and convince your professor that you will never submit a paper late again.

Play around with Turnitin Settings

If you want to make your professor not penalize you for late submission, you can tweak some settings on the Turnitin website. First, you can modify the assignment link from the control panel. First, select the Course Tools, then pick the assignment whose link you wish to edit. Next, select the link to the assignment and then select Edit Assignment. You can then comfortably change the deadline so that your submission deadline is within the deadline.

Another common trick you can use is submitting a corrupted Word or PDF file of the assignment. In this case, since your professor cannot open the file, they will write to you requesting the original uncorrupted file. You can use the time in between to complete your paper and wait for their call or email request.

Finally, you can also find a way to edit the submitted assignment by editing the content folder. In the case of Turnitin, you will find the link to the assignment and click on the Action Link tab to make the change.

Since these are not guaranteed tips to work because of ongoing updates, you should contact your professor because they are a person who has emotions. Alternatively, complete your papers early enough.

Work with a last-minute assignment service.

The ultimate trick to avoid minutes-late submission is hiring a fast essay writing service to write your last-minute paper. Gradecrest has experts who can write your last-minute essay faster. Our writers are experienced enough to write two pages within an hour or ten pages in 6-8 hours. Therefore, if you realize that the deadline is very close and you cannot complete your assignment, you can use our affordable academic writing services.

When someone is working on your paper, keep them on your toes, ask for progress, and involve yourself so that the final paper has much of your input and matches your writing style. Also, work with credible writing websites to avoid having papers that are traceable through Turnitin.

Understanding the 11:59 PM assignment submission deadline

11:59 PM, mainly on Sunday nights, is a dreaded time by many students. It is when all the discussion posts, assignments, essays, and most homework are due.

For Canvas, SafeAssign, and Turnitin, it is common to see the submission deadline set at 11:59 PM- a minute to midnight. If you do not take the precautions, we have highlighted above, the chances are that your 1-minute lateness might cost you a grade.

Submitting assignments at 11:59 means, you can submit your assignment at 11:59:59 PM. After the deadline, Turnitin, SafeAssign, or Canva automatically marks the submission as late.

Such lateness could be why you miss an A or B and get a poor grade for an otherwise easy paper. Therefore, complete your assignments on time, use writing services, plan your time, and consult with your instructor early enough to avoid late submission penalties.

You might incur risks when you submit an assignment later than 11:59 PM. First, you will face the consequences of being late. One of the consequences includes being undermarked. You can as well be requested to take a re-sit of the paper or lose the marks altogether. Either way, your final grade will be impacted by otherwise avoidable circumstances.

Note that 12-, 24-, or 1-hour late submissions are treated the same as 1-minute late submissions in terms of consequences.

Another risk of submitting an assignment late is facing technical hitches with the system. For example, your internet might act up, and also, because everyone is rushing to submit at the last minute, the chances are that the system gets overloaded and slow.

Before you close this Tab, ...

We have looked at some of the best strategies to avoid submitting your assignments late. However, if you are a frequent late assignment submitter, these tips and tricks can work well in your favor.

Related Reading: 

• What is the acceptable Turnitin similarity percentage for essays and assignments?

Above all, you can always spare some cash to hire an assignment writer to assist if you have little time on your hands. However, if you have adequate time, avoid procrastination and writer's block by planning early, setting your own deadlines, and consulting with your instructor early enough.

We have experts if you have an online exam and want someone who can write your short answers in real time. They can save you from violating the exam deadlines.

Gradecrest is a professional writing service that provides original model papers. We offer personalized services along with research materials for assistance purposes only. All the materials from our website should be used with proper references. See our Terms of Use Page for proper details.

How to Write an Email Requesting Your Professor to Accept a Late Assignment

Requesting an extension as a student is something we all dread but if the situation demands it then you have to pull up your socks and do it.

And in this blog post we will look at how you can write an email requesting a deadline extension, some tips and tricks to ensure you sound polite and professional and finally a sample email that you can just use. So let us jump in.

Tips to Remember

• Be polite with your wording since you do not want to upset your professor and also stay honest with your reasoning. 
• Take responsibility for being unable to submit assignments on time. There is no harm in stating your reason for delay and moving forward rather than shifting blame elsewhere. 
• Apologize for inconvenience caused due to the late submission of your assignment and clearly state that you are willing to make up for it. 

Best Practices

• Get to the point without a lot of fluff, your professor might actually appreciate the fact that you are straight with him about your academic concerns and weakness.
• Clear state proposed dates to avoid any confusion and assure him that there will be no drop in the quality of submission.
• Keep communication lines open so that your professor is able to contact in case of clarifications or change in planes.

Sample Late Assignment Acceptance Request Email

Subject: Requesting Assignment Submission Date Extension to [Date]

Dear [Recipient’s Name],

Hope this email finds you well. I am writing to possibly get an extension on my assignment submission date because [Briefly explain the challenges and the reason for the delay]. 

By my estimate, I should be able to submit the assignment by [New Proposed Date] while ensuring that the quality of the submission is not compromised. 

I completely understand the importance of timely submission and regret being unable to meet that deadline. I apologize for the inconvenience and confusion my delay might have caused, and I will work hard to ensure that this is not repeated. 

I am fully committed to holding to my new proposed deadline and striving towards a high-quality output that I am proud of. In the meantime, if you have any queries on the matter, feel free to let me know on [Your Email ID]. 

Thanks for your flexibility and consideration in this matter. I look forward to hearing from you soon. 

[Your Name]

Now that you have learned how to ask for an assignment submission extension via email, you should be a lot more confident about your email or communication capabilities. Thanks for reading. 

Also FYI, if you are interested in improving your time management skills, you should consider downloading the Routine Productivity App .

Shiva is a subject matter expert in communication, marketing, productivity, and learning systems. He has previously contributed to many blogs and newsletters, including Validated, Mental Models, HackerNoon, and several brands. You can find Shiva on  LinkedIn  or email him at shiva(at)routine.co.

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Canvas at Penn

Penn's Source for Courseware Innovation & News

Do You Know Students Can Submit Late Assignments Unless You Use an “Until” Date?

The Do You Know? series provides tips for working with quirks in Canvas. Please email Courseware Support at [email protected] if you have any questions.

Why Does Canvas Let My Students Submit Their Work After the Due Date?

The guiding principle behind this default ability is that decisions about whether or not an assignment should be accepted late is an instructor’s prerogative, so rather than deciding for the instructor that students cannot submit their work after the due date, Canvas leaves the choice about whether or not to accept the late submission up to the instructor, marking it “late” without taking any further action.

If Canvas were to automatically block students from submitting after a due date, allowing extensions would require working with complex settings, and intervention from a Canvas support specialist would most likely be necessary. By accepting late submissions by default, Canvas obviates this need and defers to the instructor’s judgment, letting them manage late submissions according to their personal policies.

Thus if you gave a student an extension, the submission would be marked “late,” but you would be able to grade the submission according to the grading terns you defined for the extension (full credit, partial credit, etc.). If you did not give a student an extension but they submit late anyway, you can decide how or if to grade the submission according to your lateness policy.

I Don’t Give Extensions. Can I Stop Late Submissions?

Yes, in addition to a due date, you can use an “Until” availability date to completely cut off student access to assignments after a certain date, including the ability to submit an assignment.

More Information

Please click on the following link for information and instructions on using availability dates in Canvas:

What is the difference between due dates and availability dates?

Please contact Courseware Support at [email protected] if you have any questions.

Last Updated: 19 Mar 2015

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Reporter-specific header

Php the_field('headline'); >, why won’t the assignment take my submission.

When you click an assignment in Moodle, you should see an Add submission button.

If that button doesn’t appear, it could be that the assignment is either not yet accepting submissions or has stopped accepting them based on dates that the instructor has set.

If the assignment accepts submissions only after a specified date, and you try to submit too early, the submission page won’t show an option to submit but instead will note the start date for the assignment.

If a cut-off date for the assignment is enabled, late submissions won’t be accepted. Instead, you’ll see this message on the Submission status page:

If you submit after the due date to an assignment that does accept late submissions, the Submission status page will note that the submission is overdue.

If none of these are the case, contact your instructor or Client Services for more help.

Back to Student Moodle Help

How do late submissions work?

Apr 15, 2020 • knowledge article, information.

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How to Write an Application to Ask My Professor to Accept a Late Assignment?

Find sample late submission assignment letters here.

Late submission of assignments is something that many college students go through. Emergencies happen, students go through heartbreaks, work and study schedules clash, and student-athletes and artists get busy with their practice. Sometimes, students become tardy. Sometimes, they fall ill. Sometimes, they become careless and forget about an assignment. 

However, most students with genuine reasons for submitting an assignment late manage to get an extension from their professors – as they request it ‘before’ the deadline. Most teachers understand students’ predicaments. If they deem that a student has a valid reason for submitting an assignment late, they grant him or her an extension of 2-7 days.

The problem arises when you delay submitting an assignment even though you have NOT been granted an extension. In such a case, the professor may refuse to accept your assignment and award you an F (fail) grade in the assignment. Or they may accept the assignment and give you penalty marks.

In the age of online assignment submissions, almost 65% of college students submit their assignments at the last minute. And then, there are 10% of students who submit assignments late with predictable excuses like:

My laptop/device developed a technical glitch.

Professors hear these excuses as:

• I have been lazy and failed to do my homework on time.
• I am so tech-tardy that I failed to ask for online assignment help and find a way to do it on time.
• I am so lazy that I couldn’t even find a better and novel excuse for late assignment submission.

At GoAssignmentHelp , we often receive requests from students across the US to write effective and convincing applications for late assignment submissions or how to apologize for a late assignment.

You may also check out:   How To Ask For Assignment Extension With Request Letter Sample?

Different reasons why students submit assignments late (and sample late submission applications)

A study by Megal Nieberding and Andrew F. Heckler published in June 2021 found that students who procrastinate in writing assignments have lower course grades. The study also found that 90% of students do not delay completion of an assignment intentionally, and those who did were two to three times more likely to earn D or E grades.

Another study published by Mehmet Kokoc et al found that students’ online assignment submission behaviour does not change semester after semester. One can predict their end-of-term academic performance depending on their assignment submission behaviour at the beginning of the semester. GoAssignmentHelp’s assignment assistance experts aim to provide appropriate intervention to students on a timely basis.

How to apologize for a late assignment when you forget the submission deadline?

A 2015 research by Keith Gregory and Sue Morgan revealed that if an assignment has a long deadline, more students submit it late. In such cases, students tend to forget when they have to turn in the assignment. If you also forgot to do a task assigned by your professor long ago, you may write the following email for late assignment submission:

Dear [Sir or Ma’am],

I sincerely apologize for the late submission of my assignment [assignment number/topic/question]. I am so sorry for causing you inconvenience and hope that you wouldn’t have to change your schedule when you accept this assignment.

I [fell sick/had to attend my sister’s wedding/broke my leg/or any other excuse] and that’s why my assignment submission got delayed. This is my first mistake and I hope you could excuse me this time. I did not procrastinate intentionally and promise never to submit my assignment late again.

Please accept my assignment along with my heartfelt apology. I am attaching my completed assignment here.

Best Regards,

 [Name]

Attaching a doctor’s prescription to prove that you really had an accident or fell sick, or a signed letter from your parents to prove that you had a family emergency could increase your chances of getting your assignment accepted when you submit it late.

Late submission email to a professor when you have valid academic reasons

Sometimes, students need more time to research a topic some more to analyze it better and to provide a better piece of work. Students who ask teachers time to improve the quality and substance of their writing are rare – and often teachers’ favourites. The chances of their late assignments being accepted are quite high.

Here’s a sample apology email to the professor for late submission because you needed more time for research or analysis:

I am sorry for turning in my [thesis/essay/assignment] on [Topic] late. As I was working on my assignment, I found a few sources [list of sources] which I thought were critical to my research. It took more time than expected to examine them and use them while doing my research.

I understand that I should have approached you earlier to get an extension on the assignment submission deadline but I miscalculated the time I would need to complete my research work and write my assignment. I apologize for not planning my assignment work better but I assure you that I was late only because I wanted to do my best while writing it.

I hope you will be able to review my assignment without much inconvenience. I’ve spent a lot of time on it and am looking forward to your feedback and recommendations on it.

Warm Regards,

You may also want to seek assignment help from our assignment writing service experts to get high-quality answers and academic essays written within time to avoid such a situation.

How to apologize to a professor for a late assignment?

 An apology letter to the professor for late submission must include these three things:

• A Plausible, Believable Excuse:   Experienced professors know all the commonplace excuses students use to get out of tight spots when it comes to submitting assignments on time. But if you give a creative and credible excuse, the chances of it getting accepted increase.
• A Sincere Apology:  Teachers and professors have busy schedules. Apart from giving lectures in class, they have to prepare curriculum, class activities, prepare notes, and go through a pile of assignments, academic essays, dissertations and theses. Assignment submission deadlines are their way to make time to correct your assignment. When you submit an assignment late, you inconvenience them by disturbing their entire schedule. So, they are justified in feeling irritated. Hence, if you submit an assignment late, you owe them a sincere apology.
• A Promise of Being More Cautious in the Future:  You can never take a teacher’s acceptance of your apology for granted. With the late assignment email, you must always include a promise never to repeat that mistake. Remember, such apology letters or emails work their magic only once. If you repeat them too often, they lose their power.

Need help with an application for late submission of assignments?

You can use these samples to officially apologize for submitting assignments late. An apology letter or email also serves as a reminder to the instructor of the date on which you submitted the assignment. Assignment writers on our leading online assignment help platform help students across Canada , including those in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Ottawa, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Quebec City, and more.

Besides these late assignment submission email samples, there are tons of different ways to apologize to the professor for a late assignment. If you are wondering how to write an email for a late assignment that works, get help from GoAssignmentHelp experts.

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Viewing late submissions

Students enrolled in a class show up in the assignment inbox. If a student has not submitted a paper, -- no submission -- will appear in place of a paper title. To quickly view the enrolled users that have not submitted a paper, sort the inbox by paper title by clicking on the title column heading.

Note that some users may accidentally enroll multiple times and appear both as -- no submission -- and with a submission. To check this, click on the author column heading to sort the student list by name and check for duplicates.

• From the Instructor homepage, click on the class name of the assignments you wish to access. You will be directed to the class homepage.
• From the Class homepage, click on the View link under the Actions column next to the assignment that you wish to access

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Late Submission

You can set late submission for an activity so that students can submit work after the due date has passed. Optionally, you can assign a late penalty to subtract scoring points. You can set late submission for CNOW, SAM, Aplia, Assessments, and MindApp CXP activities.

Icons indicating late submission are as follows:

Click or hover over an icon to display details about the late submission.

Due Dates and Extensions

Due dates can be extended for activities or for individual students. Students can take assignments past the set due date if late submission is enabled.

• If you grant an extension for an assignment already set for late submission, the late submission period begins when the extended due date expires.
• Extending or removing due dates after students have submitted late work will remove any late penalty deductions that were previously applied. This change might take up to 5 minutes to be shown in the gradebook.

Automatic submission

If an activity is in progress when the due date passes, it is automatically submitted for grading without penalty.

Students can reopen an automatically submitted activity during the late submission period and resubmit it for grading. Late penalties apply.

• The project does not have a time limit.
• The final available attempt was auto-submitted on the due date.
• The project has been made available by late submission or due date extension.

To reopen a SAM project, select the project on the learning path. Click Review , then click Re-activate attempt .

If an activity is in progress when the late submission period ends, it is automatically submitted for grading and late penalties apply.

Late Penalties

Set a late penalty to subtract percentage points from the student's assignment grade for assignments submitted after the due date.

Deductions are calculated from total possible points and not earned points. For example, a 10% late penalty is set to deduct from a potential 100% score. In this scenario, if your student receives a 90%, the score is reduced to 80% after penalty.

Credit / No Credit

If you set a late penalty for a credit / no credit assignment, the late penalty is subtracted from the full credit score. For example, a credit / no credit assignment with a 20% late penalty that is submitted late could only receive a final score of either 80% (full credit minus 20%) or 0% (no credit). This deduction is calculated from total possible points and not earned points.

Restrictions

Late submissions do not apply to:

• Activities whose due date is the same as the course end date
• Non-MindTap activities
• Inline activities

Late penalties do not apply to manually graded activities.