The Homework Excuse Management System

Now, late or missing homework can be a thing of the past!

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

Some years ago I created the Homework Excuse Management System, or HEMS. Somehow, it came to the attention of a columnist for The Guardian newspaper. He wrote something along the lines of “Who can deny the brilliance of the Homework Excuse Management System?” I wish I’d have kept the clipping!

I developed HEMS for a bit of a laugh really, but here’s the interesting thing. I tried it out with a number of classes by giving the students a handout containing all the excuses they might need for handing in homework late, or not at all.

“If you don’t feel like doing the homework, just tell me what excuse you’d like to use. For example, if you ate too much, simply tell me #1. I’ll note it on my spreadsheet, but make sure you keep a note of it too, so you can use a different excuse next time.”

That year, for the first time ever (and I was quite the disciplinarian: in a couple of schools my nickname was Hitler Freedman) not one student failed to do their homework — and hand it in on time. I suspect it was because they realised, judging from the looks they threw at each other, that I’d heard every excuse under the sun (including from one urchin, the immortal “My cousin emptied a pot of glue on my head.”).

What the spreadsheet does is show a frowning face if a child uses the same excuse more than once.

Here’s a link to the original version, in Excel. To try it out, go to File→Save as→Download a copy.

HEMS

You can upload it to Google Sheets if that’s your preferred spreadsheet, where it will work after a fashion. Instead of a smiley face you’ll get the letter L. Not exactly ideal.

If you try out the spreadsheet, do let me know in the Comments section!