The Top 10 Excuses for Undone Homework: A Teacher's Real List

Each year brings a new batch of supposed-eager learners into the classroom. The year starts with a clean slate. However, it doesn't take long for a student's real work habit to surface, and inevitably, homework starts to not be done on time. Some students are surprisingly honest about why their work isn't done and will simply tell the teacher, "I just didn't do it." They don't bother with the, "I forgot," or the, "I had to work," they just lay it out there. I guess in some sick way that sort of honesty is admirable. Of course there are also those students that either did forget or show some panic stricken and I'm busted signs of remorse but scramble for an excuse which is weak and played out. But every year without fail there are those truly gifted students which drop an excuse so original and unexpected that one would think they spent the night concocting it rather them attempting their homework. As I have now ended my school year I thought it would be inspiring, or at the very least entertaining, to share my list of top ten excuses/reasons I heard this year for not having one's homework done.

#10. "I was too hung-over." Not everyone in the class could relate to this one but you have to give him credit for originality, maybe not if it would have been a Monday or a Friday but this happened on a Wednesday. Guess this is one of the valid reasons why this particular 18 year old was in a tenth grade class.

#9. "I thought I was having the baby." A total lie but worse, a waste of an excuse a person can only use once. I mean it was only like a ten point assignment, save that for a big one like a project. And how do I know it was a lie? No guarantee but this was her second kid and she didn't even have it for like another month. This leads us to number eight.

#8. "My girlfriend had a baby." This one was shaky at best. First, I had a hard time believing this dude could get a girlfriend let alone "hook up" with her. But then I realized, he said had a baby, he didn't say had our or my baby. It could have just been some girl he knew in which case he was probably telling the truth, but that excuse wouldn't have even cracked the top twenty.

#7. "I had to sheer sheep this weekend." Good enough for me. A guys gotta do what a guys gotta do.

#6. "My mom didn't understand the story." I knew it! I knew this kid wasn't doing his own work. There is no way he was even remotely half that smart, just look at his excuse. It was probably true but who is dumb enough to admit it? Let me tell you who, the kid who has his mom doing all his homework, all except for this one.

#5. "You're lucky I even showed up for this "bleeping" class." It turned out to be a pretty quiet class period that day.

#4. "I'm not allowed on the computer since I got busted looking at porn sites." This is either one of two things, either you gotta be kidding me or else a guys gotta do what a guys gotta do.

#3. "Honestly, my house is haunted." What the? No one was buying this one at all, although it did provide the class with a lot of fun for the next month. However, this one vaulted up the chart because it turned out that the dude's house was haunted! Well, at least haunted enough for his family to bring in a shaman and eventually move. I almost felt bad about some of those spooooooky noises made during class at his expense, but only guilty enough to move him up to number three.

#2 "My book is in Thailand." Not only did this reason leave the teacher speechless, it was true. Turns out the girl was reading her book (don't know if that was true) in the airport as they were waiting for her mother's flight to board for Thailand. The book inadvertently got placed in her mother's carry-on bag and end of story, and book.

#1 It was close, but the number one reason goes to the reason and the without-a-blink response given by the teacher.

"I was in jail."

"Why didn't you take your book?"

It happened so fast I was laughless and now thinking back, it was a first for me but maybe not for the teacher. I also later learned that by law this is a valid excuse and can be used multiple times. Turns out our school's policies allow make up time for one who is doing time.

There you have it. I must admit it was quite an entertaining year. Not only were these totally unexpected and funny but some even bought the student a pass. Pretty sure I would have rather just done the homework than have any of these really happen to me but feel free to memorize which ever one or two of these you can picture yourself using. You might be surprised at how effective a totally off the wall answer can be and if nothing else the discussion following them always takes up a fair amount of class time.