Homework is a bad word right now. May has lots of it, and it hasn't been getting done.
We started off the school year with May being responsible for her own homework, by her own choice. This did not work, AT ALL.
Next, I started asking what was assigned and what was due. In some subjects, I would ask to see the assignments after they were completed. May hates it when I check her homework and ask her to correct the ones that are wrong. Unfortunately, when a large number are wrong, there is a problem that needs to be fixed. Even this approach has failed.
Now I have found out that I was not getting the full story. Many assignments were never mentioned. Others were claimed done, only to get partial credit for being incomplete. Ugh!
Reality hit the fan. Things are going to change. Micromanagement of homework starts, effective tonight. The word grounded entered the discussion. Phone calls and texting are no longer available for any non-family, non-emergency communication. I wanted to add chores, but the time will be needed for more homework.
I really hoped not to get that intimate with eighth grade homework again, but the time has come.
I feel your pain. We are in the same boat with our eighth grader. Even though we have eliminated the teacher triangulation by schooling through an online academy, we still have to go through every lesson to make sure that everything has been done and check the key-logger to make sure that our son has not been surfing the Internet. Our system is now to have our kids earn privileges, like TV and recreational reading, daily by affirmatively showing us that they have completed each lesson and assignment and any chores that needed doing that day. Taking things away and grounding quickly became unmanageable. I couldn't remember who was grounded from what and for how long. It seemed like I was closing the barn doors after the horse had already escaped. My kids will always take any pleasure now over more pleasure later. Earning their privileges each day is far from foolproof or conflict, but it seems to be going better than anything else we've tried. I hope your May will need just a minor course correction to get back on the right track.
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