There is little glamorous about work - be it school work, yard work, house work, or even professional work. Work requires an input of time and effort, often without an immediate reward. Certainly then, it is no surprise that doing school work wouldn't be particularly "cool". This doesn't go very far towards explaining why not doing the work is so highly regarded by a student's peers.

The act of not doing one's homework isn't enough to merit popularity. Anyone might forget on occasion, and show up to class the next day unprepared and worried. If the student is fearful of the consequences of their negligence, there is no "coolness" involved. The prestige of not doing the work only appears when a certain attitude is affected.

Students recognize that they are supposed to do their school work, and that to not do it is a "wrong" behavior that can have consequences attached to it. A student who can persuade others that they aren't worried about the consequences gains stature in the eyes of their classmates. This effect is amplified when the consequence is a simple failing grade that the student can continue to shrug off as unimportant. Worse still, a teacher who shows a compassionate leniency and offers the student time to make up the work demonstrates that the student was indeed correct that the consequences were harmless. With the current push for all students to pass, teachers are often stuck in such a position - unable to fail a student who chooses not to work, knowing that he or she can get away with it.

"Coolness" arises from the fact that a student was daring enough to break the rules and get away with it. The other students cannot help but be envious and wish that they could get away with not performing tasks they dislike. Others will find the daring to try it, and, if unchecked, an entire classroom can come to a standstill, so far as work is concerned.

Early action is important to prevent or at least minimize incomplete (or unattempted) school work. There are several important channels that need to be addressed. Concepts of fun, responsibility, future, and attitude are all important.

A good teacher has the creativity to make some assignments fun, and in those cases, participation is higher than usual. If the learning experience produces a unique object that students can keep, for instance, they exhibit much more interest in the work. If there is a competitive element to a challenge, as in a team competition, there tends

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