The Forgotten Homework

In the picture, a student is standing beside the teacher's desk holding an open exercise book, and the teacher is seated, looking at it. The other students are at their desks with their books open, working. I think the student is explaining something about her work, possibly that she did not manage to complete her homework or that she had a problem with it. What I also noticed is that she has brought the book to the teacher herself rather than waiting to be called, which suggests she is owning up rather than hiding it.

I once forgot to return a library book that my teacher had lent me from the class collection. She asked about it at the end of the week and I panicked and said it was at home, when in fact I had no idea where it was. I spent the whole weekend searching and eventually found it under my bed with a few other things. Telling her the truth on Monday would have been much easier than the two days I spent worrying.

I feel it is far better to admit it straight away. When you own up immediately, the problem stays small and can usually be fixed, and teachers and parents are almost always more understanding than we expect. Keeping quiet means carrying the worry around, and if it is discovered later, the person is upset about the hiding as much as the mistake itself. Most importantly, admitting a mistake builds trust, so the next time you say something, people believe you.