Catching up students who miss the first day.
Part of the first day emphasis is to make course objectives clear to students. But if a student misses day one, due to either late registration or any number of external factors, is there a proper route to get them caught up just to make sure they're on course with the course objectives?
What about pretesting? That seems like something they would hardly do for homework, or come in early or stay late to do. Do you just skip the pretesting for these students?
Jennifer,
This is one of my favorite times in teaching. I love the first class session and getting to know my new students. I am always amazed at the diversity of experiences that the students have. We do introductions and ice breakers and share some laughs which gets the students settled in and looking forward to future sessions.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Meeting with students who miss the first day makes them feel welcomed and that the instructor does care about their education. Another idea is to have a go to student who could help other students should they be absent or need help.
Leah,
I have been using pretests for many years and I really like the results I get. You will be able to get a quick snap shot of your students and this will help you to customize your content and delivery even more accurately.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I did not get a firm understanding on each student's knowledge base until a few weeks into my courses, so if a student was already behind or did not have a good understanding of previous material then they were already 2 weeks behind in my courses. I have yet to incorporate a pre test in my courses but after reading this section on having a pre test, I am going to include one in my courses for next term.
Meeting with the students who miss the first day is a great way to make sure those students are ready to move forward for the course.
Tammy,
I don't because I don't want to take the time to do the pretesting. I use my pretesting to determine a baseline of knowledge so I can customize my instructional content for that specific group of students and I know this from the first day's pretesting.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
We occasionally have students who aren't just missing the first day but sometimes the first week and they are added as late starts or submits. This can really throw us off as a group. Would you still do the pre-test for them as well?
Tim,
This method is both informative to them as well as saves time for you and keeps the course moving forward.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Great idea! It can be very challenging when students miss the first day. So much information is covered. I really like the idea of having a handout for them to review. Meeting with them also allows the opportunity to answer questions and ensure they understand the course expectations.
David,
I agree about the sharing of goals, objectives and expectations at the beginning of a new course. I use pretesting to establish a baseline for the class so if I have several students come in late I give them the pretest just so they will have the same experiences as the other students but I may or may not factor in their scores. I also prepare a handout with everything I cover with the students the first day and this is what I give the latecomers so they have the same information as everyone else but I don't take class time to repeat what I have covered. The session after they have received the handout I meet with them to answer any questions. At this point everyone is on the same page and ready to move forward.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
