No show first day students.
How do we deal with students who allways miss the first day of class? I have found a realy bad traight forming among my younger students (18-25)
that they feel as if it is our job to repeat all the intro information given on the first day!
Hi Darrell!
I like it - students are held accountable!
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED107 Facilitator
I explain on the last day of the current module not to miss the first day of the next module as their will be a pre-test and lecture notes to be copied.
The student who doesn't show up on the first day usually is the one who whines how it's wasn't his fault and then asks for consessions.
I instruct them to get with a fellow student and get the notes from them, usually the student will ask me if he can get a pre-printed set of lecture notes, I usually decline because to me if you write it, you know it, BUT I do offer the student the opportunity to come in before class and I will let them copy down the lecture notes from the power point, rarely does that happen. I make the information available but it is on the student to put forth the effort to obtain the information required.
I also struggle with this issue and we have changed our syllabus to clear consise requirements regarding the first day of class. There are certain competencies that are done only on the first day that can't be made up wihtout an approval from the dean with a valid reason. This cuts back on the number of absences on the first day as the amount of points missed can drop you almost a full grade for the class.
The number of students that think it is perfectly acceptable to be absent for exam/practical days is also very dissapointing to me. I state it very plainly in my syllabus that all make up work/exams is a priveledge, NOT a right.
Hi Farley!
I do agree that schools and instructors have to establish early expectations of students. But that requires making that first day as important as any other class day.
I can remember when I was in school, I would attend the first day and find that many instructors would keep you 15 minutes and dismiss the class. That gives students a false impression of the importance of the first day. So we have responsibility as well.
Good job!
Jane Davis
Ed107 Facilitator
Hi Mary Ann!
Welcome to the world of education! It can be very frustrating because teachers/instructors are very passionate/dedicated individuals who expect "all" students to be the same. Time and experience will help deal with your frustrations as well as help you identify what works best for you.
The word will get out by students that your classes are fun, entertaining and full of learning opportunities.
I do my best to connect with new students in whatever way possible. This seems to increase the likelihood of student attendance from the beginning.
But do keep in mind - no matter what you do - some students can be lost causes. But never give up! Just keep working at it.
Good job!
Jane Davis
ED107 Facilitator
I think this approach is a very important piece to setting an expectation before it is too late (like missing the first day). Being proactive in our strategies makes the students realize that they are expected to be there the first day and that there are negative consequences to not being there.
I'm a relatively new instructor and this quarter, I had a lot of students miss my first and even second day of class. It was most frustrating for me because they did miss some important stuff about the course, like heads up on the fact that I frequently give quizzes at the beginning of each class to encourage them to do their homework....including on the second day of class. I have one person who missed the first 3 days of my class and still doesn't have the correct textbook material and is quite behind in everything.
As I was reading everyone's ideas on how to approach the first day, I kept wondering how you notify them that they need to make it to the first class. I appreciate your suggestion on emailing students before the first day so they are aware of your first day strategies to get them to come. However, do all students usually check their school emails before the first day? I'm going to look into this for my classes for the next quarter.
Mary Ann
Hi Brian!
I do exactly the same thing! If I have the time, I will send each student a personalized email which begins to make them feel very important to the classroom experience. Maybe I will ask them to respond to something that I would like to know about them before they get to the class. I use something which I think will encourages them to be part of the class from the beginning.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED107 Facilitator
I try to send an email to all the students registered in my class prior to the first day. I introduce myself and tell them some important information regarding my class to give the students "a heads up" on the expectations. I conclude the email with how and where they can reach out to me prior to the first day, if there are any concerns.
I also send out a "Welcome" email a few days before our first class meeting. In it, I talk about how excited I am to meet the students and how much fun we are going to have in the upcoming quarter. In the 3 quarters I have been teaching, I have had 100% in attendance on the first day!
I teach 5 different classes and 3 of those classes are all lab classes. After going over the s.o.p.'s in the all lab classes we go right to lab and the students start working on there lab grades and productivity on day one. Missing the first day gives them a failing grade for that day and a lower productivity percentage than the rest of the class and they can't make this up. Knowing this the students have a much better first day show rate than the classes that do not go to lab the first day.
I find it extremely frustrating to deal with this type of student. I teach programming online which can be difficult enough on its own! Factor in students that repeatedly miss the live chat sessions and then expect you to stop everything to help them catch up and it is nearly impossible.
I like your analogy! Do you instruct at a culinary school? I do and just might use that! I believe you are using a "whats in it for me" approach. I often use this myself. I reiterate the importance of getting more education for your money by attending class daily. Another analogy is the ATM...you get out what you put in!
Hi Adam!
I like this analogy! I find that students are often in school for the wrong reasons - social scene, parents expect it, nothing better to do and my frieds are doing it. Therefore, it's imperaitve that schools and instructors help students connect with the idea of learning and positive outcomes.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
Ed107 Facilitator
My students like to tell me that they pay for the education and they should be able to show up when they like. I like to tell them that they pay for it and they need to get their money's worth. I like to use a little story I call "The Buffet". I will tell this story right after lunch on the first day of class. I like to start by asking the class if they had a good lunch. Then I start talking about how much I like going to a buffet for lunch because I get to eat as much as I like. In short, the story goes on about how I can never leave the buffet without overeating because I want to get my money's worth. I then relate that information to the school and how we are a buffet of knowledge. I tell them "It's your money, you paid for the buffet, it's time to overeat, grab a second plate."
Being an auto repair instructor I try to compare this to missing the first day at a new job. The loss of wages,making a bad first impression and possibly loosing the job often makes think about it.
This is a huge problem with my students in the 2 courses I instruct in..
My approach has been.. When they do show up I leave it to them to ask what it is they have missed, when they do i explain to them the importance of what they missed.. they then begin to ask when can I make it up.. I then explain to them it is work they can make up but it will be on their time and their responsibil;ity to get the information they have missed from other students. I hand them all the materials and paper work explain to them when its due and which labs or papers have certain requirements added to them that must also be included when they are completed.. They then relize the magnitude of what they have missed.. I do offer help to them but on a time available basis.. I often am working with students on current projects and explain to them that the makeup work for what they have missed by not being in class will come after this.. I now see students who do miss days of class putting some real effort into completeing their work.. coming in late to class is also another issue.. most students when they come in late let you know their here and expect you to stop what your doing and cater to their needs just because they decided to show up.. I politely tell them if I am currently busy help students that they will have to wait till I'm finished assisting my students who are in the middle of the lab work..
All of this is explained to my students on the first day of class...
The students are the customers so I have learned you have to treat them with respect even though they miss class or show up late to class,, you just have to respectfully explain to them how this will effect their grades and their learning of the subject that they are paying for..
Hi Chris!
Good approach! Always good when students are expected to take responsibility for themselves.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED107 Facilitator
