Keeping Students In Class
Retension is a big issue how do you keep students from going over their hours and dropping classes I seem to try to make the class interesting and encourage the students but no matter what I do some students just drop?
I foun d the best way to control your retention is giving the test an hour or two before class ends. Students have the tendency to stay because they do not like to make up a test two or three days later and the info is not fresh in their heasds. This really works....
Retention in an adult learning environment can be extremely challenging to us, teachers, because our students are adults who have more "baggages" with them everytime they come in class: past learning experiences, personal situations, attitude and grown-up behaviour, purpose and perspective in taking the course, and many more factors.
The best(s) I can do is to look into their needs and not their weaknesses, to make them know that I am willing to help them along the way, to respect them as equal, to make each and every session interesting and meaningful to them, to make them know that they are important, to equip myself with more preparations and techniques to deliver to them the curriculum content, and to have the discipline(s) of a mentor.
In the end, there will still be drop-outs beyond my control. But to most of the learners, I may have done something that would make them go forward to the next stages of learning.
Scott, I am 100% with you: I am, too, inform all my students during first 10 minutes of the 1st day of the classes, that Attendance Policy of the College will be followed to the letter. I also tell them about my devotion to the Code of Academic Integrity and to teach them professional demeanor, not just Information Technology. By the way, I could easily skip those reminders: all the students know my requirements BEFORE they start my classes... they heard about me from my previous students and they know that there will be no compromises on the above matters.
Still we need to use some tricks to make them come to class: I do my tests and quizzes at the beginning of each class beginning from the 2nd week of the term. My students know that if they come late, they are cutting into their test time: I will ask them to stop the test along with those who were on time. Plus, if any of my students come pass the test, I will not let them to make it up. By the way, attendance in my classes is very high..., but still some students drop out: probably, in career colleges we shoud accept it as part of the deal.
i have the same problem because i am usually with the students the final week they are attending the school. they often leave class early and blame it on other school related responsibilities like final projects and final exams. telling them that the subject matter is important to their success after graduation seems to help a little but not enough. i would like to hear what some others have come up with for solutions.
Once the issue of retention has been brought into the classroom everything changes. Teachers have to balance their efforts between being an instructor and being an entertainer.
I inform them on the first day of class of my attendance policy and the consequences thereof. I have found that taking the course away from being all lecture and inserting humorous real-life experiences has helped. I added a comical "extra credit" question to quizzes that has actually lessened absenteeism on quiz day.
Maybe make the first couple of days very engaging and interactive. If they see a true benefit for their future maybe by relating what you teach to the future job opportunities.
