Hi Ann,
Also, the students that are tardy or don't complete assignments in a timely manner need to know that this behavior can really impact their futures. Career success is based upon not only skill sets but also the soft skills of being on time, getting along with others and dependability.
Gary
I let them know at the first class that they have to notify me and if they do I will give them the necessary information. If they don't notify me I don't put in a lot of effort to get them the information and sometimes I let them know they should copy from a fellow student. It is very timeconsuming to help out students who miss class on a regular basis. I would rather spend the time on those in class on a regular basis.
Hi Tina
At the begining of the class I share the importance of not being absent to the students.
I present the absenteism exactly the same that when they will be in the real world
CC
Hi Philip,
Welcome to the club. This is the hardest part of anything we do. 96% of those people that start exercising or a diet will fail in six weeks time. They aren't consistent and don't follow through. The key is to break down your plan of action into small steps. Focus on one of those steps until you have it down and then the next, then the next one after that. For any change to occur it has to be repeated for 30 days and then it becomes a part of our routine. I wish you the best.
Gary
This is a frustrating issue; All the comments and suggestions are helpful, and I employ some of them. My challenge is to follow through consistently.
Phil
Hi Jon,
Good point. Sometimes students operate on the policy of entitlement. No one is entitled to anything it has to be earned. Respect is critical in this process. Instructors should show respect for their students. In return for the instructor's respect students will offer their respect for the effort and support the instructor is providing.
Gary
I agree with this policy. I believe an instructor should be available to answer any questions on the course material, but there should be some incentive for personal responsibility on the student's side.
Hi James,
Thank you for the information. That was the big question I was wondering about in terms of the one time deduction and then getting the work handed in. I am going to give this a try and see if I get the same results. I am guessing I will because most students miss the one deadline and then want to make it right or as you mentioned they never hand it in. This will reduce the time I spend on keeping track of the points as the are deducted over the set timeframe.
Gary
It is a one time deduction and they can turn in the missing work any time until the end of the class. Now, my experience is that if they don't get it in by the next class they probably aren't going to.
Hi Jim,
Good point about points. Question I have is how do you get the students to turn in the work at all if they lose 5-10 points for being late and no more. Can they turn in the work anytime during the course phase or is there one deduction and it has to be turned in by the next day. Want to make sure I understand how your system work for you. Thanks.
Gary
The only problem I have with losing points every day is that after a few days, the student has not motivation to do the work. Since I teach physics and math, the students won't learn if they don't do the homework. Practice is key in math. So I deduct 5-10 points for being late but that is all.
Jim DeGraffenreid
Hi Robert,
You are right on track with your time line for make up work completion. I learned years ago to set a time line and then enforce it. The assignment loses points each day it is late over a ten day period so in 10 days of classes the assignment has gone from 100 to zero. This gets the students focused on completing the assignment and lets me close my grade book on that assignment.
Gary
I think the responsibliity should fall to the student and not the instructor. Let them get the missed material from a classmate.
This problem can be a tough nut to crack. I agree that both a college and instructor attendance policy should be known by all students. Even with this, when a student has a valid excuse, the instructor is put in a position of making a judgment on making up missed requirements. I have known instructors who say there are no excused absences. This is ridiculous. What if the students parent or child died? The problem is the makeup and the timing of the makeup. Students in the past took advantage of my leniency so that items weren't made up for weeks. I have put timelines on all makeup work. This seems to have helped get the work in in a short time period.
First, I have clear expectations written out in the syllabus. Since I teach in a professional technical school I attempt to lead my classes with the same set of professional expectations that one would find in the workplace.
Second, in the case of an absence, I will call the student personally if they do not contact me first. I feel this has a profound effect on the student, letting them know that they are missed and important part of the class. It also allows me to identify any potential difficulties that might be a barrier to the student’s success and create a plan of action.
Third, I find sitting down with the students and going over their grade with them as often as possible clearly showing how the absences have effected their grade is the quickest motivator to getting to class.
One of the most challenging things can be instilling that sense of urgency for students to get to class but it worth the effort.
One of the schools I teach at has an escalation policy. After 2 absences, Student Services calls the student. After absences 3 and 4, others call. After absence 5, the faculty member calls the student. At each step, we try to find ways to help the student with any difficulties (personal or school related) he may be experiencing.
I would like to institute a policy regarding how many hours a student can miss before they need to withdraw from a class. However, my school of employment does not believe we should have that type of policy. I am a student myself at another university, which does have such a policy.
I do have some students who miss more than 45% of the hours, which disrupts class and seriously impacts the student's retention of knowledge. I am trying some new methods. I assign more group work and in-class only activities-these can't be "made up" or replaced by extra credit. I also make students responsible for the learning they missed that day. I post all handouts on Blackboard at the end of the class week. This includes the chapter outline I handout each day. Students are responsible for either using their textbooks to complete the outline, or asking for help from a classmate. If they choose not to do either of these, they will have incomplete notes, which may make taking tests or writing papers more difficult. Like myself, they are all busy adults with competing priorities. However our school has emphasized that we should be modeling workplace behaviors. This is how it would be handled in my workplace.
i make sure they get copies of the lecture notes
I try to set my expectations during the first class. This lets my students know the limit of absences, the consequences of an absence and how they are to receive the material they missed. Sometimes I vary how I mandate that they receive the material. Sometimes I mandate they come in, view a videotape, and write a synopsis of what they saw. Other times, I have them prepare (in writing) and teach the class by doing a case presentation. I vary the methods I used based on the general abilities of the student as I see them. If I believe they are able to pick up the missed information very quickly I may chose a different method than for a student that has difficulties.
Hi Tina,
Absentee students are a chronic problem in all classes. How you handle their absence will determine how the class will flow. Are there any consequences for them being absent? Is there a set amount of absences before they are dismissed from the program? How does your college back you up on your absence policy? Or do they back you at all?
I have my policy on absence and tardiness spelled out clearly in my syllabus. I review it the first day and proceed from there. When I see a pattern developing I talk with the student to determine what is going on. This either solves the problem or it continues with the students knowing exactly what is going to happen as a result of their absences. Keep documentation of everything from the absences to the conferences you have with the students in case a complaint should come up.
My position is that professionally I am obligated to offer a certain amount of instruction that will lead to competency development for the students. When they are gone then I cannot help them get to the level they need to be to be successful in our field.
Gary
