Being available, caring, and non-judgemental
With my students I always start by giving them my phone number. I tell them to let me know if they have a problem getting to class. The last thing I want is for them to feel like if they are 5-10 minutes late. they should not even show up. I don't wait for them to start teaching, but I feel like this understanding keeps them coming and motivated. I teach math, and they already feel intimidated from the get go. They are responsible for catching up, and I find they always do.
It's important to make a distinction here about "judgmental". Instructors routinely judge students' performance relative to standards. I think what is being referenced in this thread is not jumping to conclusions about a student's behavior (pre-judging) until the facts are known. Good advice.
I agree teachers should not be judgemental but we also have to set the ground rules and maintain them throughout the semester.
I suspect that this concept could create quite a stir in the faculty room. I think a discussion about best practices used to solve the problems of habitual offenders would be a great idea, but I'm also quite sure that some of your colleagues would suggest that these are not their problems to solve.
I feel that handling habitual offenders can require some "outside the box" thinking. A teacher/instructor can develop positive ways to enable a student to perform better in a specific area, whether it be tardiness, etc.
Edda, how often do you have to deal with people being late? How do you handle habitual offenders?
