Job Discussion Forums

[joshua2004]

One thing I am absolutely loving about working at this private middle school in Mexico is the nominal problem I have with attendance. I hardly ever have a student absent. This was always a complicating issue when I taught in the states from public school to community college.

For one thing, parents are paying a hefty amount for their children to be here. Second, there is a policy that if a student misses more than 5 days in one bimester (2 months), they cannot take the bimester exams and thus fail that term.

How much is attendance a problem at your school?

[lozwich]

Hey Joshua,

Thanks for starting this thread! Its something I've been thinking about a bit in the last few weeks.

I don't have huge problems with attendance, but lateness is rife in my adult classes. The thing is, I don't know what to do about it. Technically, I should fail people if they attend less than 80% of classes, but in practice, as long as the student passes the exams and other work, they go up a level at the end of the term.

So, I find lateness (or leaving early, which is also a problem) annoying and disruptive in the class, but I feel like I'm the only one who gets stressed about it. The students certainly don't seem to be overly bothered.

What do people do about absences or lateness? Ignore it? Be a strict disciplinarian and keep track of every lost minute, to be written in final reports? Or something in between?

Cheers,
Lozwich.

[QatarChic]

About 80-85%. Not bad really, considering other places I have worked at some were as low as 50%

[Stephen Jones]

Our college rule is if they are nore than five minutes late they are marked absent.
Less than five minutes late and they are marked late. Three lates count as one absence. More than 15% unjustified absences and they fail.
If they leave early, apply the same rule.
I also apply it if they feel a need to go to the toilet mid-class. I feel I deserve the Nobel Prize for Medicine because their need to micturate decreased by 98%!

[joshua2004]

If I were to teach adults again, after having to manage these middle schoolers, I would definitely be more strict about attendance and tardiness.

I would use the "participation" hook to keep them in. Learning a language is all about exposure and that time they spend using it. Attendance and participation are so important.

I base a percentage of my grades on "participation" since some activities cannot be traditionally graded, such as reading a dialogue, there is nothing to turn in!

Start an activity when the class is suppose to begin, if the student is not there, then they don't get participation credit for it.

[Glenski]

My high school has a policy similar to Stephen Jones' university regarding lateness and absenteeism. The biggest problem comes in having excused absences. Sports players are notorious in my school for this. Games are scheduled during the day, not after classes, so they get off for them.

The problem comes in when they (or other excused absentees, like those who were sick) never EVER come to see teachers about what they missed. For those of us with homework assignments or continuing projects, this is a killer. Not much one can do except try to handle things case by case.

[ls650]

I teach at a small uni. My attendnce rate is about 90 to 95% percent, but some of my co-workers have rates that are much lower. I think it's because their lessons simply aren't as dynamic and interesting for the students.... Sometimes it isn't the students' fault.

[redsoxfan]

How is my attendence? Quite poor actually. I rarely show up for class, and when I do, I often find that I've forgotten to wear pants. Oh, my students? Well, I'd say about 80% on average, though private students cancel shockingly often, given that they've already paid big zlotys for the lesson.