Teacher Discussion Forums

I've just started as an ADOS in a school with continuous enrolment.
I seem to spend all my time registering new students and am not able to give the teachers the support that they need.
The teachers are always faced with new students and with students moving from one class to another and this makes it hard to plan.
Teachers also find it hard to plan for these kinds of groups because some students have already 'done' certain bits of grammar and they can't get a 'group feeling' in class with all the comings and goings.

It's like we are all stuck in a perpetual first week of term!

I've never worked in these conditions before so..

Does anyone work in a well run school with continuous enrollment
and if so, do you have any tips.

Are there any books which outline good working practises?

Can anyone offer any ideas or advice-or am I to remain in this 'groundhog day' scenario forever?!?

Thanks
Mister Pete

I work in a Community College Adult Education (noncredit) program that is "Open Entry, Open Exit". That means students can enter at any time during the semester (they literally come in at any time, including right in the middle of a class period, although you have the option of telling them to come back the next day!) . In addition, since we don't give grades and they are adults, they can also leave whenever they want. (And leave for a month or two and return too!) While it takes some getting used to, you learn how to deal with it. (I've been doing it for thirty-five years so it doesn't seem so strange to me. )

I'm not sure what an "ADOS" is. Are you some type of assistant that is supposed to help in the classroom? Are the teachers having real difficulties with the in and out addition of students? What percent of the class is added? Do the classes meet every day? How are students put in the classes?

In our school, students are given a placement test (available once a week) and placed in the appropriate class by the counseling office. When they arrive in the classroom, they have to fill out a registration form, but they have already filled out the application. The registration form is very short. I have a "Welcome" page I give them to read which explains about the class. I also give them a questionnaire to fill out that includes information about what they think their problems in English are (they usually say "everything" ) and since I teach CALL classes, whether they have used a computer, etc.

I then ignore them while I continue with the class (unless of course they ask a question) until I have the students do a writing or pair activity. Then when I'm free, I go and answer questions and explain a little more.

If you have classes every day and it is a problem with the new students, you could also have a special day for all new students (like every Monday, or only on Monday and Wednesday). Let me know if you have more specific questions.