When a student walks into class late, you have options for acknowledging them. Here are a few examples:
#1 Completely ignore the student's entry.
#2 Interrupt the class so you can call out the student in front of the entire class, tell them that you will have to mark them late and that they need to get to class on time in the future.
#3 Take a moment to greet the student by name and tell them you are so glad they could come.
#4 Interrupt the class to tell everyone that you will not tolerate people being late and why you feel that way.
#5 Silently approach them and give them a fist bump and a smile to let them know that you are aware they are there and you are glad they came.
I hope some of those choices made you cringe! Here are some of the flaws I see in choosing the following options:
Ignore the student's entry
This could send an unintended message to a student that you don't care whether they come to class or not. Granted, by not acknowledging their entry you may feel that you are doing them a favor, but I have found everyone wants to be acknowledged and missed.
Call the student out
This strategy puts a student in the spotlight, where they are acknowledged but then personally reprimanded in front of everyone. Doing this will likely stir emotions in your student ranging from shame to anger and anything in between.
Call out the whole class
This strategy still puts the student in the spotlight because everyone in the class knows this discussion is happening because that particular student walked in late. The repercussions are the same as calling out the student individually.
Some better alternatives
In my experience, it has worked out better when I have acknowledged the student and expressed appreciation for them in some way.
Saying the student's name and acknowledging their presence in a positive way lets the student know that you are glad they are there. One time I had a student come in with only 5 minutes left of class. I excitedly said his name and with a big smile on my face I told him how happy I was that he came. He smiled back and then told me that even though he had set four different alarms that morning, he had failed to get up until his Dad woke him up just a few minutes ago. He then sat down and joined our discussion where he was able to share an amazing insight with the class. I believe this happened in part because he was warmly greeted and felt valued and loved in our class. He knew he was always welcome!
Quietly greeting the student and expressing appreciation lets that person know that you love and value them by going out of your way to physically acknowledge them (fist bump), even while you are talking to the class as a whole. This is a strategy I employ if someone is in the middle of sharing something with the class. It may not be the right time, or even polite, to stop and say the student's name. So instead I make my way over and give them a fist bump and a smile. Doing this always earns me a smile in return (even if it is half-hearted). My students know that I care enough about them individually to look for and acknowledge them whenever they enter my classroom. They can feel that I truly do love them.
Remember that our calling is to help others come to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We do that by acting toward our students the same way Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ would. We do hold our students accountable, but we do that with an increased measure of love. Think about how the Savior reacted to the woman taken in adultery, the woman at the well, the rich young ruler and many others. He always showed love and made His expectations clear in a very quiet and personal way. The Sadducees and the Pharisees, on the other hand, wanted to make a spectacle of the woman who had been taken in adultery. It was only after everyone left that the Savior told her His expectations for her in a loving and encouraging way. This is the example we too need to follow in our interactions with our students. It truly is the only way!
Full Disclosure:
In regular Sunday meetings the above is how I work. Sometimes I will seek them out individually and ask if there is a way that I can help them to get to class on time. I have also employed other students to help guide the perpetually tardy ones to class, but regardless of when they get there I use strategies #3 and #5 to welcome them.
In Seminary even though I employ strategies #3 and #5, I still hold my students accountable according to the tardy/absent policy of the Stake where I teach. For example in regards to the young man who came for the last 5 minutes of class, he was marked absent for that day. He already knew the policy, but I discussed it with him on a personal basis afterward to make sure he knew that he was marked absent. I also told him how grateful I was that he came and how much I appreciated his comments in class. He then told me that he knew he would be marked absent but was glad that he came, too!
Commentaires