This rotation I have changed the daily grade to a three point system. One point is for attendance- it's all or none. Tardiness,absence, or early departure looses 33% of the daily grade. This also helps me to ensure fairness to all students and saves me time by not having to look up how many points I deducted from student A so I'm fair to student B.
The other 2 points are for professionalism and uniform.
my approach is usually to explain the students the importance of punctuality and the consequences of not doing it while in the work force. i like to use analogies to make them understand the impotance of a "couple of minutes". maybe just asking what happens if a souffle is taken out too early or too late from the oven? the examples have to be drastic situations for them to really understand the meesage you trying to convey. what happens if you work for the bomb squad in your city and arrive late? they usually respond with a laugh about that question but immediately get the point.
THERE ARE MANY CULINARY OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WORLD HOWEVER , THERE ARE ALSO MANY CULINARIANS. i TRY TO ENFORCE ON A CONSISTENT BASIS THAT ONLY THOSE STUDENTS THAT HOLD THEMSELVES TO THE HIGHEST OF STANDARDS WILL BE THOSE THAT MAKE IT TO THE TOP OF THE CULINARY FIELD.
I agree! Points seem to motivate a lot of students. If they know they are losing points for every minute they're late, and that those points actually mean something, they're more inclined to arrive on time.
I talk to them outside of class hours and try to understand what is going on. I also speak to my Lead Chef and other instructors who had the same student to see if that is a trend or if there is a reason behind it. Some students who rely on child care or public transportation cannot avoid being late, but others are just not motivated enough. At the end of each class, I always outline next day's activities and stress the importance of being on time and prepared for the day, hoping to engage all students and get them motivated to come to class. And I am ALWAYS early, so they can see me through the glass walls, moving about the kitchen and prepping as early as 1 hour before class, so I hope I set the example.
Alex
I conclude each class with what I call a "cliff hanger" this encourages students to attend and be prompt. They have something to look foward to the next day
Estella,
This is a fantastic idea! Can you give any "cliff hanger" examples?
Jae Gruber
As a general education instructor I stated on the first day of class about their points they will receive in my class about attendance that if they are late I will take away points at least 2-3 points.
In addition to reinforcing school policy and referencing the course syllabus. I use the following strategies: give immediate feedback through the professionalism portion of the grade, pull students aside for one-on-one conferences,create success plans or academic contracts and enlist the assistance of the lead faculty. However, after reading many of the other post, I am going to incorporate other suggested methods to help address this.
I show the students consistently how they are doing in class. If a student is consistently tardy, they are shown how it is affecting their grade. I also explain what the comparative consequenses would be in the industry. Then I tell them how nice it will be to work with them for another block.
I have asked, What would you do at work with someone who is consistently tardy? Would a watch be helpful? What can we do to start earlier?
Talk to the student, show that you notice and genuinely care about them and there success in the kitchen and try to mentor and resolve any barriers.
If I have a student that is consistently tardy I will pull them aside during an opportune moment or have them stay after class to discuss the reason for their being late. While sometimes their reasons can be that they simply have a poor work ethic other times they are experiencing issues that I can give adivce on. In these instances I have been able to help them come up with better time managment strategies so that they aren't always running late for no reason.
There are several tacts that I take depending upon the individual. In some cases a direct approach conducted on a side bar while the other classmates are working sets a precedent very similar to how I would deal with an employee in the real world being chronically late. If it is an involved issue having to do with personal or family related issues I will ask the student if they would like to discuss any of their concerns after class while offering any instructor assistance such as transferring to another class period that might be suited to the students needs allowing them a better schedule which would keep them from being late. Regarding missing class especially if it is affecting team production. If I feel this person has a callus attitude regarding lateness I will point out that unprofessionalism and flippant conduct such as this is not permitted in any industry. I will refer to the lateness policy outlined in the syllabus and counsel accordingly as I would in the real world having the student sign the documentation.
Hold them accountable and make them a part of the team. Give them a task a job or something to be responsible for. Sometime class peer pressure can work.
Having guest speakers talk about attendance policies in the real world help the student understand that the habit they take now can effect them later in their career.
