Week Three: Tardiness and Student Recognition

Persistent tardiness keeps students from being exposed to all the instructional content offered during class time; disrupts instruction for the rest of the class; keeps the tardy student from achieving his or her full potential in the academic learning expectations; indicates greater issues in a number of areas in the life of a student. If I had a student who was consistently tardy, I would handle it using a number of steps designed to address the problem as it escalates.

Talking to a student about a problem gives the teacher an opportunity to build rapport with the student and learn about his or her family background. Once I identified a tardiness habit in a particular student, I would talk to him or her privately after class. I would let the student know that it is important to get to class on time, as it is a sign of respect to myself and their classmates, as well as an important step in making sure that they are able to achieve the academic learning goals for the class overall. I would also remind the student of the school rules in terms of expectations of timeliness in the classroom and consequences for deviation from that behavior. At Bishop Amat, those consequences are twenty-minute detentions that can lead to Saturday detention for frequent offenders. If a student misses more than ten class periods in a semester, that student is at risk of losing credit for the class.

Behavioral issues sometimes indicate problems at home. I would make an effort to discuss the student’s tardiness with their parent or guardian. If the problem stems from parent tardiness or other issues at home, discussing the behavior with the parent will inform them that the behavior has become a problem for their child. Of course, I would handle these discussions with professionalism and subtly, taking great care not to cross the line with a parent or offend them. If the issue persisted after I spoke with the student and the parent, I would discuss it with the relevant school authorities and allow them to address the issue as they see fit. I would be sure to remain apprised of the situation and advocate for my student as appropriate.

I recognize my students verbally for doing things that go above and beyond their typical expected behavior. I recognize students by thanking them individually as they add to a class discussion; congratulating them when they have an unexpectedly high grade on an assignment (though I don’t say it with surprise in front of the class); recognizing the class as a whole when they have met or exceeded my social behavior or academic expectations.

I do believe it is possible for a student to have too much recognition. Students need to learn to behave a certain way because it is rewarding to them intrinsically. If a student is rewarded every time he or she meets or exceeds expectations, they may get to the point where they only do that behavior for a reward. We want students to learn the inherent value in a behavior. To that end, we should reward students for certain behaviors, but reinforce the reason why we value the behavior in the first place.