The Lack of Student Attendance: Feed Them Carrots, They Will Come | Effective Classroom Management - Faculty Focus

As a professor who just completed their first academic school year, I was naïve to believe that students regularly attended class, says Dimple J. Martin, PhD, assistant professor of early childhood education and faculty professional development at Miles College.

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As college students, I thought they would demonstrate a level of commitment and focus regarding their future. To my chagrin, my initial assumptions were in stark contrast to my expectations. Unaware, I was often lectured to by my colleagues about the chronic absenteeism among students. As I intently listened about a behavior that somehow became normalized, I often had nothing to add to the conversation because I was not experiencing the effects of chronic absenteeism. For the most part, my students regularly came to class. Therefore, I viewed student absence from a different lens than my colleagues. As I continued to reflect on my experience, I asked the following questions: “Why were my students committed?” and “Why did they feel obligated?” In retrospect, there were three “carrots” that I gave my students to nibble on.

Carrot of Preparedness 
As a teacher, we feel compelled to provide our students with quality instruction. In doing so, we are respecting their time, monetary investments, and dreams. Whenever my students came to class, I intentionally modeled preparedness and organization because I value their existence. Therefore, I plan and study to improve my own skill set. I am constantly thinking about ways to enhance the students’ learning experience. Contrary to what many believe, students are keenly aware of teachers who are prepared. I feel that when students notice you have methodically given consideration to what you teach, they in turn, will respect your efforts. This level of preparedness signals that you are totally invested in the outcome of their future. Be prepared, they will come...

I can conclude that my classroom absenteeism is very minimum because of the expectations I have for myself. My students come to class because they respond to preparedness, high expectations, and accountability. Students inspire me not to change because at the end of each semester, many students tell me, “Dr. Martin, I did not want to come to your class, but you challenged us to think, and I know that’s what we needed.” As the end results, the carrots ultimately become a metaphor for—she cared.
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Source: Faculty Focus