LOL I love it...and OMGosh, now Caroline thinks I am an Ogre...my students will tell you I am 
pretty funny in class. Maybe not as funny as CH, but a comedian nonetheless. I like to use 
humor to keep students alert and thinking. I definitely want to punk my class with a Caroline 
quiz...I just have to wait until attendence gets shabby and that doesn't usually happen until 
near finals when everyone is stressed. Do I dare do it then, Caroline?

As for the person who falls asleep first in each class, I stole my technique from someone I 
now forget, and probably someone on here. I walk up to them and wake them up, tell them I 
don't mind you sleeping in class but it hurts my feeling if you don't say goodnight first. The 
class cracks up as does the sleeper, even if somewhat embarrassed. I take pity on the person 
who falls asleep because of being up all night for work or a crying baby. Since I tell my 
students I love them all, and just want to give them their money's worth early in the course, 
they usually tell me if they have issues like this pretty quickly.

I have answered phones in class...hello this is professor highsmith, and the whole class gets 
a kick out of that...recently I have just told everyone, if a phone rings, I get to take to the 
Dean, and the student can get it back from him....
Last tuesday, I had forgotten to turn off MY phone...it rang in class...how embarrassing... so I 
made a big deal of it, looked and it was my dentist. I answered, got my reminder for my 
Wednesday appointment, hung up and told the class they could now turn on their phones for 
20 seconds and turn them off, just to be fair. That got a great laugh from the audience. No I 
don't have to be an ogre, but i do let them know I care that they learn and I will do my best 
for them if they will do their best for me. I also let them know I am human, and make 
mistakes. 

James

----- Original Message -----
From: "Hotchkiss, Carolyn" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Friday, February 20, 2009 1:52 pm
Subject: Re: class attendance policy? A BETTER SOLUTION
To: [log in to unmask]

> Three More Tactics:
> 
> 1.  If your phone rings in class, it's for me (I put this on my
> syllabus).  I pick it up, say "This is Professor Hotchkiss--to whom 
> am I
> speaking?"  Oddly, it's sometimes the student's mother-doubling the
> mortification level of the student whose phone offends.  I generally
> have to do this only once.
> 
> 2.  If I have a day with poor attendance, I'll create a fake pop quiz
> for the next class.  Tell the students who are present that there will
> be a quiz at the beginning of the next class.  Then tell them a secret
> code word, instructing them to write their names and the code word on
> the quiz-no answers to the questions.  Swear them to secrecy.  Go 
> home,construct a truly nasty little quiz covering the subject students
> missed.  At the start of the next class, spring the fake pop quiz.  
> Thestudents who were present will take 30 seconds to complete their 
> quiz,and the absentees will really sweat until they learn they were 
> "punked."This only works once, but it gets the point across.
> 
> 3.  If a student falls asleep in class, see if you can get everyone 
> outof the room before the person wakes up.  In more than 20 years of
> teaching, I've only succeeded once.  The poor kid was so soundly 
> asleepthat we got everyone out, then collected a random group of 
> people from
> the hallway and a new instructor, got them in and started a new 
> class in
> a different subject (really!).  The look on the young man's face 
> when he
> awoke in an accounting class was priceless, and he took it well. 
> 
> All three tactics make my points with gentle mirth and
> merriment-hopefully an application of catching more flies with honey
> than vinegar. 
> 
> Carolyn
> 
> Carolyn Hotchkiss
> Professor of Law
> Babson College
> Babson Park MA 02457
> 781-239-5528
> [log in to unmask] 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) Talk
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of James Highsmith
> Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 2:10 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: class attendance policy? A BETTER SOLUTION
> 
> HOW I SOLVED MY ATTENDANCE PROBLEMS, AND A LOT OF OTHER ISSUES. 
> THIS HAS
> WORKED FOR 15 YEARS.
> 
> My two intro law classes run 45-50  students each. I have a seating
> chart for each class so I can learn their names and keep attendance,
> note participation et cetera. Knowing their names seems to motivate
> attendance in and of itself. When I started having some trouble with
> attendance, late assignments (I require each student to do ALL the 
> workto pass the class) and more, I instituted a new part of my 
> grading. It
> is called PROFESSIONALISM. Please check out my typical course points
> below and how I explain 'professionalism' in my syllabus. 
> ----------
> The work of the course will be structured as follows:
> 
>        	Problems                	250 points 	Essay 	
>        	Midterm exam        	100 points 	Essay        	
>        	Briefs                        	100 points 	Essay
>        	Professionalism                  50 points 	
>        	Final Exam                	100 points	Essay
>        	TOTAL                         	600 points
> 
> 
> A. CLASS TIME
> Class time will be used for class discussion, lecture, and analysis,
> including activities appropriate to the material. Each student is
> responsible to read and analyze the assigned material BEFORE class
> discussion in order to make the use of class time productive. It is 
> theresponsibility of each student to PARTICIPATE IN class 
> discussion. 
> 
> Professionalism is my evaluation of your class participation, plus 
> yourcontribution to making the class a productive learning 
> environment. For
> example, your timely appearance in class, your regular attendance and
> attention, on-time assignments, notices of absences, and your in-class
> conduct are all factors in your professionalism grade. My intention in
> this professionalism grade is to hold you to the same standards of
> conduct that will be expected in the workplace.  
> 
> (Inappropriate behavior -- private conversations, note passing, use of
> cell phones or computers for messaging or games, and like -- 
> disrespectsthe learning environment and your classmates. Such 
> behavior is
> distracting to both me and your peers, disrupts the productive use of
> class time, and may lead to my use of the disruptive classroom 
> behaviorpolicy to remove you from the class.) 
> 
> The number of points confirmed for professionalism will depend in part
> upon the quality of your contributions to the understanding of the
> material being studied and not merely upon the quantity of
> contributions. It is indeed difficult to participate without being
> present; therefore class ATTENDANCE is expected of ALL students 
> wheneverthe class is scheduled to meet.  
> ----------
> 
> AND FOR THOSE COLLEAGUES WHO DON'T ACCEPT LATE ASSIGNMENTS: I think 
> youmay be cheating the students who don't and the students who do
> assignments. I think all students should complete all 
> assignments....socheck out my policy on late assignments in the 
> syllabus below. (Usually
> students who have university activity absences or illness turn in
> assignments on time using email. I do, however, allow them later 
> withoutpenalty when there is a valid reason.)
> 
> ---------
> D. LATE WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS
> Assignments must be turned in by the due date to warrant full credit.
> Two points will be deducted for each class meeting the assignment is
> late.  Failure to complete an assignment will mean all points for that
> assignment are lost and a penalty of 20% of the assignment's value 
> willbe subtracted from your points at the end of the course.
> ---------
> 
> AND A LAGNIAPPE FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH TECHNOLOGY IN
> THE
> CLASSROOM:
> 
> ---------
> G. USE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN MY CLASSES
> 
> Electronic communication devices used for voice, other messaging, or
> listening are generally a distraction to students and the 
> instructor in
> the classroom environment. 
> 
> 1. The use of messaging or music devices interferes with the student's
> learning process. 
> Unless I require them to be used, ipods, cell phones, iphones,
> Blackberries, and other messaging devices must be turned off and put
> away during class periods. Silencing or vibration mode is not allowed.
> Students who have such devices may not text or otherwise use them 
> duringa class period. The only exception is for a student who must 
> remainavailable to protect the health or safety of the student or 
> others.(Reasons such as work requirements or personal convenience 
> are not
> legitimate.) 2. Computers may assist in the teaching and learning
> process, or they may distract users and other students away from the
> focus of the class. Computers may be on (in silent mode) or used if 
> theyare integral to the class, used for taking notes, or otherwise 
> employedto further the educational focus of the class. 
> Computers may not be on or used for inappropriate purposes. 
> Examples of
> inappropriate computer use during classes include such things as
> completing assignments for other classes; instant messaging; playing
> games; processing email; doing puzzles; purchasing or selling online;
> reading political or sports news, beauty tips, etc.; checking the
> weather forecast; downloading material; viewing photographs or videos;
> viewing sexually oriented material; cheating or plagiarizing; and
> surfing the web for matter unrelated to the work of the class at the
> time. 
> 3. I may use the Disruptive Classroom Behavior Policy, Cheating and
> Plagiarism Policy or other appropriate university policy to deal with
> violations appropriately. Informal enforcement may include loss of
> professionalism points.
> 
> ----------
> 
> Thanks for reading...hope this helps someone out there is BIZLAWLAND.
> James Highsmith
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ginger, Laura" <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Friday, February 20, 2009 10:07 am
> Subject: Re: class attendance policy?
> To: [log in to unmask]
> 
> > I gave up requiring and taking attendance a while ago, on the 
> theory 
> > that not coming and/or not staying will catch up with them in the 
> form
> > of lower grades.  (These are sophomores in a required pre-
> requisite 
> > class.)  However, I do tell students in the syllabus and on the 
> first 
> > day of class that I expect them to stay for the entire class once 
> they
> > arrive, and I caution them not to leave class in the middle or 
> leave 
> > early unless they are about to vomit, etc.  And I do call 
> attention to
> 
> > students who do so.
> > 
> > There is one instance in which I do track people who leave early. 
> 
> > I give occasional extra credit pop quizzes at the beginning of 
> class, 
> > and I require in the syllabus (and tell them in my first-day
> > rant) that they must stay for the entire class to earn credit for 
> the 
> > quiz.  If someone does take the quiz and leave, then I pass 
> around a 
> > sign-up sheet, and anyone who is not on it gets no credit for the 
> quiz
> > they took before leaving.  I tell the students what I am doing 
> when I 
> > pass around the sign-up sheet.  The ones who stayed seem happy 
> that I 
> > am paying attention to this, and the word travels fast to the 
> > student(s) who left after taking the quiz.  I also email the 
> > student(s) who left early and explain to them why they will 
> receive no
> 
> > credit for the quiz.  If I do have a student leaving early after 
> a 
> > quiz at some point in the semester, it usually does not happen 
> again 
> > because they all figure out quickly that they have to stick 
> around for
> 
> > the entire class to get credit for the quizzes.
> > 
> > The sad fact is that this was not a problem for many of the 25 
> years I
> 
> > have been at IU.  Then one semester about five years ago I gave a 
> pop 
> > quiz in a classroom that holds 172.  Right after I collected the 
> > quizzes, 20 people vaulted over the back row of seats and ran out 
> the 
> > back doors. That was the first time I used a sign- up sheet to 
> track 
> > who was still there.
> > Laura
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) Talk 
> > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Christiansen, 
> Linda
> > A
> > Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 12:38 PM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: class attendance policy?
> > 
> > When that becomes a problem in my classes (and it is a growing 
> and 
> > disruptive problem now), I have them sign in at the beginning and 
> the 
> > end of class.  Then I say that they must meet with me if they are 
> not 
> > on both sheets to explain why they should continue in the course. 
> I 
> > make a point to say that we must do this because of dishonesty 
> among 
> > their fellow students.  It is more work to manage, but it stops 
> that 
> > behavior right away.
> > 
> > ________________________________________
> > From: Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) Talk 
> > [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David S. Kistler
> > [[log in to unmask]]Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 11:55 AM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: class attendance policy?
> > 
> > Lemoine:
> > 
> > My policy is that if you sign the attendance sheet you will be 
> there 
> > for the entire class.  If someone leaves shortly after signing I 
> treat
> > that as an absence (PERIOD!).  (They managed to meet the letter 
> of the
> 
> > law but certainly not the spirit of the law)!  Tell your students 
> what
> > you will do henceforth and then enforce it.
> > 
> > Hope that helped,
> > Dr. David S. Kistler
> > State University of New York @ Potsdam
> > 
> > 
> > > Would appreciate comments/recommendations to deal with a class
> > attendance> challenge that I am facing for the very first time.? 
> > Have taught business
> > > law at the grad and undergrad level for the past 15 years and
> > have never
> > > run into anything this before.? In my current undergrad class,
> > there?are> students who sign the attendance sheet at the 
> beginning of 
> > the hour,
> > > and?leave very soon after. I have?noticed that the number of
> > students> doing this is increasing.? I consider college students as
> > young adults who
> > > are capable?of making their own decisions about class
> > attendance,?however,> I also consider this type of behavior 
> > dishonest.??The course syllabus
> > > indicates that 10 points are deducted from the final grade for
> > more than 3
> > > unexcused absences.
> > >
> > > I?need to?deal with this in class early next week.?
> > >
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > >
> > > Lemoine Pierce
> > > Robinson Colllege of Business
> > > Ga. State University.
> > >
> > 
>