| The single most important item for the school | | | | help them with any issues that may be causing |
| administration is the school head count. The | | | | the attendance problem. Above all let them |
| number one question that the superintendent | | | | know that you care and want to help them. |
| needs to know is how many students are going | | | | Personal commitment to each student that you |
| to be enrolled in school for the coming year. | | | | are having trouble with is the solution to |
| In order for the District to get funding it | | | | the problem. Each student has separate |
| has to have head count to justify its | | | | issues so you need to tailor your approach to |
| expenditure.Corresponding to this is the | | | | suite their needs. If you do this you will |
| student count (head count) in your classroom. | | | | find no only is their attendance better but |
| This information is vital to your | | | | also you will be rewarded with having a |
| administrators for keeping their student | | | | student in class that wants to learn and |
| count in line with the District’s. | | | | appreciate you, which will empower you as a |
| Therefore, you have to be sure to get all of | | | | teacher to do better.I was born and raised on |
| your students to be on time and in class. | | | | the south side of Chicago in Hyde Park |
| Absences are in order if there are permission | | | | Township, near the University of Chicago. As |
| slips to cover the missing time. The real | | | | I child I was always drawing and painting. My |
| enemy is not absenteeism but truancy due to | | | | father owned an art supply company, Favor |
| missing classes (cuts).To increase and | | | | Ruhl & Watson, where I was able to get all |
| maintain attendance you must on the first day | | | | that I needed to progress in my work.I have |
| of class get the student full attention of | | | | always enjoyed portraiture and landscape |
| the class and explain to them the protocol | | | | painting. In High School (Naperville Central |
| for school attendance. Explain to them in | | | | High School) I took Drafting from Mr. Pierce. |
| detail how the system works and how they can | | | | I quickly grasped the principles of |
| help in you in keeping attendance up to par. | | | | perspective and drafting and hence made a |
| Make these a team effort by encouraging the | | | | career with both Fine Art and Architectural |
| students to be in class. The best way to do | | | | Renderings.In the mid 1970's I joined the US |
| this is with communication with the class. | | | | Navy and was stationed on board the USS |
| Students that cut classes will not be | | | | Midway, CV-41. The Midway was home ported in |
| motivated by extra points on the grade scale, | | | | Yokosuka, Japan (A suburb of Tokyo). While in |
| if that were the case they would not be | | | | service I traveled all over Asia including |
| cutting class in the first place. The best | | | | such countries as Korea, China, Philippines, |
| motivator is working personally with those | | | | Singapore, Pakistan, Hong Kong, and Japan. |
| students that are not showing up. Call their | | | | While in Japan I learned Japanese. I speak |
| home, see them after school. Walk with them | | | | German and Spanish as well. |
| and get to know them better so that you can | | | | |