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