ATTENDANCE & PUNCTUALITY
Overview For Teachers
ATTENDANCE & PUNCTUALITY: The ability to come to work/school every day on time; leave and return for meals and breaks on time; the ability to notify supervisor/instructor in advance of planned absences; make up work or assignments punctually; come to work/school prepared to work.
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PURPOSE: Upon completion of this module, the student will understand the importance of maintaining good attendance and being punctual in the workplace. In addition, the objectives listed below should be met.
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OBJECTIVES:
ï‚· Ability to recognize the importance of maintaining a good attendance record.
ï‚· Ability to understand the importance of being punctual in all aspects of life.
ï‚· Ability to understand how your attendance and time management skills can positively and negatively affect your
life.
ï‚· Ability to recognize the importance of being prepared for things and how this impacts others
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OVERVIEW:
This module concentrates on teaching students to recognize that attendance, punctuality, and being prepared have widespread impacts on personal reputation and opportunity. In addition, attendance and punctuality affects other students and a teacher’s planned activities. Maintaining good attendance sets a tone of commitment and accountability, and by nature if not maintained, portrays a lack of commitment and/or accountability. These perceptions, whether accurate or not, can adversely affect a person’s reputation and the potential for future opportunities. Lessons provide students with an understanding of the importance of being prepared vs. unprepared.
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TEACHERS: WHAT ARE YOU OBSERVING?
What does attendance and punctuality look like in the classroom or in school in general? A great way to answer this and get things going is through engagement with the students. Ask your students these questions:
1. What do attendance and punctuality look like in school?
2. How does your attendance or being punctual affect others around you? Example: other students (if someone in your group is late), teachers (already started a lesson), team members, etc.
3. What do attendance and punctuality look like within your learning?
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RELEVANCY OF ATTENDANCE & PUNCTUALITY:
Employers state that many applicants and employees have issues with being punctual and being consistently present for work. They rank good attendance and punctuality as the most significant employability skills needed in the workplace.
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LESSON:
Why Does Attendance Matter?
Time Allocation: 20 minutes
Materials/Resources: computers/tablets/smartphones with internet access or printed copies of Importance of Attendance in Work Ethics, paper, pens/pencils
ANTICIPATORY SET IDEA:
As students enter the classroom and take their seats, sit at your desk and make it appear that you are really busy (on computer, grading papers, etc.) Continue to do this after the class has officially started. Do this for 3-5 minutes and then finally get up and start class. Then, tell students that since class started late today, they will have to do the classroom activity for homework.
ï‚· The students probably won’t be happy with this news so have a few students explain why they are upset.
ï‚· After a few students have shared, explain to them the importance of punctuality and how it applies to everyone.
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WATCH THE VIDEO:
DIRECT INSTRUCTION:
Tell students that no matter what they are doing or where they are going, being on time and having good attendance matters.
o What happens if you’re late for work or miss multiple days of work?
 Miss a meeting
 Miss out on commission opportunities
 The work doesn’t get done or someone else has to do it
 Become unreliable to employer and co-workers
o What happens if you’re late for class or skip class?
 Miss important information
 Grade goes down for being tardy or absent
 Miss deadlines for homework/project
o What happens if you miss curfew at home or don’t come home?
 In trouble with parents
 Grounded or other consequence
 Lose trust from parents
ï‚· Ask students: Besides all the negatives we just listed for being late or absent from different things in life, how else can a poor attendance record affect you?
o Career advancement
o Job/Letter of recommendation from previous employers
o Get fired from company
GUIDED ACTIVITY:
Give each student a copy of Importance of Attendance in Work Ethics.
ï‚· Have students read through the article and highlight/underline/circle any information that stands out to them or surprises them.
ï‚· When they finish reading, have them find a partner and compare and discuss the information that they marked in the article.
ï‚· When everyone is finished reading, come back together as a class and have students share the information that stood out to them in the article.
CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING:
ï‚· Technology Use: Create a Kahoot of questions for students to play at the end of the session.
ï‚· Non-Technology: 3-2-1: Students will reflect on the lesson and on a piece of paper they will write down 3 things they learned, 2 things they want to know more about, and 1 questions they have.
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ETHICAL SCENARIO--Optional (if not using, skip to "review and closing")
The Ethical Choice Scenarios have been developed to provide teachers with the ability to make the material applicable to real-life and relevant to the students. Within this guide, directions and prompts for the teacher will be in BLUE for ease of facilitation.
READ THE FOLLOWING SCENARIO OUT LOUD TO THE STUDENTS:
PREPARA“SHUN”
In addition to your portion of the content, it was also your responsibility to prepare both the slides and the handouts for an upcoming presentation. You have been very busy recently and have not prepared adequately, hoping that your co-presenter will pick up the slack. When you get to class on the morning of the presentation, you realize your partner only prepared his section, as was the agreement. Consequently, since you are not well prepared, you are forced to just wing it.
As you are picking up your things after the presentation, the teacher comes to you and says, “The presentation seemed to be lacking. I get the impression that your partner really shunned you, not including all the information that was within the assigned areas – why did you allow that to happen?” As you are thinking about how to respond, you realize you have two choices: you can either come clean, which will negatively impact your grade no doubt, or you can pass the blame onto the other student, hoping that the teacher doesn’t follow up. Time to give a response...
ASK THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: (display them to the class if necessary)
1. How many of you have already been faced with this scenario is real life?
2. What are the possible positive outcomes of this situation?
3. What are possible positive or negative consequences for your presenting partner?
4. What are possible positive or negative consequences for you, depending on your decision?
GUIDED DISCUSSION: ASK STUDENTS TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE SITUATION AND HOW THEY ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS.
NOTE 1 : To help facilitate discussion, share any personal experiences you may have encountered with this same sort of issue.
NOTE 2 : Another option to foster further critical thinking is to then ask students, “Would you want someone to put you in this situation?”
NOTE 3 : Another option to foster further critical thinking is to then ask students , “ What values do you think are in tension here, why is it an ethical dilemma?”
CLOSING DISCUSSION: ASK THE STUDENTS, “WHAT IMPACTS COULD YOUR DECISION HAVE ON YOUR REPUTATION?”
REVIEW AND CLOSING:
On a piece of paper, have students write down one way they can improve their attendance and punctuality right now. They will turn this in to you before they leave the classroom.
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CORRELATION TO OBSERVATION TOOL: The Frequency Observation Tool (FOT) has a category where students will be observed and rated on their ability to show up on time and maintain a good attendance record. This lesson will explain the importance of being punctual and possible consequences for failing to be punctual or in attendance.
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION IDEAS:
-Visual: Visual learners will benefit from having a printed copy of the article and being able to see and read what the other groups wrote on their chart paper.
-Auditory: Auditory learners will benefit from the partner and the class discussions.
-Kinesthetic: Kinesthetic learners could benefit by writing down any important information.
-ESL: ESL students would benefit from having a partner to assist them in the writing activity in case they have questions or need clarification.
-At-risk: At -risk students will benefit from the interaction they have with their group to help keep them focused and on task.
-Advanced: Advanced learners could benefit from helping other students write down their schedules, or by assisting ESL or At -risk students who may need additional help .