Sometimes I'm lazy. I'll do a quick head count of the students in a class. I'll note that that number matches the number of students on my roster. That means they're all present. Right? Roll done.
I call it my "quick and dirty" roll call.
However, there are a couple of circumstances that could muck this up. If I had a "visitor", I would still be missing a student. And for summer school, there's one other small issue...
It was the last block of the day. (The day is comprised of three two-hour blocks.) English 10, second semester. 17 bodies in the room. 17 names on the roll. We were good to go.
About an hour in, we were to read a story. The teacher had left index cards with student names, so I didn't have to find volunteers. (Getting volunteers to read... It's torture. I love index cards.)
I was about half way through the stack of cards when I called "Fiona".
"She's not here."
Oh crap! That meant that someone in the class had been dropped and didn't realize it. (They're dropped from class on their third absence.) And as we were in the middle of something, I wasn't about to stop and call roll.
Luckily, there were only 17 students, and the story was way longer than 17 paragraphs.
I finished the cards. "Did anybody not get a chance to read?"
A girl raised her hand...
We finished up the story. I went back to the roll. I looked for Fiona. She wasn't listed.
Wait. So my roll was okay after all?
I asked the girl who had raised her hand about why she didn't have a card.
Except she did.
At the beginning of class they were to respond to a quote. As I had called on her (via the cards) for that, I had put her card into the "read" pile. (She already participated in class.)
Whew. My "quick and dirty" was accurate. This time. But with a bit of a scare.
That would have me paranoid. Not sure I could take roll the quick and dirty way. I'd always be second guessing myself. Did I count correctly, etc.
ReplyDeletebetty
Yeah, those "oh crap!" moments are enough to give a person a heart attack! Glad it worked out not to be an issue. :)
ReplyDeleteMe too :)
DeleteSometimes me doing thins quick and dirty will for sure get me in trouble!! Glad you got that straightened out.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's why it's not my usual method of taking attendance.
DeleteThat sounds nerve-wracking. I'm so glad I'm not a classroom teacher!
ReplyDeleteMost classroom teachers know the kiddos, so they don't have these attendance issues.
DeleteI'm sure they were hiding in order to mess with your count :P
ReplyDeleteI would have freaked out a bit too haha glad it all worked out :)
ReplyDeleteYeah. That's why I should just actually take roll...
DeleteAh, shortcuts. Mostly they work. But when they don't - happy this worked out in the end.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I should just do the full roll and then this sort of thing wouldn't happen.
DeleteThe best part is that the students didn't know your dilemma.
ReplyDeleteGlad it all worked out.
ReplyDeleteMe too :)
DeleteOh, that horrid sinking feeling. Glad it worked out ok.
ReplyDeleteWow I thought you might get a break
ReplyDeleteDo you ever have kids that change their name during roll call? I remember in high school one guy changed his name to OJ. And from there it all went down hill. Next in line was PB&J. I don't even remember what else they came up with. Luckily the teacher (not a sub, just a new teacher for the class) was pretty easy going and went along with it. Eventually the real names came out.
ReplyDeleteI avoid calling roll. When I'm standing in front of a student, one on one, with a roster in my hand and asking their name so I can mark them present, they tend to tell me their real names.
DeleteThe responsibilities you face never end. ~shakes head~ Glad it worked out. Be well, my dear.
ReplyDeleteIf I were to list the three most important responsibilities I have, taking roll is number 2.
DeleteI get why you don't want to call roll. They tend to be silly, don't they.
ReplyDeleteMostly loud. And there are so many crazy names that I will massacre at least one of them. And then they make fun of the poor student whose name I mangled, which is so not the student's fault. I'd rather walk the room.
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