Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Go Back                 Tip Posted on September 19, 2012 1:15 am Add to Favorites Zafer Unal Reps: 1007 How to save time when taking attendance Do not waste class time by calling out students' names in order to take roll. Once students are at work, take roll. If you have a seating chart, you can see who is absent in one sweep. Elementary teachers have many options: You can write each student's name on a clothes pin and pin it to a chart near the door. As students come in, they place their pin in a small bucket. Or, vice versa. The pins could be placed in the box and the student takes his or hers out and places it on the chart. (Especially useful if you have to do a lunch/milk count.) Votes: +14 / -0 This Tip Is Useful   This Tip Is Not Useful   Comments posted for this Tip: 11 ypedeD Reps: 102 I like to get my students working first before I take attendence in class. In the Elem. grade levels, the students have so much to do first thing in the morning. Depending on your morning routine in your classroom, it may be difficult to add more steps just for attendence. I like to get hte students started on their classwork assignemt, then take attendace. It may even be possible to assign a student to take attendence in the beginning of class.   Posted on: February 22, 2013 3:27 pm ypedeD Reps: 102 I like to get my students working first before I take attendence in class. In the Elem. grade levels, the students have so much to do first thing in the morning. Depending on your morning routine in your classroom, it may be difficult to add more steps just for attendence. I like to get hte students started on their classwork assignemt, then take attendace. It may even be possible to assign a student to take attendence in the beginning of class.   Posted on: February 22, 2013 3:27 pm WuGusa Reps: 100 I think it is more beneficial to silently take roll once the students are seated in their assigned seats. If students think that they have free time to talk then they will be loud during roll call and it can be hard to get the student's back on track.   Posted on: September 28, 2015 10:39 pm PezaLe Reps: 203 I agree with this post. I believe that saving time while taking attendance helps the students get the most instructional time. The teachers have to remember to take the attendance in some way. If they are very creative they can find the easiest method. I believe that teachers should make the most time out the instruction, I differ with interrupting the students thought pattern when they are already started on their classwork. Having the students become responsible for their own task will help the teacher get more completed in classroom.   Posted on: October 2, 2015 6:33 pm uZyvaP Reps: 204 I agree; assigned seats make it easy to see who is absent. I would do the attendance while students are doing morning activities or during morning announcements/pledge. The idea of having the students check in with the clothespins works well also.   Posted on: October 4, 2015 3:14 am eSyTyt Reps: 101 I agree but also disagree with this post because I feel like it is more meaningful to learn you students name by calling it out rather than having them take their own attendance in another matter.   Posted on: October 16, 2015 1:10 am Lawrence Poluchowicz Reps: 201 I like these ideas for knowing your students; however, I think that I should call out my student's names on the first couple of days. This can help me know my students by name.   Posted on: October 6, 2018 6:09 pm Kelly Brown Reps: 100 I like these choices and if your school has a Promethean bird and class dojo you can keep track of attendance that way. As the students come in they can tap their name to show they are here and save the attendance.   Posted on: October 25, 2020 2:40 pm geTuPa Reps: 200 The clothespin idea is a great way to organize the students entering the class and hold them accountable for marking themselves present. It also makes attendance an easier task for the teacher   Posted on: October 28, 2021 8:22 am ePaXej Reps: 208 Taking attendance is probably the most significant waste of time, but I understand the administrative reasoning. I like the suggestion of using clothespins. If you are greeting students at the door when the students are walking in, why not use this time to knock out your attendance. This will also allow you to assign morning work and get the students started with their school day. If you have tardy students, the office is pretty good about taking care of this. Great advice!   Posted on: April 11, 2022 4:46 pm eDezaN Reps: 100 Hello, I liked your ideas on how to take attendance while the students are working. I also thought the clothespin idea is nice, but I think sometimes students will forget to do this so this might not always be the best option.   Posted on: October 8, 2023 9:53 pm Add a Comment