Whenever I talk to teachers I don't usually have to wait long
before they start listing their concerns about students. I
wonder what would come top of your list of teachers’ complaints
about student behavior. My guess is that punctuality would come
pretty high. It doesn’t sound too difficult on the surface to
insist that students should come on time to their lessons but in
practice there may be factors that make the lateness habit
difficult to break.
Take country cultures, for example.
Some countries, notably those in northern Europe or North
America place a high value on punctuality. To be late is
considered rude, sloppy, even insulting behavior. But in other
countries, punctuality is not valued in the same way. Time is
seen in a much less rigid way so being a late is quite
acceptable. I remember attending an appointment in the south of
France for which I was dutifully a few minutes early. After I
had waited for fifteen minutes, I asked the secretary what was
causing the delay. She looked quite surprised and said that the
person I was seeing naturally didn’t me expect to arrive
punctually and expected the appointment to take place about 30
minutes after the agreed time.
Personal circumstances can
also be difficult for students too. Adults coming to evening
classes, for example, might find themselves delayed by work or
home commitments. I once had a student who was often late
because he had to have regular kidney dialysis that was
scheduled to end just before his class.
I think the trick
is to weigh up the situation and then work round it. If it is a
problem affecting just one or two students, ask them what it is
that makes them late. If they have difficult circumstances, then
you have to be understanding. If it affects many class members
and you feel it will be impossible to change their behavior,
devise a strategy for using the first ten minutes of the lesson
in a way that will mean you are not going to be interrupted in
full flow as the late comers arrive.
For example, you
could assign that time for homework review. Get students to work
in pairs, comparing their homework and circulate among them
giving a helping hand and answering questions. Once everyone has
turned up to class, you can begin the lesson proper. Okay, it’s
a solution that may seem defeatist but you can’t change cultural
norms and you need to understand when things are tough for
students. And one thing is sure. If you discuss the issue with
the class and suggest this solution, then if they don’t like it,
they will probably make the effort to come on time. Win-win, or
what?
About the Author:
Brenda Townsend Hall, a contributing editor to ESLemployment, is
a writer in the fields of English for business, cross-cultural
awareness and business communications. Interested in receiving
TEFL job listings weekly for free? To learn more visit
TEFL Jobs.
