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[just_dave]

Do people have a minimum number of students they would "do class" with?  Would you lecture if only one person in a class or 20 showed up?

[iomhaigh]

Do people have a minimum number of students they would "do class" with?  Would you lecture if only one person in a class or 20 showed up?

I would make sure that that one person had a perfect understanding of the topic for the day, give a quiz to make sure (full-credit regardless), go over the quiz, discuss how that topic will be on the final and then give a test on the next day to everyone. 

I haven't walked out on my students yet, but I have sent them all home before when no one had the reading done.  I give a quiz first.  Then I send them home.  Then they have another quiz on the material they hadn't read the last time and whatever was due the next time. 

[just_dave]

While a student in Germany, I once braved wind and snow to get to a 7-10pm Russian language class.  I was the only one there.  Then just as I was getting ready to head back home through the storm, the prof showed up.

He explained (in German then Russian) that since I had gone to all the effort to show up, he would go ahead with the class.  So for the next three unbroken hours he drilled me one on one in Russian.  It was horrible.

[clean]

Dave,

You got an education that night. You have one on one tutoring with the professor.  Clearly you needed it, or it would not have been horrible! 

clean

[infopri]

Okay, clearly I must be a sap.  OP's situation has never happened to me (but I've never taught before 9:30, lucky me), but if it did, I'd wait 15 minutes.  (Or, at least, I would have, before reading this thread.)  I would most definitely not lecture to an empty room.

BTW, if any students did finally show up before I left, there'd be hell to pay for being so late.

[cc_alan]

Okay, clearly I must be a sap.  OP's situation has never happened to me (but I've never taught before 9:30, lucky me), but if it did, I'd wait 15 minutes.  (Or, at least, I would have, before reading this thread.)  I would most definitely not lecture to an empty room.

BTW, if any students did finally show up before I left, there'd be hell to pay for being so late.

Even though I tell my students I would, I wouldn't really lecture to an empty room.

I've also never had the situation the op described. If it did happen, I'd do a rough estimate as to how far I would have been able to get through the material and pick up at that point the next class meeting. I'd also start daily quizzes right at the beginning of the period and do it for the rest of the quarter.

I'd probably be pretty evil about it. Comments about how good the class participation was and how well they seemed to understand the material. In fact, it might be interesting to tell them that many of the exam questions will come directly from that day. A bonus since they "participated" so well.

Alan

[old_school]

A lot of good responses.

I too wouldn't wait a full 15 minutes, maybe 5 to 10 (max)

I would start giving quizzes at the beginning of class, but dictate the question ie verbally. Anyone walking in late would not be able simply pick up a quiz sheet and would be out of luck.

And I would test them on the material I had planned to cover that day. No way would I lecture to an empty class room.

I have told students (privately) who are notoriously late almost every class session not to come in if they can't manage to be on time. I will tolerate the occasional student being late, but not regularly, and especially if there is no reason.


Shame on institutions whose "culture" allows this sort of disrespect to education and their instructors. It's a disservice to all of us (including the students).

[crazybatlady]

Wow. OP, I'd love to hear your answers to some of the questions you've been asked here about your institution's tendencies regarding time and about how many students are registered for your class.

I teach early morning classes (they are often my favorites, in fact), and I've never had an entire class absent. Never.

Good luck--you've gotten great advice here!

cbl

[au_fait]

I find this thread fascinating. I've never had this happen. I make a big deal if close to 1/3rd aren't there. If 1/2 aren't there I give a quiz over material they should know, then allow them to work on the quiz in groups. Those in attendance get the answers right. Those not there aren't allowed to make up the work. It's not extra credit, so while it helps the attending students to some extent, it hurts the absent students' points.

I would not lecture to an empty room, same goes for conference presentations. 

[infopri]

I find this thread fascinating. I've never had this happen. I make a big deal if close to 1/3rd aren't there. If 1/2 aren't there I give a quiz over material they should know, then allow them to work on the quiz in groups. Those in attendance get the answers right. Those not there aren't allowed to make up the work. It's not extra credit, so while it helps the attending students to some extent, it hurts the absent students' points.

I have, on occasion, had 1/3 or more of the class missing, especially when there was something going on (just before spring break, etc.).  The missing students are given reason to regret the absence when they finally show up.

I would not lecture to an empty room, same goes for conference presentations. 

I did once present to a huge room with only six attendees present.  It was awful.  (It was the last time slot on the last day of a multi-track conference.)  I felt I had to give the presentation anyway, but it sucked, both for me and for the six people.  We all should have just called it a day and headed home.

[au_fait]

I find this thread fascinating. I've never had this happen. I make a big deal if close to 1/3rd aren't there. If 1/2 aren't there I give a quiz over material they should know, then allow them to work on the quiz in groups. Those in attendance get the answers right. Those not there aren't allowed to make up the work. It's not extra credit, so while it helps the attending students to some extent, it hurts the absent students' points.

I have, on occasion, had 1/3 or more of the class missing, especially when there was something going on (just before spring break, etc.).  The missing students are given reason to regret the absence when they finally show up.

I would not lecture to an empty room, same goes for conference presentations. 

I did once present to a huge room with only six attendees present.  It was awful.  (It was the last time slot on the last day of a multi-track conference.)  I felt I had to give the presentation anyway, but it sucked, both for me and for the six people.  We all should have just called it a day and headed home.

I find this happens at more and more conferences. Especially if you draw the 8 am Sat presentation. Arugh. I've also been one of 2-6 people listening. Sigh.

FYI I've taught 8am classes, and my students know to  be on time (doesn't always mean they are). I've also taught 8 am Sat classes IN THE SUMMER. Almost everyone was there on time. Probably b/c they were serious students.

[gesualdo]

I guarantee that when the prof. is late, the students all sit out in the hall and debate how long they have to wait for they can leave.  They certainly won't wait any longer than they think they absolutely have to.  Nor should you.  Determine what you think is reasonable, let your students know, and stick to it.

I think your situation is really rare though.  I've never seen a class completely devoid of students on any given day, regardless of what time it's taught.  The beginning-of-the-period quiz sounds like a good idea to me.

[brunhilde]

At both my undergrad and grad institutions, we had an informal 5 minute rule. If the professor didn't show up for 5 minutes, we would leave. There have been times when the professor was late and we would start discussing the 5 minute rule, but I can't remember a time when we actually left. Usually the prof would show up just when talked about leaving.

[just_dave]

At German universities, both students and teachers talk of "die akademische Viertel" (the academic quarter) which means that the prof is expected to walk in 15minutes after the official start time but when the prof does arrive there's no messing around.  Students are expected to be in their seats, to have gotten out their materials, found their pens, had their chats with their friends, and now be ready to give full attention to the prof.   This is particularly true for "Vorlesungen" (literally "reading before") when the prof might walk in, pull out his or her lecture notes and read them to the students for an hour or two before snapping them shut and wordlessly leaving the classroom.

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akademische_Zeitangabe

[bioclem]

I teach rather large classes early in the morning, and at times, the attendance is rather sparse.  Many faculty here wait until there is "critical mass" before starting their lectures.  I followed this principle in my first year, when the majority of the students, conditioned to coming late, didn't trickle in until 10 or 15 minutes after the start of class.  As many people have pointed out, the main problem with this approach is that students begin to show up later and later for the lectures.  After the failed "experiment" of my first year (at the end of the semester, I had students trickling in at least 30 minutes late to class), I now start lecture on time for every class, regardless of how many students are there.  Usually, within the first couple of days of class, the students get the idea, and now most students are typically there within five minutes of the start of lecture.