Canceling class...excellent or unexcellent

[MrsMoose]

Just curious what the current thoughts are for classes that don’t “make” and am not knowledgeable enough to make a poll.

1. Cancelling events makes a teacher look flighty regardless
2. Canceling close to the day of class if it’s EMPTY to free up the space is excellent
3. Cancelling should be done for any class that doesn’t make so an area isn’t taken up by one or two people

I can see both sides of the coin on this.

[Cairenn_Day]

I very rarely ever cancel class. If there’s at least one person signed up for it I will do my best not to cancel unless I’m just too sick to come to this place. If no one has signed up by midday of the day of the class it will depend on how I’m feeling and damn there has been another class that I would like to take that I can get into at the same time. Yeah I’m a little selfish today. I believe I have canceled maybe an average of two classes a year over all the time I’ve been teaching. And I know some of those was just when I was too sick to teach. Speaking as someone who takes classes also if I tried taking a class from a teacher and it got cancelled because it hadn’t made and then that happened the second time it’s likely that I would not even bother paying attention to that teachers classes from then on. I have had classes fail the day of the class and I have had classes that had filled far ahead canceled Within an hour of the class starting… And I will be frank when I saw the weather forecast I figured my class was going to vanish on me flash flood warnings for Carrollton that come out at 6:15 are very discouraging for a class at 7. I was already at this place are I might consider doing the same thing just because of the long drive up there and that silly railroad crossing were water collects. Yep we’ve ground the car out there once before luckily we got through it we just had a very wet charging system that had to dry out before we can go home and I don’t like not getting home.

[Bill]

• Cancelling if one or two are registered is not excellent. They planned their lives around attending.
• Cancelling within six days means no other honorarium class can use that time slot.
• Cancelling within two days means no other event can use that slot.

[bpamplin]

Check the second paragraph oh my comments on running a class.

@bpamplin

When you are ready to submit a class, ask yourself, “Am I willing to drive to DMS on a cold wet night while I feel crummy to teach one person that may not show up?” If not, don’t post the class.

Thoughts on developing and running a class

While helping several teachers-to-be develop electronics classes, I throw out quite a few suggestions. I’ve been asked to make a list which follows. Some items may be controversial. I look forward to your view. Let’s be civil and expand this thread into a list of additional things that we think is useful in developing and running a class. Much of this, like slide presentation info, may not apply to other areas. I hope some thoughts here may be helpful. When you are ready to submit a class…

[jswilson64]

Canceling because “people are registered but not enough to make honorarium” is not excellent.

[MrsMoose]

So you don’t think members would see a class is happening and assume the tool or area is still reserved? Or, if class is to be held without registered students with nobody in it in case someone does show, will membership be upset Joe Schmoe is just sitting around not letting them use the tool/comittee area?

I don’t know that I could cancel something far enough out for another honorarium class. Mine tend to fill in the few days ahead. In time for another event might be possible

(I have never canceled a class with registered students. I would hope anyone looking at them could see that. Included that option to prevent bias in the poll choices)

[Nick]

@MrsMoose

So you don’t think members would see a class is happening and assume the tool or area is still reserved? Or, if class is to be held without registered students with nobody in it in case someone does show, will membership be upset Joe Schmoe is just sitting around not letting them use the tool/comittee area?

These questions don’t make since given the statement that @bill was responding to. Seems like you are changing the question after he responded.

[MrsMoose]

My interpretation of @Bill last two bullets was that canceling the class wouldn’t have relevancy since the time to book it would be past. My logic when I’ve canceled empty classes is to free up the tool or area instead of sitting around for a drop in if nobody has signed up by the day before. I can also see where excellence is to keep it up just incase that one guy does decided at the last minute to come.

[MrsMoose]

If people were showing support for that option I’d agree. It was included so the options were not biased. Membership is fine to have a thing reserved for a 1:1 if necessary which is a pleasant surprise. I half expected people to say otherwise

[Nick]

Thanks for that clarification, stating in the affirmative and citing the particular points helps understand your point. The questions just left too much to guess.

[jswilson64]

@rbox80

only teach for the “honorarium”

Which brings it back to “employee” vs. “volunteer.”

IMO honorarium should be decided after the class has been taught and students have evaluated the class / teacher. Teaching a class with expectation of getting paid (for more than supplies) up front is being paid to teach, i.e., a job.

[Ferman]

@jswilson64

IMO honorarium should be decided after the class has been taught and students have evaluated the class / teacher.

Now there’s an honorarium criteria idea.

[Bill]

@MrsMoose

My interpretation of @Bill last two bullets was that canceling the class wouldn’t have relevancy since the time to book it would be past. My logic when I’ve canceled empty classes is to free up the tool or area instead of sitting around for a drop in if nobody has signed up by the day before. I can also see where excellence is to keep it up just incase that one guy does decided at the last minute to come.

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Oh, you were focused on the tool while I was focused on the classroom space. Understood now.

Some people do come to class at the last moment. More than once, I did not register for a class I was merely curious about, not wanting to take a seat from someone who really wanted it. But when I went to register on class day, it had been cancelled.

[MrsMoose]

Yes. Most if the classes I teach are either reserving a tool or a comittee area since they’re projects

[Edenblue]

If no one has signed up I dont see a problem. Now, if one person signed up and it wouldn’t qualify for honorarium so the instructor cancelled, like some do, that’s pretty despicable.

[MrsMoose]

Totally agree! Most uncool

For example felting this Saturday is still empty. Its in the CA studio. Just got me thinking about the “excellent” way to handle it given the popularity of CA…but also the felting classes I’ve taught in the past are prime for drop ins

[Edenblue]

I dont think in that case it would be unexcellent. Even though a class cant be in that spot there are always people ready to use that table. But it’s up to you!