I tried on a recent flake to replace them with a stand-by person and was unable to. And I set my registration to up to 30 min after class so that wasn’t it.
I had heard that too, but I could not do it when I went in there to try it
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It was my turn today. I had six signed up and only one showed. My friend who came earlier for a rocket build decided to register and stay for the class, so I had two.
The difference is that I reserved the Interactive Classroom and did not set a limit on the number of seats. So the no shows did not preclude anybody else from taking the class.
Stuff happens…
Do you know how long ago you scheduled your class and when the majority of the students signed up?
I scheduled it ten to eleven days in advance and three people had been registered for most of the week that it has been on the calender and none of those showed. The one who did show up registered within the last day and my friend signed up as the class was starting.
I’m in the same situation as @kyrithia . I limit my project classes to 5 people, because that’s the max I can teach effectively, and that’s the amount of tools we have to teach with. Even then, “simple” leather working projects take at least 3 hours. Many of my classes have gone 4+ hours.
I understand the 3 person minimum is there to prevent instructors from gaming the system, but maybe it’s time to change this approach.
I think an Instructor needs the approval of their SIG Leader, or Committee chair to host classes. That should be the responsibility of the existing leader.
Instructors who teach a class should get an honorarium. Require a sign in sheet at class time. SIG leaders, or committee chairs, receive attendance sheets for added accountability. I realize this puts more responsibility on the SIG Leaders and Committee chairs to police classes, but it has to be done by someone.
I think this would help those instructors who want to teach, want honorarium, and have classes that have registrations, but then have no-shows. Instructors then would not be negatively (monetarily) impacted by no-shows. Instructors are accountable to their SIG or Committee leaders.
Addressing student no-shows becomes a separate issue.
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I like the cut of your jib, mister!
Not that I’m aware of. All you need is a willingness to teach. The resources (rooms and workspaces) are there for anyone to use and reserve. I will agree that as a courtesy you should work with the department chair if you’re going to reserve something like the electronics or CA room.
I meant “should need approval”, for added accountability.
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oh well I guess our community needs a fraternity. we can call it Krappa Krappa Krappa.
Ever taken a college class? You can pay all you want and if you don’t show, do you think the teacher cares? Nope. You just fail the poor bastich. in a sense that’s what we’re talking about here - how do we ‘fail’ a student/member? I fail them by making them pay again if they want to take a later class after missing the first one (exceptions being if they have emailed me with a good reason).
The honorariums are nice and they keep the committee funded for new and replacement items. But if it comes down to it, I don’t rely on the personal portion. I would still do the HAAS class if only one or two people showed.
In the end - we all have to decide WHY we want to teach. Considering tools are a shared resource - by approving others to use them, aren’t we creating more competition for ourselves for using the tool? should that be a consideration? NO. that would be selfish. we are hopefully doing it to help our little community since what we end up doing is creating more work for ourselves. there will always exist the ‘self entitled’ who feel you are there to serve them because they paid their $50. Best to learn to live with that or get out of the game.
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I just had an idea, we send folks a reminder that the cancellation time is close
What if we required folks to confirm, again at that time? Not that they would
be lose their place, but that would show up as an unconfirmed.
Then the teacher could adjust their plans, like let folks on stand by know,
email them to ask if they intend to show up, Folks do have computer and internet issues so I don t want to penalize someone for a not getting an email, Make it a reply to confirm
As the teacher I’m doing my part in offering the class, being prepared and showing up (on time) to teach it.
I’m not one for babysitting, sending reminders, begging students to show up. Anything that creates more work to do that will certainly just make me want to teach less. All my classes are for
those 18 and up which by today’s standards are classified as adults. I leave it to them to act accordingly
and show up, or cancel in the allotted time.
If everyone is late or doesn’t show up, I’m perfectly ok with talking to an empty room. I certainly do not ‘back up’ for the tardy.
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^This
This statement should be shouted from ever corner of DMS.
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I think Cairenn was referencing an automated email confirmation.
Not happening right now.
It was a desired feature in the next generation.
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Steve is correct If they don t confirm the the teacher would know that they were
iffy. If they wanted to post rhat they might have room for some stand bys
Over 180 credit classes and 60 hours of auditing. Yes I’ve taken a college class. You’re being demeaning without cause. As to why those teachers don’t care when a college kid flakes…it’s because the punishment doesn’t fall on them if they do. Even then I’ve had plenty who care because it’s rude.
You can afford to eat it if a herd of no shows kills honorarium…ok fabulous. 80% of classes last I heard requested one so you’re a minority there. However like I said the disrespectfulness of it is what’s caused me to take a break from teaching at DMS specifically. If as a little community we want to make that the standard we will not entirely dry up our supply of teachers but we will be limiting ourselves to a VERY small portion of people who can afford to maybe (probably) pay for the “privilege” of teaching at DMS and don’t mind the essential middle finger when people don’t show or are supremely late. Make no mistake someone always mentions how a teacher can charge a fee to curb this and yet everyone who charges a fee gets a side eye and a SPCA soundtrack as they’re given the speech from Sanctimonious Member 42 about how this is a community and classes shouldn’t be used for personal profit.
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It’s bottom line disrespect from people who no-show, no-call a class. Because it’s free or cheap, they don’t value the teachings or the teachers. Classs should cost more and be paid up front just like any other place that offers education. There is a reason these educational operations do it that way, because it works.
One caveat though, the honorarium system could still be used for access classes. These all should be free to the members as it’s a requirement by the organization to use. Afterwards classes offered to teach and train, should be charged and much more.
The sanctimony can be thick sometimes …Lol
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An alternate view:
Teach because you like to teach.
Teach because you like to help others learn.
Teach because you enjoy passing information on to others.
Then, each pupil which appears is a gift from the heavens, because you have another opportunity to impart knowledge, wisdom, or at the very least, procedure to another willing soul.
Attend classes because you enjoy them.
Attend classes because you want to learn.
Attend classes because you cannot WAIT to assimilate new, different, or at least, confirmed, information.
Attend classes because you want to become part of this zeitgeist, learn our ways, our methods, our procedures, become a part of this community.
Then, each time an instructor walks through the door will be like manna from above, because it will nourish your soul and feed your mind.
Which of these sides is your role for the moment, rejoice that you can be a part of this wonderful machine that we have made. The $50.00 honorarium to say ‘thank you for teaching’ becomes a welcome by-product.
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I feel like I just left Sunday services…very inspirational.
It’s definitely about Value … I agree on that…now it’s up to each of us to determine what is valuable to us.
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I teach because I love to, The honorariums let me teach more of the
distance to the space and gas costs
I sometimes submit classes that I do not expect to make, if the make that
is icing on the cake. If they don t , fine then the person that wanted to learn had a chance to
While none of us like any action that increases the load on the teacher, here are a couple of approaches that are not too bad. PlasmaCAM attendance is generally good. I will probably take Jay’s approach to my electronics classes which are more of a problem.
@jphelps includes this in a class description:
Note: Due to a recent increase in no-shows/no-cancelations you must be approved by the instructor to attend the class. I will compare applicants against recent no-shows and, if you’re on the list, you will need to provide an explanation for your previous behavior and why you’ll make it this time.
https://calendar.dallasmakerspace.org/events/view/4294
I sent this email to my most recent class:
Subject: PlasmaCAM class November 6
Thanks for signing up for the PlasmaCAM class tomorrow evening. I hope to see you there.
If for any reason you are unable to attend, please cancel as early as possible. Your fee will be refunded.
No shows and late cancellations are causing lots of problems that are not well understood outside the teacher community.
https://talk.dallasmakerspace.org/t/five-no-shows-a-late-cancellation-and-no-honorarium/28055
Thanks,
Brady
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