Taking Daily Attendance

Keeping accurate attendance records is very important. This is especially true when something happens in a school and the administration needs to know where all students were at the time. It is not uncommon for law enforcement agencies to contact schools and ask if a student was present or absent on a particular day. Therefore, make sure that you take the time to keep accurate attendance records.

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Why Daily School Attendance Matters

By Colette Bennett

At the beginning of the school year, you can use your attendance list as a means to help you learn each student's name. However, once you know everyone in the class, you should be able to go through your list quickly and quietly. Two things can help you do this smoothly: daily warm-ups and assigned seating. If you have students answer a couple of questions at the beginning of each class period through a posted daily warm up, this will give you the time you need to complete your attendance records and deal with a couple of other housekeeping issues before your lesson begins. Further, if you have students sit in the same seat each day, then if you will know someone is absent from their empty seat.

Each school will have a different method for collecting attendance sheets.

• If you have to send your attendance down to the office each day, assign a student each week to be responsible and have them do this quietly, and without disruption.
• If you have to post your attendance sheets for someone to collect from your classroom, make sure that the location for the sheets is right by the door.