Professor's point of view - A teachable moment?

After the "Teacher Panel" I had posted an email communicating a point of view as a professor and the coordinator of a community of individuals who had voluntarily requested to be a part of a "learning community".

There are a number of factors that contribute to being a learning community.... 1) an opportunity to reside together in close proximity to develop acquaintances and friends within the community sharing a common career goal; 2) taking some classes together to foster collaborative studying and mutual assistance; and 3) to have unique weekly programming to enhance professional development and community building/networking.

The process started with the blog during the summer to share some information and feel a part of the 2007 Education Learning Community.

The FYC and the weekly ELC programs provide opportunities and information that are not made available to other freshman education majors as an ongoing commitment of the College of Education, Health and Human Services.

A professor's position with respect to attendance is that "a student is responsible for attending all sessions of all classes and programs in which they enroll and in which there may be an assessment of the student's learning and/or participation." When part of a group or community, the group or community experience is dependent upon participating in the group or community.

Professors view studying as an important and critical activity of students. We also know that there are 168 hours in a week. You be the professor! Put yourself in my place.

Based upon the preceding, HERE IS THE BIG QUESTION....

Is studying a legitimate reason for not attending required classes or programs?

Or think about it in a little different way... you are a teacher.

You have spent several hours developing a lesson for a student who for the class period of instruction, skips it to go to a study hall to complete homework that was due yesterday. What would you do?

Five weeks in... How are you preparing for midterms?

Well we've passed our fifth week... the craziness of the first start-up weeks and the great weather have possibly delayed the reality of tests and assignments that seem weekly from week 4 to week 12 of the semester.

It's in the fifth week that you have to start looking ahead to midterms. Start organizing your notes, catch up on readings, and prepare some "test study aids". At this point as you study new material to prepare for class, review previous material so you can fit the new material in with the previous.

Well this is a blog and through it you can help each other.... Please share a study tip or strategy that you use.