Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post

Gilda · 08-31-2006, 04:41 PM

I had to post quick and take care of supper, so to be a little bit more clear:

Being on time can have various meanings, and not all of them are equal in importance.

For work/school (which are the same thing for me), "on time" to me means ready to begin.

When I taught middle school, I interpreted "on time" as meaning in the room when the bell began to ring. I held myself to the same standard. I had other incentives, like a two minute quiz at the bell, and privileges earned for no tardies and no absenses.

For my university classes, I'm basically the same way. I do what I can to be on time every day, and I expect my students to be the same. I've had some complaints that I'm not treating my students like adults, which is ridiculous. I'm doing the opposite--I'm expecting them to act like responsible adults and be on time, every class period, to the class to which they committed their time. Some professors I know of cruise in sometime in the first five minutes of class and chit chat for a couple of minute while they get prepared, in part to account for those students who are routinely a few minutes late. I strongly dislike this. I think it's teaching students the wrong lesson, that they can expect others to accommodate their lack of good planning.

I hate faculty meetings and local conferences. I've worked at enough schools to see the same pattern again and again. At most schools, many teachers are chronically late, administrators routinely start meetings five or ten minutes after the designated time to account for this, and the teachers have had a bad tendancy to chat after the meeting had begun or during presentations. Local conferences run by the school district were hideously awful. If it began at 8:00, that's when people would begin drifting in. There was even "mingling and refreshment" time built in to the beginning of each of these meetings. Drove me crazy, but, it was explained to me as if I were a small, slow child, that it was just adjusting to the reality of the situation that teachers tend to show up over a period of time and want to talk with friends and colleagues they hadn't seen in awhile.

I get that*, but I think it's the wrong attitude to take. Teachers cruise in late, spend fifteen minutes snacking and talking because it's built in, because they expect it. If you run your training sessions/meetings by starting them consistently on time, people would get the point that they're actually expected to act like professionals and start work when work starts.

I had a principal about three years back, unfortunately for just two years, who did not allow this to happen. When there was a staff meeting at 7:30, the staff meeting started when the second hand hit the zero on the clock at 7:30. He'd start talking at that second, and if someone came in late, the group would get a reminder of the time, and those who were on time would get a thank you. Anybody skipping, as some long-time veterans did, would get called in individually to explain why.

I loved it. Expect them to act like professionals, and demonstrate this by holding them accountable for professional behavior.

In personal meetups, it depends on how things are worded. Some agreements have a firmer deadline than others.

If you make an appointment at a specific time, you need to be there by that time at the absolute latest. A few minutes early isn't a problem, but a few minutes late can be. Sissy knows that if we're meeting her and her boyfriend to see a movie together, if they aren't there at the appointed time, we're going in and getting our seats and they're going to have to come find us. I am not missing the beginning of the movie due to someone else's tardiness.

Other appointments are more fluid. Dr. KGB brought her kids over last Saturday for us to babysit while she and hubby took a few hours of time for themselves. The told us they'd be there "between nine and ten. There was no need for a specific time given that there were no deadlines involved, and we were at home, so it's not like we were wasting time waiting, so a fluid appointment time was appropriate. I would have expected, however, that she'd have called if they were going to be after 10:00, which she would have given that she's as much of a hardass concerning tardiness in her classes as I am in mine.

At least one party I went to last year worked the opposite. It was a formal dress dinner party, and the invitations said 6:00. I insisted on being on time, and we were the second couple to arrive, the other couple being close friends of the host and hostess and were helping set up. Most people trickled in between 6:15 and 6:30, and the actual party didn't start until 6:45. Apparently, as it was explained to me later, this is how it's supposed to work. They don't expect anyone to be there at the posted time, and they want people trickling in one or two at a time because it makes it easier to meet and greet than with everyone in a close span of time.

In general:

If there is a specific appointment time, I'm going to try my best to arrive within the five minutes prior to the actual time, and expect that others will be there by the appointed time at the latest.

If there is a range, I shoot for the first five minutes of the specified range, and do not want to be there after the midpoint. I expect everyone to be there by the end of the range at the latest.

If I agree to a specific time, and then do not honor that agreement, I'm not being honest with the other person, which is both rude and disrespectful. Sure, unexpected delays happen on occasion, but being habitually late is a choice, one that is on some level dishonest.

Gilda

*I mean that I understand that they want to do this, not why. I've never been one to see socializing as an important aspect of an education conference or training session.

08-31-2006, 04:41 PM	#28 (permalink)
Gilda 32 flavors and then some Location: Out on a wire.	I had to post quick and take care of supper, so to be a little bit more clear: Being on time can have various meanings, and not all of them are equal in importance. For work/school (which are the same thing for me), "on time" to me means ready to begin. When I taught middle school, I interpreted "on time" as meaning in the room when the bell began to ring. I held myself to the same standard. I had other incentives, like a two minute quiz at the bell, and privileges earned for no tardies and no absenses. For my university classes, I'm basically the same way. I do what I can to be on time every day, and I expect my students to be the same. I've had some complaints that I'm not treating my students like adults, which is ridiculous. I'm doing the opposite--I'm expecting them to act like responsible adults and be on time, every class period, to the class to which they committed their time. Some professors I know of cruise in sometime in the first five minutes of class and chit chat for a couple of minute while they get prepared, in part to account for those students who are routinely a few minutes late. I strongly dislike this. I think it's teaching students the wrong lesson, that they can expect others to accommodate their lack of good planning. I hate faculty meetings and local conferences. I've worked at enough schools to see the same pattern again and again. At most schools, many teachers are chronically late, administrators routinely start meetings five or ten minutes after the designated time to account for this, and the teachers have had a bad tendancy to chat after the meeting had begun or during presentations. Local conferences run by the school district were hideously awful. If it began at 8:00, that's when people would begin drifting in. There was even "mingling and refreshment" time built in to the beginning of each of these meetings. Drove me crazy, but, it was explained to me as if I were a small, slow child, that it was just adjusting to the reality of the situation that teachers tend to show up over a period of time and want to talk with friends and colleagues they hadn't seen in awhile. I get that, but I think it's the wrong attitude to take. Teachers cruise in late, spend fifteen minutes snacking and talking because it's built in, because they expect it. If you run your training sessions/meetings by starting them consistently on time, people would get the point that they're actually expected to act like professionals and start work when work starts. I had a principal about three years back, unfortunately for just two years, who did not allow this to happen. When there was a staff meeting at 7:30, the staff meeting started when the second hand hit the zero on the clock at 7:30. He'd start talking at that second, and if someone came in late, the group would get a reminder of the time, and those who were on time would get a thank you. Anybody skipping, as some long-time veterans did, would get called in individually to explain why. I loved it. Expect them to act like professionals, and demonstrate this by holding them accountable for professional behavior. In personal meetups, it depends on how things are worded. Some agreements have a firmer deadline than others. If you make an appointment at a specific time, you need to be there by that time at the absolute latest. A few minutes early isn't a problem, but a few minutes late can be. Sissy knows that if we're meeting her and her boyfriend to see a movie together, if they aren't there at the appointed time, we're going in and getting our seats and they're going to have to come find us. I am not missing the beginning of the movie due to someone else's tardiness. Other appointments are more fluid. Dr. KGB brought her kids over last Saturday for us to babysit while she and hubby took a few hours of time for themselves. The told us they'd be there "between nine and ten. There was no need for a specific time given that there were no deadlines involved, and we were at home, so it's not like we were wasting time waiting, so a fluid appointment time was appropriate. I would have expected, however, that she'd have called if they were going to be after 10:00, which she would have given that she's as much of a hardass concerning tardiness in her classes as I am in mine. At least one party I went to last year worked the opposite. It was a formal dress dinner party, and the invitations said 6:00. I insisted on being on time, and we were the second couple to arrive, the other couple being close friends of the host and hostess and were helping set up. Most people trickled in between 6:15 and 6:30, and the actual party didn't start until 6:45. Apparently, as it was explained to me later, this is how it's supposed to work. They don't expect anyone to be there at the posted time, and they want people trickling in one or two at a time because it makes it easier to meet and greet than with everyone in a close span of time. In general: If there is a specific appointment time, I'm going to try my best to arrive within the five minutes prior to the actual time, and expect that others will be there by the appointed time at the latest. If there is a range, I shoot for the first five minutes of the specified range, and do not want to be there after the midpoint. I expect everyone to be there by the end of the range at the latest. If I agree to a specific time, and then do not honor that agreement, I'm not being honest with the other person, which is both rude and disrespectful. Sure, unexpected delays happen on occasion, but being habitually late is a choice, one that is on some level dishonest. Gilda I mean that I understand that they want to do this, not why. I've never been one to see socializing as an important aspect of an education conference or training session. __________________ I'm against ending blackness. I believe that everyone has a right to be black, it's a choice, and I support that. ~Steven Colbert Last edited by Gilda; 08-31-2006 at 05:14 PM..