Our advisory early grades for 100- and 200-level classes are due this week. We are required to report on student progress in the fifth week, which can be either a letter grade, or a progress report (so-and-so has been coming to class, bubbaloo has missed the only exam we have had, etc.). In all my classes I have given some graded feedback so it should not be too difficult to enter some feedback in the next couple of days.
As a result of the looming student progress reporting requirement I spent time on Thursday afternoon contacting those students who had missed classes or who were doing particularly questionable work (either those who were really closing in on a failing mark, or those who for whatever reason had raised concerns).
Follow me below the orange napkin fold for some thoughts on contacting students who may be "at risk" early in the semester.