Hey Guest!
Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
but were afraid to ask: 
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smilie in place of the real @
Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
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About 3 or 4 times a year, I teach a 12-week class for families who are living with someone with mental illness. The classroom where we teach can accommodate a specific number of people (24 max) and we always have a large waiting list. Those on the waiting list have to wait until the next class is offered unless someone in the current class drops out.
I personally interview (usually by phone) each person signing up for the class to make sure this class is the right fit for their situation. As part of that interview process I personally ask them to notify me if they are going to drop the class or otherwise be unable to attend. Of course everyone says they will. I remind them that it's important they let us know if they are not going to attend so that we can plug someone else on the waiting list into their slot.
It never fails that there are at least a couple folks who don't show up the first night. So I call to find out what the problem is and they will apologize and say something came up and they had to miss the first class, but assure me they will be there for the second class. In many cases, they don't show up for the second class either. I call again and they tell me they will have to drop the class because of - whatever. Well gee, thanks for letting me know! Now it's too late to plug someone from the waiting list into the course because they will have missed the first two very important classes.
I understand that "stuff happens" and sometimes people have to change their plans, but it bugs me that so often people won't bother to pick up the phone and let us know so we can let someone else take that slot. Instead that slot goes empty and we continue the class with less people than we could have. Just very frustrating.
I personally interview (usually by phone) each person signing up for the class to make sure this class is the right fit for their situation. As part of that interview process I personally ask them to notify me if they are going to drop the class or otherwise be unable to attend. Of course everyone says they will. I remind them that it's important they let us know if they are not going to attend so that we can plug someone else on the waiting list into their slot.
It never fails that there are at least a couple folks who don't show up the first night. So I call to find out what the problem is and they will apologize and say something came up and they had to miss the first class, but assure me they will be there for the second class. In many cases, they don't show up for the second class either. I call again and they tell me they will have to drop the class because of - whatever. Well gee, thanks for letting me know! Now it's too late to plug someone from the waiting list into the course because they will have missed the first two very important classes.
I understand that "stuff happens" and sometimes people have to change their plans, but it bugs me that so often people won't bother to pick up the phone and let us know so we can let someone else take that slot. Instead that slot goes empty and we continue the class with less people than we could have. Just very frustrating.
