brondicon,
I would do that if I could. I have a 100+ students in my classes. The class is half over when I finish calling role.
Thanks Anyway.
I guess you could always just pass around a “sign-in” sheet. Of course, I can see problems with that as well.
I kinda wish I could skip class, but I just can’t! It’s physically impossible! I have a completely worthless Phisolophy course, it’s a huge waste of time. Yet I find myself there ever Tues and Thurs at exactly 1:00. I can’t even force myself to show up late. :rolleyes:
Revedge, if you don’t mind me asking, what do you teach?
Personally, I wonder why people bother taking some classes if they aren’t going to show up; unless it’s a required course, why not take the hint during the first week or so and switch classes? Then again, it helps if the Prof is a good lecturer. I was once told that a weak professor can make even the most interesting subject deadly dull, and a good one can take the driest material and make it fascinating. My experiences seem to bear that out.
(It also helps if you can hear what they’re saying. Learn to project, dammit! 
)
Just out of curiosity, while I understand that it’s better if the professor is enthusiastic, when did this become a requirement? One of the things that bugged me when I was in High School education classes was that, in addition to all the other tasks assigned to me (social worker, psychiatrist, coach, etc) I was now also supposed to be an entertainer as well. Do people quit their job if their boss isn’t entertaining? Go to a more entertaining dentist? Do we need every facet of our lives to be entertaining?
An entertaining professor certainly isn’t a requirement, but it DOES help muchly. 
I’m in (or was, until Monday, woo!) a Discrete Math course. My God it’s hard! My brain isn’t used to thinking about math in that way, and it made little sense. But I love the prof! He’s not a standup comedian or anything, but I enjoy going to the class because you can see he honestly adores math for the sake of math. He just oozes honest enthusiasm and he has silly jokes or anecdotes; it’s just his personality.
I also like him for his realistic expectations.
prof: “yeah, the class as a whole is doing about average for a first discrete math course.”
classmate: “and… how good is ‘average’?”
prof: (screws up his face like he sucked a lemon) “yeeeuuugghhh!” then grins. 