What Happens When My Teacher Is Absent?

Sometimes teachers fail to arrive at their classrooms on time—or at all. But what happens when a teacher is absent? What should students do?

If your teacher is absent, you’ll likely want to remain in the classroom until the end of the period. If possible, alert school staff to the absence after fifteen minutes have passed. Staff members may direct you and your classmates to the library or another classroom.

This article will explain what happens when a teacher doesn’t attend class. We’ll also discuss what students should and shouldn’t do if a teacher is absent.

Table of Contents

Can You Leave if the Teacher Is Absent for 15 Minutes?

In most cases, students aren’t permitted to leave their classroom if a teacher is absent during the first 15 minutes of class time. However, rules vary from school to school.

That said, the “15-Minute Rule” is a widespread belief among students that has little to no basis. For more insight into this supposed rule and its validity, check out this related video:

Unless a school’s student handbook explicitly states that students are allowed to leave their classroom if a teacher is absent for the first 15 minutes of a class period, students are expected to remain in the classroom throughout the period, even if their teacher never arrives.

The only potential exception might be if a student visits the front office to inform school staff members about the teacher’s absence.

Additionally, in the case of a teacher’s absence, school staff and administrators may allow students to stay in the library for the remainder of the period. A supervised environment is always preferable to an unsupervised one.

What Should Students Do When the Teacher Is Absent?

Arriving at your class and finding that your teacher isn’t there can be a bothersome experience, especially if you’ve never dealt with a teacher’s absence.

Fortunately, there are two ways students can handle this situation. If your teacher is absent, you can:

Visit the front office to inform school staff, or
Remain in the classroom and keep yourself occupied with something productive

Visit the Front Office To Inform School Staff

If there’s no substitute teacher or member of staff already in the classroom, the school may be unaware of the teacher’s absence.

So, if your teacher has yet to arrive within the first fifteen minutes of the class period, a student from the class should visit the front office to inform the administrative team of the absence.

Alternatively, stand at the classroom door and flag down any passing teachers or school administrators. However, this isn’t always possible as most faculty members will already be in their own classrooms teaching. If your classroom is near the edge of the campus, away from other classrooms, visiting the front office might be the best course of action.

Once school staff members are made aware of the situation, they can take the necessary actions to minimize the disruption to your learning.

Remain in the Classroom and Keep Yourself Occupied With Something Productive

If one of your classmates leaves the classroom to inform staff members of your teacher’s absence, it’s vital that the other students, including yourself, remain in the classroom and wait.

The school must keep track of the whereabouts of all students. So if you are not at the location you are supposed to be during a particular period, you are opening a whole new can of worms for yourself and the school.

That being established, use the lesson time to do something productive. If your notebooks are in class, review the previous lesson’s notes and recap the learning. You can even conduct a student-guided pop quiz about a relevant topic with your classmates.

High school students typically spend about 2.7 hours working on homework each night. If your teacher doesn’t show up, you can use this time to complete any homework assignments, thus freeing up some of your at-home time for other activities.

Lesson time is valuable. Even if the teacher hasn’t shown up for whatever reason, you should still be as productive as you can during that period.

But what shouldn’t you do if a teacher fails to arrive?

Inappropriate Ways To Respond to a Teacher’s Absence

Sitting at your desk and waiting for a teacher to show up can be frustrating, especially if there isn’t anyone to maintain order or your peers are starting to walk out of the classroom.

But leaving the classroom, especially without informing school staff members about your teacher’s absence, can result in punishments like in-school suspension (ISS), disciplinary write-ups, and detention.

When a teacher doesn’t show up, you shouldn’t:

Wander the hallways
Interrupt or disturb other classes

Leave the school campus

These behaviors can be seen as a breach of the student codes of conduct established by the school. Besides, wandering the hallways unsupervised or leaving the campus can pose safety risks, especially during an emergency.

Sadly, school shootings have been on the rise over the last several decades. If you’re outside your classroom while an active shooter is on campus, you may be putting yourself in harm’s way. Remaining in a classroom and following emergency protocols can save lives.

How School Staff Handles Teacher Absences

Several things can happen after a student informs school staff members about a teacher’s absence. For example, the administrative team can:

Have a different teacher or an administrator temporarily cover the class.
Request a substitute teacher to supervise the class for the remainder of the period or school day.

Direct students to other classrooms to ensure that students are supervised and accounted for.
Ask students to go to the library to study or complete assignments.

The precise course of action varies depending on the situation and school administration. For instance, an elementary school class will need immediate cover and supervision, while high school or college students are offered some more ownership and responsibility. In some cases, students can discuss the most appropriate course of action with staff members.

It’s essential to remain courteous and patient when waiting for school staff to decide how to handle a teacher’s absence. Under no circumstances should you become disruptive or exit the classroom without good cause.

Conclusion

When a teacher is absent and gives prior notice of their absence, school staff typically have a substitute teacher fill in for that instructor. But when teachers are unexpectedly absent due to a sudden emergency, students might be unsure what to do.

Informing school staff members about the absence is one of the best courses of action. But leaving the classroom to wander the hallways isn’t an appropriate response.

Students must remain in their classrooms unless instructed to do otherwise by school staff members.

Sources

National Center for Education Statistics: New NCES Data Show Increases in School Shootings and Cyberbullying in K–12 Schools Over the Last Decade