Short answer
First check that you are in the right place and that the connection or meeting link is working. In S06E23, Gav and Em describe looking for the learner, checking with reception and waiting a little before sending an email.
In S06E23, Em describes quickly suspecting she is in the wrong place. Gav usually starts composing an email after five to ten minutes; that is his routine, not a universal attendance rule.
Try this in your next lesson
Write your own three-step arrival routine: check the location or link, check messages, then contact the learner under the agreed policy.
👇 Scroll down for our practical checklist or activity and download.
Listen to the whole S06E23 discussion in our podcast episode guide here🔊.
A calm first-check routine
The hosts mention that a five-to-ten-minute wait is Gav’s usual practice, but timing may depend on the workplace and payment arrangements. If the learner arrives, ask what happened and continue with a calm start rather than assuming the delay was intentional.
Having a simple routine can help teachers respond without letting anxiety take over.
Separate checks from assumptions
Confirm the arranged time and your own room or link before deciding why someone is absent. A learner may be waiting elsewhere or unable to connect. Use the agreed contact channel and give the current location or meeting link.
Our suggested follow-up is to record what happened and agree a clearer start procedure if it repeats. When the learner arrives, give a brief next step so they can join in. Waiting, payment and cancellation arrangements should follow the terms already agreed. The teaching routine helps you act consistently; it does not decide those arrangements for everyone.
Gav and Em suggest: a short classroom adaptation
Use this as a starting routine and adapt it to your learners.
- ☐ Confirm the lesson time, room or online link.
- ☐ Check your own connection and look for a message from the learner.
- ☐ Ask a colleague or receptionist if you are teaching in a shared location.
- ☐ Wait for a reasonable interval based on your school or tutoring policy.
- ☐ Send a short, polite message if the learner has not arrived.
📥 Download the free teacher practice card (PDF)
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