Uploaded February 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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Transforming a mundane task like roll call into a chance to connect and share a moment with students makes the start of class more joyful.

Many are familiar with the famous scene from a 1980s movie where ennui-ridden high school students mumble a listless “here” in response to their name being called for attendance. Roll call can be boring, mundane, and a little painful. But language arts teacher Sarah Kristiansen at The Greene School in Rhode Island has found a way to turn it into a chance to connect, laugh, and learn a little about how her students might be feeling that day—by asking whimsical attendance questions.

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