Thursday, October 02, 2008

"but I was sick"

I pretty much said "so what"? To a kid who claims to have had a burning desire to write about feminism -- which happened to be the last paper, but who was too sick to turn it in.

When I explained that students manage to be sick AND turn in papers, either before class or via friends, relatives etc, the kid didn't seem to comprehend.

When s/he said that s/he "couldn't control his absences" -- I laughed at her/him.

I was glad to have a chance to call her/him on sleeping in class. When s/he bothers to show up, s/he sleeps. I told her/him that if her/his class participation was good from now on and if her/his attendance is good, that I'd let her/him write a paper to replace the one s/he didn't get to turn in.

We'll see how that works. S/He may drop the class -- it isn't like s/he was participating anyway.

Is cancer making me mean? Am I just badly in need of a sabbatical? Are they really getting worse?

Perhaps all of the above... sigh. I'm glad it is the weekend... and hubby is in "I don't know math" state.

1 comment:

cupcake said...

So it doesn't get any better in college? Those are the same excuses I hear from 11th graders. "I was sick. I need an extension. Why are you so mean?"

This year, I told my miscreants and misanthropes that if they have an unexcused absence on the day of a test, quiz or when a major assignment or project is due, they get a 0. No exceptions. And I've had a few gets zeroes. I wish they cared more, but they don't.