So this morning I went to teach my 9am class. It was early and rainy and everyone was no doubt tired. When I got to class, I learned through my very honest students that only six of the 16 enrolled had read the essay called A Fourth State of Matter for homework. At first I was shocked. I told them to read the essay several times. I mean, having been a student myself for many years and it was not all that long ago, I never went to a class without reading my homework, especially a course in which all we did was discuss the readings. After the shock wore off, which took only a few seconds, I realized I was faced with quite a predicament as a teacher.
Here is my predicament: Should I try to have a discussion as I normally do with a group of people who have not read the essay being discussed? Or should I just cancel class, thereby punishing those six students who had done their work and who deserved the chance to learn. Now talking to a group of people who have no clue what you are talking about is not fun. I have tried it. I know. And canceling class right then just isn’t fair to everyone. Hmmm. So I considered other options. I could make everyone write an essay about the essay they read for homework, thereby rewarding those who read and giving failing grades to those who did not. But there are two problems with this course of action: one, I have to grade them all when I still have forty papers to grade from the last assignment,s o thereby really I punish myself; and two, when the class is done writing, I am still going to be standing there talking to an audience who has no clue what I am talking about, so this approach in only punishment and does not really solve a problem. Are there other options of which I am not aware?
So like any good arguer, I considered the counter argument. Many of these students who were unprepared today are generally good students who are usually totally prepared for class. Things happen. Sometimes work does not get done. Yes, this is true, but look what happens in a course like this if the students do not contribute their fair share. They know they have a responsibility to read before class, I thought. What if the professor came to your class and said, oops, sorry, I forgot to prepare for class today. I guess I will just sit here quietly and listen. I considered saying that, but saved it until now instead.
I believe that attendance in any class means that you are both present and prepared. And I don’t think that this is a surprise to anyone who has been in my class. It says so on the syllabus and I try to make this implicit all the time by the way that the course is grounded in discussion. This is not some random theory of attendance. I really believe this to be in everyone’s best interest–both students and my own.
So I told those students who had not read that they could leave, and I counted them absent–since attendance means being present and prepared. And the other six students and I sat around and talked about the awesome essay that the rest of the class will probably never read.
So do you think my reaction understandable and fair?
Responding is one of the 10 students who did not read the seventeen page essay. As a short preface none of what I am saying is intended to be an excuse, rather it is an explanation. On the morning of February 1, 2007 I would have preferred to have been shocked awake by my horrible alarm clock. Instead I rose to find that it had not gone off and that it was now 8:27. Furiously I scramble into my roommates room (as he has he printer) to grab my essay and try to clothe myself. I feel as though I might be able to make it. I live about a mile from campus so I need to alot myself 20 minutes for the walk. In a horrible mood I meander down Grove toward class.
I did not read the essay. True I could have done it the day before or even the day before that, but I did not. For this there can be no excuse other than sloth. However (and I feel like this is a relatively large however) counting me as not being present seems a bit excessive. I woke up on time when I easily could have hit the snooze and printed off this large essay. Isn’t that worth anything? By instituting a policy which allows only 3 absences per semester and then decreasing that number further seems unfair. In the first semester I think I missed somewhere between 4 and 7 classes but I still got an A. Naturally I expect nothing less from myself being that I have already done it once. This has already been made nearly impossible because of this one wasted absence.
So in response to the posted question, I would answer yes to the reaction on your part being understandable. While I have not personally ever taught a collegiate course I can certainly apply the idea that when anyone is in a position on power and their expectations are not met consequences follow. In a class like Focused Inquiry students not meeting teacher’s criteria is quite a common occurence, as near every freshman must take the course, most against their will. Fair? I would probably argue that it is not for many of the aforementioned reasons.
Something needed to happen on Friday morning to let the students of Focused Inquiry 9:00 am know that they need to do their work. There is little argument here. Perhaps the course of extra credit should have been taken or any other for that matter. Maybe not. I have no problem with the absence, it’s more the absence in combination with the limit of 3 absences per semester.