Another day in the office, another student asks me the time honoured question.
Hi Professor <look a bit sheepish> I wasn’t in class the other day, did I miss anything?
This is one of those moments where because they are young, and because I was once young too, I find myself suggesting that they borrow someone else’s class notes and talk to someone who was there. But every now and again I get this urge I have to suppress to respond in one or more the following ways.
- No. You missed nothing. I come here only to entertain myself, frankly you’d be better off talking to your cat to get the answers to your midterm/homework.
- Yes, you missed approximately 1.5 hours in which I lectured, the students discussed, we conducted some group assignments, I provided feedback. Now go and write me an essay about why that might constitute missing something in class.
- Actually I told the people who bothered to show up what questions were going to be on the final. And I made them promise not to tell you.
- Really, seriously?
When YOU were a student, I remember you as being really rather well-behaved.
To the extent of inviting me to a Hall dinner.
Thanks! Those Hall dinners were great, I was glad that Jason and I could invite faculty to dinner. Its a simple thing with impacts far beyond what I would have imagined at the time. Thanks for the reminder. Also I will tell my parents that I was rather well-behaved, it’ll be news to them
Sorry – I meant: “Well-behaved compared to all the others”
.
You’ve seen this poem before, right?
http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/013.html
I can only assume it was written by another fed-up professor.
thanks Valerie! I’ve seen it once before, I didn’t remember it. I appreciate it…
A colleague in Journalism & Communication shared the following:
–
VERBATIM FROM A STUDENT NOT IN TUTORIAL:
Hey,
I was not present at tutorials this week as I was ill.
Do you know what was covered?
S*******
–
Much hilarity ensued…
And then there are those who say, “Professor, I won’t be in class tomorrow. What will I miss?” Usually by email, where it’s hard to be sheepish ….
“Will you be posting your notes?” is one of my faves