Response to recent conversation
Commenters on the AJC Get Schooled blog had a lot of fun with last week's guest column on excuses students give their teachers and professors to avoid term papers or tests or get an extension. Here is a sampling:
FormerTeacher: I granted very few extensions — 10 throughout my entire career. All were for illness/death in the immediate family. And that had to be verified with a copy of the obituary from a newspaper and had to list the student in the obituary. I made the mistake once of accepting a letter from a minister who, it turned out, was the student's uncle and wrote a letter because the student was so stressed out and could not cope. The kid went to the beach for the weekend instead of finishing a paper that had been assigned at the beginning of the semester. I learned my lesson then and never accepted another death excuse without a printed obituary.
Kangarooster: When I was in college, the only valid excuse was my death certificate. Wish I had been born later. Kids these days get all the breaks.
Catlady: We had a big strapping boy who was frequently late or absent. The office "couldn't do anything" because he kept bringing in doctor's excuses. I finally pointed out that there was something fishy: He was out too much for such a strong, robust kid. The counselor looked into it. Mom worked at the doctor's office. When the counselor called and requested verification of the illnesses, the office was mystified. It turns out mom had stolen some of the doctor's notes and was submitting them on her days off, or days she was not due in till later.
Straker: Wait until these students get into the workplace and try making excuses in Corporate America. Maybe schools should have a class called "Unemployment Line 101."
Teacher: In my case, the shoe was on the other foot. My dogs were young puppies who got hold of the essay tests I had been grading. Fortunately, the grades were already recorded, but I had to hand them back shredded with perfect ovals of teeth marks in more than one paper. One of the students said, "So instead of my dog eating my homework, your dogs ate our tests?"
The Prof: I've heard many, so for family death excuses, I started asking for relative's phone numbers so that I could express my condolences.
Nicole: They have obituaries all over the world, in the paper and online. Do your best Colombo and you can find out who's a liar or who's being sincere.
ATL-Born: In my experience, professors are just as disrespectful of deadlines and attendance as students. In my master's degree program, I had one professor who left for India for two weeks in the middle of an eight-week-long semester! How is skipping a fourth of your classes acceptable? But of course, this professor was tenured and the head of the program, so I suppose she could get away with it. And then there were countless others over the years who could never be bothered to turn in grades on time or have exams and assignments graded and returned as promised. And this was at a top business school.
About the Author
Maureen Downey has written editorials and opinion pieces about local, state and federal education policy since the 1990s.
