And also, it’s so much better not to ask for doctor’s notes out of respect than out of self-congratulating pity for “lower classes.”
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An academic's opinions on feminism, politics, literature, philosophy, teaching, academia, and a lot more.
And also, it’s so much better not to ask for doctor’s notes out of respect than out of self-congratulating pity for “lower classes.”
In days past it was considered we were not in the business of judging doctor’s notes, or having a doctor tell us that work should be “excused” (whatever that means). There’s a lot that goes into figuring out how much attendance is absolutely necessary (or is so helpful that it needs enforcement), or whether there are so many students you have to have some uniform system for make-ups so as not to end up teaching the equivalent of 200 individual study courses. I can also see an extreme situation where documentation would help clarify events, help to justify a retroactive drop, something like that. But nowadays it seems faculty actually ask for doctors’ notes. I don’t get it. I always take these as a request for extra leniency, and some present it that way: see, the doctor says I was sick, so I should not have to learn the things I missed. But many students try to present them because they are convinced, regardless of what I say, that I won’t let them make up work without them. It takes me all semester to convince them they do not have to bring such a note.
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People have also tried giving me obituaries to prove they were at a funeral.
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Yes, me, too. This is better understood by me since it is known that some people have their grandmother die often. Still.
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I have chuckled at grandmas who experience an epidemic of broken legs during midterms. But I don’t persecute people for it.
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\ I have chuckled at grandmas who experience an epidemic of broken legs during midterms.
// And I haven’t had anybody abuse my trust ever.
Isn’t there a contradiction?
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I’m sure they were inventing the grandmas because they had an important reason.
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