I bring this up because @fortunafiasco noted this week on Twitter that requiring doctor’s notes for illnesses is inherently classist: it presumes access to medical care. We can’t presume that. The most desperate students often have the least access — whether financially or logistically — to the professionals whose notes would “excuse” them.
I don’t require doctor’s notes for absences and refuse them when students proffer them. I don’t do it not because it would be classist or whatever but because I operate from the position of trust and respect. If a student wasn’t in class, even if it’s for three weeks, I proceed from the assumption that there was an important and serious reason I don’t need to know about.
I don’t care about the power struggles of “prove to me that I’m so important that you wouldn’t miss my class without a good reason.” All I care is the learning. My first questions after an absence of any duration are, “what are we going to do to get you caught up? How can I help? What resources do we have to make it happen?”
Similarly, if the students need to leave class early or come in late – even if it’s every class during the semester, I assume there is a good reason and don’t bicker about it. The same goes for texting in class. If they do it, it must be something very important.
And I haven’t had anybody abuse my trust ever. We all are human, we all have shit happening. If I don’t proceed from the assumption that everybody is an evildoer out to demonstrate how insignificant I am.
My absence policy is that I always have very high participation percentages, and if you are away for a while, then participate like crazy when you come back and it will make up for the lost time. I take attendance every class but it’s not punitive. It helps me to remember faces and names faster and keep them fresh.
In short, teachers, get your sense of self-worth from other places than the classroom. It’s not the students’ job to make you feel valued. It’s great if you do but they can’t be the main source.
Clarissa's Blog 
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