Abroad in Wales
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What Attendance Policy?
One thing I've noticed is that students over here shrug off the attendance policy just as often as the students back home. Why go to class when I can sleep in? This reasoning often leads to half-filled classrooms, both here and back in the states. But this Friday, it was taken to a whole other level.
I have a philosophy class over the noon hour on Fridays and the professor teaches for about forty minutes, gives us a fifteen minute break, and then [tries to] gets us to discuss the theory presented. Well, he announces break, and I get up and go stretch my legs. When I come back, I can see through the door's window that the professor is back. But he has this odd, bemused look on his face. When I opened the door, I knew why.
Everyone else had packed up their stuff and left.
No one but me and the professor had stuck around for seminar.
Awkward pause.
But after a moment the professor just kinda shrugged and laughed and asked if I had any questions or just wanted to call it a day. I called it a day. I already knew the theory.
Do you think the other guys thought the teacher wouldn't notice? Maybe they all thought that. How very disappointing to be that professor.
Posted at 08:27AM Jan 26, 2008 by Jill S Brink in General | Comments[4]
Hahahaha. That poor prof. But seriously, no one saw that coming? Especially if it's a class over the noon hour. I'd be like, heck yeah, lunch time! And I'd even talk you into it... :P
Posted by Abby on January 26, 2008 at 02:07 PM CST #
If I were the prof, I would start to wonder if my 24-hr deodorant fell a few hours short or something. Maybe all of the students thought they knew the theory better than the prof. hey'' know for sure at exam time!! At least he seemed to have a sense of humor about it. Anyway, I'm proud of you for going back after the break.
Posted by Mom on January 27, 2008 at 07:32 AM CST #
Jill, I've been really enjoying reading your weblog--feel as if I'm getting to travel to Rome and Florence, too! But this entry did make me sad. Don't people want to have interesting discussions about what they're learning? Why be in school otherwise? I don't get it either. --m.r.g.
Posted by Michelle Rogge Gannon on January 27, 2008 at 09:17 AM CST #
I know what you mean about attendance policies. It wasn't until my 4th and 5th years of engineering school that I noticed professors getting smart about attendance with pop quizzes, in-class projects and no-notice exams. Either way, as long as you care enough about your education, who cares about everyone else?
Posted by Walt Kilar on January 27, 2008 at 08:58 PM CST #