Not showing up to class, particularly the first day, isn't cool if these students are telling the truth.
If I'm sick, I still go to class, but if there's a chance of me being contagious, remaining is only voluntary on the part of the students. They'll be hurt if they leave in that I WILL be testing on the material that is taught, but it will not count as an absence if they wish to protect their health.
But I can't slow down for trivialities like being sick, which happens rarely anyway.
I've been teaching 30+ years and fairly recently I had some major health issues that took me away from a total of 4 weeks over 2 years of school. For every one of those courses I had subs, assistants, emails, or a phone call in class with a student. I made video lectures on my fucking crappy iPhone and uploaded them to the CMS. I made one video lecture in the emergency room of a hospital.
I don't want a medal. I know other faculty over my career who would have done the same with the technology we have now, and always found a way to reach out to students so they were not stranded or left waiting and wondering.
I know there are deniers out there, and I don't doubt some tom foolery could be afoot.
But motherfucker, man, you do everything you can to meet class, to be there, to be PRESENT, to show you give a shit about it. You don't skip out. You don't announce to class you're cancelling to go to a fucking concert somewhere. You don't unilaterally cancel all Fridays because you're missed you drew the short straw and didn't get a T/Th schedule (all things I've seen happen).
When people bitch about our profession and its proffies, this is one thing they may have right.
I agree for the most part. Personally, I think it is tremendous that you continue to teach, albeit on a reduced schedule. We need people with your humor and grace and skill. But please be well. My best to Mrs. Cal.
Not showing up to class, particularly the first day, isn't cool if these students are telling the truth.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm sick, I still go to class, but if there's a chance of me being contagious, remaining is only voluntary on the part of the students. They'll be hurt if they leave in that I WILL be testing on the material that is taught, but it will not count as an absence if they wish to protect their health.
But I can't slow down for trivialities like being sick, which happens rarely anyway.
I've been teaching 30+ years and fairly recently I had some major health issues that took me away from a total of 4 weeks over 2 years of school. For every one of those courses I had subs, assistants, emails, or a phone call in class with a student. I made video lectures on my fucking crappy iPhone and uploaded them to the CMS. I made one video lecture in the emergency room of a hospital.
ReplyDeleteI don't want a medal. I know other faculty over my career who would have done the same with the technology we have now, and always found a way to reach out to students so they were not stranded or left waiting and wondering.
I know there are deniers out there, and I don't doubt some tom foolery could be afoot.
But motherfucker, man, you do everything you can to meet class, to be there, to be PRESENT, to show you give a shit about it. You don't skip out. You don't announce to class you're cancelling to go to a fucking concert somewhere. You don't unilaterally cancel all Fridays because you're missed you drew the short straw and didn't get a T/Th schedule (all things I've seen happen).
When people bitch about our profession and its proffies, this is one thing they may have right.
I agree for the most part. Personally, I think it is tremendous that you continue to teach, albeit on a reduced schedule. We need people with your humor and grace and skill. But please be well. My best to Mrs. Cal.
DeleteXoxo
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