mean TA

ug, I feel like a jerk. Each week in section I give a short geography, reading, or slide quiz. Each is 1% of their final grade. I always have students who miss class and miss the quiz. My policy is that you need to tell me well in advance or have written documentation of why you missed. So far I've given one make-up quiz to a woman who had to go to her brother's wedding. This sucks if you're sick because often there's no one to give you a note, but I don't want to argue with people about how sick they are or not. (One woman emailed that she had been sick for days, but then that afternoon I saw her at the gym doing over an hour of intensive cardio. Quick recovery.)

Yesterday a student missed class because her son had a fever and she had to stay home with him. I understand that she didn't have a choice and frankly applaud her for going to school, working, and raising a child. She was (understandably) mad that I said I needed a note. (I'm thinking just get someone at daycare, or in a pinch your friend to write a note, I don't really care, I just need something so I don't end up arguing with the kid who was sick with the finishing-work-for-another-class illness, but I can't really email that to her.) The students here will debate the TAs about anything from making up a quiz to the paper grade. One student lied about turning in a paper, and then when a TA called her on it, she had to gall to email and write "I guess I didn't really turn it in, do I still get any credit?" Credit for what? Not doing any work and then lying to someone's face about it?

Anyway, I still feel like a jerk. I don't know if I should just make an exception, but I do have policies for a reason and I don't want to undermine my own authority. But then I would like to make life easier not harder for students trying to balance work and family. Of course it's 1% of the final grade which really means I've spent way more energy than necessary thinking about this makeup quiz when I should be grading papers.

yummy pig

Since we were talking about how yummy pigs are (we were just talking about that right?) Check out this place we may go to for grad. student happy hour. Not only do they have Pork 'n Pinot, a happy hour featuring "The Divine Swine" menu filled with pig-based dishes, but if you scroll down the first page you'll see their ad for "Aphrodisiac Bacon Dinners." coffman and jade_phoenix don't you want to come visit DC? We know you want to come visit DC.