A student walked into class today after missing a week and a half of class. Since a super-majority of students has attended class regularly since the first day, it didn't so much bother me that he had been absent. Besides, he was the student on the first day who made it clear that he had to be the smartest student in the room. (I don't much care for that type of student.) Needless to say, I didn't miss him a whole lot.
The student pulls me aside and apologizes for missing class. Further he goes on to tell me that he meant no disrespect, and that his absence were due to a very sick relative. He looked at me with tear scarred eyes. I paused, and told him that he didn't need to apologize to me; he only had to hold himself accountable. I quit teaching high school 5 years ago because I don't want students droppin' dimes about their lives to pad excuses.
