So, I'm TAing for a basic class. Attendance is taken by passing a sheet around. This student did not sign the sheet for a specific day. As a result, I marked student in the gradebook as absent. Student sends me an email bluntly saying student didn't miss that day.

I check the sheet. No signature, and nothing else from that day says student was present.

I email student and say that. Student bluntly replies they have always signed the sheet.

In order to get the attendance sheet, I'd have to stop by my place on the way to campus. What say you, Tdub?

11/11/2008 11:15:44 AM

the customer is always right. at least on the first complaint.

11/11/2008 11:16:38 AM

Don't let a freshman push your ass around.

11/11/2008 11:16:43 AM

"Always signs the sheet"

"Not that day, you didn't. The absence is valid"

Are they demanding an answer now or something? The student fucked up, apparently. He doesn't need an immediate resolution.

[Edited on November 11, 2008 at 11:19 AM. Reason : lgfjk]

11/11/2008 11:18:15 AM

I already relented on one thing for this student, mostly because its a basic class and I don't really care that much.

This, however, is pushing it.

^Yeah, I told student that it was their responsibility to make sure they sign the sheet. No signature plus not being polite or courteus = no help from me.

[Edited on November 11, 2008 at 11:19 AM. Reason : lkj]

11/11/2008 11:18:20 AM

1. Do you know if the student was actually there or not?

2. Did you make it absolutely clear on day one that signing the sheet was required to show attendance?

11/11/2008 11:18:28 AM

tell them to bend over and feel the rape

11/11/2008 11:19:11 AM

gosh i bet its so rad to have such limitless power!!1

11/11/2008 11:19:21 AM

I've tried to get away with shit like this before. He's bullshitting the hell out of you.

11/11/2008 11:19:35 AM

Also, it's very funny when someone signs attendance for people who aren't there, and then the teacher calls them out on it in class

11/11/2008 11:19:47 AM

1. Don't know, or else I would've made a decision one way or the other.

2. Yes, we've stressed it many times. There are roughly 60 people in the class, and I'm not going to remember a date from a couple weeks ago.

^Stoned, yeah, I let them get away with that too much

11/11/2008 11:21:02 AM

Just mark them present and tell them to make sure they sign the sheet from now on. This isn't worth the hassle.

11/11/2008 11:21:25 AM

Why are they so uppity about it anyways?

11/11/2008 11:22:18 AM

Because of #2, then it doesn't matter whether or not he was actually there.

Since he knows you rely on the attendance sheet, he knows that not signing means he gets an absence.

If he was, indeed, there that day, but didn't sign the roll, he clearly doesn't care about his attendance and/or wasn't mentally present.

Quote :

"Just mark them present and tell them to make sure they sign the sheet from now on. This isn't worth the hassle."

You have it backwards. Keep the absence, and if it does turn out that thepeter made a mistake, and the student did sign, simply email saying 'my bad. everything's straight now'.

It's not hard to sign an attendance sheet.

[Edited on November 11, 2008 at 11:23 AM. Reason : lskja]

11/11/2008 11:22:34 AM

It basically comes down to whether you care enough to give him an absence or not. It'd be completely fair to count him absent for that day or you could say you don't give a shit and mark him present.

Plus, if this was a class from several weeks ago, he probably should have said something about it before now.

[Edited on November 11, 2008 at 11:24 AM. Reason : ]

11/11/2008 11:24:01 AM

Tell the student either. . .

1. You didn't sign the sheet. You're considered absent.

. . .or. . .

2. Let it slide and remind everybody of 1--no exceptions.

11/11/2008 11:27:06 AM

Be professional about the whole thing. If it's not too much trouble, stop by your place and pick up the sheet. If it is a big inconvenience, then just speak with the student and tell them that you will pick it up before the next class and then you guys can take care of it then.

Now, is the only thing that would keep you from giving this student an absence their name on the roll, or could he also prove it by describing what happened in class, etc? If the only thing is the name on the sheet, then when you see him in class, you can just say that if his name is on the sheet, you'll give him credit, and if not, then it is an absence.

Just be formal and polite, and if he tries to give you shit, remain calm, but stick to your guns. Don't let him drag you into an argument.

Keep oin mind that you set a precedent for other people based on how this gets handled.

[Edited on November 11, 2008 at 11:31 AM. Reason : sdfs]

11/11/2008 11:30:17 AM

I'd let it slide, who gives a shit?

11/11/2008 11:30:27 AM

^

11/11/2008 11:40:18 AM

I read the e-mails she sent, this student was a bitch about it to begin with.

[Edited on November 11, 2008 at 11:45 AM. Reason : And he got the sign-in sheet for the discrepant date, which she didn't sign.]

11/11/2008 11:44:27 AM

No signature=absent

If you don't do what you're expected to do in order to get credit don't expect to get credit. It's an important life lesson for this person to learn.

PS - Is this student black?

11/11/2008 11:47:42 AM

You could offer her a one-sided proposal stating that you will find the sheet and if her name is on there, fine, if not, she will have two (2) absences counted against her.

11/11/2008 11:49:52 AM

Oh, it's a girl. They obviously solution for her not to get counted absent is...



bwn?

11/11/2008 11:54:38 AM

Well there is a huge ethical dilemma with that. Especially if she's uggo.

11/11/2008 11:55:43 AM

What is the effect of the student missing a day? Does it affect her grade? Is she approaching some limit where the number of days she has missed starts to matter?

If there is really no effect then it sounds like this student needs to STFU and quit worrying about it. I'm wondering what her motivation for pissing off a T.A. might be.

[Edited on November 11, 2008 at 12:05 PM. Reason : l]

11/11/2008 12:04:50 PM

Most of the time you can just be nice or try and befriend the TA and you can do whatever you want. When you start having an attitude is when you dig yourself a hole and the TA doesn't want to help you out.

11/11/2008 12:07:17 PM

Quote :

"Don't let a freshman push your ass around."

Seriously. I TA'ed a couple classes and you have to remain firm on your policies or they will all take advantage of you.

Repeat the policy to them and make sure to mention how thoroughly you stressed it the first day of class.

11/11/2008 12:08:13 PM

^^^ She has no penalty against her, apparently it's her first absence...

[Edited on November 11, 2008 at 12:11 PM. Reason : blah]

11/11/2008 12:10:45 PM

Quote :

"Most of the time you can just be nice or try and befriend the TA and you can do whatever you want. When you start having an attitude is when you dig yourself a hole and the TA doesn't want to help you out."

Definitely. Right now it doesn't affect her grade at all.

I got the sheet and student definitely did not sign it. I've been professional with it thus far, and am just going to stick to my guns.

11/11/2008 12:17:38 PM

fail her

11/11/2008 12:19:23 PM

You should at least rub her nose in her own fail.

11/11/2008 12:20:56 PM

no need to rub her nose in it. it's enough that she was wrong and will have the absence. just show her the sheet and that should be the end of it.

11/11/2008 12:23:16 PM

the quoted rule works for everyone, no just TA's. You'll get a lot further with someone by being polite and persistent than you will with being a bitch about something trying to get your way.

I don't understand why people think being an asshole will make people want to help them out. It may work in a department store when they just want to get you to shut the fuck up and get out of their store, but that's about the only time it will work well.

[Edited on November 11, 2008 at 12:23 PM. Reason : .]

11/11/2008 12:23:33 PM

give her an extra absence for being a jerk

11/11/2008 12:23:44 PM

No matter what you do she's going to tell all her friends about what a jerk you are and how you "hate her."

11/11/2008 12:25:07 PM

Quote :

"I don't understand why people think being an asshole will make people want to help them out."

Me neither.

11/11/2008 12:25:07 PM

reminds me of a quote i read one time; i've looked for it and can't find it, but the gist of it was don't pity the child that got caught cheating, pity the one that didn't

11/11/2008 12:29:30 PM

If she hasn't missed any other classes, give her the benefit of the doubt and mark her as present. How would you like it if you busted you ass everyday to get to class and made one signature mistake that messed up your attendance?

11/11/2008 12:34:15 PM

^ That's fucking dumb. If you do it everyday, how could you forget in the first place?

[Edited on November 11, 2008 at 12:37 PM. Reason : how now brown cow]

[Edited on November 11, 2008 at 12:38 PM. Reason : now how]

11/11/2008 12:37:39 PM

wait about three more weeks.

if you still remember, mark her present.

if you forget, then you both are even.





[Edited on November 11, 2008 at 2:10 PM. Reason : ]

11/11/2008 2:08:14 PM

Quote :

"^^^ She has no penalty against her, apparently it's her first absence..."

Then she really just needs to chill out.

Quote :

"How would you like it if you busted you ass everyday to get to class and made one signature mistake that messed up your attendance?"

This isn't elementary school where you get a blue ribbon for perfect attendance. It's college. Nobody gives a fuck if you have perfect attendance. If it has no effect on her grade and she didn't sign the sheet then she just needs to STFU and move on. People worry themselves over the stupidest things.

11/11/2008 2:14:19 PM

Quote :

"2. Did you make it absolutely clear on day one that signing the sheet was required to show attendance?"

Is it in the syllabus?

I remember classes where you have to sign the sheet. but I was good if I was late and missed it and would go up and sign the sheet afterwards. but I am sure there is a time where I even forgot to do that.

11/11/2008 2:18:19 PM

EMAIL THE STUDENT BACK WITH A LINK TO THIS THREAD

11/11/2008 2:27:50 PM

if you don't penetrate, then you're a fag

11/11/2008 2:36:30 PM

how did the kid know you marked him absent unless he knew he really was absent?

11/11/2008 2:38:26 PM

Maybe the attendance sheet never got passed to the student in question? I'm a TA for a smaller lab (~30 students). I used to pass the attendance sheet around the room but most of the time the sheet never made it all the way around, so there were consistenly 5 or so students that never got a chance to sign it but were present. Now I put the attendance sheet in the front of the room on my desk and tell everyone to sign it when they're leaving. That way there's no confusion.

I understand that many students try to walk all over their TAs and will lie straight to your face. However, I give my students the benefit of the doubt the first time something happens, but if it keeps happening consistently that's when I come down hard on them.

Since the student is very concerned about the alleged absence and she's had a good attendance history, I'd let her slide on this one but warn her that you won't cut her any more breaks from now on. If she's truly concerned about her grades, then 99% of the time it won't happen again.

11/11/2008 2:44:28 PM

Quote :

"How should I pwn this noob in my class"

You suck at life.

11/11/2008 2:46:00 PM

Quote :

"Maybe the attendance sheet never got passed to the student in question? I'm a TA for a smaller lab (~30 students). I used to pass the attendance sheet around the room but most of the time the sheet never made it all the way around, so there were consistenly 5 or so students that never got a chance to sign it but were present."

I was wondering when this was going to come up.

If you are a student, and you know your attendance is based off of signing that sheet, and it doesn't make its way to you, it stands to reason you'd go hunt it down.

If someone is too stupid or lazy to go find the sheet to sign, then they deserve the absence.

11/11/2008 2:46:19 PM

^Agreed.

11/11/2008 2:47:44 PM

is this the same chick that plagiarized her paper?

11/11/2008 3:54:23 PM