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How observant are you?
If you were the recipient of these messages, how would you react?
1) As you read these messages think about them in terms of "credibility."
2) Then, write your comments about what you learned.
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- Full, complete sentences. You are not sending a text or chatting on FB.
- Accuracy in spelling, grammar, syntax, punctuation.
- Civility.
- Comments are conversations with your classmates. Make sure THEY understand what you are trying to say.
- Do not address your comments to me. You are communicating with the rest of the class.
After reading the numerous emails from students who were seeking to be excused for their absences and missed work, I saw a lot of similarities in each email. Many emails were missing documents to prove their claims to be true, and other students did not follow up when asked to show their medical notes. I learned that for someone to grant you with an excused absence or to let you make up a missed or late assignment you must show proof that your story is factual. Anyone can send an email like the numerous ones I have scrolled through so it is very important to submit the documents, especially when you claim to have them. Not having credibility causes one to lose trust in your word because it can seem like you're taking advantage of the situation. So, I learned when asking for an extension or an excused absence that I showed have all the documents needed ready to present and they must all be dated accurately, and with a valid signature and telephone number from the medical doctor (or employer, family member) that wrote the note.
ReplyDeleteHi Nayisha and fellow classmates, I just wanted to write that I completely agree that it is very important to show your documentation especially if you are claiming to have them because once that trust is lost it is very difficult to gain it back!
DeleteAfter reading some of the messages that were shown, you could tell that the credibility of some of the students was good. They told the professor that they were going to show him proof of their medical absences or other reasoning as you should always do, and they actually did bring in documentation. In most of the other messages they gave very broad excuses that most people give professors. They were not believable in that, the students did not help the professor understand their issues. When you do not go through with bringing documentation it shows that you are not responsible and you can not keep your word which then effects your credibility with the professor. When you need to be excused from or asking your professor to help you in your certain situation you should always show the professor proper documentation showing your circumstance in order for you to look credible. If I were to receive the messages where there was no documentation of their excuse I would most likely not believe what the student was saying and I would think that they were just trying to get out of a class or an assignment.
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading through the emails from the students that were asking for extensions on work that was due, or to be excused from class it was clear that the ones that sounded as if they were just excuses were also the ones who did not follow up with proof of their reasons. I have in the past needed to be excused from class because of medical reasoning so I do understand where it could be frustrating to have to prove that you were sick or in the hospital especially when you are not feeling well but going through all the emails I understand more why professors want this proof because so many of the reasons sound fake and repetitive. When emailing a professor for an excused absence or to be able to make up credit you missed in class a student should do everything possible to show the professor how serious they are about caring about their grade. Telling your professor that you are going to show them documentation and not following through tells the professor firstly, that you do not care as much as you say you do and that you are not trustworthy which takes away from your credibility. Once you lose your credibility it is extremely difficult to gain it back, which is something that should just be avoided from the beginning. If I was receiving these messages I would most likely not believe most of the excuses that were being told, unless I saw documentation of what had actually happened. Saying this, I truly believe that the more honest you are with your professor even if your reasoning is not exactly the best your professor and anyone in your professional life will respect you more instead of them thinking you are lying straight to their face.
ReplyDeleteI concur! you made a great point by mentioning that students should show their professor how serious they are about their grades.
DeleteAfter literally reading these emails I honest plan to cherish any creditability given to me by my professor . Creditability is simply another word for trust . Trust is a rare and very valuable thing . Like I always say trust is like a glass plate once broken it can be repaired,but you will always see the crack . So while you have it treasure it well . I never realize how much professor had to deal with the excuse and lies . If I were in the position honestly don't know what I would do . Even with the all the excuses ,there was a few who brought the proof, restoring their creditability . Most times in life things with happen that we can't control , so jumping to conclusion and just not believing the student is not fair . The professor handled it in a fair way I believe . Ask for proof and from there you can make your decision knowing that you gave the student a chance .
ReplyDeleteI agree. It seems as if there was proof given to the professor then the students would have been excused and assignments would have been accepted.
DeleteSome of the emails that students wrote seemed okay. Others reflected a lack of care for the course as a whole. The emails which stood out to me as being credible were the ones where students who inquired about what they can do to ameliorate their situation. Whether this was done by asking if they can hand in an assignment earlier or asking what steps they needed to take to make up for what they missed, those emails showed that the students were proactive. Other emails fell short because they did not show any documentation or the students asked the professor whether or not they should show documentation. One would think that the documentation would be included with the email. If i received any of these emails, I would ask more questions to verify whether the students were being truthful. The main thing i learned from reading all these emails is that a student should always address the professor with a formal greeting first before they dive into explaining the reasons for their lack of attendance or late submission. Some emails were lacking a greeting and that reflects a lack of professionalism. The last thing I learned is that credibility is very important. I believe credibility has to be accompanied by proof. In order for credibility to be established, you have to show that you are being truthful about your excuse. That sets the tone for whether or not a professor will give you the benefit of the doubt if, for some extreme reason, you have to miss class again. All in all, these emails have shown me that sometimes our words are not enough and in order for another individual to understand the severity of your situation, there must be a thorough explanation as well as documentation.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading through the long list of excuses, I realized how important documentation is. Many of the emails contained valid excuses but weren't phrased properly or were missing documentation. In order to be taken seriously, you need to write professional emails with greetings, proper grammar and spelling, and no slang. Also, asking for an excused absence and then missing another class is a good way to lose any credibility the student has. In general, if it seems like a student has no respect for a class or a professor, why should the professor extend himself to help that person?
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. Some students were pushing their luck.
DeleteAs I was reading these emails, I noticed that most students had the same excuses as to why they could not hand in their assignments. Almost all of the students had a death in the family, which most of the time is sudden, but we have the syllabus on hand and professors give a good amount of time to get assignments done. I believe that if it is due on a specific day, it is due on that day. The students did not show proper identification proving their statements. As terrible as it sounds anyone can say a family member died to get out of school and/or work. I don't think its a valid excuse unless you have proper proof.
ReplyDeleteIt's always unfortunate when a member of a student's family dies. It's understandable that a tragedy would prevent you from completing an assignment. However, it is the Professor responsibility to verify these claims. Whatever the emergency may be, students must be prepared to submit proof of an incident. If you can't produce proof, the professor has no choice but to conclude you're lying (even if you are telling the truth). Proper documentation is crucial in creating credibility.
ReplyDeleteReading through the emails, I found that a lot of them claimed that they could not complete an assignment due to the death of a family member. While I do not want to characterize any of these emails as fabrications, the number of similar emails about deaths begins to seem like an excuse rather than a reality. I would not be surprised if the professor asked for proof, although I personally do not understand how proof would be presented. That is something I would definitely follow up with the professor on to ensure I know how to get proof.
ReplyDeleteWhat surprised me is the email requesting to be excused to attend the funeral of his girlfriend's father. While I believe the guy should be there for his girlfriend emotionally, I do not see him attending her father's funeral as a necessity. Again, I do not know how close the two were so I would not want to presume anything.
If I was the recipient of these messages, I would accept the emails because I have been on the other side of the spectrum. I have been hospitalized at finals time, and while I was barely conscious due to intense medications, I was worried about providing proof to my Organic Chemistry professor. While I was able to sort it all out at the end, I don't think anyone should have to go through this verification process while feeling absolutely horrible medically.
In terms of credibility, I agree that a lot of these emails provide no proof of credibility. Still, I would accept them. The student is, at the end of the day, responsible for their own actions and if they are merely providing an excuse, they will fail miserably at some point in their life because this forecasts their excuses at a future job, where multiple absences would result in dismissal. So, it is something for them to worry about, not for the instructor.
I learned that many students use devastating life events as excuses for their absences. I believe this is absolutely horrible because then students that are actually affected by these adversities are inflicted with the responsibility of providing proof at such a depressing time in their lives. Overall, the whole situation falls on ethics and it is absolutely selfish to create an environment in which students truly affected by an adversity have to provide proof.
I give everyone the benefit of the doubt until proven guilty. These emails are of an extremely sensitive nature and we all have mishaps or bad days that are out of our control no matter how much we prepare. Thus, I do believe that exceptions should be made and nothing ever set in stone. My only critique as the others mentioned is the lack of proof even after the professor requested it. I do believe that for most of the situations presented, proof could have been provided such as a death certificate.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading these messages, they all began to sound the same. I can't even image how many of these emails professors read throughout the semester. Although there is no way to prove that they are fabrications, you can get a sense of who was being sincere and who was flat our making an excuse. I understand deaths in the family happen and sometimes suddenly, but if you're going to state this to your professor you should find some sort of documentation to bring as proof. All sicknesses should follow with documentation as well and theres no excuse for that because every hospital, dentist office, or doctor's office, have notes that they can give you to show proof of your visit. When it comes to family vacations being booked during the semester, I would require students to either hand in the assignments before their vacation or for the assignments to meet their deadlines with also requiring proof of their trip. I have been a student that has woken up sick or not feeling well where I know if I would try to attend class it would be pointless, but if the professor has strict rules, then missing the class would be the chance that I take when it comes to my grade.
ReplyDeleteGood evening everyone, after reading the various emails the first thing I realized was that not many people used greetings when beginning the emails. I understand people who are dealing with certain excuses might not even be thinking clearly, but it appears that many people just made up excuses. There was one email specifically did not bother to use proper grammar. What I found very surprising is the email that claimed they had complications with their pregnancy and yet they seemed to be roaming the halls. It's a shame how far a person will go when coming up with excuses. I learned that excuses are looked at suspiciously unless they have proper proof. When providing proof everything should be properly dated.
ReplyDeleteI think I am very observant. If I were to receive these emails, first I would see who the email is from. If the person does their work on time and does everything they are asked for and has not missed a class, then I would accept the excuse; of course proper proof would be recommended. If the email came from a person who doesn't really try and misses class often, then I would not accept without proper proof. When dealing with the email that was written from the person that had to get surgery on their leg, I would allow them to complete assignments online and follow along from home. With the people that were caught lying, I would revoke the chance to make up any missed assignments unless proper proof was shown. I never realized how many emails professors receive with various excuses; after so many similar stories, I'm sure it gets easier to tell who's telling the truth.
After reading these emails of excuses, I totally understand the point of view of the professor character. Some of these "death in the families" seem illegitimate. I could see myself receiving these emails, my skin thickening with every "death in the family" excuse.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, as some of the students in the class pointed out, I believe in innocence until proven guilty. Faking a death in the family for an extension of a paper seems crude. I’m not sure what kind of proof the professor needs, a death certificate?
Overall, I think the students should take the bad grade, have it averaged into their final grade and take the loss. They should have followed the strict guidelines to the class and handed in everything on time. It’s not fair to the rest of the kids in the class who handed in their assignments on time.
I understand that every message sounds the same, but I do not really approve that these messages are published for all of us to judge and comment on. If I read these emails in the beginning of my college career, then I would call them out on being merely excuses for a student's failure to plan. However, during my college career, I suffered three unpredictable losses. The first two losses didn't take a large toll on me, but I was not able to complete work for a week's time. When you suffer a loss, there is a week of attending services, being around family/friends, and trying to get your schedule back to normal. I do not expect a student whose grandmother dies to read and write a paper the next day. My third loss was when my dad died, and yes I had to tell my professors because it was really, really, really hard to return to do schoolwork. If the student has proved to be a decent student, then a student who needs time to cope with a loss should be acceptable. Family emergencies and health emergencies should always take priority over schoolwork. We have a whole life to continue to educate ourselves, but a loss or emergency needs immediate attention.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading these I understand why professors don't want to believe the excuses that a student may have. No-one is perfect and things happen. You can go to sleep peacefully and wake up to something you couldn't have imagined. I for one have gone though very unfortunate circumstances in my life. No I'm not making excuses...Im not that great at making an excuse up but I do understand when someone has a loss of illness or anything happening in their life. I experienced my father passing away while I was a student in college going through finals. I know what that feels like. and I know what it feels like when a professor is doubting your excuse. It hurts to know that. If a student is a good student then I believe that there can be some leeways. We have our whole lives to learn. School is not a prison or punishment. Its education. A professor is a very important role to play. This is a person that is educating us on how things are done and explain to us things we never imagined of learning. A professor who is looking to punish their students is not right. Its like a mother punishing her child for falling off a bike, or for falling off a swing.
ReplyDelete