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On Monday, February 23, I proctored my second exam for the semester. The weather conditions around here have been dismal: we've had one official delay that affected my class and a few days of weather bad enough that some students never made it to class (although the school never posted the official delay). But with our lovely friend, the internet, the students knew an exam would happen this past Monday.

Yet when I showed up to class, a good eight or so students were missing. Not a single one had emailed me to let me know why they weren't coming, and one student--get this--came into the class (late, mind you) and said, "I'm not ready. I'm really not. Can I have an extra day?"

Tim thought I was crazy to cave to her demands, but this student has a very full plate, and truthfully, not much hope of passing this class. Maybe it was a moment of weakness that pushed me to say yes to her, or maybe I just felt like affording her some kindness.

In any case, I expected a few students to email me regarding their situation, but as of Monday night, only one person had done so. Tuesday morning, I sent out the following email:

I understand that we've had a wacky few weeks, but I would have expected all students to show up for Exam 2. Back in the beginning of the course, I stated on my information sheet, "There are no make-up exams." I do modify that statement at times, such as when someone contacts me ahead of time to indicate a conflict. However, for this 2nd exam, no one contacted me.

Most of you have internet access and even email capabilities by phone. Please be courteous and let me know ahead of time if you will not be in class for the exam.

For those of you who missed this exam and have not spoken to me via email or in person, you will now need to take the optional comprehensive final.

Rules are in place, not to be harsh, but to be fair to everyone in the class. Plus, the lessons you learn in school can always apply to life. Think about if you missed a big meeting at work and didn't bother to speak with your boss. You might be fired over similar behavior.

We'll continue with Chapter 8 tomorrow.

Of course, after I sent the message, a slew of emails popped into my inbox. I answered them politely, but as I read each one, I realized something: teaching is just like parenting. I need to stay on top of these students whether I like it or not because someday, I'm not going to be there to hold their hands. Next time I send out an email to my class, I'm going to sign it, Mom.