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Thursday, September 4, 2014

Holla Achya Teach!

This will be a short post because it isn't my usual philosophic rambling. Instead, I'm giving a little advice to my students, not just for my class, for any class, and not just for high school; this information will also help in college and the workplace. This advice is simple: Communicate with your teacher (professor, boss, etc.) about anything concerning your ability to meet their requirements as soon as the situation arises. So far this year, I have had several students absent from my class for various reasons. In some cases, it is a planned trip or appointment, so they ask for assignments the day before they are absent. That is fantastic. In some cases, even when they know they will be gone, students do not take care of this necessary information beforehand. Other times, a student is absent because they are sick. In most cases, these students will wait until they get back to school to go to each teacher at the beginning of class to ask for what they missed, but I have had a couple of students this year take the time to send an email to all of their teachers (just one email with all of us CC'd) explaining that they were not feeling well and would not be in class and asking for any assignments they would be missing. This blew me away. What an amazingly responsible thing for a teenager to do. Instead of having your parents call and ask for a homework request to be sent around to your teachers or simply doing nothing at all until you get back to school, be proactive and take the few minutes it takes to send an email to your teachers to personally explain why you will not be in school and to request make-up work.

Another scenario that has popped up is concerning electronic assignment submissions. Many of my assignments are submitted electronically outside of school hours. It never fails, on every assignment, I have students who fail to submit anything. I usually send out an email reminding them that they need to get the assignment done within a week to comply with my late work policy, and I invariably receive emails with a range of excuses of why the assignment wasn't done. What I rarely get, however, is an email from the student when the excuse happens to let me know they will not have my assignment done and why. How refreshing would that be to have a student send me an email before deadline to explain what difficulties they have encountered and that they will not be able to meet my deadline? I would never dream of just silently missing one of my bosses' deadlines and then waiting for them to approach me, and I'm guessing most responsible working adults would say the same. In the event that I know I am not going to meet a deadline, I contact my boss to let him know that I will not meet the deadline, why I will not be able to meet it, and when I expect to have the task completed.

The point of all of this, dear students, is to say that it would go a long way toward endearing yourself to your teachers if you began proactively communicating on your own behalf, and it would build in you an important habit for success in the adult world.

40 comments:

  1. I am one of the students that probably should have just fessed up in the first place. i understand now that i was completely in the wrong and i should have turned my stuff in on time. Now that i have passed that mistake, i am thinking ahead and realizing that i need to be far more prepared than i was, as well as turning everything in on time. In the mean time i have been working on everything ahead of time preparing to get things done before the deadline -Dawson Myers

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  2. Honestly, I never even thought about sending an email to my teachers asking for what I missed. That is brilliant. I'm kind of disappointed in myself that I didn't think of it before you introduced it to the class. That will be what I will do now in case I am gone.
    -Lindsey Pitts, 6th Hour

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  3. Honestly, i really like the ideas that you come up with for your class because no other teacher expresses that to their students. And students need to know how to do better in school, and this could help. -Cheylynn Ford 3rd hour

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  4. After you told us about emailing when we will not be at school, my teachers seem to be a lot happier about telling me what i missed when i email them. It is so easy to do! Thank you for the awesome advice!

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  5. I am glad that email is an option. Sometimes trying to gather information after class could make me late for the next and it is private.

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  6. To be honest, I never really thought about it. I mean, I try to be courteous when it comes to homework and things of that nature, but giving advice on a topic that could save us in the long run is really awesome. Great Advice Mr. Ogle.

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  7. I am one of those kids who never let you know or do not tell you why I didn't do it. I now understand that it is not only my responsibility to do so, but as a teacher you deserve an explanation from us. Thank you for enlightening me on the fact!

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  8. Having the ability to email your teachers is definitely a good thing, I now know that if I have to miss school for whatever reason, I can always email my teachers asking what I missed, instead of being irresponsible and waiting until the next day to ask.
    To be honest I didn't even think to email my teachers until you told us this in class. The next time I have to miss a class I'll be sure to email my teachers. Thank you for telling us this!
    - Blake German, 5th Hour

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  9. Being responsible and confronting your teach or boss when there is a problem is definetely a good thing. I am one of those students that ask the teacher the next day in class what I missed. Next time I'm absent I will take your advice and email the teacher asking what I missed and what assignments I need to make up. Thanks for the advice Mr. Ogle :)
    -Samantha Moore 8th Hour

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  10. When we get into the real world and our boss/teacher gives us an assignment or piece of work to do if you cant complete it and you don't email or tell them you cant get it done on that time you be in less "trouble" and might get more time. When i'm sick to be honest school is not on my mind but now i will be sure to email my teachers and get some of my assignments for the next day.
    -Justin Stone 1st hour

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  11. This is definitely some good advice. I hardly ever miss school unless I am pretty sick or I am on a field trip or going somewhere for vacation or something, but I always ask teachers what I have missed the day after I come back or I always try to get my work in advance if I know that I am going to be gone. Next time I will use your advice and email my teachers!
    -Katie Maynard 2nd Hour

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  12. This gives the teacher or boss a good notice about you and shows how responsible you can be. This is not just for students, but for anyone that has a boss or someone in charge. This shows a lot in a person.
    Josh Blue War-Lit 7th hour

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  13. I usually email my teachers about homework or other assignments, but now I understand how much it helps them to understand their students. Thank you for letting me know how much it means to you.
    -Cheyanna Livingston 1st hour

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  14. I totally understand where you are coming from this, Mr. Ogle. I can see how frustrating it is for you when students have a deadline and know days, or even weeks before it is due, yet they still don't get it done on time. I am guilty of this though. There have been a few, not many, but a couple assignments where I know it due, but I still didn't get it done on time and it's a day late. I am however good at telling my teachers I am going to be gone the next day and get my makeup work. I am going to try harder and stay more focused in class and get my stuff turned in on time because I can understand how frustrating it can be.

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  15. Until this year I have never emailed a teacher about getting any assignments that I may have missed from their class, now that I have though it is something that I will continue in doing. It not only helps out the teacher but it also allows the students to not get behind in their work.
    -Brittany Smith, 6th Hour

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  16. I think this really shows a good representation of what most kids do they really don't care what happens and always find a way to make an excuse so I think this was really needed.

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  17. This really opened my eyes before I read this i didn't think about emailing my teachers when im gone to see what i missed that day it is very much easier for teachers to do that and for me so i dont have to get it the next day- matthew walker

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  18. I still remember that day you told us that it was a smart and responsible idea to email our teachers for our missing assignments that day ive done almost every day since then. Its a really great thing to do and i wish i would of thought about doing it earlier on in the year instead of starting so late.

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  19. It is so cool what technology has come to nowadays. Being able to email teachers when being absent makes life a whole lot easier. Thank you so much for the awesome advice!!

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  20. I think it is a great idea to email your teachers if you miss school because you do not want to fall far behind and not be able to catch up. I have always done this if I miss school and it helps.
    Colton Dosch

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  21. E-mailing your teacher or boss will defiantly make a good impression. You want to show that you're proactive and that you are someone that they can count on. By doing this it also helps you stay on top of things so you don't get behind on your school work. I know I dread missing school because I know that there is going to be a ton of assignment but by getting your work ahead of time it'll help you stay organized.

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  22. I have always been a student who waits until the next day to get my assignments, then I get stressed out when I have two days of homework due. If I would email my teachers and find out anything that could be done at home it would take off a lot of stress because some assignments could be completed that day rather than finding out about it the next day.
    -Brenna Aitken 5th Hour

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  23. This is good advice because it shows that you care enough about your school work to let your teacher know whats going on and why you didn't turn something in.

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  24. This is all some really great advice. If it wasn't for me emailing you all of the days that I was absent, I probably wouldn't even pass this class.

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  25. I really wish I would have done this throughout my high school career. i get so far behind on homework it is not even funny, yes i know it is not only because im not here but also because i do not pay attention in class and do not do my work if i had the chance again i would do it all differently.

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  26. I'm really glad I have this advice. Emailing will help me get all my assignments in and on time.
    -Alexis Miller

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  27. emailing the teacher is a good idea it lets you stay up to date with whats going on in class so your not lost when you come back and so you don't drowned in home work i will definitely try next time i am sick

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  28. I feel like if you communicate with your teacher more, you could have a better understanding of the class, what they are saying, and it will be easier to ask questions and get answers.

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  29. Emailing your teacher when you are absent from school or simply when you do not understand something is a brilliant idea! Many people, such as myself, do not like to interrupt class to ask their teacher about something. Sometimes when I do so, I feel as if everyone is judging me because I do not know something that most people already do know. When I am absent, I have tried asking my teachers about the assignments I had missed and sometimes they forget. Whenever I email my teachers, however, they seem to know all of my assignments because they do not have to answer back immediately. They can look at their plans for the days I had been absent and then they could tell me what I had missed.

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  30. Personally, I try and communicate with all of my teachers to the highest extent. If I'm going to be absent I always try to either send anticipated absence form, tell them in person, or send an email to the individual teacher.
    Henry Arp, 7th hour

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  31. I believe communication is a big problem in the high school and needs to be fixed. I believe emailing is such a great advantage. Instead of having teachers take their time out of teaching the rest of the students and writing down everything you missed, you can just email and it would be done and over with in less than 5 minutes. I hope all teachers decide to encourage their students to do the emailing route.

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  32. I'm one of those students that doesn't really communicate with the teacher. I just come in and see what homework I have to do by the next day and honestly it causes me to fall behind. I should really start using my email to keep in touch and let my teachers know why i'll be gone in the future and what homework I will have or the reason why I won't have it done on time.

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  33. Most of the time I do my homework. Very rarely do things come up where I cannot get my assignments done or even let you know that they won't be done. As a kid with a job and other commitments, it is hard to get things done on time. On the other hand, I can also see your frustration with students and see how that can be a pain in the butt. From now on, I will try to email my teachers ahead of time.

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  34. I've never really been one to enjoy school. I was on the honor roll I think one year in jr. high. School has, to me, always been unimportant and unnecessary. Getting older now I realize how important and necessary it really it. Communicating with teachers is something that I've been stepping up on recently and aim to maintain.

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  35. I do try to get my homework the day before, but if I don't go to school I am usually doing something where I wont have enough time to get much done, so I think that it is easier to find out what I was missing the day before, or the next day that I go back to school, but yes if i were sick, It would be a lot better of an idea to email the teachers about what was going on in class that day.

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  36. If I know in advance that I am going to be gone I let my teachers know in advance so I can get any homework I will be missing. If I am sick and do not know I will be gone I try to email my teachers to at least have an idea of what I will be getting the next day if I cannot do it from what the teachers have given me in the email.
    Brenna Aitken 7th hour

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  37. I spend much time on my computer; therefore I should definitely be more communicable with my teachers. Although I have sent emails in the past I have never thought to use it to ask for more time on an assignment or even ask for help. I think I will try to utilize my internet capabilities to better prepare my future endeavors.

    Austin Fullerton 2nd Hour

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