When it comes to students being absent, there are all kinds of excuses. Some say they had doctor appointments, dentist appointments, that they weren’t feeling too good, or some are honest and say that they didn’t feel like coming to school. But when a student repeatedly misses school, it does not just impact their education, but also their future.
Due to a health issue, I had to miss more than a month of school, which also meant missing out on tons of homework and classwork. Unfortunately for me, my health issue was something that caused me to be exhausted and unable to do things without help, and I couldn’t get caught up on work for about three weeks, causing my grades to go down. I acknowledged the fact that my grades weren’t going to be good, but when I ended up checking them for the first time, that’s when I realized how much my absence had affected my grades and education.
When I was back at school, all my teachers were telling me that I had so much work to catch up on. One of my teachers, though, was so understanding about my situation to the point that she even excused my work. But even with the excused work, my grades were still bad, and the only way that I would be able to get them up was to do all the work that I had missed that month. Something I noticed throughout this was that every teacher has their own way of helping their students. I even interviewed Mr. Hothi, biology teacher, and found out how he helps his students after many absences.
In the interview with Mr. Hothi, he told me about his helpful techniques when it comes to his students being absent. The first question I asked was, “When a student misses class and doesn’t catch up on any of their work, how does this affect their grades?” He said that their grades become low, “…and it even causes their work to accumulate.” When his students are absent, he normally gives out extensions depending on how many days they’ve missed. I then asked what the main reason for catching up on work is so important, and he said, “Us as teachers, we have to teach certain standards, certain context, and it’s important because you have to understand one thing before you can completely move onto the next.” He makes himself available to his students by having after school tutoring, and sometimes even allowing them to study in his class during lunch.
Catching up on work after being absent is definitely a must. During the time that I was absent, I was constantly mentally preparing myself for when I would go back to school, knowing that I would be way behind the other students in my classes. Being back has been a lot to handle, but communicating with my teacher has been very helpful. I have noticed that the more I communicate with my teachers, the easier the work gets because I start to understand the work way better.
Next time that you’re absent, even for a day, make sure to check in with your teachers so you don’t fall behind. Communicate with your teacher because they are always there to help. See the attendance people at the attendance window if you have any excused absences, doctor notes, or any questions regarding attendance.
