nosy professors

I don't know if anyone else has ever experienced this double standard from a teacher or professor, but thought I'd throw it out there...

I've always been a pretty good student-not a brain, but I've generally been good about keeping my grades in the A-B+ range. Until recently, I've also been very good about attending class. I don't take joy from skipping and always feel like a failure when I do, but the past two semesters have been though as the work load (with practicums, full-time classes, and a job) has been extremely tiring and I occasionally skip class to sleep. On most every occasion that I skip I have completed any homework and am missing only the lecture portion of the class. That being said, I've never missed a MWF class more than 5-6 times in a semester. However, there are people in some of my classes that show up maybe once every 5-6 class sessions. I can think of several students in particular who so seldom show up for class that you forget they're even supposed to be there. The fact that these kids don't show up doesn't bother me...to each his own. However, I have noticed an inconsistency that really bugs me. I have several professors who ask each time I've skipped a class, "Where were you last class?" "Are you feeling alright?" "We had homework due on Friday."-the list goes on. While I appreciate their concern for my well-being, I don't feel that they have any particular need to know where I was. And the thing that really bugs me more than anything, is that these same professors don't say anything to the students who rarely show, on the occasion that they do come to class. Some may argue, "It just shows that they care about the students who actually care about the class." And yes, maybe that is the case, but I just don't see why they need to know where I was when I don't come. I don't ask them where they were the session after a canceled class, or remind them that they were supposed to lecture on Renassaince art, and I don't feel that I have any right to do so. It's none of my business. The same applies to them.

Last Thursday night, for example, I stayed up until 4 am doing homework (I had worked that night and then J. called and we talked for a while, so homework got the shaft), the next morning, I didn't hear my alarm and ended up sleeping through my 8 am. My fault, and not really any excuse, but it happened. Monday morning, I went to class and sure enough, the prof. looked up when I walked in and made the comment, "Are you doing ok? You weren't here on Friday, you know we watched that video that was mentioned in the syllabus, it's important that you're here for every class." I threw out a lame attempt at a light-hearted reply, and he said, "Well, next time just be sure to e-mail me...."

I appreciated that he cared, but seriously...this morning, half the class was gone and I guarantee he's not going to ask each of them next Monday what happened.

I have another prof. who does the same thing, only when someone isn't in class, she takes it upon herself to ask the rest of the students if they've seen Little Miss MIA, and if they know if MIA is coming to class, and if not, where she is. If another student in the class says that MIA has something going on and forgot to let this prof. know ahead of time, she usually makes a statement like, "Well, she didn't tell that to me" or "I didn't get an e-mail". Seriously, who cares.

In high school, this would all be a different story. Students are required to attend high school. They are minors. College is optional and many students (most all by junior/senior year) are adults and have adult responsibilities outside of school that are occasionally more important than attending class (not that my over-sleeping is an adult responsibility, I'm just saying).

Anyway, I could go on about this all night, but I think I've made my point. I've also made a list of things that professors should NOT try to make their business:

-What their students are wearing (as long as they're not excessively naked or wearing pjs every day-I hate seeing that too). I have had more than one prof. require students to grade their dress selections and turn in a statement at the end of the class. I also have been criticized publicly by a professor for wearing shorts to a class. My excuse: I had a sports class immediately afterward and no time to change.

-How often their students show up for class (As long as a student is not failing the class, why does it matter? Maybe the student has had a similar class and just needs this one to graduate...who knows?)

-Where students are when they don't show up for a class (And they really shouldn't ask others if they know where a student is...that's no one's business.)

-What a students thinks about the prof. or his ideas (A professor of mine gave a hwk assignment this week in which we were supposed to write a paragraph explaining why we thought "so and so poet" was his favorite.)

I know, there are a lot more pressing problems in the world than my odd professors, but an annoyance I thought I'd share just the same.

-Me.