49 Absences

This morning, before the bell rang at 7:30, a student who is in my first period class, but who hasn’t actually attended my first period class since October 28, was hanging around in the hallway near my classroom.  This student has accumulated 49 absences from my class since August.  This is the first time I have actually seen this student in a while.  I believe his absences are a combination of tardiness and skipping.  I have spoken with his father and sent letters home, to no avail.

I didn’t just see this young man once as he walked past–he stayed within a 20 foot radius of my class for a good 5-6 minutes.  As I walked around the hallway trying to clear kids out, I kept seeing him out of the corner of my eye.  I think he might have been looking at me out of the corner of his eye too.  I got the vibe that he wanted me to notice him, to acknowledge him, to encourage him to come to class.

I couldn’t do it.

This student currently has a 0% in my class.  He has not turned in any work at all since the beginning of the quarter because he hasn’t even been there since then. We have five school days until the final in his class.  It is too late–there is absolutely no hope for  him to pass. 

I did not anticipate that this child would be a disruption in my class today.  In the precious few times I have seen him, he  was generally very quiet.  I just could not stomach the thought of allowing him to sit through 90 minutes of a review of things he was never there to learn.  Furthermore, I could not stomach the idea of attempting to catch him up on any level–what in the world would be the point?  What could I say to him?  How could I look him in the eye and say anything useful or encouraging or true?

He was standing very near the door when the bell rang at 7:30.  I closed it without acknowledging him.  Who knows where he ended up, but he did not come to class.

 I’ve been feeling guilty all day.