Good old
Robert walked in again, took out his cell phone and dissolved into his own little world. He knows he needs to be marked present to keep his financial aid intact. (Passing a class is not a government requirement.) I decided several weeks ago to follow his advice and not talk to him. But, when he walked out again and stayed out for a half hour I broke this resolution. l privately told him that he was getting the WU because of the time he spent in the hall and walking out early.
I thought he would get upset and was ready, but all he did was ask me why I didn't say anything in the beginning of the class. He told me he wasted an hour of his life sitting there for nothing. I calmly told him I did as he suggested and stopped talking to him. He walked back into the room, picked up his phone and jacket and left. He'll have to find another power source for the phone since that is all he ever accomplished in my class.
It felt good to watch him leave. It was great to know I was following school policy by giving him the WU and telling him about it. The college where I work has to accept kids who don't belong but it doesn't have to pass them through. We are encouraged not to pass students who don't make the grade. If high schools would do the same thing, we might have a better group of kids seeking higher education.
