The Boys Who Cried Wolf

On Thursday morning, Liam said he was sick and wanted to stay home from school. He has been saying that a lot recently, and when I press him and ask if he's saying he's sick because he wants to stay home and watch videos or if he really is sick. He'll say he wants to watch TV at home. So, when he said this on Thursday, we just assumed it was the ol' boy who cried wolf 'cuz he seemed fine otherwise, though now I realize that he cuddled for a bit longer than usual in bed with me in the morning. Chris called me later and said that Liam had actually taken a nap at preschool (!) and he was feverish when he went to pick him up. Turns out he was sick. Guilt!



Meanwhile, I got an e-mail soon after that from one of my students who had called and e-mailed two nights before their final paper was due - that he thought he had a concussion - he had said he was sick a few other times this semester and promised to give me a doctor's note (yes, that's what's required of Hahvad undergrads), but they never materialized. This is someone who has consistently been belligerent about the class, so rather than deal with it myself - I consulted the head TF and the prof, who advised me to trust my gut and informed him that if he wasn't really sick (he never said, for example, how he might have gotten a concussion) and didn't turn in his paper then he would be fail the project and probably the course. Well, now his e-mail says he has a note and that he really did have a concussion - though I haven't seen the note yet and he also said all sorts of threatening things in his e-mail (again).


Do we always give them the benefit of the doubt?