<p>so last thursday, one of my professors trusts me enough to take over his class while he's away on college business for the day. all i had to do was go to class, play a video for the class, pass out some sheets, and when time was up, leave.</p>
<p>i did that. i went to class, i played the video, i passed out the sheets, and when time was up: i left.</p>
<p>i also had to take attendance for him. now, i know i am not responsible for keeping people in the classroom. but people left. not a lot. about 6 or so from the 20 of us (ok maybe that is a little much :-/) i said i wouldn't rat them out because its not my responsiblity if they stay or not.</p>
<p>now i'm starting to worry what i'm going to do if the professor asks me what happened on thursday. if he asks me if people stay, what should i do? i don't know who left because i don't know people's names yet (they signed a sheet, and left either right after or at some point in class) i don't know if i should lie and say nobody left, or say i don't know who left, because i said i wouldn't rat people out but i don't want to lie to my professor.</p>
<p>The students had no compelling reason to remain after you took attendance. Any prof who thinks they did is nuts. He can certainly hold them responsible for material presented but he cannot compel them to remain nor can you. I wouldn't have stayed if you were the video jockey.....sorry. I think you are not up to the task if you were put in charge and told kids you wouldn't keep a record.....you are in need of a little more maturity and perspective. Sorry that you are so stressed but this is really not that major of a deal.</p>
<p>hazmat i agree with you 110%. if i would've had a choice to be in charge: i would have never said yes (he asked, and i don't like saying no). if i could go back and fix it: i definately would. all i'm worried about now is being labeled responsible and having to deal with the teacher for either not taking record of those who left or having them leave and what i should do/say to him. but i agree with you.</p>
<p>If the attendence matters that much to the prof he would have asked one of his colleagues to show up instead of asking you. He was asking you for a favor and you did what you were supposed to so he's not going to chew you out for what happened.</p>
<p>Did you mark the professor absent? You should have. He is after all, paid (by the students) to be there. His first and foremost "college business" was to be IN the classroom teaching.</p>
<p>All that is required is the attendance roster. Material presented is certainly fair game for exams and as such the Prof will have alrady documented that students were present....that is all. During any class a student may choose to leave for a variety of reasons....health, medical appointment, other activity. Why would the Prof ever ask you who left? What purpose would be served by finding out that information?</p>
<p>You are right-- it's not your responsibility to keep them in the classroom. It is theirs. Don't risk your reputation with this professor to protect those who are willing to risk theirs.</p>
<p>I'd tell him the truth if he asks. It is not your fault that students left, they chose to leave and to miss material that may be covered in exams.</p>
<p>If you are asked, I would say some students left early. I would avoid giving names. Chances are slim that this will occur. When I was in college there were no attendance rosters. If you cut, that was your choice. I even got good grades in a couple of courses without attending a single class. I learned the material on my own and did well on the exams. </p>
<p>Those days are over. It can be a legal issue if a student disappears and the university doesn't even know about it for weeks. Most schools check attendance for this reason, not because they want to force students to attend classes.</p>
<p>It's the prof's responsibility for whatever happened in that class. You were doing the guy a favor. Hopefully, he only put you in charge because it was an emergency. He better be thanking you, not giving you a hard time. </p>
<p>Second, the people who miss class hurt only themselves. </p>
<p>If he asks how the class went, say, "Fine". If he asks about attendence, say "Everyone was present at the start of class". If he gives you a hard time, he's an ass, and don't bend under his Satanical pressure. </p>
<p>You are flipping out over nothing. Take a chill pill. Feel like a Good Samaritan. Your prof owes you one, not the other way around. After all, you're paying a ridiculous amount of money to be in his class.</p>
<p>It was not fair of the other students to ask you to lie, that was tacky of them, leave fine, but don't put you in that position to cover for them</p>
<p>if this happens again, promise nothing to the students, they knew better</p>