Reply to student absent for assessments and wants a rec

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I always write positive recommendations, otherwise I decline politely to write the letter.

Don’t be an asshat by agreeing then writing a red flag letter. [/quote]

I can tell from the tone that you don't like this student. I hate seeing any student being cut off at the legs by a bad recommendation letter. I agree with PP about being honest with the student. Maybe there is something else going on that you're not aware of. Maybe your gut intuition is right. Either way, honesty is always the best policy. I was a very naive kid and I wish people around me had given it to me straight- critique is the only path forward towards growth. [/quote]

This! I also second the posts that suggest writing a good recommendation or don’t write one. If the contents will not help the student, be upfront about what you would write and give him the option to find another recommendation letter. Keep in mind that people see things differently, a student might think he’s stellar in the class, but in reality he just average, people might interpret interactions and words of encouragement to mean something else. Considering you’re dealing with a high school student with little experience, likely the first time asking for a recommendation letter, be gracious and use this situation as a teaching and mentoring opportunity.

How important is missing class compared to the overall effort in the class? If it just irks you because he missed quizzes, I’d say just get over it and take his excuses at face value. Maybe he lied, maybe he had good reasons, or just test anxiety etc, your job is to teach and grade not to do detective work on the students. In the end it’s te a huge waste of time, for a doubtful outcome.[/quote]

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