It’s 8:30, and Centennial Hall’s bells are ringing. Your class has filed into the room, and everyone has taken their regular seats. You’re chatting with a friend, while your table-mate frantically finishes an assignment. Everything is normal, except your teacher’s chair is empty.
The lights in the classroom are on, and a laptop is open on the desk. But this teacher is an attendance stickler, trigger-happy with Veracross’s “Tardy Unexcused” toggle. A late teacher is unimaginable.
The clock ticks to 8:33, and the inevitable occurs. “Y’know, if he’s not here in twelve minutes, we’re allowed to leave,” someone says.
The idea that if a teacher is fifteen minutes late, students are allowed to leave: it’s a “rule” that was recently described as “the most widespread fake news at The Haverford School.” Students have never actually left, because fifteen minutes never pass without a teacher present.
Be grateful for such a supportive faculty. And give them some grace.
It’s a signal of the dedication of Haverford’s faculty. It’s rare that a class period is designated a free work time, let alone that a teacher doesn’t show up.
That’s something to keep in mind. We’re uniquely lucky to have not just six talented and committed professionals assigned to our class blocks, but also entire departments that supplement and support each other.
Be grateful for such a supportive faculty. And give them some grace. Life happens to everyone, and sometimes it takes 15 minutes.
