I Was Too Slow

Quite a few of my students use laptops in class. I know I would.

One laptop users has unsuccessfully taken my course multiple times. Now and then, in walking around class, I would see that he was surfing the web instead of taking notes. At other times I would see him furtively clicking away what he was doing when I approached.

I never said anything to him. I'm not that kind of guy.

He took my course this summer, too. He sat in the back with his laptop. I assumed he was still surfing in class. And every day he would leave after one hour of a course that lasted an hour and forty minutes per day. He missed a few days here and there, too.

When he turned in his final, he told me, "I hope I never see you again."

I nodded. About the time he walked out, I realized what my reply should have been.

I should have said, "I barely saw you this time around."