After worrying that I was in some ways responsible for the failures of some of my students (http://pedagogy.cwrl.utexas.edu/node/296 [1]), I incorporated some of y'all's advice--mainly trying to find something about the students that I liked, and challenging myself to keep them in the class.

I worked extremely hard during my conferences with the failing students--normally I am upset by lack of effort and it makes me want to cut the conferences with the worst students short. I also had face to face conversations with two of them about the absence policy and my expectations for them. I even pulled one especially shy student out of class during a group activity so they couldn't slip out of class before I could talk to them. That technique really worked--the student came to office hours once and e-mailed me once after that conversation.

I have three students hovering at the four absence mark, but I have not lost any of them so far. Each of the three students I ear-marked for failure at the beginning of the semester are enjoying Urrea and doing okay on their informal assignments.

Before the final paper, their grades are 62, 67, & 73. An F on their final paper would likely mean an F in the class for all three of them, but on the other hand, a C on the paper will give them C's in the class. All three of them got low B's on their revisions of paper 2, so it is not impossible for them to pass.

More importantly, I feel that I have them given special attention without being unfair to other students and that I have truly tried to help them succeed. Your comments and suggestions really helped me, bloggers! Thank you.