Fair point!

As I wrote in my short text, there are always exceptions. And this is clearly one.

The point I wanted to make is that a lot of our social interactions are based on unwritten rules. At a seminar, I obviously expect everyone to be on time. If one or two students are late, I don’t mind and I don’t comment on it. However, if everyone turns up late, I have to intervene.

The same is true with the camera setting. I really don’t mind if one or two students have their camera switched off and I don’t ask them to do it. But I want to be clear that as a general rule, I expect cameras to be on.

However, I slightly disagree with your second point. I strongly believe that in order to create an environment where students can thrive, we need to communicate. We have a number of students with special needs — and very often it is initially not quite clear what these needs are. Nobody can read minds, so both students and teachers need to be clear about their expectations.

For me, “asking for exceptions” is a misleading framing of the situation. It should not be about “asking” or “exceptions”. Accommodating a special need is not always obvious. If you are in a wheelchair, it is not only about elevators and ramps. There is a lot of stuff to figure out — and the best way to find solutions is to talk about it. I think this is true for all kinds of special needs.

In any case — thanks for the feedback and the link. I’ll keep your comment in mind!