Thursday, September 23, 2010

Mini-Smack

Short, and not even really that smacky, but still.

Twice so far in the semester I have gone to my office to find students waiting outside.  This in itself would not be troubling were it not for the fact that on the door is posted a sign, in clear view and in plain language, which instructs the students to seek the owner of the office - should he be absent - in the department lounge, a mere thirty feet down the hall and also in plain view of anyone who can make it to my office.  I spend a great deal of time there, at the encouragement of the chair, "contributing to the life of the department."  Collegiality is a thing for him, and I enjoy it, so there you go.  Besides, my office chair sucks.

Naturally, neither student came looking for me in the lounge, despite both having legitimately urgent business with me.

They just stood there.

With a sign.

Telling them.

Where they could look.

If they found that I was not where they expected me to be.

And I was there.

Right there.

In the lounge.

Bright kids, too, both of 'em.  At least, I would have thought they were...

Sigh.

6 comments:

  1. Aaaaaaaah. A nice, light, yet satisfying, afternoon smack, just enough to get me through until dinner.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I used to work at a school where I would get in trouble for not being "in my office" during office hours. Forget the fact that the chairs in the hallway were much more comfortable! Nope. Office hours meant "hours IN your OFFICE." I find it pathetic that certain students fear meeting me somewhere other than my office. It's as if they think that I have some mystic power when I'm not in my office...

    Mathsquatch *using my mystic powers to buy some beer* out.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I once had a student skip going to my lecture so that he could see me in my office.

    ReplyDelete
  4. @Paddington: How on Earth were you giving a lecture and in your office at the same time?

    Mathsquatch out.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bilocation: The lesser known power of professors.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.