End of Semester Rambles
- Dear students who did less than half the required work during the first 7 weeks of the 8 week online block class who are now filling my inbox with your impassioned pleas: Do you seriously believe that you could magically complete 50-80% of the work for this class in just one week? I certainly don't think so, which is why my answer is "no [way in bloody hell]."
- Dear student who blew off two of the four tests without contacting me in advance, which means no makeup allowed, which means no way can you pass: It's rare for me to feel guilty about being a hardass about my grading policies, but your coming to me to apologize for your lack of responsibility and actually thank me for holding you to a high standard, followed by your continuing to come to class in order to not let your team down for their final project, is making me really reconsider my hardass stance.
- Dear administration who is suddenly treating the faculty like clock-punchers, and requiring us to submit leave time for coming in 15 minutes late or leaving 15 minutes early, even if we have clearly put in hours of extra work that week and most weeks: Thank you for helping me see what a regular work schedule feels like. Instead of staying most days at least 30-60 minutes late, working through most lunches, and working nights, weekends, holidays and even sick days and vacation days to do things like answer students' emails, review their work, keep up with my grading, and look for ways to I prove on my upcoming classes, I just go home exactly on time every day and do almost no work when I'm there. I don't know why I complained about it so much - I certainly have a lot more free time now! Of course my students are paying the price in a big way, but hey, all I can tell them is sorry - all faculty are expected to keep a very regular schedule, and there's nothing I can do about it.
For the first and last rambles: YES. THIS.
ReplyDeleteThe idea behind teaching is that you get the job done. We shouldn't be watching the clock.
And almost all of my hatred spilled here comes from online students who piss and moan and fill my inbox with last minute pleas. My in-person students just don't show at all. Much easier.
The clocking-in thing is especially ridiculous since you're teaching online. But yes, if they want 9-5 M-F, then that's what you should give them (with all allowable breaks taken). I hope whatever evaluation your school uses includes some rating of "instructor availability," and that you can pull historical data for comparison (also that you're tenured or otherwise protected from the possible effects of bad evaluations).
ReplyDeleteMy own university would have a significant office-space problem (and an even-more-significant parking one) if the faculty all showed up on campus to work 5 days a week. And I'm sure that academics could develop the same time-wasting on-campus behaviors that many office workers indulge in. What's worse, from the administrative/legislative point of view, if we were all on campus at the same time, and talking to each other, we might just organize the revolution we've been muttering to ourselves about all these years. Really, they should be careful what they wish for.
FUCKING CLOCK WATCHERS!! Oh, my language, but I cannot help it.
ReplyDeletePlease, do NOT change your hardass stance. It's working! You have at least one student this semester that learned something.
ReplyDeleteWhat that student learned may not have been on the syllabus, but it was important nonetheless.
Thank you for holding the flakes to standards.
Please, do NOT change your hardass stance. It's working! You have at least one student this semester that learned something.
ReplyDeleteWhat that student learned may not have been on the syllabus, but it was important nonetheless.
Thank you for holding the flakes to standards.
Glad (or sad?) that others have the same problems as me.
ReplyDeleteDear administration who is suddenly treating the faculty like clock-punchers...
ReplyDelete...thanks for the raise! I now earn more than twice as much per hour!