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| Cobbled by Fab |
Is this what it has come down to? Student evaluations mean more than any other factor so keep them high while finding a way to keep grades at a set level. Heck, even peer evaluations are secondary to student evaluations. So, give them praise and cake and then, at the last possible moment, lower marks so you have no higher than a B- average.
Course outlines are being changed so very easy work is done in the first half of the term. The evaluation is scheduled on the first possible day. Only then can you give harder material and hope the little darlings don't complain at this, the Best Buy of universities where the customer rules.Want extra time? No problem. Want a do-over? OK. Never show up? Don't worry about it.
But still, I feel dirty. I'm going to take the last of the warm orange soda, something a little stronger to mix with it, and go have a shower.
See, once you get tenure, or better, serve as department chair, you won't have to eat any of this Scheisse ever again. I don't even ever have to smile at my students: it's wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI know the dirt you felt. I did this for exactly three semesters: I brought in an array of candies. Chocolate with nuts, chocolate without nuts in case there were allergies, gelatin-free skittles for the vegetarians, and always a small basket of berries for the vegans/kosher/hallal crowd. (okay, i was kidding on the last part)
ReplyDeleteBut seriously, one semester I brought this in and a student called me out: We're doing evals today! Can I have some snickers?
I felt totally played. So I praise them, sure, I give them a speech, but I've stopped doing the bribes. Oh fuck these stupid evals.
Ps, Frod, dude, surely we can occupy a medium ground? Over-sensitive to non-tenured evals, but at least paying some attention once we get tenure? You'll probably tell me I don't understand because I'm still seeking tenure. But I hate my tenured colleagues who don't give two shits about ANYTHING. Common ground! Come on!
I'll bet that Sarcastic Bastard realizes that I'm not entirely serious here. I do smile at my students, if they give me reason to smile, such as demonstrate mastery of difficult course material, or even have a little common sense and decency. But I certainly don't smile at them when they snivel, and act like very young children, nor do I feel any obligation to do so.
DeleteI certainly don't think we should bring back corporal punishment in schools. One reason is that the ensuing lawsuits would put a stop to it so fast it'd make your head swim.
Don't worry, I don't take anything seriously. But as for being chair ... no. Friday I have to go to a two hour meeting about a course that I won't be teaching in Fall term and chairs do that all the time. I'd rather drink the Kool-Aid, or warm orange soda.
DeleteI have yet to take snacks in to class, but unlike your sucky situation, my evals also don't count as much for my tenure process.
ReplyDeleteBy the time you have tenure, you'll have no soul left. I think that's their aim.
For what it's worth: I'm afraid I wouldn't know what snacks to take. I'm sure whatever I chose would be deemed inappropriate. For department gatherings, the chair has started to tell me what to bring. Apparently, a 24-pack of individually wrapped string cheese and a tub of peanut butter is not party food. It is for ME!
DeleteIf you must bring items in groups of 24, then a case of beer will do nicely.
DeleteStudent evaluations mean more than any other factor so keep them high while finding a way to keep grades at a set level. . . .So, give them praise and cake and then, at the last possible moment, lower marks so you have no higher than a B- average. . .
ReplyDeleteCourse outlines are being changed so very easy work is done in the first half of the term. The evaluation is scheduled on the first possible day. Only then can you give harder material and hope the little darlings don't complain at this, the Best Buy of universities where the customer rules.
This strikes me as an all-too-cogent description of the dangers of administration by spreadsheet. As long as the key numbers look good, who cares what convolutions it takes to produce them? The statistical tail waves the pedagogical dog, with bad effects for all but those whose jobs/bonuses depend on the spreadsheet.