I get such messages, too (usually minus illustration), and I'm never sure what to make of them *before* grades are in. The thank-yous a semester or two later (at least when not accompanied or immediately followed by a request for a recommendation) are easier to take at face value.
It's sad, since I'm sure some of the thanks are, in fact, sincere. But my cynicism has been fed by seeing too many such statements either accompanying, or as the prelude to, various sorts of requests and/or demands for grade changes, explanations of grades, and the like.
At the end of our Prehamsterfur final, a student approached me with a $20 gift certificate for pizza.
The temptation was enormous. I was out of food.
I still said no. The student wanted to know why. I explained to them that it would be innappropriate and admin would consider it misconduct on my part.
Students response: "No they won't! It's for being such a great teacher."
Yeah right, I thought, your next stop is the Dean's office.
I've found similar comments at the end of exams before. Like Contingent Cassandra, I'm sometimes rather suspicious of their motives.
At the same time, though, I usually have a pretty good sense of who the genuine ones are, based on their performance and their engagement over the course of the semester. Often, it's the pretty good students, ones who don't need to suck up in order to get a decent grade, who do this sort of thing.
There are also students who might not be very good academically, but who are also genuinely nice people. I have a student in one of my classes this semester whose intellectual and analytical abilities fall somewhere between those of a fencepost and a medium-sized bowl of grits, but she is one of the nicest people you could ever meet. She's always smiling, she does the work, she contributes to class discussion, and her cheerfulness with me, and with life in general, never seems to fade even after I return her C and (more often) D papers.
If she were to put a thank you note and a smiley face at the end of her exam, I would see it as nothing more than just another example of her incredibly pleasant personality.
whose intellectual and analytical abilities fall somewhere between those of a fencepost and a medium-sized bowl of grits
Now there's a classic (and very Southern) comparison. But who knew corn was closer to sentience than wood? Maybe it's all the genetic modification that's been going on in recent years?
And yes, I make the same distinction; some students are, indeed, genuinely grateful for the results of their hard work and my guidance, or just nice/cheerful. Still, I'm a bit suspicious of a thank-you email I just received (a follow-up to a combined thank-you/grade inquiry from the same author a few days ago). I think it's a veiled "when will our grades be up?" inquiry (which beats an outright demand, I suppose).
There are also students who might not be very good academically, but who are also genuinely nice people.
I had two students like that this term, one of whom wrote "Have a great summer" at the end of his final exam. Didn't affect his grade one way or another, but it was pleasant.
We're allowed to accept small gifts. My favorite to date is a small bottle of Chinese liquor that could strip paint off of a jet flying overhead at 30,000 feet from its fumes alone. I keep it in my office on my shelf of knick-nacks.
I work in Financial Aid, so the prohibition against receipt of gifts is particularly carefully observed. Our higher-ups do turn a blind eye to the occasional gift of homemade cookies at Christmas (especially if we share :)).
We also get many kind e-mails and a few handwritten thankyou notes from parents. Those get carefully saved in a file in case any question of favoritism or otherwise unequal treatment comes up later. It's comforting to read them over, sometimes, on one of those days when it seems like every single phone call is an angry family member who wants to complain that we're not being sensitive to their child's special snowflakehood by granting them a full scholarship.
Somehow, I have the feeling that I inspired this.
ReplyDeleteor perhaps a squashed bug of some sort? Though ten seems like an unusual number of appendages.
ReplyDeleteI get such messages, too (usually minus illustration), and I'm never sure what to make of them *before* grades are in. The thank-yous a semester or two later (at least when not accompanied or immediately followed by a request for a recommendation) are easier to take at face value.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad, since I'm sure some of the thanks are, in fact, sincere. But my cynicism has been fed by seeing too many such statements either accompanying, or as the prelude to, various sorts of requests and/or demands for grade changes, explanations of grades, and the like.
I believe that is supposed to be the sun. (Maybe the sun is depressed or something)
ReplyDeleteIt's a black hole sun..
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/3mbBbFH9fAg
The Black Sun!
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sun_(occult_symbol)
HITLER AND SATAN ARE COMING.
Does either of them grade papers? If so, I'm at a point where I just might welcome him.
DeleteComment of the week, IMO!
DeleteAs for the illustration, maybe the student is showing he can give a rat's.....
At the end of our Prehamsterfur final, a student approached me with a $20 gift certificate for pizza.
ReplyDeleteThe temptation was enormous. I was out of food.
I still said no. The student wanted to know why. I explained to them that it would be innappropriate and admin would consider it misconduct on my part.
Students response: "No they won't! It's for being such a great teacher."
Yeah right, I thought, your next stop is the Dean's office.
I've found similar comments at the end of exams before. Like Contingent Cassandra, I'm sometimes rather suspicious of their motives.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, though, I usually have a pretty good sense of who the genuine ones are, based on their performance and their engagement over the course of the semester. Often, it's the pretty good students, ones who don't need to suck up in order to get a decent grade, who do this sort of thing.
There are also students who might not be very good academically, but who are also genuinely nice people. I have a student in one of my classes this semester whose intellectual and analytical abilities fall somewhere between those of a fencepost and a medium-sized bowl of grits, but she is one of the nicest people you could ever meet. She's always smiling, she does the work, she contributes to class discussion, and her cheerfulness with me, and with life in general, never seems to fade even after I return her C and (more often) D papers.
If she were to put a thank you note and a smiley face at the end of her exam, I would see it as nothing more than just another example of her incredibly pleasant personality.
Me too, but my SLAC has a strict policy on gifts. Don't accept them under any circumstances.
Deletewhose intellectual and analytical abilities fall somewhere between those of a fencepost and a medium-sized bowl of grits
DeleteNow there's a classic (and very Southern) comparison. But who knew corn was closer to sentience than wood? Maybe it's all the genetic modification that's been going on in recent years?
And yes, I make the same distinction; some students are, indeed, genuinely grateful for the results of their hard work and my guidance, or just nice/cheerful. Still, I'm a bit suspicious of a thank-you email I just received (a follow-up to a combined thank-you/grade inquiry from the same author a few days ago). I think it's a veiled "when will our grades be up?" inquiry (which beats an outright demand, I suppose).
There are also students who might not be very good academically, but who are also genuinely nice people.
DeleteI had two students like that this term, one of whom wrote "Have a great summer" at the end of his final exam. Didn't affect his grade one way or another, but it was pleasant.
I got a lovely thank-you card from one of my best students. It almost balanced out the shit I got from not-so-good students.
ReplyDeleteLooks like he is wishing you a summer with an eclipsed sun. :o)
ReplyDeleteWhat are the odds said student has read Breakfast of Champions? ;)
ReplyDeleteWe're allowed to accept small gifts. My favorite to date is a small bottle of Chinese liquor that could strip paint off of a jet flying overhead at 30,000 feet from its fumes alone. I keep it in my office on my shelf of knick-nacks.
ReplyDeleteI work in Financial Aid, so the prohibition against receipt of gifts is particularly carefully observed. Our higher-ups do turn a blind eye to the occasional gift of homemade cookies at Christmas (especially if we share :)).
ReplyDeleteWe also get many kind e-mails and a few handwritten thankyou notes from parents. Those get carefully saved in a file in case any question of favoritism or otherwise unequal treatment comes up later. It's comforting to read them over, sometimes, on one of those days when it seems like every single phone call is an angry family member who wants to complain that we're not being sensitive to their child's special snowflakehood by granting them a full scholarship.