tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post5375670175727431249..comments2023-10-15T04:23:50.187-04:00Comments on College Misery: An Early Thirsty on Being FlexibleUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-21641290414832856852011-02-22T04:42:24.257-05:002011-02-22T04:42:24.257-05:00Looking for a tool to help you organize your sylla...Looking for a tool to help you organize your syllabus? Check out the Online Syllabus Template Tool at www.syllabest.com.<br /><br />It's a PDF file that opens in the free Adobe Reader program.<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />Georgegeorge joeckelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14226954738331864431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-91134749175020394722011-02-21T02:22:08.211-05:002011-02-21T02:22:08.211-05:00One last thing:
@VC: I suggest you schedule a tim...One last thing:<br /><br />@VC: I suggest you schedule a time near the end of the term as "Catching-up days," for students who arrange in advance in writing, the way professionals do, in case they have legitimate reasons to miss anything big that you can't reduce in size.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-4105908278234518432011-02-21T01:46:14.061-05:002011-02-21T01:46:14.061-05:00P.P.S. I do NOT give make-ups, ever, EVER, EVER!!!...P.P.S. I do NOT give make-ups, ever, EVER, EVER!!! And you're going to have to torture it out of me, before I crack. And having taught for as long as I have, I now have a VERY high threshold of pain: good luck!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-87627148949599997182011-02-21T01:43:06.259-05:002011-02-21T01:43:06.259-05:00P.S. I stopped giving in-class quizzes long ago. ...P.S. I stopped giving in-class quizzes long ago. They're done during labs, and we may curtail the practice altogether, because of the difficulty presented for students needing time-and-a-half or more in a separate, distraction-free environment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-85313787018987096952011-02-21T01:37:24.589-05:002011-02-21T01:37:24.589-05:00@VC: None of my assignments count that much. There...@VC: None of my assignments count that much. There are nine homework assignments, due on Fridays throughout the term, counting between 2-6% each, and counting 25% total. There are two mid-term exams, the lower of which is dropped, counting 10%. Twelve near-weekly labs count a total of 10%, with unexcused absences for three or more counting an F for the entire course. The research paper, 1200 Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-66717688830288712352011-02-21T01:36:58.151-05:002011-02-21T01:36:58.151-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-83611029883628549532011-02-20T14:37:30.012-05:002011-02-20T14:37:30.012-05:00Not speaking for Froderick, just for myself:
What...Not speaking for Froderick, just for myself:<br /><br />What students can be excused from are scheduled, in-class sorts of things: exams, quizzes, and so on. <br /><br />All of them are cumulative. Each of them requires mastery of the material preceding it, for the entire course (or courses, if it's a sequence).<br /><br />If your subject doesn't permit that (and how would it not?), then introvert.profhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09042783611716432247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-91245468506886003552011-02-20T11:08:59.685-05:002011-02-20T11:08:59.685-05:00"I never give make-ups for anything, nor do I...<i>"I never give make-ups for anything, nor do I accept late work, EVER, not even for good reasons. Sometimes I do need to explain to exceptionally dim student-athletes that being marked "excused" doesn't count against them, but it's most important to be clear: NO exceptions!"</i><br /><br />Froderick - I understand the policy, as stated above, on things like quizzes Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-16076127119675484172011-02-19T21:06:39.439-05:002011-02-19T21:06:39.439-05:00P.S. When dealing with a meddling chair/dean, try ...P.S. When dealing with a meddling chair/dean, try reasoning: it's supposed to be what we do here in college. Above all, stay calm at all times. Losing one's cool means losing control of the situation. If the meddling chair/dead yells at you, do -not- yell back. That I had to learn all of this the hard way made my tenure journey much harder than it had to be.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-35816481746697248042011-02-19T21:02:47.246-05:002011-02-19T21:02:47.246-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-18682623776916071032011-02-19T21:00:10.189-05:002011-02-19T21:00:10.189-05:00@crazyprof: Sadly, one's options for dealing w...@crazyprof: Sadly, one's options for dealing with a meddling chair/dean can be limited, particularly if one doesn't have tenure. The next time yours tries to meddle, though, I would simply point out, diplomatically and in so many words, that late papers have become unmanageable (they seem to like the word, "unmanageable"), it never should have been this way in the first place, Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-38688111233147469842011-02-19T20:54:14.014-05:002011-02-19T20:54:14.014-05:00A colleague of mine who is a genius invented a lat...A colleague of mine who is a genius invented a late policy. It goes like this: late work does not get comments. You can tweak it a little to have a late deadline, so you have the "no comments" deadline and after that the "marks off and no comments" policy, whatever. <br /><br />The genius of the policy is that "no comments" includes "no arguing about your grade&WhatLadderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11603489349164511704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-52271130912084675142011-02-19T20:21:27.941-05:002011-02-19T20:21:27.941-05:00What does one do with a meddling Chair/Dean?What does one do with a meddling Chair/Dean?Emergency Mathematical Hologramhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15873569623797587860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-18749891225909728862011-02-19T20:06:13.908-05:002011-02-19T20:06:13.908-05:00P.S. Crazyprof's chair deserves a kick in the ...P.S. Crazyprof's chair deserves a kick in the pants, the meddling jagoff. He needs to be told that his interference in your class is undermining your students' education: among other things, they need to learn the importance of deadlines. I know, I've had chairs like that too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-47098807377731562712011-02-19T19:58:55.097-05:002011-02-19T19:58:55.097-05:00> ...sometimes, the flexibility is humane and s...> ...sometimes, the flexibility is humane and sensible.<br /><br />Then I mark them "excused," upon being given a copy I can keep for my files of their documentation. I never give make-ups for anything, nor do I accept late work, EVER, not even for good reasons. Sometimes I do need to explain to exceptionally dim student-athletes that being marked "excused" doesn't Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-69836502514078718442011-02-19T19:02:43.162-05:002011-02-19T19:02:43.162-05:00I have a clear late policy in my syllabus (X% off ...I have a clear late policy in my syllabus (X% off per day late up to X days, after which I won't take the work any more). I also say it's up to my discretion whether this gets waived, and I may ask for documentation. So far no one has complained. There's a clear guideline, but I also have flexibility to either excuse a late paper if I feel it's warranted, or simply say no if the Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-91517018058055095562011-02-19T18:23:50.336-05:002011-02-19T18:23:50.336-05:00Documentation. It's the only way to go. Ther...Documentation. It's the only way to go. There are very few legitimate excuses that can't be documented.Frog and Toadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06377542172335502858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-50858497899574957692011-02-19T17:13:25.417-05:002011-02-19T17:13:25.417-05:00the problem, as I see it, with inflexible policies...the problem, as I see it, with inflexible policies is that sometimes, the flexibility is humane and sensible. and you should have the perogative to make exceptions according to your judgement. After all, shit does happen, and when we need a break, we hope our students give us the courtesy--I see no reason why we wouldn't do the same.<br /><br />but, the sob stories are just too much. one Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-7647668293083840652011-02-19T14:08:33.134-05:002011-02-19T14:08:33.134-05:00I no longer take attendance. It is a pain in my a...I no longer take attendance. It is a pain in my ass. I tell them that I don't care why they are absent. If they are sick, in fact, they should stay home rather than infect the rest of us. On the other hand, I do teach in a discipline where missing class screws you, but not me. I don't run labs that have to be re-run for you, etc. <br /><br />Anyway, in my classes ONLY thing that they cmthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03814447289455034068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-15577207706098574222011-02-19T13:42:19.419-05:002011-02-19T13:42:19.419-05:00I have my syllabus read as follows:
If you plan ...I have my syllabus read as follows: <br /><br />If you plan to be absent from class, negotiate an excused absence with Dr. Ack before you are absent. Simply informing Dr. Ack of your absence is not a negotiated absence. Any work missed while absent from class will result in an F unless it is submitted ahead of time or you have negotiated with Dr. Ack for an excused absence.<br /><br />If you are The Contemplative Cynichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02088570661592922436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-834919253838554332011-02-19T13:27:08.463-05:002011-02-19T13:27:08.463-05:00So are you saying that every single student has go...So are you saying that every single student has gone to the chair with a sob story? There are certainly times when exceptions can be made (which should be in your syllabus), but it sounds like you're looking for justification for your letting yourself down (my chair made me do it). And your chair should be withholding judgment before speaking to you! <br /><br />I think if you publicly make aThe Contemplative Cynichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02088570661592922436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-29061474045734831332011-02-19T12:19:42.301-05:002011-02-19T12:19:42.301-05:00I think you have to let the chair know that you co...I think you have to let the chair know that you consider sticking to the terms of a contract an essential skill for those entering the workforce, and that you are committed to helping develop those skills even if it sometimes makes you less popular than teachers who shirk that commitment. Does your chair accept late applications when filling a position? Does he/she let you be late to meetings?Frog and Toadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06377542172335502858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-28752503631168701142011-02-19T11:52:34.842-05:002011-02-19T11:52:34.842-05:00What makes things difficult is that a student will...What makes things difficult is that a student will tell some sob story to the Chair without having spoken to me first. Then the Chair asks me to accept that person's late work. If I tell the chair "okay" then I am contributing to flakey behavior. If I refuse, then I might not get classes. There is no union where I work.Emergency Mathematical Hologramhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15873569623797587860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-6719403534735972142011-02-19T11:34:51.112-05:002011-02-19T11:34:51.112-05:00Thanks. I needed to hear that.Thanks. I needed to hear that.Emergency Mathematical Hologramhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15873569623797587860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-91865127846458649622011-02-19T10:34:12.498-05:002011-02-19T10:34:12.498-05:00Sorry, but when you flex upon items that you said ...Sorry, but when you flex upon items that you said you would not be flexible to in your syllabus, you opened the floodgates. Closing them is no mean feat. I prefer the school of thought I learned as a summer camp counselor: it's easier to lighten up than to tighten up.<br />The likelyhood of the lawsuit seems pretty small: in my world, students threaten and blow smoke and almost never follow Chemistry Rocks!https://www.blogger.com/profile/11364491232274156966noreply@blogger.com