tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post5569587379981942004..comments2023-10-15T04:23:50.187-04:00Comments on College Misery: In which Bella feels bad about a drop off in enrollment after the first day......Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-64232142699505177372013-06-13T19:35:53.855-04:002013-06-13T19:35:53.855-04:00Summer session: half the work, twice the student c...Summer session: half the work, twice the student complaints about workload. It's a test case for ignoring the whiners. My college will pay instructors ONLY if 8 students remain enrolled--otherwise we're paid on a per-student "tutorial" basis which is nothing. Excuse me if I find ways to cut corners, and make my work equate to what they're paying me.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10894790992725965855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-82105695632396235602013-06-04T23:10:26.785-04:002013-06-04T23:10:26.785-04:00I'm too old for "liveable". I want ...I'm too old for "liveable". I want a real vacation. StellafromSparksburghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17584701718285662953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-3008549271565208962013-06-04T21:14:55.457-04:002013-06-04T21:14:55.457-04:00This is why the minute my salary got liveable enou...This is why the minute my salary got liveable enough not to teach summer school, I stopped.Frog and Toadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06377542172335502858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-61458978171326625322013-06-04T13:20:49.608-04:002013-06-04T13:20:49.608-04:00P.S. Despite all of the above, I, too, groan and w...P.S. Despite all of the above, I, too, groan and worry that I did something wrong when 1/3 of mine drop (and then groan about having to help people catch up when a bunch more add then watch that batch drop again, sometimes before they've interacted with me at all, and worry again, and so on until the final add date finally comes). I hope your final add date is soon; add/drop is always Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-1796353111601195712013-06-04T13:15:26.262-04:002013-06-04T13:15:26.262-04:00Just chiming in to agree with everyone else: don&#...Just chiming in to agree with everyone else: don't worry, in either direction -- you aren't being too easy (I cut/modify assignments, too -- apologies if I gave the impression that I don't -- and still get complaints), and the fact that a number of them dropped doesn't mean that you're being too hard (or too ugly!); they're just realizing that the class is a lot of work, Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-46016366308993614512013-06-04T07:39:00.867-04:002013-06-04T07:39:00.867-04:00I know! I know, dammit I know. It's just tha...I know! I know, dammit I know. It's just that I was the only one it happened to and I feel like it was so noticeable. I was mostly kidding about the picture! Okay, totally kidding. But it IS the first time I actually put my picture in there, after being badgered to do so by the DL folks for a LONG time.Bellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15686242633678466958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-46953633696212519612013-06-04T07:36:43.151-04:002013-06-04T07:36:43.151-04:00Bella, Bella, Bella...
Scaring students off is so...Bella, Bella, Bella...<br /><br />Scaring students off is something to celebrate, not mourn. I have a running competition with one of my colleagues as to who can scare off the most students. In the summer especially, they fall off like bad fruit. One year, I had 25 kids start the session and only 5 pass. <br /><br />It's not about whether or not they like you or what you look like. It&#StellafromSparksburghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17584701718285662953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-52452706894364019662013-06-04T07:19:02.351-04:002013-06-04T07:19:02.351-04:00The evaluations are complete nonsense. I wish we ...The evaluations are complete nonsense. I wish we could revamp them somehow to make them a worthwhile assessment for professors. Of course, that would make too much sense to be considered, in our case either by the unions OR the admins. I love the unions, they have helped us a lot, but they won't let us TOUCH the idea of changing the evals. I guess they are worried they'd get worse! Bellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15686242633678466958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-83787672250327234972013-06-04T07:16:05.832-04:002013-06-04T07:16:05.832-04:00Thanks for the pep talks, everyone! My class was ...Thanks for the pep talks, everyone! My class was the only one to suffer such a drop, I think that is why it bothered me. I wonder why it was, but you guys are right, of course. Less correcting for me. I already noticed the reduced time today, as I was typing in my hellos during the intro discussion. Speaking of that, I know those intro discussions are great and all for getting the students Bellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15686242633678466958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-18504869782706812732013-06-04T06:52:41.637-04:002013-06-04T06:52:41.637-04:00A 14-week writing course in 5 weeks? You should b...A 14-week writing course in 5 weeks? You should be praying it drops to 12. After all, *you're* responsibilities are the same--you must evaluate their efforts, and grading writing TAKES EFFING FOREVER.Mrs. Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00398436173535554878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-52213906577212934162013-06-04T00:55:07.198-04:002013-06-04T00:55:07.198-04:00Hear, hear. Fuck 'em and feed 'em fish hea...Hear, hear. Fuck 'em and feed 'em fish heads. As long as you get your paycheck for a full class, then hooray for drop/add period attrition.Dr. Mindbenderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16916271564719224677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-81120360554703776772013-06-04T00:41:40.919-04:002013-06-04T00:41:40.919-04:00The last summer course I deigned to teach had a st...The last summer course I deigned to teach had a stipulation that there needed to be five students to fly. So, despite whatever amount of prep I did for the course, if FIVE students didn't stay enrolled, I got zero dollars for the course, which would be cancelled, and I would have done a week or two of prep re-working an old course into a summer session.<br /><br />I had four in week one, butThe_Mythhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10621186404597424842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-60729045179757804022013-06-03T23:43:40.550-04:002013-06-03T23:43:40.550-04:00Unless your pay is affected, why be upset? I'd...Unless your pay is affected, why be upset? I'd be happy about the fact that the slackers decided to leave, meaning 7 fewer papers and essays to grade. It's not like your syllabus is YOU. They're not rejecting you. They're rejecting the work.The Contemplative Cynichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02088570661592922436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-74066763764985129502013-06-03T23:25:16.141-04:002013-06-03T23:25:16.141-04:00Here is one scenario: a group of several study bud...Here is one scenario: a group of several study buddies who always like to "work" together went looking for an easy summer class, saw your syllabus, and the group ran for their lives.<br /><br />Another scenario: they saw your picture and dropped because they were intimidated by your good looks. <br /><br />Don't take it personal ... most college students belong to a subdivision ofAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03125007135941146815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-738151953714623472013-06-03T22:29:03.931-04:002013-06-03T22:29:03.931-04:00Fuck 'em. They took one look at you and decid...Fuck 'em. They took one look at you and decided that you wouldn't hit the bong with them. Consider it a complement.Emergency Mathematical Hologramhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15873569623797587860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-39642691860506876752013-06-03T22:06:51.011-04:002013-06-03T22:06:51.011-04:00You do not suck. You have 7 students who decided t...You do not suck. You have 7 students who decided that the accelerated pace was not for them. You do the best you can--we all do--so do not beat yourself up. Do not forget that you have 7 fewer people to grade and give feedback for their writing.<br /><br />I taught a lit course in 6 weeks. Even with a pared down reading list the students felt rushed and overwhelmed. I teach a comp1 course in7 BurntChromehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06055976331443607569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-45150267774061032982013-06-03T22:00:52.422-04:002013-06-03T22:00:52.422-04:00Why feel bad?
If your syllabus is rigorous, and ...Why feel bad? <br /><br />If your syllabus is rigorous, and covers the material that you want to cover, and contains appropriate assignments, then that's all you need to worry about. If your students want to delay their education, and take a chance on getting a less rigorous instructor, then that's their problem.<br /><br />Of course, depending on where you teach, there could be some Defunct Adjuncthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12954331373226016090noreply@blogger.com