Yes, I've done my share of complaining about students neglecting to staple assignments, students being presumptuous, and the rage brought on by I-just-want-to-be-loved colleagues, but the one thing guaranteed to bring me down faster than any whining student is the one who, for whatever reason, refuses to even TRY something new.
Instances where this has happened have ranged from attempting to fold origami in class (we were studying a geometrical unit at the time, so it was appropriate), writing a linked verse (the student claimed that poetry was just too hard; this was in a poetry class, mind you), and, in today's instance, reading aloud, to the class, their abstracts of their quarter-long research projects.
I'm not expecting them to get up front or even to do a full-blown presentation. They know this. They've been expecting this from Day 1. It's not like they get to class and I suddenly said, "Oh, by the way, you'll be getting up front speaking without notes to everyone." They're reading for less than a minute. Period. They're reading from abstracts that I have gone over with them and helped them to proofread in anticipation of this moment. Those who want to extemporize may do so, but the requirement is to simply read the abstract so everyone knows the conclusions drawn from this quarter's work. They've been working collaboratively all quarter on this project, and each person has contributed a different perspective to the overall project (I'm trying not to be too specific), so this isn't the first time the students have talked with each other or familiarized themselves with each other's work. They've engaged in peer editing and have provided feedback to each other on their projects, and seem like a cohesive unit.
A bit of terror from the world beyond the academy.