Things I hate this week:
1. Students who tell me they should be able to turn their work in late because they are paying for the class and a zero will hurt their grade.
2. Students who tell me that they will give me a bad review if they fail the course.
3. Students who tell me they are going to tattle on me to my boss if they get a grade lower than what they think they deserve.
4. Getting paid $2.03 per student per week for a course. (Yes I did the math).
5. Students who miss their presentations and then beg to reschedule after being an asshole for several weeks.
Thing I love this week:
1. Payday
2. Saturday and Sunday
3. The student who tells me they learned so much and didn’t realize how far behind they were until they got my feedback, and get this APPLIED IT!
I suggest we get used to telling people that paying for a course is the ticket to get into class; working for the course is how they earn the grade.
ReplyDeleteIt's a line I've had to start using in regular water cooler conversations, and it has started making its way to faculty meetings.
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ReplyDeleteAcademic Monkey -- that is PERFECT. I love it. I just might have to put that in my syllabus next term. Who's with me?
ReplyDeleteI also do it for the summers. I love the summers.
ReplyDeleteHate #1: My snappy response is that it is very unlikely that you personally are paying for the course. Even if you are, our fair state is paying by far the majority of what it costs to educate a student, and it's not in the state's interest that this be done without the students learning a lot.
ReplyDeleteHate #2: Do your worst, I have tenure!
Hate #3: Do your worst, my bosses rely on me too much for that to work!
Hate #4, etc.: YYYYAAAARRRRRRGGGGG!!!!!!!!!
Hate #1 - it's like buying a gym membership. You pay for the right to go to the classes and use the machines, but if you just watch everyone else rather than working out, your ass stays flabby, and you can't blame the gym or the instructor for that!
ReplyDeleteI use the gym membership analogy that JaneB uses. I say that tuition is a gym membership that pays for the latest equipment (my lesson plans, me keeping up to date with my field, the classroom equipment, etc.), and it's my responsibility to keep that equipment in top shape. But it's their responsibility to actually use the equipment in order to accomplish their goals.
ReplyDeleteOooh, the gym membership one is even better!
ReplyDeleteAnyone want to take a crack at extending the gym metaphor to deal with students who think they're entitled to total transparency as to how financial aid is awarded? If one more kid tells me that he pays his tuition, so he has a right to know why he didn't get Talent Scholarship X (because of course he KNOWS he's much more talented than the guy who actually got it) I am going to scream.
ReplyDelete