I have a student in one of my classes who has yet to complete a homework assignment. Her assignments are turned in about 30% complete and what has been "completed" is fluff (to put it kindly). She's come to office hours several times but mostly to discuss the HW she's just turned in. I've told her several times that she needs to start the homework several days before it is due and come talk to me before it's turned in.
I am always happy to help my students with their homework. Sometimes I'm guilty of giving a little too much help. I want to see them be successful. Usually these kids will do alright on the homework but will struggle on the exams (since they aren't practicing enough at home).
But there is little I can do for this student. When she comes to office hours she doesn't really listen. We will talk about a particular problem and I will tell her about the solution. She'll say something about how she doesn't do it that way or she never learned that or she does it in her head. But she never writes down what the answer I give her. I'll tell her that she really needs to talk to me before the HW is due and then she'll tell me that she didn't know about this HW until last night. Then I'll say that she needs to be checking Blackboard every night since I post HW at least 5 days in advance of the due date.
I've had this dead end conversation about several times this term. And it always ends in the same way. She will say, "I am going to fail this course but I have to pass it this term." With most students I can disagree and say something encouraging. But with this student I happen to agree. The most positive thing that I can say is that the term isn't over and she still has time to turn it around. But I'm afraid this falls on deaf ears.
I can't shake the feeling that this student only shows up to office hours to complain. I'm due for another visit soon. Today I hate my job ... .
This sounds like self-defeating behaviour, in the sense of (perhaps unconsciously) undermining her own success. It's not uncommon in people with certain types of destructive family dynamics in their background, or even a psychologically abusive partner in the present.
ReplyDeleteIt's really the sort of thing that needs extended sessions with a counselor to address.
For her next visit, make her do the work at a white board or on paper. You can coach her but make her write it down. This will make her pay attention to what you are saying, think about how to solve the problem and then practice the actual motions of answering it. Let her keep her work for reference later. This might help her learn.
ReplyDeleteIt also might make her unhappy that she has to do something besides nod and complain during her visits. This might make her stop coming to see you.
Win/win.
So she fails. At least you've got the right attitude: you see the glass as 30% full instead of 70% empty. If nothing else, communicate that to the student. She's doing three times better than when she took this same class last semester and handed in homework only 10% complete. At this rate, the kid will pass next time she takes the class. And in 10 years, she'll be head of NASA. Good for her.
ReplyDeleteIs there any sort of outreach you can perform, such as contacting an academic advisor? Or perhaps an Academic Success Center to send her to?
ReplyDeleteDitto Ben, who I should listen to myself.
ReplyDeleteOne more thought. I've taken to asking students who come into my office, "How can I help you?"
This is a subtle change in tone - make her state what she wants from you. If she wants to know how to do past problems, tell her that is what she is asking for and refer her to your published solution sets (if you have them). If she wants help understanding the problems, ask her where she starts to have the difficulty, and proceed re: Ben. If she just throws up her hands, wait patiently.
What they really want, of course, is for the course to be easier. But even they mostly realize that that is not something you can do for them.
"How can I help you?" has been infinitely useful to me. Sometimes I'm pissed off and say "What's your problem?" but usually I hold the line at cheerful helping.
ReplyDeleteI was much like this student. A stint in the U.S. Navy cured me of it. I don't recommend similar students to join the service these days, however: with two wars, there's too great of a chance of coming home in a box.
ReplyDeletewith two wars, there's too great of a chance of coming home in a box.
ReplyDeleteFrod,
That's part of the territory. Supposedly the Foreign Legion had or has a motto to that effect: "You are in the Legion in order to die, and the Legion will send you where you can die."
On the other hand, I think Patton may have had a better take on it: "Your job is not to die for your country, it's to make the other guy die for his."
Back to the topic at hand... I use "how may I help you" or some variant on that myself. Students don't tend to drop by to shoot the breeze.
"I think Patton may have had a better take on it: 'Your job is not to die for your country, it's to make the other guy die for his.'"
ReplyDeleteTHAT'S NOT A REAL PATTON QUOTE!
I swear, when most Americans think of Patton, they picture George C. Scott, not George S. Patton.
YOU are not going to fail; She is. There is only so much we can do for students. As I've often said, we can lead the horses to water, but we can't shove their head in it.
ReplyDeleteHer failure to perform is HER failure; not yours.
> Students don't tend to drop by to shoot the breeze.
ReplyDeleteSometimes they do. It's often a cause for jubilation: you're getting through to them, and they want more! I get engineers from my physics class coming in to talk about inventions or designs, and sometimes even non-majors from the Intro-Astronomy-for-Non-Majors class coming in to talk about the Universe. No kidding!
This can be a double-edged sword, though. I've had religious fanatics from the Intro-Astro course come in to try to pick a fight, or worse, try to convert me to their religion.
Schmitty, just because George C. Scott said it, doesn't mean George S. Patton didn't. I can't find any source that says the latter didn't say it; Snopes is silent. Yeah, I know. "The Internet is not the repository of all knowledge."
ReplyDeleteNevertheless. George S. gets a lot of badass quotes attributed to him that he never said, either in real life or in the movie. My favorite misattribution is "May God have mercy on the enemy, because I will have none."
That one was Fighting Joe Hooker, in 1863. Only about 80 years off...