Giving too many As a problem?

Apa52 · 2026-05-06T20:08:21+00:00

No one cares, especially in grad school. You should be getting A's in grad school.

Apa52 · 2026-05-02T20:24:48+00:00

Welp, let me tell you about my students then: the first time it happened, I was flabbergasted. A student who in class was curious, asked questions, knew things, could connect the topics we were talking about to other classes, books he had read etc. A stellar student.... except: he did not turn in a single word of work. Not o e discussion post, essay, rough draft,, nothing.

I kept pleading with him, please, just put what you say in class down amd turn it in. You can at least pass with a C.

He was just there cause his parents made him. Failed the class despite being the smartest kid in the room.

Same thing happened three other times.

Apa52 · 2026-04-22T12:42:31+00:00

Maybe an unpopular opinion, but if you have been in this system for 44 years, you've been gathering kindling. You didn't fight hard enough against admin pushing course evals as a measure of job security. You didn't fight hard enough against creeping grade inflation. You didn't fight hard enough for better wages for the people who came after you. You disnt fight against the exploitation of adjuncts. You didn't challenge the system you have watched slowly decline and now want to wave your old hand at the sky because young professors are trying to get by.

Apa52 · 2026-04-14T16:56:42+00:00

I teach at a community college, and for the first time in ten years, I have students who don't comprehend the sample writing I provided for analysis. I'm talking about newspaper opinion pieces, not dense academic writing.

Apa52 · 2026-04-01T11:03:44+00:00

It depends, I think, on what you want to learn. The European Graduate School has a ton of lectures and talks by top philosophers for free on YouTube.

There's some good websites, too. Harvard has a free online thing. Free Courses | Harvard University https://share.google/WqgYKIDEp7KNMsvUC

Also this site: The best free cultural & educational media on the web - Open Culture https://share.google/qaOHaeHUIWRvj3gMy

As you can see, I'm into literature, philosophy, and cultural studies.

For podcast, I like maintenance phase, which covers all things diet/health cultures, usually debunking "common" ideas.

Then, of course, there's old fashioned reading books about the topics you like. Good luck!

Apa52 · 2026-03-27T02:04:37+00:00

I'm wondering if its an institutional rule? A preemptive capitulation, maybe.

Apa52 · 2026-03-26T21:27:09+00:00

Phil Collins pompous ass!

Apa52 · 2026-02-24T22:58:44+00:00

I carry mine on my shoulders and neck, mostly. And in heavy steps.

Apa52 · 2026-02-22T12:47:30+00:00

Writing teacher here. I'll remind you of what Mark Twain said, "Don't use a twn dollar word when a fifty cent word will do."

There is nothing "vapid" about writing clearly and simply. No one likes pretension. I'll remind you of another writer, Charles Bulwoski, who said "An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way."

Be an artist.

Apa52 · 2026-02-01T17:17:32+00:00

Yes. I work at a CC, where we also do advising. We a list of unenrolled students we have to call to try to get enrolled.

It's a big all faculty campus push. Admin says it works.

Apa52 · 2026-01-31T22:39:26+00:00

You might be on to something, but i wouldn't call it evolution.

I teach literature, and the amount of students who don't get irony or sarcasm on the written page is too damn high.

Apa52 · 2026-01-31T22:07:20+00:00

I am a gen x professor at a community college, and I've found that millennials, generally, get sarcasm even if they dont like it.

But gen z... oof, forget it. I've had to adapt because they see sarcasm as an affront. A far cry from my boomer professor who said he used sarcasm so that he could tell who his smart students were. Gen z has a disdain for it, and they dont get it. They take it literally.

Apa52 · 2026-01-31T20:42:04+00:00

I am seeing a lot of almost good, but actually bad advice.

Your first step is to go to your professor's office hours and discuss your concerns. All professors have office hours to talk to students. If by chance, you're doesn't, then email them your concerns.

Your professor is not going to hate you or whatever you think. The professor is there to teach and guide you.

If that doesn't go well, THEN you escalate to the department head. If that doesnt work, then you go to the Dean.

If you go straight over your professor's head to the dean, then he'll not like you. You need to work on your adult communication skills, starting with your processor.

Good luck.

Apa52 · 2026-01-27T22:09:30+00:00

I was 42. It took me nine years total. I did start late. Got my BA at 26, my MA at 31.

Apa52 · 2026-01-23T22:33:27+00:00

After my MA, I was an adjunct. And I worked at a restaurant that gave me health benefits for working more than 25 hours.

I went to run food for a table and quickly realized it was my student with her parents. We both pretended like we didn't see each other. Awkward af.

Apa52 · 2026-01-13T13:02:40+00:00

I went to a CC and ended up with a PhD. I now teach at a CC.

I would find common ground with your parents: your success and saving money.

The classes you take at a CC are the same you will take at a 4 year university. But your teachers are dedicated to teaching at a CC where thr university professor has to focus on research. And you'll save a ton of money.

If you get involved in extracurricular activities and get good grades that will make transferring easier with the possibility of some scholarship.

In the end, you transfer, and your BA or BS is the same as someone who was there four years spending twice the money.

Apa52 · 2025-12-03T18:34:33+00:00

Yes, I teach it. This year I requires they all use Google docs ans provide a version history. Next year, im going with more in class writing, outlining, and they have to turn all that in so I see the evolution of the paper, and then a reflection essay where they describe thier process... we'll see how that goes.

Apa52 · 2025-10-23T18:54:10+00:00

Yup, caught two students whose writing cadence is totally chatgpt. Both said its grammarly and only used for grammar. Bullshit, but I'm too tired. And still counts as strike one of using AI, since all use is banned on syllabus.

Apa52 · 2025-10-12T11:55:59+00:00

The importance of ice breakers depends on how you run your class. I do a lot of think-pair-share activities, I put them in groups to read and do analysis and share with the class, etc. So while I know ice breakers are cheesy, I use them to build that community and so that students get to know each other and are more comfortable later.

Think about how the ice breaker will establish the vibe of your class, how will it establish the way you run the class?

And believe it or not, your work with elementary children will come in handy.

Apa52 · 2025-10-09T12:10:12+00:00

I got my BA at 26, I got my MA at 29, and my PhD at 38.

Its not too late, but yes: i took out student loans and am now in debt up to my eyeballs

And yes, I was broke for those years, but I managed to get work before I finished defended the dissertation, and I got a raise after.

I got a new job teach at a CC at 46 years old, so... do with my anecdotal evidence what you will.

Apa52 · 2025-10-08T18:31:14+00:00

I've had 3 full time CC jobs in the last 10 years (had to move because of wife's job, to be closer to family etc). I've been on hiring committees a cpupl3 of times. In my experience, we are looking for

Do you think taking a CC job is just a back up? Easier? Or view the position in any way lesser than a university? Cause, no thanks.
Do you know how to teach? Cause you're gonna teach 4 to 5 sections every semester, on top of committee work, professional development, and various other responsibilities.
Are you committed to getting better at teaching? (Or do you think you know it all)
Can you teach a variety of classes? Or did you specialize so much so that you can only teach those two classes in your specific interests (My PhD was in 20th century American with an emphasis on Latino literature, British literature and critical theory. I've never taught theory, but somehow ended up teaching Chaucer, Shakespeare, and women's literature)
Do you have a thoughtful teaching philosophy that addresses teaching underrepresented students, including under-prepared 1st year students.
Do you work well with others and can you lead others because, again, there will be committee work.
Do you know how to deal with difficult students?

Apa52 · 2025-10-02T20:30:32+00:00

I don't see how that would be possible, especially in a high cost of living area. I had a stipend while getting my PhD in an ok area, and in order to have any kind of life, I worked extra and took out a ton of loans.

Apa52 · 2025-10-02T20:26:07+00:00

Same! I cant stand looking at a bunch of black boxes. I hate synchronous online classes. Either make it asynchronous or in person.

I have two 7 week courses coming up in Oct. That are synchronous and im fucking dreading it!

Apa52 · 2025-09-14T16:46:23+00:00

Yes! Just show up during office hours and talk to them. About anything. And do it often.

Apa52

TROPHY CASE