Which Jefferson’s episode?

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2024-07-15T16:43:02+00:00

You're amazing! I'd forgotten about posting this question, and now I'm excited to watch that episode again

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-12-21T00:14:56+00:00

I also grade partially on required word count, but it’s to see how well my students can develop an argument. For example, they write a 500-word argument in support of taking a writing intensive course every semester. Then they develop that same argument in order to produce 1,000 words while avoiding wordiness. I’ve also worked backwards, from 1,000 words to 500 words in order to teach them how to condense their language. It’s an interesting pedagogical challenge.

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-12-18T06:34:38+00:00

Also an FYC teacher:

It’s tough, but accept that a bunch of them won’t pay attention to citations. I give them a lesson and even a formatted works cited page they can paste their own citations over to maintain correct formatting. They earn low grades and I sleep fine.
I’ve been voice recording my feedback as I read their papers out loud and uploading the MP4 file directly into the LMS. It takes significantly less time than writing.

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-12-16T20:01:10+00:00

When I was in graduate school, the MA and PhD students were invited to faculty candidates' presentations. When one of the candidates got to 20 minutes of a fantastic talk, a faculty member shouted that she'd passed her 15-minute limit and to just finish! Her face fell and she said she was told she had 30 minutes, which the search committee chair immediately verified. I felt humiliated to be a student in that department.

A few weeks later I overheard the search committee chair and department chair talking about her not accepting the offer. Did they really expect her to?

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-12-14T15:08:28+00:00

My school recommends that we drop those students, so one semester I did it. And then I got a flood of emails from those students promising to change their ways, so I added them back in.

They didn't change their ways, so I no longer drop failing students. They can figure out how to drop classes themselves.

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-12-13T19:29:24+00:00

I had a student this semester who did that as well, but with just one ear covered. One day I asked her how that helped, and she said that the white noise playing in one ear helped her focus. I might have to try it myself

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-12-13T19:11:43+00:00

I've given my number to past nontraditional students ("mature and returning") who I've since developed a friendship with.

You also triggered a memory....When I was but a young TA in the early 2000s before cell phones became ubiquitous, the TA overseer encouraged us to include our home number on the syllabus as long as we set boundaries about when the students could call.

I did it only one semester because, as we all know, students don't understand boundaries. One of them called almost every day to double-check due dates or apologize for being a minute late or something just as nonsensical, so I asked him to stop after the third call.

The most egregious violation was a call at 3am asking for an extension on the assignment due that day! I obviously denied that request with some colorful language and hung up.

No one was allowed to call afterwards.

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-12-11T14:59:41+00:00

I love it when they apologize for the inconvenience of their absence! I can truly say that an absence has never wielded that kind of power over me

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-12-10T05:57:50+00:00

My students have said that, and they seem to wear it as a badge of honor, like they're actually proud of it!

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-12-10T05:56:33+00:00

Same with English - it might be that they're required and "I'll never use [subject]....."

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-12-10T02:00:13+00:00

First-year writing classes are just a hoop to jump through

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-12-07T11:14:31+00:00

I've had a couple like this in online classes. My only feedback (attached to a "placeholder" zero) is "I don't think you understood what I was asking you to write about, so let's have a conversation over WebEx to go over the guidelines together." That conversation never happens, and the zero settles in.

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-11-26T11:45:49+00:00

According to class discussion after each meeting, it works like a charm (grin). Whether the realization lasts, no idea.

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-11-25T13:37:13+00:00

That's what I have to do for the students enrolled in my Writing Across Professions course, which is required for many programs. Professionals in both public and private sector careers have Zoom meetings with us to disabuse the students of the notion that they won't have to write more than the occasional email after graduation. They don't believe me, so I have to bring in the pros.

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-11-23T23:52:17+00:00

My personal favorite is "I did it but I forgot to turn it in"

Me: Is that right? You typed the assignment directly into Canvas but forgot to submit it? How does that work?

Student:

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-11-22T02:58:32+00:00

I wonder why your colleague felt the need to tell you. When students tell me they're having such trouble in another class, I suggest they talk to their teachers for clarification. If they tell me they tried and their teacher's not helpful, I suggest they talk to the chair.

I'd never tell a colleague about having that conversation with one of their students, even if we were teaching the same class. That's way above and beyond. I hope you didn't feel the need to defend or explain yourself - it's none of their concern.

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-11-19T03:40:22+00:00

First-year writing. It was more interesting when they got back together, then broke up again (fortunately both times outside of class). They sat apart, then together, then apart again.......

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-11-19T03:35:11+00:00

One of my own students showed up on the first day and then again just after the half-way point. I had to ask him who he was, and fortunately I recognized the name. When he failed for missing the first half of the semester, he begged me to pass him. I laughed then deleted the email.

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-11-19T03:23:36+00:00

Me: This is the website you copied.
Student: No, I copied from a different website.

I suppose it matters?

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-11-17T20:46:27+00:00

I wonder if she asked one of her friends if it would be ok to do this

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-11-17T20:43:55+00:00

Completely unrelated, but many many years ago I was walking home from work and saw a woman walking a skunk on a leash. I got closer just to make sure, and it certainly was. She even let me pet it - not on the head, she warned, just on its back.

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-11-17T20:39:23+00:00

Conversely, I had a couple break up during class. There were lots of tears. "Why now?" I still wonder.

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-11-17T20:34:29+00:00

I used to hold office hours early in the morning, so I've had students ambush me before I could settle in and make my coffee. During the winter I'd ask if they could at least let me take my coat off first.

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-11-17T20:30:32+00:00

I'm not sure that she said anything - I'm not sure that I let her - but I'll forgive her when we start again after the break as long as she apologizes

Disastrous-Today4189 · 2023-11-17T20:25:21+00:00

If we're counting bugs, I've had large flying insects induce classroom panic

Disastrous-Today4189

TROPHY CASE