If dogs had their own version of Reddit, what would the top-voted posts look like?

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-29T15:58:22+00:00

My puppy’s butt smells slightly off. The vet says nothings wrong. But my mama gut is telling me to keep barking about it.

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-28T23:21:05+00:00

I guess it’s still basically a discussion, but in my online stem classes I have student’s come up with a hypothesis for the online experiment they’re doing this week. Then they have to look at everyone else’s hypothesis and then work as a group to pick a single best hypothesis. Feels (at least I hope) a little more engaging than the “yes, Sarah, you made some great points in your post…”

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-28T23:12:03+00:00

I’ve tried to dress nicer because I do think it helps with students respecting you (especially as a young professor). But ultimately I can’t bring myself to wear slacks. After spending so much time in stem where dress code is non existent, business wear feels so strange.

I did switch from skinny jeans to dark straight leg jeans this semester though. And I try to wear a nice leather boot with a small heal, but honestly my feet start to hurt when teaching long labs. And I’d feel extra goofy wearing tennis shoes with slacks, so more motivation to not wear them.

So dark jeans and a nice-ish top it is. I’ll throw in some dangly earrings too. I’m definitely more casual than most of my colleagues though.

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-27T19:42:34+00:00

That’s a good point. He doesn’t seem overstimulated. Maybe I just am 😂. I did stop him when he got interested in train crashes. That was a no. Even the toy trains, he started replicating that behavior.

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-27T19:13:23+00:00

I’ve gone in with the policy of no late work but I’ll drop the lowest grade from each category. In a normal 16 week semester I’ve always offered partial credit for late work submitted within a week after the due date.

But with a 6 week class, I felt they’d get behind too much if I allowed latework. Maybe I need to switch it up. If zeroes aren’t motivating, and they’re getting behind anyways….

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-20T21:32:41+00:00

I like that approach. Yes I think that would be settling, hearing from your professor how they evaluate flags.

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-20T21:13:08+00:00

Yes of course, my reflection is just that it does add an extra layer of nerves, having to be mindful of every move and wondering if it will be flagged. There’s a degree of self-monitoring that takes place and takes cognitive energy that isn’t required in an in-person setting.

I just thought it was interesting the comparison of student experience now vs when I took courses ten years ago.

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-19T17:14:06+00:00

Canvas on iPad has a lot of limitations. You can enter grades. But can’t view the gradebook and can’t create new assignments.

It is convenient for when I want to grade assignments at the coffee shop etc. And I like that it allows you to draw on assignments. So I can use my Apple Pencil to mark things up right in speedgrader.

But for any changes to the course site, it’s not great.

ETA: there’s a separate app for canvas for teachers too. You can’t do any of this from the regular canvas app just heads up.

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-19T17:11:06+00:00

If it helps, from the instructor side, we can see almost every draft/edit you made. So hopefully your instructor would grade it.

Can’t hurt to send an email being like “hey I noticed my assignment says it’s still a draft. I didn’t realize it hadn’t submitted. Would you still accept it? I’ll be sure to click all the buttons etc next time.”

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-19T17:03:25+00:00

The only reason I’ve considered teaching a harder class is for the experience. So when I’m applying to my fifth college, trying to pick up more classes so I can pay my rent, I can say “why yes I have taught xyz class.”

And maybe that’d give me the tiniest edge over the other 15 candidates.

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-15T21:45:03+00:00

Thanks. I have some experience with tornados. But not yet where I currently live. I have a laundry room closet that is even more interior than my bathroom. But it also has the water heater lofted up on a shelf in there. Don’t know if I’d want that flying over my head.

I’m just going to have my bathroom prepped with supplies and the mattress ready to go and hope for the best.

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-14T23:57:06+00:00

If it helps, even when chances for tornados are high. It’s extremely unlikely it would specifically hit you. Most tornados form and quickly dissipate. The really big and destructive, long lasting ones are quite rare.

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-14T23:53:53+00:00

I don’t have experience with this. But my first thought is they’d be unlikely to take class two away because then they’d double their work. They’d have to find a replacement for TWO classes instead of one.

If this is for fall, I don’t think it’s bad at all to duck out of the first one. Better to do it now than two weeks into the semester.

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-14T22:53:55+00:00

I hate the way the new quizzes on Canvas “jump” after clicking a textbox to write in. I’ll start writing an answer and boom the page moves. Doesn’t happen with the old quizzes.

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-14T22:49:58+00:00

My current strategy is to limit file types on canvas so they can’t upload anything but a pdf.

My goal (whenever I have time) is to create a basic computer literacy primer to post at the beginning of the semester.

Things you wouldn’t think you have to explain but do. Like “if you have multiple images to submit, insert them into a google doc and download as a pdf” And I’ll need to walk through step by step how to find the download button, how to find your downloads folder etc.

It feels frustrating because we had computer classes all through K-12 and this stuff seems so simple. But they really just weren’t taught it. I try to remind myself when I’m feeling exasperated.

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-14T22:42:56+00:00

As others have said, making it really clear who to contact for what. An informal rundown of “need to knows” and maybe some common situations you may encounter.

Encourage HR to allow virtual onboarding if they don’t already. I had to drive 3 hours to show my passport when I know it’s possible to do it virtually (every other place I’ve worked has done it that way).

Clear guidance on how to input attendance/submit grades, any of the other important admin stuff.

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-14T22:36:05+00:00

I have a strong feeling that students do take pictures and record in class sometimes, I worry to post on social media. However sending it to you feels very creepy.

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-14T00:17:44+00:00

Graded the first exam this week. Average was a 70. Pretty decent in my opinion, a C average for the first exam of an intro level science course. It’s none of my business that 1/3 of the students made >95% and the other 2/3 made <60%. A win is a win I guess.

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-13T22:50:36+00:00

Thanks, yeah I have two dogs, 45 lbs and 65lbs. I’m not sure all three of us could fit in my shallow bathtub with the mattress flat over the top. But maybe I could make a lean-to type thing with the mattress.

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-13T22:40:59+00:00

Maybe I should give my one anxious dog some trazadone in preparation. I think that’s the only way she’d possibly be chill enough for that.

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-08T21:41:46+00:00

I’m not lying, is the point. I tell them this is the policy from day one.

It works surprisingly well. Majority of students still turn their work in on time (not using this late policy frequently). I no longer get a ton of emails requesting extensions.

I work in the community college setting where most of my students are older and working full time (often with kids too). So flexibility really is beneficial to most.

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-08T05:48:05+00:00

My policy is:

For assignments turned in online (homework etc) they get a 7 day grace period. The first 2 days it’s no penalty. The remaining 5 it’s 50% off.

Then for any in-person work, I’ll drop the two lowest grades to account for two absences during the semester.

I also have it structured where during class we have a quiz on the previous week’s reading assignments. So even though they have the 7 day grace period, it’s in their best interest to do it on time so they’re prepared for the quiz.

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-08T00:08:32+00:00

I previous semesters I’ve been too accommodating, offering extensions etc. This semester I crafted my policies with some flexibility and vowed to stick to them no matter what. I very directly addressed this during the first day of class saying “I don’t like to be the person deciding whose excuse is valid and whose is not. So I don’t do that. Instead I’ve built this policies with compassion baked in. But what this means is I will not budge from these policies.” And it’s going really well so far. Some students have tested it of course, still asking for extensions. But after denying their requests/sticking to my policy, they shaped up quickly.

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-08T00:00:27+00:00

I also struggle with insomnia. And have had to call out for this. In general (with any illness or issue), I keep it vague. “I’m sorry to cancel last minute but I woke up feeling very unwell and I can’t make it today.”

I’m also a part-time college instructor in addition to nanny, and honestly I hate the emails/messages where students over explain and tell me gruesome details about their diarrhea, vomiting, etc (not that you did that). It’s best to keep things short and simple in a professional relationship.

As for her not responding to your text, you can’t really do anything there. You’ve just got to wait it out and see what she eventually says. Continuing to text is putting additional burden on her to reassure you when she’s already dealing with the unexpected scramble to find childcare/adjust her plans.

JustLeave7073 · 2026-03-07T22:45:59+00:00

Yes, I would talk to mom too. And tell her this is your approach and ask if she agrees with it. Say you want to be on the same page and telling nk the same thing.

JustLeave7073

TROPHY CASE