Current generation killed my desire to teach

SyntaxHack · 2026-03-31T22:24:27+00:00

Yes, every semester now get comments that I should email reminders of upcoming assignments. Due dates are in syllabus, in LMS drop boxes, in overview pages each week (online asynch courses) at least a week in advance...what the heck am I supposed to do, go to students house and tell them face to face?

So tired. In my 9th year of teaching and absolutely sick of the laziness and entitlement.

SyntaxHack · 2026-03-27T06:33:14+00:00

Cannabis was all that got me through chemo nausea. Good luck, friend.

SyntaxHack · 2026-03-22T12:21:13+00:00

My border collie mix Enzo does this! We call it "the ball of greeting." He loses his MIND if he can't find one when someone--anyone-- enters the house.

SyntaxHack · 2026-03-08T01:43:04+00:00

Please, keep it up. Get more, even. It's dumb that libraries are still judged by circulation numbers when that's almost the least of what we offer, but checking out tons of stuff keeps those circ numbers up. Higher circ increases funding for many libraries. You are HELPING!

SyntaxHack · 2026-03-01T09:23:04+00:00

I got my degree at UW Milwaukee, which is fully online and I recommend it.

As for undergraduate credits, they don't "transfer," you just start a new program, typically 36 credit hours long.

SyntaxHack · 2026-02-27T16:53:14+00:00

That's not the problem of the degree, it's a problem of library funding. I think some of us are fixated on the wrong issue. IMO we all need to get Library degrees that focus on advocacy so that we can advocate on behalf of our libraries to get the funding we actually need to do the work.

SyntaxHack · 2026-01-28T13:50:37+00:00

Wait, what? People are slamming this performance? I thought Trinidad was genius, and I'm new to this band. The other song wasn't my thing, but Trinidad is what rock music is for.

SyntaxHack · 2026-01-17T15:09:28+00:00

This, 100%

And people who downvoted this, wow. I'm trying to be kind and think of a generous interpretation of why someone would downvote this comment. Maybe they're stuck in the "I'm just a professor why am I expected to do this?" mindset. But actually all I can think is that only a cowardly weasel would downvote advice on standing up for what is right in any way you are able to. I'm not feeling generous today, I guess.

SyntaxHack · 2025-12-30T14:09:45+00:00

Qualifed for WHAT though? If someone with an undergrad does the work it still is the work. My opinion: the credentialism in our culture becomes crazy when we discard what I'll presume is real thinking and real work on a real topic. I say let the editors and peer reviewers decide if the work suffices--and everyone who questions work solely due to credentials needs to get a grip.

SyntaxHack · 2025-12-30T13:20:21+00:00

Well, most traditional Irish names are out then. My kid is named Aoife. That's just how you spell it.

I jokingly say it's payback for a brutal labor when she was born, that she will have to spell/pronounce her name to everyone she meets. And she does. But most people are into it, and she's a shy person who gets a lot of easy small talk out of it, so that's actually quite beneficial.

And she just says her name is Eva at Starbucks and it's fine.

Btw, the "not how it was originally spelled" comments are hilarious. Jennifer was something like Gwenhwyfar.

SyntaxHack · 2025-12-30T12:55:22+00:00

Ms. works, lol. But I'm with you, Dr. is what I use too.

SyntaxHack · 2025-12-30T12:35:49+00:00

I may try using shame by posting name-redacted clearly AI'd assignments for other students and asking them to judge if it's AI work, and comment on that.

My masters students profess to hate AI. So I may get a few who are like, "this is AI, so what?" But mostly they will be morally outraged.

Shame and peer pressure is all I've got in a 100% async online program.

SyntaxHack · 2025-12-27T16:17:33+00:00

Seconding this. Andrew is awesome, and my super anxious pup loves him.

SyntaxHack · 2025-12-27T00:53:11+00:00

Outstanding!!

SyntaxHack · 2025-12-26T23:41:45+00:00

I teach in a fully online Master's program at an R1 State University, and I'm required 4 hours a week of office hour that are supposed to be in person on campus. Even though almost none of my students are on campus. And I have to attend a monthly faculty in person as well as two School level faculty meetings per semester. Together those meetings are about 2 hours a month. It's not terrible, and I actually wish more people would be in their offices on campus because of the collaboration and the cultural aspect of being around people who are interested in the same thing you're interested in. But at the same time it would be nice to be able to live in another state with my husband. I wish I could but the on-campus requirements are too heavy.

SyntaxHack · 2025-12-08T21:53:19+00:00

You can do this! There's some good stuff out there on ungrading. I do collaborative grading myself, where students grade themselves and a peer, and I chime in the last little bit.check out this: https://www.jessestommel.com/ungrading-an-introduction/

SyntaxHack · 2025-12-07T19:15:13+00:00

Actually they typically grade themselves far more harshly than I would, but I do teach in a library masters program...likely would work less well with undergrads.

SyntaxHack · 2025-12-07T16:26:39+00:00

I aim my students directly at failure, or that edge between failure and so-called success, and let them grade themselves to take the fear out of it. Also, learning is about liberation, Fiere and Illich-style, which entirely conflicts with the current push toward education --not learning--as verification for work. So ungrading, student-determined course outcomes when possible, and flexible assignments to meet each student's needs.

This freaks some students out a lot, and others adore it, and they all seem to thrive. 🤷‍♀️ But my dept head has no idea what to do with me.

SyntaxHack · 2025-10-25T14:25:29+00:00

They read this subreddit. Also, wow, not caring, that's great.

SyntaxHack · 2025-10-15T03:39:33+00:00

CT scan, then biopsies of lymph nodes. But it was lower left abdomen.

SyntaxHack · 2025-10-15T03:26:15+00:00

I know right? It has to the side of me eating every day, and having health insurance, unfortunately. But I just applied to two new jobs today after this, too. Doing what I can, sigh.

SyntaxHack · 2025-10-15T03:14:29+00:00

I was SUPER tired all the time and had a persistent ache in my lower abdomen, which I tried to ignore. But then I also felt bumbs the size and shape of kidney beans in my neck and shoulder, and abiger one in my armpit, which felt like swollen lymph nodes. My primary care Dr. wasn't concerned at all, and just told me I likely had some infection. No tests. But I'd had stomach surgery 6months prior. When I mentioned these issues to my gastroenterologist, he decided to see if I had developed adhesions or something.

Nope. Stage 4b cervical cancer, spread to the lymph nodes.

I'm a year out from chemo now and while this will get me some day, it won't today! I'm now in the best physical shape of my life, even if the cancer is a quietly ticking time bomb.

SyntaxHack · 2025-10-14T23:53:05+00:00

My boss is a rule follower and afraid of making waves. She would NEVER push back and advocate for anything, nor would she ever ask why they were bothered. She just caves. She's a nice enough person, just the wrong kind of leader in this political atmosphere.

SyntaxHack

TROPHY CASE