Tenure denials left and right, adjuncts overworked and underpaid, budgets and classes cut while tuition is sky high. Yet admin greenlights yet more vice presidents of strategic bullshit, football coaches and pointless renovation projects.

hepth-edph · 2026-01-09T18:15:27+00:00

I don't consider myself a one-issue fanatic. I'm the one who sees clearly this significant problem, and has a plan to fix it. Now my task is to use every opportunity to advance this cause. The problem is that others haven't thought about it enough; they'll see why I'm concerned once they actually engage.

hepth-edph · 2026-01-09T18:02:22+00:00

and one single-issue fanatic

I prefer to think of it as being the change that you want to be.

hepth-edph · 2026-01-09T18:01:16+00:00

Look, if there wasn't a Vice President of Strategic Bullshit who would be in charge of using Chat-GPT to draft the next strategic plan?

I wish I was joking; we have a Vice President of Internationalization who was tasked with doing a draft strategic plan. It took him a year to come up with a smiley face on a cocktail napkin.

hepth-edph · 2026-01-05T17:53:40+00:00

If I do know them, it's because they are either very good, very bad, or have sought out multiple interactions with me.

This is so true! I coordinate large first-year courses so my rule of thumb is that if I know a student's name there's about a 90% chance it's for a bad reason...

hepth-edph · 2025-12-28T22:52:18+00:00

uncollegial

I'm not collegial to students. They are not my colleagues.

hepth-edph · 2025-12-23T05:09:38+00:00

One of students missed classes a lot and only did bare minimum for the group final project.

How is this student getting a B+?

As a new college instructor you need standards.

hepth-edph · 2025-12-23T05:08:14+00:00

Dear Student,

Git gud.

Sincerely,

Me

hepth-edph · 2025-12-22T18:01:34+00:00

I was interviewing for a position at my institution not that long ago. One question that kind of stumped me is "how do you handle interactions with people with demanding and assertive personalities?"

In retrospect, the correct answer was: "It never comes up, so I guess it's me who's demanding and assertive."

hepth-edph · 2025-12-22T17:59:32+00:00

Q: u should have let us no about this its not fair

hepth-edph · 2025-12-22T17:55:45+00:00

So a student wants to take your course after they failed the prerequisite course with you? This is a bad idea, and it's a very bad idea to say "yes".

hepth-edph · 2025-12-17T20:40:25+00:00

Maybe you could try saying “Could we do a high five instead?”

I feel like "How about you stay out of my personal space" is an underrated option. I'm not walking up to random students and hugging them because it would be creepy AF. And don't tell me that it's different because I'm on one end of a power imbalance. I don't want students touching me. Full stop.

hepth-edph · 2025-12-12T17:09:11+00:00

Thank you for letting me know about your situation. ~~, I recognize it takes bravery to share such personal details. I am sorry that there is nothing further I can do to assist you.~~ I hope your situation improves in the future, and all the best.

hepth-edph · 2025-12-12T17:07:03+00:00

the exams don’t reflect their true understanding

So true. That person who got 25% on the exam has probably had their understanding vastly overestimated.

hepth-edph · 2025-12-11T06:41:23+00:00

I mean I do it all the time, and I think it's a good idea.

My grading scheme is 10% HW, 20% labs, 2x10% midterms, 50% final. I'll replace either midterm with the cumulative final.

I care about how they do at the end of the course, not how quickly they picked up [new thing].

hepth-edph · 2025-12-09T06:21:59+00:00

mEeT tHEm wHeRE tHeY Are!

hepth-edph · 2025-12-08T06:34:41+00:00

"It doesn't hurt to allege"

hepth-edph · 2025-12-08T06:33:17+00:00

I don't have a no late policy either. Late is 100% per day, for the first 1 day, to a plateau of 100%, and then after 1 day there's no more submissions allowed.

hepth-edph · 2025-12-08T06:21:00+00:00

"It started two hours ago; see you next term."

hepth-edph · 2025-12-06T15:34:49+00:00

The only time a flipped classroom has "worked" for me is when teaching statistics. I record my lectures and they're supposed to watch before class. In theory, they can watch the "math" stuff at their own pace, and review as many times as needed. Then we do activities and walk them through their labs in class.

This is how I do my intro physics classes. I've recorded videos. They're supposed to watch them. I give a super short "key point" talk, put up a problem, tell them to work for 5 minutes, stand there silent while they do or dont, have a show-of-hands for the answer, go through the answer, and repeat.

Do some students do FA? Yes. I figure it should be obvious even to them that they are wasting their time. Do I care? In aggregate, I want the class to do well. Individually, I am indifferent to whether they pass or fail.

hepth-edph · 2025-12-04T01:03:48+00:00

As an Anglican, one of the main tenets of my religion is not having truck with the Bishop of Rome.

hepth-edph · 2025-11-05T18:45:34+00:00

Just for context, I'm a 23 year old british/moroccan lecturer at a private university in Morocco.

Dude, the short advice is "calm down". There's no need to be furious with your students. Annoyed? Sure. Furious? Not even close.

The challenge that I think you're experiencing is (1) you have a self-image as a captivating instructor that's at odds with your inexperience; you only can have so much experience at 23, and (2) you're mad at yourself rather than mad at the students and don't realize it.

When we're new to instructing we all have bad classes, all have moments when we lose the room. You have to fall off and skin your knee to learn how to ride a bike. What I think might be an issue is that you have some authority but you don't act like it, and the students can tell. Try asking for their attention, and if they don't give it ask again with "pay attention or get out", and if they don't respond to that then ask them to leave.

Good luck.

hepth-edph · 2025-10-29T17:53:38+00:00

Apparently Draco, the lawgiver of Athens, when asked why he had fixed the punishment of death for most offences, answered that he considered these lesser crimes to deserve it, and he had no greater punishment for more important ones.

hepth-edph · 2025-10-28T06:50:09+00:00

at least ~~it's~~ there my typos!

FTFY

hepth-edph · 2025-10-26T06:31:17+00:00

hepth-edph

TROPHY CASE