Topic: Bang Your Head on Your Desk - the thread of teaching despair!

[dr_evil]

Reply to "Corrupted files" - And THIS is why the syllabus says you have to upload to the CMS and then CHECK that your file went through.  Also, this is why PDF.

I have someone who regularly submitted blank PDF files. Looks like a new note will be going in the submission instructions. I also have people who submit a separate PDF for each page, which is a bit of a pain to work with, but at least it's readable. That previously was the cause of a note in the instructions.

[FishProf]

That previously was the cause of a note in the instructions.

This sort of thing is the genesis of ~60% of my syllabus.  Every year there seems to be a new "I can't believe I have to WRITE THIS DOWN" rule.

[the_geneticist]

That previously was the cause of a note in the instructions.

This sort of thing is the genesis of ~60% of my syllabus.  Every year there seems to be a new "I can't believe I have to WRITE THIS DOWN" rule.

I had to add in "WEARING your safety goggles & lab coat".  Why? Students would have their goggles with them, but not on their face.  Or they would have their lab coat in their bag.
Seriously!?!
It's not a protective talisman.

[Caracal]

One student couldn't submit his essay on the LMS, and sent me a corrupted file (mmhmm).

He also sent me screenshots showing that the problem he's having is he hasn't accepted Turnitin's EULA. He's at the screen and doesn't know how to proceed forward (i.e. hit 'accept').

I've had students submit "corrupted files" before-- somehow when I give them a chance to submit a readable file they tend to never respond. . .

Students who are trying to run cons rarely have the follow through to pull them off. Obviously, the students are probably planning to use the time between when they submit and you open the file to actually finish the assignment. But, if they had that kind of discipline, they probably would have just finished it on time in the first place, or asked for an extension. As it is, they probably just spend the extra time they had coming up with other weird cons or trying to cheat in other classes.

[Liquidambar]

I'm grading annotated bibliographies, and they keep getting worse and worse.  (No, an article from a site trying to sell you product X doesn't count as a "news article about product X."  And the plagiarism, let's not forget about the plagiarism.)

I just realized I'm grading these in the order that students signed up to give their final presentations.  Of course the ones who chose to present in the last possible slots also didn't put as much time into their bibliographies.  No wonder the quality is tanking.

[marshwiggle]

I just realized I'm grading these in the order that students signed up to give their final presentations.  Of course the ones who chose to present in the last possible slots also didn't put as much time into their bibliographies.  No wonder the quality is tanking.

Same things happen with lab sections that are later in the week. Because during registration they show up later, the keeners normally sign up earliest, and for the first sections they see. As those fill up, the ones with spaces left are later. So the procrastinators wind  up in those.
And if sections get added, because of over-enrollment, "abandon hope all ye who enter here".

[Liquidambar]

And if sections get added, because of over-enrollment, "abandon hope all ye who enter here".

Oh no, don't say that!  My spring version of this same course was added late.

There are threats to increase everyone's course caps.  I hope it'll alleviate pressure enough that students who don't want to be in my class can shuffle around, but I'm not optimistic.

[the_geneticist]

And if sections get added, because of over-enrollment, "abandon hope all ye who enter here".

Oh no, don't say that!  My spring version of this same course was added late.

There are threats to increase everyone's course caps.  I hope it'll alleviate pressure enough that students who don't want to be in my class can shuffle around, but I'm not optimistic.

The perfect storm of awfulness is when a section is added late AND it's in the evening.  No one wants to be on campus that late to teach or to learn.

The last minute lab we added was honestly the "barrel scrapings" of repeaters and procrastinators.

[Caracal]

The perfect storm of awfulness is when a section is added late AND it's in the evening.  No one wants to be on campus that late to teach or to learn.

I used to regularly teach once a week 2.5 hour evening courses. It was always a slog, but when I was in my early and mid 30s, I could manage. Two years ago, I did one after a few years off. It was just brutal. My brain just doesn't work after 7 anymore.

[FishProf]

8:30 am classes and Friday labs select for the best of the best, and the worst of the worst.

The best, b/c they care about the class more than the time, and the worst b/c that Ii often where a few seats remain.

Marshwiggle is more right than I'd care to admit.

[mythbuster]

My preferred lab day and time was always Tuesday morning. Tuesday so the Monday TAs worked out the kinks, and morning so you didn't have any slackers with you. I had a core group of "lab buddies" who are all now medical/scientific professionals in lab with me.

[mythbuster]

Panicking end of of semester grade grubber. NO, turning in the optional revisions on an assignment 56 days late will not improve your grade. Please see the 10% per day late penalty in the syllabus. Technically, you owe me points!

[FishProf]

How in the world did you conclude that a Due Date of 8Dec22 meant the 22nd of December, which is AFTER the final is due (on 21Dec22)?  What did you think the 8 meant?

[Parasaurolophus]

One student couldn't submit his essay on the LMS, and sent me a corrupted file (mmhmm).

He also sent me screenshots showing that the problem he's having is he hasn't accepted Turnitin's EULA. He's at the screen and doesn't know how to proceed forward (i.e. hit 'accept').

Problem solved after a few more false starts. He was trying to submit via his phone. (Is his essay even on his phone? I doubt it...)

[MarathonRunner]

Graduate students who can't follow assignment instructions. Bang, bang, bang. The assignment says to use this framework. The framework is discussed multiple times in class. The framework is in the syllabus, the assignment instructions, and the rubric. So why on Earth did you think it was acceptable to use a different framework for your paper? Honestly, as the graduate (master and PhD level) you should know better! I get the ongoing pandemic is challenging. That's why this is an online course with weekly assignments to keep you on track. I guess you just ignored everything related to the assignment? Having TAed for this course before, this is new. I never had a student try to use a different framework before (students who do poorly typically use the framework incorrectly, but don't use an entirely different framework).