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

[AvidReader]

I am contracted for 5 writing classes with purported caps of 26 each semester, though these caps are actually quite flexible: this fall, 137 students started with me and a few dropped out along the way. I don't have the Spring enrollment yet, but am expecting (hoping for) it to be a little lower. Fingers crossed.

AR.

[mythbuster]

Back at it. Today was our first day of Spring semester. No Spring Break so we will be done by tax day! Both of my classes are remote and I started with Breakout Rooms to come up with suggestions of how to make the most of a Zoom based course.
   Course 1 is a senior/grad level elective. They had good constructive ideas. Course 2 is a requirement for the major (that they generally enjoy), and one they often take fresh out of the Intro series. Its much more a mix of Sophomores through Seniors. They spent all their time urging me to not overwork them and remember that they "have a life too".  Sigh.

[Caracal]

I am contracted for 5 writing classes with purported caps of 26 each semester, though these caps are actually quite flexible: this fall, 137 students started with me and a few dropped out along the way. I don't have the Spring enrollment yet, but am expecting (hoping for) it to be a little lower. Fingers crossed.

AR.

Ugh. My sympathies. I'm sure you are doing good and valuable work, but you just can't possibly teach writing classes as they should be taught with those sort of numbers. I taught classes of 13 for a few semesters and they were taking me more time than my three other classes and other 100 students combined.

[the_geneticist]

Plagiarism.  Three cases and counting on the first assignment. 
The kicker? 
The online answer they used on Chegg is wrong.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Plagiarism.  Three cases and counting on the first assignment. 
The kicker? 
The online answer they used on Chegg is wrong.

Ha!

[FishProf]

The online answer they used on Chegg is wrong.

Ha! The only way to make that better is for it to read "The online answer they used on Chegg is wrong because I put up the fake answer to test them!"

[OneMoreYear]

Plagiarism.  Three cases and counting on the first assignment. 
The kicker? 
The online answer they used on Chegg is wrong.

Wow, that is . . . special. The first assignment? Got to imagine that the 1st assignment is pretty low-stakes. I can understand (though certainly not condone) panic plagiarism, but the 1st assignment has got to be pure laziness.

[the_geneticist]

Plagiarism.  Three cases and counting on the first assignment. 
The kicker? 
The online answer they used on Chegg is wrong.

Wow, that is . . . special. The first assignment? Got to imagine that the 1st assignment is pretty low-stakes. I can understand (though certainly not condone) panic plagiarism, but the 1st assignment has got to be pure laziness.

It's low-stakes in that most of the points are just for showing your work.  Looks like all 3 cheaters are repeating the course too.

[wareagle]

Plagiarism.  Three cases and counting on the first assignment. 
The kicker? 
The online answer they used on Chegg is wrong.

Wow, that is . . . special. The first assignment? Got to imagine that the 1st assignment is pretty low-stakes. I can understand (though certainly not condone) panic plagiarism, but the 1st assignment has got to be pure laziness.

It's low-stakes in that most of the points are just for showing your work.  Looks like all 3 cheaters are repeating the course too.

Imagine that.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

How can I get my students to read the damned directions?

It's the first week of class over here and I'm trying to nudge them all towards just taking the attendance and syllabus quizzes. Some of them are in both lecture and lab and 'didn't know' that they had to take these quizzes for BOTH courses. Content remains locked until they take the quizzes. It's all in the syllabi- if they even read them.

SMDH.

[the_geneticist]

I HATE those "course prep/study aid" websites (CourseHero, Chegg, etc.).  Partially because they encourage cheating, partially because they claim to NOT be encouraging cheating, and partially because they make students pay for the content.  But mostly because they are uncooperative when it comes to tracking down who posted the damn content in the first place.
I can put it requests to remove content since it is all copy-write protected, but they insist on having an official "on University letterhead, signed by [a chair/Dean/etc.], formal charge of Academic Misconduct" before they will divulge any user information.  If I knew the student's name, then I wouldn't need to ask for the information.  I get the privacy concerns, but they are encouraging dishonest behavior.

[Parasaurolophus]

How can I get my students to read the damned directions?

Please please please PM me your solution when you find one! =p   Nothing I've tried works very well.

[the_geneticist]

How can I get my students to read the damned directions?

Please please please PM me your solution when you find one! =p   Nothing I've tried works very well.

I've had some luck with the "send email to students when available" option.  Plus listing in the syllabus.  Plus stating in a "Welcome to Class" Announcement. 
But I still have folks who "Didn't know there was a quiz/worksheet/syllabus"
Maybe make the directions shorter?  Bullet points?  Record them as a video?

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

How can I get my students to read the damned directions?

Please please please PM me your solution when you find one! =p   Nothing I've tried works very well.

I'll let you know if I discover some kind of trick. I set up automated email to annoy the hell out of them until they take the quizzes. But, it they don't check their email, well, I'm not sure what to do.

[kiana]

How can I get my students to read the damned directions?

Please please please PM me your solution when you find one! =p   Nothing I've tried works very well.

I'll let you know if I discover some kind of trick. I set up automated email to annoy the hell out of them until they take the quizzes. But, it they don't check their email, well, I'm not sure what to do.

Well did you TEXT them? /sarcasm