We all know that the best thing about being a prof is the summers, but all good things must come to an end and fall is just around the corner. So... Did you make the most of your summer? Are you ready to face those little angelic snowflakes for a fresh round of teaching? How about seeing your always pleasant and never petty or self-serving colleagues?
Alas, no to all.
I still have a few weeks before we start, but I'm already fielding student questions (apparently, they don't know what 'synchronous' or 'asynchronous' mean. Sigh.).
EDIT: I taught until the end of June, so as far as I'm concerned the summer has only just begun.
I just cringed when I realized that classes start in three weeks. I've had a productive summer as far as research and publishing go, but haven't gotten to any of the home maintenance projects on my list. And now faculty I supervise are starting to pepper me with questions; none from my students yet, but I'm sure they'll start soon.
Not an academic, so the new semester doesn't directly affect me. It does work noticeable changes on the sort of patron activity we see at the public library--we see a noticeable drop in business around the time school starts, but will see an increase as the semester progresses. At least that's the classic pattern. Since COVID, K-12 students outside of school have become a rare sight. Our efforts to partner with local schools, which had finally started bearing fruit after years of trying, have all been snuffed out. The schools' natural instinct to keep the students in a bubble of school and school resources, and shut the rest of the world out, has only grown that much greater.
The most direct affect on me personally is that I now have much more traffic to dodge on my morning walk back from the park, since that corresponds with maximum local school traffic, and I must pass near two of our local schools.
Wishing everybody here the best as they begin a new fall semester!
Nope, nope, nope.
Classes start next week, this week is meetings week, and I'm in the weeds with a new prep. I taught through June, finished a grant in July, and am definitely not ready to start the Fall semester.
I knew I should have spent more time this summer focusing on that time machine project. . .
I still have a couple of weeks and then there's Labor day. I've actually done a lot of prep for the fall, and I have a ridiculous fantasy that the courses will practically teach themselves. I am sort of looking forward to being back on campus.
I got back from vacation yesterday. Maine was gloriously breezy and mild. Classes start Monday. I'm avoiding it today, but will need to deal with it all tomorrow-Friday is the giant departmental meeting day.
I see in my email that last minute changes have been made to out departmental assessment exam. So now I have to redo that part of my online course for the third time this summer- make up your minds!
My private students will come roaring back from far-flung places like Germany and California, so I'll see an uptick in lessons, although they're never all gone at any one time in the summer, so I keep teaching (I think it might contribute to parent sanity some days, and I don't mind the income) throughout.
I have finished one writing project as of yesterday, and have three others that may in fact all get done by 9/1 (one is due then, the other two have been chuffing along under the radar and I suddenly realized they might be ready to send in sooner rather than later as well.)
I'm pondering doing some more teaching online, and/or tutoring, but will finish these first before starting to send out feelers to my contacts for those activities.
So, maybe it's not a saw-tooth curve, but more of a gentle wave.
M.
The College has decided to keep admitting students so we now have a VERY large group in the building. All great, says the College. Except we had to reduce teaching space to accommodate the students. Wonder how that will turn out.
I'M NOT READY!!!
I'm actually pretty ready in terms of prep, but not psychologically. Where did the summer go yet again?
I co-lead a pre-orientation program for freshlings who need extra support making the transition due to mental health issues, which runs this Friday-Sunday, so I have a very high intensity non-weekend weekend ahead. Then classes start next Thursday. Oh, and *this* Thursday I have a PhD student defending. So, yah. Not ready.
This summer was a stressful shit show. Classes start on Monday and while technically I'm ready, I think I've already checked out. :/ I'm going to try to do a much better job of managing my energy this semester than I have in past ones.
No, because a long standing project got a reject after resubmission, so not sure what to do next. sort of ready for students, though Im in new digs that arent quite finished. Colleagues are fine. the petty ones wont show themselves for a bit.
I am ready for classes to start again, but what I am not ready for is how much time teaching will take! I had a number of projects concerning my research agenda that did not move forward as well as I had hoped over the summer and will thus need to be finished during the semester (not to mention a new grant submission for October deadline...). WHERE will I find the time to do everything! (and stay sane...)
:(
Come join us on the monthly Research thread if it helps to have some accountability for your grantwriting and other projects...always room for more!
It's here:
http://thefora.org/index.php?topic=3048.msg111278#msg111278
Allez-y!
M.
We are still in summer session. I'm not ready for Fall yet, but I'll have to be. My summer was not quite as productive and also not quite as relaxing as I'd hoped.
I think I'm within a few days of being ready for my classes. I've been working hard on updating lesson plans for a class I haven't taught in 4 years but am looking forward to teaching again. I'll actually get to teach some poetry! Due to the remodeling crew here redoing the bathroom, I've been trapped in the home office for several days, and except for when Mr. Larimar can be here, will be trapped until... well, until the remodelers finish. This means my productivity with class prep has been good, but it's been really hard on the cats. Departmental meeting is tomorrow. Luckily Mr. Larimar can be home before I have to leave for it.
Send the cats to the department meeting...
M.
Quote from: mamselle on August 17, 2022, 10:41:24 AM
Send the cats to the department meeting...
M.
I think we should make that a standing suggestion
This is service week for me (after teaching online through July 31). I went on campus yesterday for 3 meetings and was toast by the end of it; I'd thought I was in pretty good shape post-op (late May), but between traipsing between buildings and sitting in uncomfortable chairs, I was stiff and hurting.
Classes start Monday for my 3 full-semester sections; Canvas opens Friday for students. I have all my online sections ready to roll (one is second-8 weeks; the others are 12 weeks). Right now I'm scrambling to get the virtual lecture and F2F sections' syllabi and schedules done. I should've already had them done.
You can throw something at me (candy maybe?) since I am on sabbatical this Fall. Yesterday I complained to my spouse that I already feel behind on my primary project, and hu yelled back, "It's your sabbatical! You put too much pressure on yourself!" I found this to be slightly comforting as I feel I am slacking too much. I have my primary project underway (which technically started a few years ago), plus a research fellowship with a time-limited project between now and December as well that overlaps it, and a few additional manuscripts in progress. I am also finalizing a book proposal due at the end of the month, so I feel sufficiently busy without the stress of preparing for and teaching classes. I probably "did this wrong" since I teach more classes in Spring than I do in Fall, but I definitely could not wait another semester for this opportunity. I also helped the two folks teaching my Fall classes set the courses up in the LMS.
Quote from: RatGuy on August 17, 2022, 10:46:12 AM
Quote from: mamselle on August 17, 2022, 10:41:24 AM
Send the cats to the department meeting...
M.
I think we should make that a standing suggestion
LOL! That would very much improve any faculty meeting!
I'm surprised, though, that RAT-guy wants cats at a meeting.
Unless he figures he'll outrun them...
;--}
M.
I start on Monday and I'm mostly ready. I also had a fairly productive summer, despite taking a good deal of time for vacation (and some work-related travel). And I am looking forward to getting back in the classroom, I suppose, but wouldn't mind another week to just chill out.
We're three days into the new semester! It's going great so far; I'm actually enjoying my classes so far (which is much different from recent semesters). I hope I can keep the attitude going and continue looking forward to teaching, rather than dreading it.
I played some Motown on Teams while waiting for today's virtual class to start, and some of my students had their cameras on and staged a group dance!
How is it only the middle of the first week??!!
Quote from: AmLitHist on August 24, 2022, 01:15:40 PM
We're three days into the new semester! It's going great so far; I'm actually enjoying my classes so far (which is much different from recent semesters). I hope I can keep the attitude going and continue looking forward to teaching, rather than dreading it.
I played some Motown on Teams while waiting for today's virtual class to start, and some of my students had their cameras on and staged a group dance!
Awwwright!
M.
A week out and my assigned courses have doubled.
So much for discharging extra credits....
Apparently we've now updated to state-of-the-art registration software, which means that waitlists are now entirely automated.
That means I'm no longer in charge of denying international students their study permits. Thank fuck.
Quote from: Parasaurolophus on August 24, 2022, 03:57:51 PM
Apparently we've now updated to state-of-the-art registration software, which means that waitlists are now entirely automated.
That means I'm no longer in charge of denying international students their study permits. Thank fuck.
I am SO GLAD that our waitlists are automated. I have over 100 students on the waitlist for a nonmajors class. Most won't care if they get in or not, but the ones who do care email me enough as is.
They weren't at my last job and it was a miserable chunk of my time to deal with them. I can now tell students "I cannot add you. Wait for an email from the Registrar".
Quote from: the_geneticist on August 24, 2022, 04:07:42 PM
Quote from: Parasaurolophus on August 24, 2022, 03:57:51 PM
Apparently we've now updated to state-of-the-art registration software, which means that waitlists are now entirely automated.
That means I'm no longer in charge of denying international students their study permits. Thank fuck.
I am SO GLAD that our waitlists are automated. I have over 100 students on the waitlist for a nonmajors class. Most won't care if they get in or not, but the ones who do care email me enough as is.
They weren't at my last job and it was a miserable chunk of my time to deal with them. I can now tell students "I cannot add you. Wait for an email from the Registrar".
OMFG, no kidding! Mine were routinely 70 students long, for courses capped at 35, times four courses a semester. And they'd send me several emails literally
begging to be let in.
Honestly, it was a huge contributor to my dislike of this job. My quality of life will now improve dramatically!
I have been busted back down to PT by fizzling enrollment and vision-less administrators. And I cannot log onto the required electronic textbook and the publisher cannot figure out why and IT cannot help me until the publisher can get me into the book. My attitude is pretty bad this semester.
Yikes, sorry about the PT shift.
Re: the book, I had something like that happen when I was hired at the last minute to teach a class. I think it was either the bookstore or the textbook rep who had a temporary sign-in that let me get into the file somehow until IT sorted all my log-ins out.
But still, sorry you're dealing with all that.
M.
Thanks, M. Compared to a lot of things life ain't that bad, but I appreciate the sympathy.
I started posting things to my course shells for the Fall.
Item 1: A list of the Books.
Item 2: Instructions for turning off the Bb auto-announcement feature. (When I course copy, it sends ~ 100 announcements, none needed)
Item 3: An announcement to DISREGARD EVERYTHING IN THE COURSE SHELL FOR THE TIME BEING! I will post a new announcement when you can start paying attention again.
Wait 36 hours. Do a course copy.
Go in and turn off things students don't need.
Oh wait, what this? An email from a student saying she thinks the syllabus due dates are wrong.
No shit Sherlock. You are reading the CLEARLY LABELLED Summer Syllabus.
When I reply that the Fall syllabus has not been posted yet, she replies "But I got this" with a screen shot of the whole syllabus attached.
The first line of the Syllabus?
Syllabus for [Online Baskets] SUMMER 2021.
Yeah, that's right, the one from over a year ago, when I last taught this class.
It's not going to be a long semester; it already is.
Sorry to hear that things have gotten off to a bad start, Wahoo.
Quote from: apl68 on August 25, 2022, 07:43:59 AM
Sorry to hear that things have gotten off to a bad start, Wahoo.
Thanks. I do have to remind myself that these are first world problems, but I appreciate the empathy. :)
FishProf,
I feel your pain. I have had to explain to multiple students this semester how to read their course schedule. I'm also getting emails from students that are extremely stream of consciousness. To the point that I don't even understand the question. Which of course leads to the four email back and forth just to get that information.
I'm teaching at a couple of schools this semester, which is one less than the 3 schools it has been for the last several years. It's complicated. One day I will be on campus at one school doing Zoom classes for the other school. I don't know how that will go. Since the second school has also just adopted a new LMS and seems to be trying to train faculty in it in the week before the semester starts (when most faculty are adjuncts) I am expecting it to be a total disaster with the IT totally overwhelmed and bad at helping students. So I have set those online classes up with all the resources of an asynchronous class, and am not requiring attendance in the Zoom meetings. I'm half hoping that no students turn up to class, and then I won't have to do any Zooming. I've also reduced the workload for the online classes by about 30%. So I'm curious about how it will all unfold.
Ugh.
I already have a student who uses ZERO punctuation in emails and uses a demanding tone. I know it's easy to misinterpret tone through email (zero facial cues, unlike a direct interaction). It's just annoying and I am trying to keep my cool and not lose my mind. Did I mention that we just started?
Quote from: evil_physics_witchcraft on August 26, 2022, 07:45:19 AM
Ugh.
I already have a student who uses ZERO punctuation in emails and uses a demanding tone. I know it's easy to misinterpret tone through email (zero facial cues, unlike a direct interaction). It's just annoying and I am trying to keep my cool and not lose my mind. Did I mention that we just started?
How about a line in the syllabus saying: "Ungrammatical emails will be deleted."?
Quote from: downer on August 26, 2022, 08:01:12 AM
Quote from: evil_physics_witchcraft on August 26, 2022, 07:45:19 AM
Ugh.
I already have a student who uses ZERO punctuation in emails and uses a demanding tone. I know it's easy to misinterpret tone through email (zero facial cues, unlike a direct interaction). It's just annoying and I am trying to keep my cool and not lose my mind. Did I mention that we just started?
How about a line in the syllabus saying: "Ungrammatical emails will be deleted."?
Ha! Ha! Ha! They would have my head. Also, it would be highly frowned upon considering our campus culture.
Quote from: evil_physics_witchcraft on August 26, 2022, 08:46:09 AM
Quote from: downer on August 26, 2022, 08:01:12 AM
Quote from: evil_physics_witchcraft on August 26, 2022, 07:45:19 AM
Ugh.
I already have a student who uses ZERO punctuation in emails and uses a demanding tone. I know it's easy to misinterpret tone through email (zero facial cues, unlike a direct interaction). It's just annoying and I am trying to keep my cool and not lose my mind. Did I mention that we just started?
How about a line in the syllabus saying: "Ungrammatical emails will be deleted."?
Ha! Ha! Ha! They would have my head. Also, it would be highly frowned upon considering our campus culture.
Then how about a standard reply: "totally yes no good luck"?
And I have students that don't understand that class sizes have limits. No, we can't "squeeze you in" or "find you a spot". Register for one of the open seats in another section! I'm especially talking to the students who are waiting when there are open seats in another section on the same day, at the same time, in the same building, just in a different room.
For the first time since 1958 I am not bound by the start of a school year in any way. It is glorious!
Quote from: the_geneticist on August 30, 2022, 02:45:28 PM
And I have students that don't understand that class sizes have limits. No, we can't "squeeze you in" or "find you a spot". Register for one of the open seats in another section! I'm especially talking to the students who are waiting when there are open seats in another section on the same day, at the same time, in the same building, just in a different room.
Seen on twitter just now:
Quote"Can you add me to your class?"
I cannot add you here or there
I cannot add you anywhere
It does not matter what you say
The class is full, there is no way
There is no seat that I can add
Yes, I know this makes you sad
All I've got is this poem
[groan groan groan groan groan g]
Quote from: downer on August 26, 2022, 09:19:58 AM
Quote from: evil_physics_witchcraft on August 26, 2022, 08:46:09 AM
Quote from: downer on August 26, 2022, 08:01:12 AM
Quote from: evil_physics_witchcraft on August 26, 2022, 07:45:19 AM
Ugh.
I already have a student who uses ZERO punctuation in emails and uses a demanding tone. I know it's easy to misinterpret tone through email (zero facial cues, unlike a direct interaction). It's just annoying and I am trying to keep my cool and not lose my mind. Did I mention that we just started?
How about a line in the syllabus saying: "Ungrammatical emails will be deleted."?
Ha! Ha! Ha! They would have my head. Also, it would be highly frowned upon considering our campus culture.
Then how about a standard reply: "totally yes no good luck"?
I've found that if I hold my screaming, red-faced, soiled-diapered granddaughter in my arms while reading them, I can understand 25% of these emails. The other 75%? I think my granddaughter's first words will be, "What the f*ck is that?"
Classes don't even start for a few more weeks (hurray for quarters!) and I'm getting the "will there be an online/remote/can I pass without ever going to class" emails.
And a student demanding, not asking, for early access to the class LMS and syllabus. To "be better prepared" for a nonmajors course with no prerequisite classes.
It's going to be a long Fall.
One week in and I already know who my high maintenance frequent fliers are going to be. Never fails.
This semester I'm teaching a class for the second time. I was looking forward to seeing what the discussion dynamic would be like without that one awkward student who monopolizes discussions. Except now I seem to have his clone this semester.
Quote from: Liquidambar on August 31, 2022, 09:26:57 AM
This semester I'm teaching a class for the second time. I was looking forward to seeing what the discussion dynamic would be like without that one awkward student who monopolizes discussions. Except now I seem to have his clone this semester.
These students are often on the autism spectrum or otherwise not neurotypical -- with a little coaching you can help them learn not to do this and make life better for them, you and the rest of the class. They are usually self-aware and want to work on this too. Meet with them privately. Tell them you value their contributions but want to make sure that everyone in the class has a chance to talk as well. Ask how you can help them remember to give space for other students to talk. You can come up with a plan for how to cue them in class to stop monopolizing without embarrassing them.
Thanks for the suggestions, Puget. I tried some of that last semester without much success. The student was immune to embarrassment, so that part wasn't a problem, but there wasn't much change throughout the semester despite my coaching. This semester's student strikes me as closer to neurotypical, so I'm more optimistic that we can work out something.
My department is going to have a training this semester on working with neurodiverse students. It'll be run by faculty from our Psych department who research this topic. Hopefully I'll get some good ideas from that too.
Quote from: Liquidambar on August 31, 2022, 05:11:29 PM
Thanks for the suggestions, Puget. I tried some of that last semester without much success. The student was immune to embarrassment, so that part wasn't a problem, but there wasn't much change throughout the semester despite my coaching. This semester's student strikes me as closer to neurotypical, so I'm more optimistic that we can work out something.
My department is going to have a training this semester on working with neurodiverse students. It'll be run by faculty from our Psych department who research this topic. Hopefully I'll get some good ideas from that too.
Yes, doesn't always work but often does in my experience. They often need you to be really direct about it as they miss more subtle social cues.
So far this semester, I've had a student email me expressing concern about group work because he knows he tends to monopolize group discussion and alienate his group members (yay for self awareness!). I coached him on how he could talk to his group about how this was something he was working on and ask for their help in alerting him when he started doing this, so they know it is OK to give him direct feedback. These are such important skills for these students to work on in the relatively safe environment of college before they have dire consequences in the workplace. They can do it, just not in exactly the same way neurotypical folks do.
I suggest, if you haven't tried this already, structuring discussions in such a way that free-form conversation alternates with round-the-table sharing in which each student gets to hold the floor for a minute or so to contribute to the discussion. Often the dynamics in the classroom are mutually reinforcing, as some students react to the overcontributors by contributing less and less.
Opening day meeting. 4 minutes in ..... and I'm done. Wrap it up people I have classes to prepare for!
Quote from: Puget on August 31, 2022, 06:52:32 PM
Quote from: Liquidambar on August 31, 2022, 05:11:29 PM
Thanks for the suggestions, Puget. I tried some of that last semester without much success. The student was immune to embarrassment, so that part wasn't a problem, but there wasn't much change throughout the semester despite my coaching. This semester's student strikes me as closer to neurotypical, so I'm more optimistic that we can work out something.
My department is going to have a training this semester on working with neurodiverse students. It'll be run by faculty from our Psych department who research this topic. Hopefully I'll get some good ideas from that too.
Yes, doesn't always work but often does in my experience. They often need you to be really direct about it as they miss more subtle social cues.
So far this semester, I've had a student email me expressing concern about group work because he knows he tends to monopolize group discussion and alienate his group members (yay for self awareness!). I coached him on how he could talk to his group about how this was something he was working on and ask for their help in alerting him when he started doing this, so they know it is OK to give him direct feedback. These are such important skills for these students to work on in the relatively safe environment of college before they have dire consequences in the workplace. They can do it, just not in exactly the same way neurotypical folks do.
I've
been that person, though not (I think) as egregiously as some. It takes time to learn to turn that down. I managed to do so without very much direct intervention, but I can easily see how in some cases it would be helpful. Those who do such things aren't trying to be jerks. They're just talking about something they're interested in, and really want to put out everything they know, and perhaps they're even kind of passionate about it. And in the process, without really meaning to, they suck all the air out of the room.
I could tell you all stories about some of the comments I get in my Astronomy lectures. Here's one...
Recently, we discussed Kepler's Laws (basically characteristics of planetary orbits) and I pointed out that distant planets take longer to orbit the Sun than the Earth does. So, a 'year' on those planets is a lot longer than a 'year' on Earth (a 'year' being the time to make one orbit around the Sun). And so, I mentioned that most of them are less than a Saturnian year old (Saturn takes about 30 years to make 1 orbit). Now some of them thought that I meant they would age slower and live longer and almost be immortal. No, no, that's not what I was saying at all. SMDH.
Quote from: evil_physics_witchcraft on September 01, 2022, 09:38:02 AM
I could tell you all stories about some of the comments I get in my Astronomy lectures. Here's one...
Recently, we discussed Kepler's Laws (basically characteristics of planetary orbits) and I pointed out that distant planets take longer to orbit the Sun than the Earth does. So, a 'year' on those planets is a lot longer than a 'year' on Earth (a 'year' being the time to make one orbit around the Sun). And so, I mentioned that most of them are less than a Saturnian year old (Saturn takes about 30 years to make 1 orbit). Now some of them thought that I meant they would age slower and live longer and almost be immortal. No, no, that's not what I was saying at all. SMDH.
So the Silicon Valley tech bros aren't really trying to get to Mars--they're really planning to keep going to Saturn so that they can realize their dreams of immortality!
We're starting soon, and I still have to come up with new prompts for my timed essay experiment, and cobble together some quizzes and midterms for the classes which have to have them. And record four introductory videos. Ugh. Guess I'll start doing that... soon.
Do you ever use visual prompts?
My 9-yrst old music theory student kept me five minutes after class showing me the three pages of a story he wrote based on a picture of a polar bear coming out of a subway train.
The instruction was for three sentences, but he asked if he could take it home to keep working on it, and it's not done yet.
Of course, it's titled "The Polar Express..."
Just thinking outside the box...might be fun and different....or maybe you already do this...
M.
I am in a holding pattern, as our Student Accessibilities office just informed us that NOT ALL of the students with ADA accommodations have been issued letters yet, and that they would be working on that next week.
So, I HAVE TO provide the accomodations, but I CANNOT do so without the letter. Classes start Tuesday and quizzes start right away (Syllabus quiz primarily).
So what are we supposed to do?
Quote from: evil_physics_witchcraft on September 01, 2022, 09:38:02 AM
I could tell you all stories about some of the comments I get in my Astronomy lectures. Here's one...
Recently, we discussed Kepler's Laws (basically characteristics of planetary orbits) and I pointed out that distant planets take longer to orbit the Sun than the Earth does. So, a 'year' on those planets is a lot longer than a 'year' on Earth (a 'year' being the time to make one orbit around the Sun). And so, I mentioned that most of them are less than a Saturnian year old (Saturn takes about 30 years to make 1 orbit). Now some of them thought that I meant they would age slower and live longer and almost be immortal. No, no, that's not what I was saying at all. SMDH.
They did that (sort of) when Bugs Bunny wound up at the South Pole and realized that his several day vacation could be a lot longer when the "days" are 6 months long.
Quote from: FishProf on September 03, 2022, 11:07:31 AM
I am in a holding pattern, as our Student Accessibilities office just informed us that NOT ALL of the students with ADA accommodations have been issued letters yet, and that they would be working on that next week.
So, I HAVE TO provide the accomodations, but I CANNOT do so without the letter. Classes start Tuesday and quizzes start right away (Syllabus quiz primarily).
So what are we supposed to do?
Do exactly what they say: no letter, no accommodations.
And kick this up the chain of command.
I know we don't work at the same place, but this is very familiar.
Quote from: mamselle on September 03, 2022, 11:04:39 AM
Do you ever use visual prompts?
My 9-yrst old music theory student kept me five minutes after class showing me the three pages of a story he wrote based on a picture of a polar bear coming out of a subway train.
The instruction was for three sentences, but he asked if he could take it home to keep working on it, and it's not done yet.
Of course, it's titled "The Polar Express..."
Just thinking outside the box...might be fun and different....or maybe you already do this...
M.
I don't. It's a good idea, but I'll have to think hard about how to make it work for the stuff I teach.
I start today. Ugh.
A half summer just isn't enough time to recover.
I've realized that most of the students who miss the first week of class and then show up or email to ask me about "making up the missed work" (we haven't actually had any assigned work yet) are testing me to see if I'll waive any due dates throughout the semester on simple request. The problem students out themselves very early each year.
Quote from: Zeus Bird on September 07, 2022, 05:38:54 AM
I've realized that most of the students who miss the first week of class and then show up or email to ask me about "making up the missed work" (we haven't actually had any assigned work yet) are testing me to see if I'll waive any due dates throughout the semester on simple request. The problem students out themselves very early each year.
Wonder whether that's deliberate, or whether in missing early work and then trying to make it up they're just following their instincts? Either way, they are indeed outing themselves as students to keep an eye on.
My students (asynchronous online course) are off to a sluggish start. I have entered a bunch of zeroes for the first missed discussion and am expecting some panicked emails begging for extensions. The answer will be a cheerful no, pointing out that I drop two! They can drop this one and it won't hurt their grade—it's all in the course policy document (read it!).
Usually, students then respond with thanks and expressions of relief. But this semester, no one with a zero has even noticed (at least, not yet). Well, not my problem. If they also miss the first quiz, I'll file Early Alerts. Sigh....
At least the ones who are contributing are writing interesting and thoughtful postings, by and large. So there is that.
Quote from: Zeus Bird on September 07, 2022, 05:38:54 AM
I've realized that most of the students who miss the first week of class and then show up or email to ask me about "making up the missed work" (we haven't actually had any assigned work yet) are testing me to see if I'll waive any due dates throughout the semester on simple request. The problem students out themselves very early each year.
I doubt they are using this as a test of your policies, that's a bit too convoluted. They probably just didn't read the syllabus and are sending the same generic email to all their instructors.
So far, I'm weirdly blasé about this semester. We're only at the beginning of week 4, but I'm just kind of "meh" about it all. I've said "no" to a lot of things people asked if I was interested in doing. My classes are going okay so far. The deadline to apply for sabbaticals for next year is in November, so I need to come up with some sort of plan if I want to apply. I think I like being emotionally detached from work in ways that I don't think I have been before. I credit/blame my summer illness(es), my summer home construction project (that still isn't done), and the overall dumpster fire of the world.
Sounds like you need a marmalade sandwich.....here, it's all wrapped up for your lunch tomorrow. ...
M.
Is this a celebratory/congratulatory sandwich? Because I don't feel bad about things. (I do wish the construction project would be done, though.) It's just weird to not care more than I need to about work or the state of my university.
Umm..more a consoling, here-you-are-just-in-case sort of sandwich, I think.
But you could also ask the sandwich--it probably knows better than I do what kind of sandwich it's meant to be...
M.
Quote from: paddington_bear on September 11, 2022, 10:56:18 AM
So far, I'm weirdly blasé about this semester. We're only at the beginning of week 4, but I'm just kind of "meh" about it all. I've said "no" to a lot of things people asked if I was interested in doing. My classes are going okay so far. The deadline to apply for sabbaticals for next year is in November, so I need to come up with some sort of plan if I want to apply. I think I like being emotionally detached from work in ways that I don't think I have been before. I credit/blame my summer illness(es), my summer home construction project (that still isn't done), and the overall dumpster fire of the world.
Same.
Quote from: paddington_bear on September 11, 2022, 03:24:47 PM
Is this a celebratory/congratulatory sandwich? Because I don't feel bad about things. (I do wish the construction project would be done, though.) It's just weird to not care more than I need to about work or the state of my university.
If it's any consolation, IME you get used to it (I've been feeling the same way since well before the pandemic).
Another day, another search of the campus for somewhere to work that has functioning technology, followed by another call to IT over the equipment in my classroom...
In 18 years I've never had this many computer/printer/xerox problems. Maybe I should take some classes and learn how to fix some of this stuff myself.
I have officially given up on finding somewhere to hold office hours for the rest of the quarter. I managed to reserve a place for next quarter though.
Sigh.
Quote from: Larimar on September 22, 2022, 02:06:39 PM
Another day, another search of the campus for somewhere to work that has functioning technology, followed by another call to IT over the equipment in my classroom...
In 18 years I've never had this many computer/printer/xerox problems. Maybe I should take some classes and learn how to fix some of this stuff myself.
I have officially given up on finding somewhere to hold office hours for the rest of the quarter. I managed to reserve a place for next quarter though.
Sigh.
Could that be due to a lack of staff? When I worked for a university library, I was the immediate supervisor of a department that had a number of printers and copiers, mostly for microforms. All of the machines had to be kept loaded with paper and toner, and most of them had quirks that could cause minor glitches. I, or a student worker who had paid attention to my instructions, could clear most of these problems without having to call for help from the technical staff. Sounds like maybe your institution doesn't have staff keeping on top of the day-to-day stuff needed to keep the machines all running smoothly.
Quote from: apl68 on September 23, 2022, 07:34:56 AM
Quote from: Larimar on September 22, 2022, 02:06:39 PM
Another day, another search of the campus for somewhere to work that has functioning technology, followed by another call to IT over the equipment in my classroom...
In 18 years I've never had this many computer/printer/xerox problems. Maybe I should take some classes and learn how to fix some of this stuff myself.
I have officially given up on finding somewhere to hold office hours for the rest of the quarter. I managed to reserve a place for next quarter though.
Sigh.
Could that be due to a lack of staff? When I worked for a university library, I was the immediate supervisor of a department that had a number of printers and copiers, mostly for microforms. All of the machines had to be kept loaded with paper and toner, and most of them had quirks that could cause minor glitches. I, or a student worker who had paid attention to my instructions, could clear most of these problems without having to call for help from the technical staff. Sounds like maybe your institution doesn't have staff keeping on top of the day-to-day stuff needed to keep the machines all running smoothly.
The technology I use -- that worked fine before the pandemic (last time I was regularly in a classroom) -- has been a
nightmare this semester. First, the university didn't know I was teaching in the classrooms where I am assigned to teach, so Security refused to open the doors. (It's all remote -- hence the technology complaint.) As they told me, if they unlocked the doors, then
anyone could get in. I wanted to explain that was the point...
And the classroom -- in both my grad seminars, I have international students who haven't received their visas yet. (It's a country-wide problem, so I know it's not just me.) To accommodate them, I've transformed the seminars into hybrid-format, despite my desire (and the university's directive) not to. But the computer towers from which I run Zoom take up to ten minutes (I
wish I were exaggerating, but I am not) just to recognize a mouse-click. When I called on Wednesday evening during my seminar, the poor guy running tech for the entire university at that point (47,000 students!) said he couldn't leave the his post because he was
the only person who didn't have Covid in the entire department. And he was new. (I felt for him -- he was as helpful as someone stuck in that situation could be. And he still had a sense of humor about it.) He reassured me, though, that the mouse-click thing was a known problem, and they had plans to upgrade all the computers on Thursday.
I was reassured, let me tell you!
Quote from: apl68 on September 23, 2022, 07:34:56 AM
Quote from: Larimar on September 22, 2022, 02:06:39 PM
Another day, another search of the campus for somewhere to work that has functioning technology, followed by another call to IT over the equipment in my classroom...
In 18 years I've never had this many computer/printer/xerox problems. Maybe I should take some classes and learn how to fix some of this stuff myself.
I have officially given up on finding somewhere to hold office hours for the rest of the quarter. I managed to reserve a place for next quarter though.
Sigh.
Could that be due to a lack of staff? When I worked for a university library, I was the immediate supervisor of a department that had a number of printers and copiers, mostly for microforms. All of the machines had to be kept loaded with paper and toner, and most of them had quirks that could cause minor glitches. I, or a student worker who had paid attention to my instructions, could clear most of these problems without having to call for help from the technical staff. Sounds like maybe your institution doesn't have staff keeping on top of the day-to-day stuff needed to keep the machines all running smoothly.
This is possible, but I don't know. When I've called for help, they've arrived quickly, and this morning when I was having yet more software issues, there were 3 staffers at the IT help desk, one of whom looked like he had phone duty.
Quote from: traductio on September 23, 2022, 08:35:23 AM
The technology I use -- that worked fine before the pandemic (last time I was regularly in a classroom) -- has been a nightmare this semester. First, the university didn't know I was teaching in the classrooms where I am assigned to teach, so Security refused to open the doors. (It's all remote -- hence the technology complaint.) As they told me, if they unlocked the doors, then anyone could get in. I wanted to explain that was the point...
And the classroom -- in both my grad seminars, I have international students who haven't received their visas yet. (It's a country-wide problem, so I know it's not just me.) To accommodate them, I've transformed the seminars into hybrid-format, despite my desire (and the university's directive) not to. But the computer towers from which I run Zoom take up to ten minutes (I wish I were exaggerating, but I am not) just to recognize a mouse-click. When I called on Wednesday evening during my seminar, the poor guy running tech for the entire university at that point (47,000 students!) said he couldn't leave the his post because he was the only person who didn't have Covid in the entire department. And he was new. (I felt for him -- he was as helpful as someone stuck in that situation could be. And he still had a sense of humor about it.) He reassured me, though, that the mouse-click thing was a known problem, and they had plans to upgrade all the computers on Thursday.
I was reassured, let me tell you!
Yipes! That does sound like both a teaching and an advising nightmare for you and the student, and a nightmare for the lone new IT guy too. Crossing my fingers for you.
So far my semester has been surprisingly (and refreshingly) low key. I'm teaching a lot at the moment, but not much grading so far and I've taught the classes before, so not much prep necessary. I'm only on one committee and we've never met.
I'm sure it won't last, but enjoying it while I can.
How did we receive fewer applications for this semester than we did during the pandemic years? How is our enrollment lower now than during the pandemic years? Ugh.
End of Week 6 here--it's gone fast so far. A plagiarism case already, but otherwise, no real student problems so far.
I got my Spring 23 teaching schedule this week.