Classroom Victories

[ergative]

This poor, neglected thread! I had a lovely victory today:

1. Really, really good discussion during seminar--over zoom, no less!
2. Students stuck around after to ask really, really good theoretical and methodological questions about the material.
3. One sticking-around student asked whether they could be involved in my research and learn to use my fancy equipment that I set up in the lab in autumn 2019 and have not used since. I'm actually planning to start that lab up, so I said sure. Then the other studenst who stuck around 'oh oh me too me too!' and 'Can I use the lab for my summer research project? I'll need to get started learning it now!'

I feel like, in the space of a ten minute after-seminar discusison, I've assembled a group of eager lab assistants who are hard-working and interested and might help reinvigorate my research in a way it hasn't been since the start of covid.

I mean, who knows whether they'll follow through or keep their interest up, but they've been diligent and dedicated all semester, and they do, after all, need to come up with a summer research project, so maybe this will stick!

[marshwiggle]

I mean, who knows whether they'll follow through or keep their interest up, but they've been diligent and dedicated all semester, and they do, after all, need to come up with a summer research project, so maybe this will stick!

That's great! If they've stayed this engaged all term even over Zoom, I'd guess the odds of them staying motivated in person are pretty high.

[apl68]

Congratulations, eragitive!

[AmLitHist]

Two victories:

My Early American Lit class that I stressed about all summer--the one that's F2F, with only 3 students--is my favorite class in several years.  Not only is the content my area and passion, but all three students are bright, engaged, and engaging young women who do all of the reading and really excel in the discussions. They refer to themselves as "The Girls"--and these Girls rock!

In my Comp classes, several ESL students whom I wouldn't have given half-a-prayer's chance of passing back in September, have been practically living in the Writing Center, asking me questions, and working their hearts out.  One currently has the highest grade (97%) in her Comp II section, and the others all have solid Cs or Bs.

[Ruralguy]

I had a student come out of "nowhere" (well, my class!) to tell me he wanted to minor in my subject area. I guess I'm doing something right?

[mamselle]

CONGRATS TO BOTH OF YOU!

M.

[EdnaMode]

I had a student who was struggling mightily in engineering. She tried hard, but as we all know, trying is not always equal to succeeding, and we had many chats about whether she was where she was supposed to be as far as her interests. When I came into my office this morning there was an envelope slipped under the door. It was a thank you card, and it said:

"Dear Dr. Mode,

Thank you for constantly answering my questions. I hope your holiday goes well. Keep on kicking engineering a**. I'm switching my major to chemistry.

Best regards,

Stu"

I do wish her all the best in chemistry, it does seem like, based on our conversations, it will be a better fit for her. I'm typically just as proud of the students I talk out of staying in engineering as I am those I manage to retain when they're going through a rough patch. It's all about what they need, as opposed to what we are told by our recruitment and retention folks who tell us we need to keep them all in engineering.

[apl68]

I had a student who was struggling mightily in engineering. She tried hard, but as we all know, trying is not always equal to succeeding, and we had many chats about whether she was where she was supposed to be as far as her interests. When I came into my office this morning there was an envelope slipped under the door. It was a thank you card, and it said:

"Dear Dr. Mode,

Thank you for constantly answering my questions. I hope your holiday goes well. Keep on kicking engineering a**. I'm switching my major to chemistry.

Best regards,

Stu"

I do wish her all the best in chemistry, it does seem like, based on our conversations, it will be a better fit for her. I'm typically just as proud of the students I talk out of staying in engineering as I am those I manage to retain when they're going through a rough patch. It's all about what they need, as opposed to what we are told by our recruitment and retention folks who tell us we need to keep them all in engineering.

Sometimes talking a student into changing into a major that might work better is the best thing an advisor can do.  It's not a "failure."  It's good to be able to have that perspective.

[bopper]

"Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."

[Puget]

Maybe a first step toward a victory?
I have an extremely needy student in my class this semester who takes up half an hour of my time every week, and would take up much more expect I've forbidden him from having more then two appointment slots during office hours. He has a few actual questions, but mostly he engages in a ton of excessive reassurance seeking. I mean, this is textbook maladaptive anxiety and perfectionism coping behavior in a student with immature social skills stuff. I've talked to him about it repeatedly before, but it didn't seem to be getting through. Today he really wanted me to return his graded exam early-- we'll hand them back in class after thanksgiving, but of course he NEEDED to see how he'd gotten the horrible, unbearable grade of 85%. I told him I would give it to him, but not discuss it with him until after break, and only on the condition that he would also take a handout on perfectionism and let me show him how to access the drop-in community therapists and consider talking with one of them. He agreed to that (anything to get his hands on that exam), and by the end was asking questions like "And what if I want individual therapy?" Yes, yes you should have that!

[Parasaurolophus]

The bonus question on my final exam asks students what their favourite dinosaur is. Here's what I learned today:

Ankylosaurus, particuarly because when watching the closed captions on the youtube video links of the slides, sometimes reads "nother nicest dinosaur" and it makes me smile.

[statsgeek]

Email from a former student: 

"This is stu from my fancy new graduate program email, just wanted to thank you for that class I took with you a year ago. Not only are the fundamental concepts still relevant (funny how that works) but now I'm taking a class in [more advanced version of what we did] and I feel well prepared because of your course." 

These make it all worth it, don't they? 

[mamselle]

That is so cool.

I'm smiling.

Sort of like the one person who came back to give thanks for having been healed...

M.

[Ruralguy]

This job isn't completely thankless! I do indeed appreciate those moments.

[onthefringe]

Somehow, I've never noticed this thread, and reading through it is heartwarming. I'll share the best comment I've gotten on student evals in a while " This course contextualized the different parts of this degree so well that my grades in other courses improved because of the skills and critical thought patterns Dr. Fringe reinforced in this class."