the "things you wish you could say" thread

[teach_write_research]

Yes, college courses become much more difficult when students don't show the f*ck up to class. Why is that such a shocker to you?

I was advising a student who has a long history of withdrawals and Fs and is trying to figure out to graduate. As I explain the process and forms to possibly cobble together what they've taken to meet degree requirements they say, "wow this is really complicated". Well yeah, I mean, why do it the simple way of attending the scheduled class and submitting the assigned work listed in the syllabus?

[Langue_doc]

Yes, college courses become much more difficult when students don't show the f*ck up to class. Why is that such a shocker to you?

I was advising a student who has a long history of withdrawals and Fs and is trying to figure out to graduate. As I explain the process and forms to possibly cobble together what they've taken to meet degree requirements they say, "wow this is really complicated". Well yeah, I mean, why do it the simple way of attending the scheduled class and submitting the assigned work listed in the syllabus?

I've had students assume that taking a course is similar to punching in and out of work. Spending time outside of class on classwork, or even being engaged in class is just outrageous, according to some. I've had students angrily inform me that they couldn't complete assignments because they were away visiting relatives over the weekend (T/Th class), or in one instance, were out of the country for over a week, because that's when they took their vacation from their job. In another T/Th class I had a student who was outraged because she was expected to be in class on both days instead of only on T.

I blame the admincritters for not explaining to students that they need to spend a minimum of 2-3 hours outside class for every instructional hour, but no, the weaselly critters merely tell students that their "professors will work with them" to help them succeed.

[Liquidambar]

I blame the admincritters for not explaining to students that they need to spend a minimum of 2-3 hours outside class for every instructional hour, but no, the weaselly critters merely tell students that their "professors will work with them" to help them succeed.

I've started explaining this in every freshman level class I teach, and I do a calculation on the board explaining how 12+ credits is full time.  I put a positive spin on it, saying that if students find themselves spending more than 9 hours per week studying outside our class, they should come talk to me about how to make their study time more efficient and productive.  Usually nobody takes me up on this, but I don't get complaints that my class is taking too much of their time.

[apl68]

I blame the admincritters for not explaining to students that they need to spend a minimum of 2-3 hours outside class for every instructional hour, but no, the weaselly critters merely tell students that their "professors will work with them" to help them succeed.

I've started explaining this in every freshman level class I teach, and I do a calculation on the board explaining how 12+ credits is full time.  I put a positive spin on it, saying that if students find themselves spending more than 9 hours per week studying outside our class, they should come talk to me about how to make their study time more efficient and productive.  Usually nobody takes me up on this, but I don't get complaints that my class is taking too much of their time.

I suspect that their expectations simply reflect their experience of K-12 school in most cases.  They were given little if any homework, and to the extent that they didn't take that work seriously it did not prevent their passing in a setting where they weren't allowed to fail.

[ergative]

You need to say this if the response hasn't been submitted! I teach/mentor this stuff to early career researchers as it's essential knowledge.

No, alas, the response was submitted already. I was one of the reviewers, which is why I saw it. However, because I sign my reviews, the author actually got in touch with me during their revision process to ask me to send them an article I'd recommended they read. So the line of communication is open. I might wait until the decision is made, and then send a kind email directly to them.

My question in these cases (presuming the first author is an ECR, in a multi-author field) is where is the senior author in all this? I would never let a resubmission out of my lab without working with the trainee on both the revisions and response letter and approving the final versions of both. Same when I get papers to review that were clearly not ready for submission. Besides annoying your colleagues and tarnishing your own reputation, it is serious dereliction of duty as a PI not to both teach these skills and scaffold them to set your trainees up for the best chance of success with publishing.

My field kind of straddles the boundary here. It's not at all unusual for papers to be single-authored. I think this one was, too, although it was properly blinded until the (first?) author contacted me. Although, to be sure, the reason I think it was single-authored was because, as you say, there was no senior author to catch this.

For those of you waiting with baited breath for the update, I found the responses to reviewers! The system hid them at the end of the submission, rather than uploading them as a separate document the way I was expected, or putting them at the beginning of the article. Phew--all is well.

And the re-submitted paper was very good, so I recommended acceptance.

[Liquidambar]

If you wanted grades to be submitted this week, you should have made the deadline this week.  Since the deadline is in fact next week, don't publicly berate those of us who haven't yet submitted our grades.

[Langue_doc]

To our elected representatives--this is beyond absurd, it's prime material for a theater of the absurd play. I'm beginning to feel like a rubbernecker, instead of a responsible citizen, keeping abreast of the news. This isn't going to end well.

Live Updates: House Voting on 11th Speaker Ballot After Another McCarthy Loss

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/01/05/us/house-speaker-vote

[dismalist]

To our elected representatives--this is beyond absurd, it's prime material for a theater of the absurd play. I'm beginning to feel like a rubbernecker, instead of a responsible citizen, keeping abreast of the news. This isn't going to end well.

Live Updates: House Voting on 11th Speaker Ballot After Another McCarthy Loss

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/01/05/us/house-speaker-vote

Here is an article that takes issue with the NYT view:

https://reason.com/2023/01/05/ignoring-the-anti-mccarthy-factions-avowed-goals-the-new-york-times-sees-only-chaos-and-confusion/?utm_medium=email

People disagree. There's nothing wrong with that. And the US government does not depend on a unified view within it.

My own view of the situation is that it matters not. It will resolve itself. Meanwhile, McCarthy should heed what deGaulle said of Bismarck: The trick is knowing when to stop.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Why the hell did you change my schedule at the last minute? :(

[EdnaMode]

Stu, you are an entitled little [jerk] and I will squish you like a bug, very politely though, in your grade appeal meeting by showing that not only did you not meet the basic standards required for the class, I was actually quite generous in grading your final project, it could have been so much worse.

[hmaria1609]

Excuse me about the desk schedule!! If you don't like a 2nd person with you on desk later this afternoon, you just stay in your spot.

[the_geneticist]

Graduate student, you are not any more important or special than anyone else who is a TA for this class.  They ALL are also doing research.  And have required seminars.  And have lab meetings to attend.  Many are also taking classes.  And some even have responsibilities you do NOT have like small children.  So, when I say "if you are not taking a class or in a required seminar, then you are available for teaching", that applies to you as well.  You are not making a positive first impression.  And put your d@rn phone away when I'm talking.

[kaysixteen]

geneticist, I get that you said you wish you could say this, but what did you actually say?  These things needed to be said....

[OneMoreYear]

This class is designated as in-person (face-to-face) in the system. There is no zoom link. I refuse to hyflex courses that are not designated as hyflex. If you want me to teach a hyflex course, then designate the course as such and I'll design the syllabus that way.

[the_geneticist]

geneticist, I get that you said you wish you could say this, but what did you actually say?  These things needed to be said....

I just re-sent the email saying "If you are not taking a class or in a required seminar, then you are available for teaching.  Please rank all of the sections."