Favorite student emails

[marshwiggle]

Student is "truly disturbed and devastated" that they were withdrawn from an online class that they last accessed at the end of September. They are now just sending the email despite having been withdrawn for a full month. Student thought that since they told the instructor that they were busy that meant they didn't have to respond to multiple emails warning them about lack of participation. Being withdrawn from the class will be "detrimental to my future career in nursing".

Did they also throw in a "passionate" somewhere?

Here it is always "surprised and confused", as in "I was surprised and confused by my exam grade".  These phrases must get transmitted through the campus culture somehow.

I'd guess that since they've grown up in a very polarized culture, they have little idea of how to deal with disagreement. The normal idea is that someone who disagrees is evil, so outrage is the "correct" response. They can't really acknowledge that the instructor may actually be right, so the best sort of response they can come up with is the idea that the instructor is somehow misinformed, and when s/he gets the facts right s/he will see everything correctly, i.e. as the student sees it.

"Tell me how I can improve" is very foreign, since it implies the speaker acknowledges that more information may be needed for the speaker to have a better understanding. Twitter is the template for responses to any situation; immediate, emotional, and blunt.

[onehappyunicorn]

Student is "truly disturbed and devastated" that they were withdrawn from an online class that they last accessed at the end of September. They are now just sending the email despite having been withdrawn for a full month. Student thought that since they told the instructor that they were busy that meant they didn't have to respond to multiple emails warning them about lack of participation. Being withdrawn from the class will be "detrimental to my future career in nursing".

Did they also throw in a "passionate" somewhere?

Here it is always "surprised and confused", as in "I was surprised and confused by my exam grade".  These phrases must get transmitted through the campus culture somehow.

We have "sorry for any inconvenience" and the recently added "passionate" and "dedicated". 
I am encouraged that the students are spelling the words correctly.  However, most of their emails just need a "see the syllabus for the policy on late work" reply.  I am not at all inconvenienced and they can demonstrate their passion and dedication to Intro to Baskets 101 by turning things in on time.  Welcome to college, it only gets harder from here!

Student continues to demand that we let them back in the course. The instructor gave them a deadline to complete an assignment to remain active, the student completed the assignment two days later than the deadline. Student now argues that they completed the assignment on time despite the LMS recording the date. Student swears that mother watched them complete the assignment on time and that she can testify on student's behalf.
I don't know what it's like for anyone else but I can't think of a single time my mother, or any other family member, watched me take a quiz...

[Caracal]

Student is "truly disturbed and devastated" that they were withdrawn from an online class that they last accessed at the end of September. They are now just sending the email despite having been withdrawn for a full month. Student thought that since they told the instructor that they were busy that meant they didn't have to respond to multiple emails warning them about lack of participation. Being withdrawn from the class will be "detrimental to my future career in nursing".

Did they also throw in a "passionate" somewhere?

Here it is always "surprised and confused", as in "I was surprised and confused by my exam grade".  These phrases must get transmitted through the campus culture somehow.

I'd guess that since they've grown up in a very polarized culture, they have little idea of how to deal with disagreement. The normal idea is that someone who disagrees is evil, so outrage is the "correct" response. They can't really acknowledge that the instructor may actually be right, so the best sort of response they can come up with is the idea that the instructor is somehow misinformed, and when s/he gets the facts right s/he will see everything correctly, i.e. as the student sees it.

"Tell me how I can improve" is very foreign, since it implies the speaker acknowledges that more information may be needed for the speaker to have a better understanding. Twitter is the template for responses to any situation; immediate, emotional, and blunt.

There's nothing new about this strategy at all. It is a time tested way of dealing with situations where someone else can determine what happens. Seriously, this is what people in the American colonies did when asking the British government to reconsider some ruling or rule they had made. If the official who made the original decision was still in charge, you weren't likely to get far by telling them they screwed up. That risks being seen as a challenge to their authority. If the person made the wrong decision, that implies that perhaps they shouldn't be in charge at all. Instead, you make it about the bad information they received. After all, if someone has the wrong information, how can they make the right decision. The advantage of this angle is that it potentially gives the decision maker an out if he does want to change his mind.

And expressions of distress about the decision were also common. The idea was that you are a loyal subject of the crown, so its such a bummer to see this decision that is going to cause all kinds of bad results obviously based on bad information this person has a gotten through no fault of their own. Students are doing the same thing. They want to tell you that they are dedicated and diligent students. That's why this has come as such a blow.

It isn't about the polarized culture, they are just dealing with power gaps in the sort of ways that people generally do. It is annoying, but being in charge of things is always annoying.

[marshwiggle]

It isn't about the polarized culture, they are just dealing with power gaps in the sort of ways that people generally do. It is annoying, but being in charge of things is always annoying.

What's new is the number of students who feel entitled to challenge their grades. Their parents would have been much less likely to do it, and much less likely to have it succeed if they did, but unfortunately raised their kids to feel that their own feelings should matter as much or more than the expertise of skilled professionals.

(As a parent with 3 grown children, I never once argued with any instructor about any of their grades. And I sure as heck wouldn't on the basis of how they "felt" about them.)

[mamselle]

I just had the dispiriting experience of hearing a friend (who I thought would have known better) saying that she and her husband had intervened in the grading of a son's AP essay so he could get into the STEM/R1 of his/(?their) choice.

They felt as if the instructor just never gave above a 90, needed for passing, and needed to be goosed to do so.

I thought someone lost a learning opportunity, but wasn't in a position at the time to argue the matter (will have to take it up with them privately at some point, although the kid is nearly graduated from the school (he did get in and did well) so...sigh.

Tarnished their light a little bit for me, it did.

M.

[apl68]

I just had the dispiriting experience of hearing a friend (who I thought would have known better) saying that she and her husband had intervened in the grading of a son's AP essay so he could get into the STEM/R1 of his/(?their) choice.

They felt as if the instructor just never gave above a 90, needed for passing, and needed to be goosed to do so.

I thought someone lost a learning opportunity, but wasn't in a position at the time to argue the matter (will have to take it up with them privately at some point, although the kid is nearly graduated from the school (he did get in and did well) so...sigh.

Tarnished their light a little bit for me, it did.

M.

And see, this puts other students, who don't have such squeaky-wheel parents, at a disadvantage when it comes to getting into scarce elite-program slots.

[Aster]

I just had the dispiriting experience of hearing a friend (who I thought would have known better) saying that she and her husband had intervened in the grading of a son's AP essay so he could get into the STEM/R1 of his/(?their) choice.

They felt as if the instructor just never gave above a 90, needed for passing, and needed to be goosed to do so.

I am wondering how any student or parent would know (or have access to know) who the graders are for specific AP examinations. I thought that those were confidential.

[mamselle]

No, this was the HS teacher grading their regular homework, apparently.

Something about they had to pass a certain level in their school work to be able to take the final AP exam, or something like that.

Still, yes, at least the final grading is supposed to be anonymized and rigorous, and impermeable to helicopter-y progenitors.   

M.

[the_geneticist]

No, this was the HS teacher grading their regular homework, apparently.

Something about they had to pass a certain level in their school work to be able to take the final AP exam, or something like that.

Still, yes, at least the final grading is supposed to be anonymized and rigorous, and impermeable to helicopter-y progenitors.   

M.

I can tell you that the AP folks would be happy to take the parent's money and let the student sit for the exam, regardless of his grade in his high school class.  The parents could probably arrange for a proctored AP exam at a testing center, and cut the high school out of the loop.

[Caracal]

I just had the dispiriting experience of hearing a friend (who I thought would have known better) saying that she and her husband had intervened in the grading of a son's AP essay so he could get into the STEM/R1 of his/(?their) choice.

They felt as if the instructor just never gave above a 90, needed for passing, and needed to be goosed to do so.

I thought someone lost a learning opportunity, but wasn't in a position at the time to argue the matter (will have to take it up with them privately at some point, although the kid is nearly graduated from the school (he did get in and did well) so...sigh.

Tarnished their light a little bit for me, it did.

M.

I've had students who have been similarly bothered that it was possible for the highest grade on an exam to be a 93. I tried to explain to them that my courses were designed so that the exams were the hardest part and students who averaged a 88 on exams would usually get an A assuming they came to class and did their assignments, but they didn't really get it.

[teach_write_research]

My favorite student email is the one they send in the LMS and not in my overloaded campus email. Thanks for your company as I copy-paste my way through the replies.

[ergative]

No, this was the HS teacher grading their regular homework, apparently.

Something about they had to pass a certain level in their school work to be able to take the final AP exam, or something like that.

Still, yes, at least the final grading is supposed to be anonymized and rigorous, and impermeable to helicopter-y progenitors.   

M.

Ah--that changes things, I think. I don't think AP exam opportunities should be withheld this way. A student should not be denied the opportunity to take an exam that can open doors for their future, even if the teacher thinks that they're not prepared.

[arcturus]

Stu Dent: Can I have an extension on [major project]? I am travelling home the day before it is due. It would be great if I could have an extra day to work on it.

Me: You have known the due date for this project since the dawn of time (sorry, I meant to say: since the beginning of the semester) and you had scaffolding assignments that included creating a timeline to ensure the work would be spread throughout the semester. So no, you cannot have an extension because you have decided to start T-day break more than a week before T-day.

[darkstarrynight]

Stu Dent: Can I have an extension on [major project]? I am travelling home the day before it is due. It would be great if I could have an extra day to work on it.

Me: You have known the due date for this project since the dawn of time (sorry, I meant to say: since the beginning of the semester) and you had scaffolding assignments that included creating a timeline to ensure the work would be spread throughout the semester. So no, you cannot have an extension because you have decided to start T-day break more than a week before T-day.

I mention weekly in writing and in class to my students that they should try turning assignments in before the deadline, especially if they did them in advance. I have heard people tell me they completed the assignments but just forgot to submit them before the deadline. I have closure issues personally so I would be anxious until something is submitted before a deadline - I get that way with manuscripts.

[RatGuy]

"I just gave you a positive review on Rate My Professor? Do you think that it is possible that I get extra credit?"