Favorite student emails

[Liquidambar]

Yes, I thought it was kind of cute.  Lucky for the student, I had to teach so a morning meeting wasn't even on the table.

I always tell students to send me their whole schedule for the days we might meet, since otherwise we e-mail back and forth too much with potential times that don't work for the other person.  If I get their schedule, instead of the other way around, I can have first pick of a time that doesn't conflict with my nap schedule.

[mahagonny]

Professor Mahagonny,
I apologize for the inconvenience but I'm very sick and unable to make today's class.- Ken

Thinking: Ken, why do I never apologize when I get sick? Because I don't feel guilty, and the inconvenience will be understood as unavoidable? And what's inconvenient about my not seeing you, again?

That one is surely a cultural thing.  The student has been brought up to understand that his actions--such as not showing up for class--have consequences for others, and to be apologetic for it when it happens, even when it is due to circumstances beyond his control.  It's perhaps unnecessary in this case, but still suggests that the student is much more considerate and thoughtful than some. 

I do the same thing when I'm unable to meet a commitment due to illness.  I don't necessarily feel guilty, but I do feel the need to apologize for not meeting the commitment.

He was back today and smelled like a big reefer. Guess he's feeling better. Way better.

[backatit]

"Professor Backatot (yes, they misspelled my name), I can't access modules 3, 4, 5, or 7. Can I e-mail you all of these late assignments?"

Confused, because I never close modules, and they didn't e-mail me about any late assignment, but the student is vaguely familiar, I check the online course. Student is not enrolled. I start to get a funny feeling that is not my chicken curry lunch.

Yup, I was right. Stu Dent took my course TWO semesters ago, and is trying to submit assignments they missed for that course, which caused them to fail.

We finally did sort it out. Stu Dent had enrolled in one of my colleagues' courses for another try, but apparently hadn't realized that it would be a new course shell for a new professor. What do you think are their chances of passing this time, given that it's the middle of February and they're trying to complete MY course shell with the missing assignments (and presumably haven't done anything in the other course)?

[mamselle]

Sorry, but, really...what rocks do these people grow up under??

Hope it gets worked out.

M.

[Blackadder]

Wow. Based on my upbringing, that deserves a "Bless his/her heart!"

[onehappyunicorn]

Here is the entire email I received, no preface:

"Hey sorry I didn't message sooner, I didn't wanna miss class today, but my cat was getting sick to the stomach last Night and making strange noises he usually doesn't do, so I had to take him to the vet this morning."

[mythbuster]

Backatit, you just demonstrated the best reason ever to make sure the Canvas course page gets deactivated at the end of each semester! Wow.

[Aster]

Random person on non-university email.

"I'm not in your class but can you send me a study guide for your exam?"

[marshwiggle]

Random person on non-university email.

"I'm not in your class but can you send me a study guide for your exam?"

Favourite answer:
"This isn't for my exam but I hope it helps." accompanied by some random "study guide" found by a google search.

[backatit]

Backatit, you just demonstrated the best reason ever to make sure the Canvas course page gets deactivated at the end of each semester! Wow.

That's just it - I teach in Canvas and the course IS closed. That's why they couldn't submit. They couldn't even get INTO the course, but that's how they chose to phrase it, so that it looked like my modules were just closed. I don't do that, but sometimes students do have difficulty with other parts of the submission process (or there's always the possibility that I might do something entirely boneheaded like not check submission types).

It's fortunately all sorted (they weren't working in the other person's course either, and so I guess will have to try again in yet another semester? I don't know how many Hail Mary's they have but I suspect they've used them all at this point.

[polly_mer]

I always tell students to send me their whole schedule for the days we might meet, since otherwise we e-mail back and forth too much with potential times that don't work for the other person.  If I get their schedule, instead of the other way around, I can have first pick of a time that doesn't conflict with my nap schedule.

I'm curious about why people aren't using the calendaring function of their campus email service or at least a tool like When is Good.

I love Outlook Web Access because I can see which blocks are free for all potential internal attendees instead of doing several emails and a manual check on evolving schedules.

I've gotten to like When is Good for organizing meetings with folks across institutions and then sending a calendar invite through my email that works with most integrated email/calendar programs.

If we're teaching students to function in the modern world, then using the standard-for-at-least-a-decade tools seems like one place to reinforce standard expectations.

[mamselle]

That works (in the real world) as long as:

  a) People in the office don't just block everything in their calendars all the time, so you still have to call them to set something up.

   b) People (or their chimerical EAs, I know...) keep their calendars up-to-date so a scan of all potential meeting participants actually yields some
       realistic options.

If your place does, you're really lucky!

I used to have to send around an email saying, "[my boss, the R&D VP] would like to have a meeting next week. Please update your calendars and remove all non-factual blocks, if only temporarily, to facilitate this process," in order to get anywhere.

M.   

[marshwiggle]

That works (in the real world) as long as:

  a) People in the office don't just block everything in their calendars all the time, so you still have to call them to set something up.

This is a result of TPTB trying to have too much arbitrary power over others. If they want people to buy in, they need to limit the amount of time people are expected to be "free". No-one wants to have meetings randomly pop in. (Alternatively, TPTB could impose a hard limit on how long in advance they must schedule, so for instance no meeting could be dropped in with less than two weeks' notice.)

A similar example of over restriction resulting in non-compliance is school zone speed limits. On weekends, and during holiday periods school zones should have normal speed limits. That makes it easier to remind people why they need to slow down on school days.

[mamselle]

To your last point: no, speed limits in school zones are needed at all times.

Little kids go to the playground every day of the week, with (or without) their folks, and they run out into the street after balls, or bicycle around corners without looking whether the adults with them say not to do it, or not.

A reduced speed makes the difference between a broken arm, a body cast, or a body bag.

M.

[marshwiggle]

To your last point: no, speed limits in school zones are needed at all times.

Little kids go to the playground every day of the week, with (or without) their folks, and they run out into the street after balls, or bicycle around corners without looking whether the adults with them say not to do it, or not.

Then why aren't there the same limits near public parks, where kids will be on weekends and during holidays as well?  By making the limits specific to schools, then it implies that schools are unique. On non-school days, there are other places that would be more of a concern, but don't have the same limits. Having rules indicating that "When kids are around here, people need to slow down" will be more effective than "SLOW DOWN BECAUSE OF THE CHILDREN!" even at times when there is no reason for there to be any more there than anywhere else (such as 3 a.m.).