So it begins... the fall semester thread

[marshwiggle]

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.

[the_geneticist]

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.

[Parasaurolophus]

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.

[Parasaurolophus]

I start today. Ugh.

A half summer just isn't enough time to recover.

[Zeus Bird]

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.

[apl68]

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.

[cathwen]

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.

[the_geneticist]

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.

[paddington_bear]

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.

[mamselle]

Sounds like you need a marmalade sandwich.....here, it's all wrapped up for your lunch tomorrow. ...

M.

[paddington_bear]

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.

[mamselle]

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.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

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.

[AmLitHist]

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).

[Larimar]

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.