The Venting Thread

[arcturus]

It is grade grubbing time again. Students who had no desire to complete the regularly scheduled work now want "extra credit" opportunities (despite the section of the syllabus that says that there will be no extra credit available in this class). One of my students had the temerity to tell me that re-doing work for a revised grade was not excluded explicitly in the syllabus, so I should allow her to do so. Really? Had any of these students made an effort to complete the work throughout the semester, they could earn a high grade in the class easily. Instead, they complain on the course evaluations that the class is "too much work" and then self report that they only spend 1-3 hours a week on the class (which is online asynchronous, so they should be spending 2.5 hours on lecture material alone...). I hate this time of year.

[the_geneticist]

It's the last week of labs & there are so many students asking to be allowed to not go to class.
What that really means is can they be absent & not earn 0 for the missed assignments.  Nope, not how this works.

[FishProf]

Student who hasn't been attending since October is blowing a gasket b/c he missed the final last night.  On Nov 8, we discussed the schedule including the museum final (this Saturday) and the class unanimously voted to take the written final last night instead of next week.   Student is claiming he should be allowed to take it next week b/c that is what the syllabus says (but is ignoring the fact that the syllabus makes several dates TBD b/c we couldn't pin down when the museum final until November. 

Funny how if you don't come to class, you miss the stuff in class.

[marshwiggle]

It's the last week of labs & there are so many students asking to be allowed to not go to class.
What that really means is can they be absent & not earn 0 for the missed assignments.  Nope, not how this works.

Even though it's by a Canadian band, I always thought the song "Consequence Free" was one of the dumbest ever. A life without consequences would literally be a life without meaning, since nothing would matter.

[clean]

". One of my students had the temerity to tell me that re-doing work for a revised grade was not excluded explicitly in the syllabus, so I should allow her to do so. Really?"

I had a similar issue.  I gave a quiz (online).  It was a problem that required a number answer.  Student provided a number (which was wrong) and I gave it no points.  I noted that the student had not provided anything upon which I could give partial credit.  Student emails a brief, curt response, "where does it say I have to show work?"


I did not reply.  However, IF I were to reply now, I would say, "It doesnt, but where does it say you get points for wrong answers?  YOU made it a Pass/Fail test by giving me only one option!"

Student now emails asking for career advice and I believe hinting at a reference!

My advice is 'finish growing up'.  I wont provide a reference except maybe a hint to reference Dale Carnegie. 

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

It is grade grubbing time again. Students who had no desire to complete the regularly scheduled work now want "extra credit" opportunities (despite the section of the syllabus that says that there will be no extra credit available in this class). One of my students had the temerity to tell me that re-doing work for a revised grade was not excluded explicitly in the syllabus, so I should allow her to do so. Really? Had any of these students made an effort to complete the work throughout the semester, they could earn a high grade in the class easily. Instead, they complain on the course evaluations that the class is "too much work" and then self report that they only spend 1-3 hours a week on the class (which is online asynchronous, so they should be spending 2.5 hours on lecture material alone...). I hate this time of year.

Damn! Now, that's some gall.

[apl68]

Yesterday afternoon I took my usual afternoon break-time stroll outside--and stepped in a pile of ordure left by some untidy creature.  It has taken a lot of scraping and scrubbing to get my shoe presentable again.

[FishProf]

No students, you can't turn in something from 2 weeks (or 4, or 8, or the first week of the semester) NOW, because they are counting as zeros.  What did you think they would count as?

[bio-nonymous]

Yes student you missed the cut-off for rounding up to the next grade as you calculated, no I do not have "some alternative method to rounding that would result in you getting an A", sorry.

Actually, I do feel bad, but I do not give away free points to a single student or even 0.05 points that were not earned so that one student can get a better grade--I feel that is unethical. In truth she could have studied a little bit harder and she would have gotten the "A" instead of an 89.40 "B". I really wish I didn't have to be the bearer of the bad news to her--it must really suck to be so close but yet so far.

[arcturus]

Yes student you missed the cut-off for rounding up to the next grade as you calculated, no I do not have "some alternative method to rounding that would result in you getting an A", sorry.

Actually, I do feel bad, but I do not give away free points to a single student or even 0.05 points that were not earned so that one student can get a better grade--I feel that is unethical. In truth she could have studied a little bit harder and she would have gotten the "A" instead of an 89.40 "B". I really wish I didn't have to be the bearer of the bad news to her--it must really suck to be so close but yet so far.

I once had a student that wanted me to "round-up" 2 percentage points. When I looked at his scores on the assignments, I saw that he had chosen not to do the "free points" assignments, all 3% points of them (literally free points - students have unlimited attempts at the multiple choice questions, and we tell them the answers after their first attempt). If you are not willing to spend the 30 seconds (or less) required to earn these points during the term, I am not willing to spend 30 seconds (or more) thinking about whether to boost your grade at the end.

[apl68]

I can't believe this!  Having scrubbed and scrubbed to clean my right shoe after yesterday's incident, this evening I went outside and stepped into it with my left shoe!  I've scrubbed and scrubbed in the staff men's room, and still can't yet get rid of all the lingering smell.  Guess I'll have to scrub this one down with bleach when I get home as well.

Now I'm afraid to walk anywhere around that area.  It must be an absolute minefield!

To use an expression I would ordinarily not use, but which in this case is nothing more than the truth--this has been a crappy experience.

[waterboy]

Literally 12 minutes after the end of the final, an email from a student asking if there was a way to raise their grade to an A-. No...just no.

[Langue_doc]

So many vents---

Went on a walk with one of my outdoors organizations last week. Enjoyed the walk, but was notified later that one of the participants on the walk had tested positive for Covid that night. Now I'm not sure if whatever I have now is Covid or not, and am too much of a coward to find out. The only symptoms are exhaustion--no fever or respiratory symptoms.

Had a tire replaced about a couple of weeks ago. The ride has been uncharacteristically bumpy, so took the car back yesterday. The shop did the fancy tests with videos of the car's innards to prove that they did the diagnostics, and then had me drive the car with the technician coming along. The drive was still bumpy, with the car steering to the left if I took my hand off the wheel, but the techinician claimed not to notice anything. I was told that all four tires had differnt wear patterns so this could be the reason. Driving is no longer fun.

[ciao_yall]

So many vents---

Went on a walk with one of my outdoors organizations last week. Enjoyed the walk, but was notified later that one of the participants on the walk had tested positive for Covid that night. Now I'm not sure if whatever I have now is Covid or not, and am too much of a coward to find out. The only symptoms are exhaustion--no fever or respiratory symptoms.

Had a tire replaced about a couple of weeks ago. The ride has been uncharacteristically bumpy, so took the car back yesterday. The shop did the fancy tests with videos of the car's innards to prove that they did the diagnostics, and then had me drive the car with the technician coming along. The drive was still bumpy, with the car steering to the left if I took my hand off the wheel, but the techinician claimed not to notice anything. I was told that all four tires had differnt wear patterns so this could be the reason. Driving is no longer fun.

Make him drive the car and see how long he is willing to go without a hand on the steering wheel...

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Our Department and the College has been unrealistic in their demands this semester (So what else is new?) and I think a lot of what was asked of me this semester was not in my job description. I will be documenting more moving forward.

I also had a ghost student show up AFTER the final exam (disappeared about a month after classes started) and stu politely inquired about 'make up work.' Um, no.