Topic: Bang Your Head on Your Desk - the thread of teaching despair!

[sinenomine]

Some schools also "sell" their open seats through programs like Acadeum to raise enrollments and revenue.

[Larimar]

Another day, another round of technology issues. Plural.

Yeah, welcome to the new semester.

[the_geneticist]

Classes start in less than 2 weeks. 

Do we have enough TAs? Nope
Am I being asked to increase the number of lab sections? Yes
For the [baskets 101 for baskets majors] that is required for several majors? Nope
For the [baskets are neat 100] class that checks a gen Ed box and no one is required to take? Yes, that one

A Deanlet has seen the waitlist numbers and has taken a "personal interest". 

[the_geneticist]

Sorry for the double-post.

I emailed assigned TAs to ask which sections they would prefer so I can set the schedule.  Instructions were to number them as #1 being first choice & #12 being last choice.

TA ranked ALL sections as #12.

I'm going to take it as "I have no preference, any days or times is just fine" rather than "I really don't want to teach any of these". 

[fishbrains]

So I had a student request/demand, loudly and repeatedly, for another reader because she didn't like my comment on one of her squirrely sentences. Not on the patterns-of-errors I highlighted in the rest of the essay (the errors that tanked the grade), but for the one sentence.

I finally told her that I valued my colleagues' time too much to involve them regarding one sentence that she was obviously wrong about. Then gave her a pretty hard stare.

I really don't like shutting down a student and haven't had to do it in many years, but jeesh. I think she was expecting me to go fetch my manager.

Fun times.

[Langue_doc]

I really don't like shutting down a student and haven't had to do it in many years, but jeesh. I think she was expecting me to go fetch my manager.

I've had students sternly informing me that they would be complaining to my "manager". I direct them to the department office.

[ciao_yall]

I had one who whined/complained about everything. Finally I was explaining general accounting and debits and credits, a system invented by the ancient Romans.

WS: "But why did they doooo thatttt.... left and right?"
Me: "Simply to annoy you."

[Puget]

Student who got a 58 on the exam emailed as soon as grades were posted to say there must have been a mistake with the grading or it got switched with someone else because she studied really hard and "is absolutely sure I got at least in the high 80s". I refrained from referencing Dunning-Kruger in my reply.

[FishProf]

Dear Stu,

Yes, I did say you could take the quizzes you missed due to Financial Aid Snafu Week.

Yes, you did email to ask me to turn them on.

No, I am NOT going to look up which ones you missed.  Look at the schedule of topics and the gradebook and YOU tell ME which ones you need reactivated.

If you can't be bothered to track your own due dates and completion, why the hell would I?

No love
Fishprof

p.s. and telling Disabilities Services that I am not "providing appropriate accommodations" is not winning you any brownie points either.  In fact, that is the fast track to minimal compliance.

[apl68]

I really don't like shutting down a student and haven't had to do it in many years, but jeesh. I think she was expecting me to go fetch my manager.

I've had students sternly informing me that they would be complaining to my "manager". I direct them to the department office.

They're presumably just following the sort of behavior they've seen modeled by the adults in their lives.

[the_geneticist]

I am getting emails from students who want to set up a meeting to discuss the tiniest of tiny assignments.

Things like an open note, pre-class quiz based on "did you do the reading before class".

I do not have time for this.  Student, you should not be using time for this either.  Seriously, it will take you less time to just DO the assignment than it would to ask me about it.

[fishbrains]

I really don't like shutting down a student and haven't had to do it in many years, but jeesh. I think she was expecting me to go fetch my manager.

I've had students sternly informing me that they would be complaining to my "manager". I direct them to the department office.

They're presumably just following the sort of behavior they've seen modeled by the adults in their lives.

I guess. With the last one of these I had a few years ago, the student asked me how to start the process of filing a complaint against me, and they seem very shocked when I responded with, "Why do you think I would ever help you with something like that?"

Interesting times, and all that jazz.

[bio-nonymous]

Please,please, please, students with the C's on the last exam, STOP emailing me with all of your exciting creative Ideas for how I can produce all kinds of extra credit assignments, that are obviously not a part of the syllabus, just for you to get a better score. I do not want to ever open that Pandora's box.

A better use of your time would be to study.

[the_geneticist]

Please,please, please, students with the C's on the last exam, STOP emailing me with all of your exciting creative Ideas for how I can produce all kinds of extra credit assignments, that are obviously not a part of the syllabus, just for you to get a better score. I do not want to ever open that Pandora's box.

A better use of your time would be to study.

You mean you don't want to give them the opportunity to make a diorama/write a children's story/wash your car and would prefer to just evaluate them based on what's in the syllabus?!

[ciao_yall]

Please,please, please, students with the C's on the last exam, STOP emailing me with all of your exciting creative Ideas for how I can produce all kinds of extra credit assignments, that are obviously not a part of the syllabus, just for you to get a better score. I do not want to ever open that Pandora's box.

A better use of your time would be to study.

Reminds me of the conversation with my students...

Students: Why don't you allow extra credit?

Me: Because if I did, students would wait until the end and hope that whatever extra credit I offered was easier than the actual work of the class.

Students: (shocked expressions) Oh... yeah...

Me: You think I was never a slacker? Puh-leeze, y'all owe me a dollar for that trick.