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

[ciao_yall]

Well I've got a first for me. Student A's revised paper got flagged by Turnitin. Why? They copied the abstract from Student B's paper. How did they get it? It was their peer review assignment!
  Thankfully, Turnitin gives me not just the abstract, but also the info from the cover page, which includes Student B's name. If not for this cover page info, I would not know which student they had copied from.

Damn.

[AmLitHist]

I got a rough draft in Comp I last week with nary a citation or signal phrase in the damned works, and a WC page containing only two author's names (nothing else--not even a page title) after multiple lectures, presentations, reading and video assignments, hands-on graded work, and quizzes on plagiarism avoidance every week since midterm; we did two in-class workshops prior to the rough draft submission, both focused on specifically looking at their citations and attributions.

In all instances of absent documentation up to this draft, I'd pointed it out in my feedback, demonstrated how to do it correctly, and given a stern written wrist slap, telling them I was giving them a break and not filing a charge so that they could learn from their mistakes. However, by the rough and final draft of this final essay, all bets were off: if they plagiarized, they'd get a zero for the draft and a formal charge with Admin, and if it happened again on the final draft, it would be a second formal charge and an F for the semester (per the plagiarism policy in the syllabus). I made this clear in EVERY class session since mid-November, and put it in as boilerplate feedback on those who plagiarized in the final essay rough draft.

As I hoped against hope that it wouldn't happen. . . . yep. This student got two zeros, two plagiarism charges, and an F for the semester, all in a matter of 8 days. 

Thud. Thud. Thud.

[FishProf]

I have a grade dispute from a student whose lecture exam grades were 60 and 44% respectively, only had one grading category above a C- and failed the final.  She is outraged at the D+ grade.

As I explained in student hours when she came to see me ....oh wait, that never happened.

[Parasaurolophus]

I have a grade dispute from a student whose lecture exam grades were 60 and 44% respectively, only had one grading category above a C- and failed the final.  She is outraged at the D+ grade.

As I explained in student hours when she came to see me ....oh wait, that never happened.

I have an astonishing number of students who can't perform the grade calculation for themselves. One recently told me that when he did it, he got a grade of 86%, not 52% (the correct grade)!

[AvidReader]

I have an astonishing number of students who can't perform the grade calculation for themselves. One recently told me that when he did it, he got a grade of 86%, not 52% (the correct grade)!

This would be so much funnier if you taught math.

AR.

[Parasaurolophus]

I have an astonishing number of students who can't perform the grade calculation for themselves. One recently told me that when he did it, he got a grade of 86%, not 52% (the correct grade)!

This would be so much funnier if you taught math.

AR.

As it happens, I teach a formal methods class that includes basic stats.

[sinenomine]

I just had to pause my weekend relaxation and put on my admin hat to sort out truth versus mistruth about final exams. A faculty member reached out to say that a student had just told her that multiple other faculty were canceling final exams tomorrow because of weather (rain) and asking if her final was also canceled. Some digging revealed that the student was referring to one professor who is not canceling anything. It's like the students think we all live in bubbles and never speak to each other!

Yes, Virginia, there IS an exam.

[FishProf]

I have already graded all exams and submitted grades.  I just had knee replacement surgery and my auto-reply email clearly states I am out on medical leave but one student (mentioned elsewhere) has sent 5 emails in three days begging to get corrections and "just talk".  My auto-reply directed her to my chair, whom she is also bombarding.

This doesn't help your case.  You didn't contact me 5 times all semester when you were getting poor grades, but NOW you are chatty Cathy? Not a good look.

And I am on leave.

[marshwiggle]

I just had to pause my weekend relaxation and put on my admin hat to sort out truth versus mistruth about final exams. A faculty member reached out to say that a student had just told her that multiple other faculty were canceling final exams tomorrow because of weather (rain) and asking if her final was also canceled. Some digging revealed that the student was referring to one professor who is not canceling anything. It's like the students think we all live in bubbles and never speak to each other!

Yes, Virginia, there IS an exam.

Was that Professor Noah, by any chance? I don't know what it's like to live in a hurricane zone but I can't recall ever hearing of classes or exams being cancelled on the basis of a prediction of rain.

[bio-nonymous]

I just had to pause my weekend relaxation and put on my admin hat to sort out truth versus mistruth about final exams. A faculty member reached out to say that a student had just told her that multiple other faculty were canceling final exams tomorrow because of weather (rain) and asking if her final was also canceled. Some digging revealed that the student was referring to one professor who is not canceling anything. It's like the students think we all live in bubbles and never speak to each other!

Yes, Virginia, there IS an exam.

Was that Professor Noah, by any chance? I don't know what it's like to live in a hurricane zone but I can't recall ever hearing of classes or exams being cancelled on the basis of a prediction of rain.

I have been at two "hurricane prone" places (and lived through a couple major cat3s and a cat4), and yes, sometimes classes are cancelled in anticipation of inclement severe weather/flooding from major tropical storms or hurricanes. Sometimes, even usually, this amounts to a big nothing burger--once it was sunny by mid-morning after a near-miss. But I guess erring on the side of caution is smart. Obviously when a hurricane is coming the best thing to do is to take it seriously-- But for a regular rain storm, come on...

[apl68]

I just had to pause my weekend relaxation and put on my admin hat to sort out truth versus mistruth about final exams. A faculty member reached out to say that a student had just told her that multiple other faculty were canceling final exams tomorrow because of weather (rain) and asking if her final was also canceled. Some digging revealed that the student was referring to one professor who is not canceling anything. It's like the students think we all live in bubbles and never speak to each other!

Yes, Virginia, there IS an exam.

Was that Professor Noah, by any chance? I don't know what it's like to live in a hurricane zone but I can't recall ever hearing of classes or exams being cancelled on the basis of a prediction of rain.

I have been at two "hurricane prone" places (and lived through a couple major cat3s and a cat4), and yes, sometimes classes are cancelled in anticipation of inclement severe weather/flooding from major tropical storms or hurricanes. Sometimes, even usually, this amounts to a big nothing burger--once it was sunny by mid-morning after a near-miss. But I guess erring on the side of caution is smart. Obviously when a hurricane is coming the best thing to do is to take it seriously-- But for a regular rain storm, come on...

Our new and dis-improved climate is beginning to produce "inland tropical storms" and other precipitation extremes that can stop business locally, so we're likely to see more of these legitimately in the future, and not just in previously hurricane-prone coastal areas. 

But yeah, sounds like that student was trying to pull a fast one.  This (and many other stories shared on this thread) is an example of what I've started to call "moronic cunning"--somebody THINKS they're being clever in getting one over on somebody, but is actually just looking like an idiot.

[sinenomine]

I just had to pause my weekend relaxation and put on my admin hat to sort out truth versus mistruth about final exams. A faculty member reached out to say that a student had just told her that multiple other faculty were canceling final exams tomorrow because of weather (rain) and asking if her final was also canceled. Some digging revealed that the student was referring to one professor who is not canceling anything. It's like the students think we all live in bubbles and never speak to each other!

Yes, Virginia, there IS an exam.

Was that Professor Noah, by any chance? I don't know what it's like to live in a hurricane zone but I can't recall ever hearing of classes or exams being cancelled on the basis of a prediction of rain.

I have been at two "hurricane prone" places (and lived through a couple major cat3s and a cat4), and yes, sometimes classes are cancelled in anticipation of inclement severe weather/flooding from major tropical storms or hurricanes. Sometimes, even usually, this amounts to a big nothing burger--once it was sunny by mid-morning after a near-miss. But I guess erring on the side of caution is smart. Obviously when a hurricane is coming the best thing to do is to take it seriously-- But for a regular rain storm, come on...

Our new and dis-improved climate is beginning to produce "inland tropical storms" and other precipitation extremes that can stop business locally, so we're likely to see more of these legitimately in the future, and not just in previously hurricane-prone coastal areas. 

But yeah, sounds like that student was trying to pull a fast one.  This (and many other stories shared on this thread) is an example of what I've started to call "moronic cunning"--somebody THINKS they're being clever in getting one over on somebody, but is actually just looking like an idiot.

I'm going to use "moronic cunning" -- oxymoron of the (finals) week!

[paddington_bear]

This is self-despair (is that a thing?).  I regret every minute I've spent worrying about the high number of Fs in my classes this semester (and there was a sizeable amount).  About 85% of the students who failed my class also received at least one other F this semester. I need to better remind myself that I can't care more than they do and that it's usually them, not me. :)

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

So, I have a couple (at least) of dumbass online students. Why dumbass? Well, on the 'practice' quiz, they both (they were talking to each other on the phone I think) admitted to cheating using Respondus and mentioned techniques that they used. This quiz was not for credit, but I will be keeping an eye on the student who is in my class. I swear to God and all that is holy- can I have a semester without this crap?

[fishbrains]

So, I have a couple (at least) of dumbass online students. Why dumbass? Well, on the 'practice' quiz, they both (they were talking to each other on the phone I think) admitted to cheating using Respondus and mentioned techniques that they used. This quiz was not for credit, but I will be keeping an eye on the student who is in my class. I swear to God and all that is holy- can I have a semester without this crap?

I've found myself being a lot more open about dealing with this kind of stuff, as in coming into class and saying, "Hey, sorry I'm a little late. I caught a student in another class using AI and had to finish the academic misconduct paperwork so I could fail them and nail them to the wall. So anyway! Let's go over the schedule for a second . . ."

Likewise, when I do videos for my online classes, I'll mention that if I look perturbed it's because I was doing all the academic misconduct paperwork to nail a student to the wall right before recording. Maybe flash a quick, evil, gratified smile there.

Obviously, I don't give names and specifics, but I think it's good to let them know we're aware and on the hunt.