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

[teach_write_research]

I have a Word document that lists all of my common comments. Then I just cut and paste them onto the documents. I use this together with a rubric I created in the Canvas speed grader. It greatly speeds things up.

I do this as well. It helps quite a bit!

I also give them a checklist, one for each of the assignments. The checklist includes content as well as formatting rubrics.

Speedgrader is your friend! I hope your institution uses Canvas.

Thanks everyone for your replies. We do have Canvas and speedgrader. We're mostly friends. I'm using a comments library doc for cut and paste. If anyone could freeze time that would be super great!

[EdnaMode]

This morning I had my first "your final is the only one I have, can I take it early?" request of the semester. My answer, of course, was no and I added, "Just be thankful your final is on Tuesday morning, not Friday afternoon because my answer would still be no." His reply... "It doesn't hurt to ask." My fantasy reply was, "Yes, it does hurt to ask," but in reality I just shook my head and turned to the next student with a question.

[marshwiggle]

This morning I had my first "your final is the only one I have, can I take it early?" request of the semester. My answer, of course, was no and I added, "Just be thankful your final is on Tuesday morning, not Friday afternoon because my answer would still be no." His reply... "It doesn't hurt to ask." My fantasy reply was, "Yes, it does hurt to ask," but in reality I just shook my head and turned to the next student with a question.

The parents who teach their kids this fail to realize how, to everyone else, it just makes their kid come off as an entitled jackass.

[the_geneticist]

Student, you know who you are, STOP asking me for things when you know the answer is no.

Will I post MORE practice problems? no
Will I give you ANOTHER practice exam? no
Will I pre-grade your final presentation? no
Will I meet with you to "go through" your slides? no

Just no.  You have plenty of resources to succeed!  Use the posted practice problems, previous exam, scoring rubric, and presentation guidelines.  Watch the videos!  Read the lab manual!  Talk with your peers!  I cannot upload learning directly into your brain.

PS I can tell that you have never bothered to use the ones already posted.  Why would I give you more resources if you're just going to ignore what you already have?

[AmLitHist]

Student, you know who you are, STOP asking me for things when you know the answer is no.

Will I post MORE practice problems? no
Will I give you ANOTHER practice exam? no
Will I pre-grade your final presentation? no
Will I meet with you to "go through" your slides? no

Just no.  You have plenty of resources to succeed!  Use the posted practice problems, previous exam, scoring rubric, and presentation guidelines.  Watch the videos!  Read the lab manual!  Talk with your peers!  I cannot upload learning directly into your brain.

PS I can tell that you have never bothered to use the ones already posted.  Why would I give you more resources if you're just going to ignore what you already have?

^^ This!!!  ^^

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I swear, I have to wonder if I'm being punished for sins in a past life with this Astronomy class. Stu asks if we have class next week. I replied that we do- it's in the syllabus (and I've only been saying this every fricking day in the past 2 weeks that next Monday is the last day of class and that the final is on Wednesday). Stu asks if it's mandatory. Hmm. I mention that our final exam is next week on Wednesday. Stu asks AGAIN if we 'have' to come to class on Monday and Wednesday. At this point, I'm getting a little pissed off and annoyed so I mention something like 'well, it's up to you if you come to class or do anything in life, but we still have a final exam next week.' Stu asks if the final exam is online. At this point I want to just leave. This student has annoyed the crap out of me all semester (doesn't do work, has a bazillion excuses, leaves early, comes to class late). I doubt this student has even looked at the syllabus. Just so damn annoying.

I suppose I need to practice giving more curt responses to ridiculous questions.

[the_geneticist]

I swear, I have to wonder if I'm being punished for sins in a past life with this Astronomy class. Stu asks if we have class next week. I replied that we do- it's in the syllabus (and I've only been saying this every fricking day in the past 2 weeks that next Monday is the last day of class and that the final is on Wednesday). Stu asks if it's mandatory. Hmm. I mention that our final exam is next week on Wednesday. Stu asks AGAIN if we 'have' to come to class on Monday and Wednesday. At this point, I'm getting a little pissed off and annoyed so I mention something like 'well, it's up to you if you come to class or do anything in life, but we still have a final exam next week.' Stu asks if the final exam is online. At this point I want to just leave. This student has annoyed the crap out of me all semester (doesn't do work, has a bazillion excuses, leaves early, comes to class late). I doubt this student has even looked at the syllabus. Just so damn annoying.

I suppose I need to practice giving more curt responses to ridiculous questions.

Or practice the art of the one word answer:

No

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I swear, I have to wonder if I'm being punished for sins in a past life with this Astronomy class. Stu asks if we have class next week. I replied that we do- it's in the syllabus (and I've only been saying this every fricking day in the past 2 weeks that next Monday is the last day of class and that the final is on Wednesday). Stu asks if it's mandatory. Hmm. I mention that our final exam is next week on Wednesday. Stu asks AGAIN if we 'have' to come to class on Monday and Wednesday. At this point, I'm getting a little pissed off and annoyed so I mention something like 'well, it's up to you if you come to class or do anything in life, but we still have a final exam next week.' Stu asks if the final exam is online. At this point I want to just leave. This student has annoyed the crap out of me all semester (doesn't do work, has a bazillion excuses, leaves early, comes to class late). I doubt this student has even looked at the syllabus. Just so damn annoying.

I suppose I need to practice giving more curt responses to ridiculous questions.

Or practice the art of the one word answer:

No

Yep. I have some really tenacious kids and they don't seem to hear it. I'll have to practice it more loudly.

[FishProf]

Just had a class where we discussed the format of the final and we had a long discussion about why this class isn't too hard.  One student insists that if she is getting a C, the class is too hard.  She even said  that if the class average is a C, then that means the class is too hard.

She was NOT Happy when I explained that an A had to be earned, and mere attendance wasn't sufficient.

[teach_write_research]

Today I defined "satire" for a student. On one hand, despair that satire was an unfamiliar word to a college student. On the other hand, I'll count it as gratitude that a student trusted me enough to say they don't know what the word means and I got to explain it and show them The Onion.

[marshwiggle]

Today I defined "satire" for a student. On one hand, despair that satire was an unfamiliar word to a college student. On the other hand, I'll count it as gratitude that a student trusted me enough to say they don't know what the word means and I got to explain it and show them The Onion.

I think they've grown up with so much overt moral outrage (or just angry snark) that the idea of any appearance of agreement with or sympathy for an idea they don't agree with is anathema. The concept that such an approach could actually support their argument in a *witty way blows their minds. (Well, also the idea that anyone who doesn't already agree with them could be persuaded to do so, rather than obviously being totally irredeemable.)




(*Of course, part of the moral outrage mindset is that there is absolutely, positively no room for anything remotely like humour in any discussion of any Really Important Issue(TM).)

[apl68]

Today I defined "satire" for a student. On one hand, despair that satire was an unfamiliar word to a college student. On the other hand, I'll count it as gratitude that a student trusted me enough to say they don't know what the word means and I got to explain it and show them The Onion.

Pretty sad, all right.  Marshwiggle puts his finger on part of the problem.  But congratulations for taking advantage of a teachable moment!

[mythbuster]

I have come to the conclusion that the extreme earnestness we see is because all the Parents are Gen Xer's. It's rebellion against having parents who bought into slacker snide cynicism. I know I have to tone down my Gen X tendencies at times with my students.

[marshwiggle]

I have come to the conclusion that the extreme earnestness we see is because all the Parents are Gen Xer's. It's rebellion against having parents who bought into slacker snide cynicism. I know I have to tone down my Gen X tendencies at times with my students.

That's pretty serious karma for the Gen Xers; having kids who believe everything with absolute conviction, and see every choice as vital. As a younger Boomer, I think I mostly saw the battles of an earlier era as important, but pretty much complete, and the issues now are about fine tuning policies, etc. My cynicism seems to be under control.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

The same student who asked if stu needed to come to the final exam just sent me an email with a completed study guide because stu thinks that it's graded. I don't even grade them (it's in the syllabus). Stu also emailed me a prelab as a Notepad file because stu doesn't have acrobat or Word! Note that I only accept prelabs online through the D2L system (again- ALL of this information is in the syllabus). And the kicker is that this student already turned in this prelab!

When I say that this student is clueless- I am not exaggerating.