By popular demand, we bring you a third round of funny e-mail messages sent by students to professors, that were posted by Chronicle readers to our Forums. As we did in batch one and batch two we highlight how technology seems to be changing teaching — and the teacher-student relationship.

Classrooms Are Short Attention Span Theater One professor reports receiving this friendly tip from a student — when it comes to class, less is more:

“Dear Mr. ———,

This letter is just my opinion, but I think many of the other students will agree. I want you to know that I enjoy your class, and actually look forward to coming. However, I think that 3 hrs is way too long. I know that it is the time given to you, but I am sure that by the last hour of class most or all of the studens are in a different zone.

I truley feel that we could get the same importnt information in 2 hrs or less. Honestly the last hour is gruling because my mind is going other places and I am struggling to listen. This is even if I find the information interesting, which I almost always do.

I want to stress that I am not writting this letter because I don’t like the class. I really do. I think we should only go more than 2 hrs if we need to wrap things up. You may not like my idea, but I thought I would just throw it ot there.”

Students Want Papers Graded Instantly One Chronicle forum participant recently shared an experience that seemed to be echoed by others — a flood of e-mail cries saying, “when will you give our graded papers back?”:

“I’ve been getting bombarded with whiney demanding emails about when I’m going to have their papers graded. The ones they handed in a week ago. It started the morning after the papers were turned in and the ones who have habitually been late or pestering for extensions on their own assignment are the worst offenders. I’m now sufficiently annoyed that I want to tell them that each time someone nags me about the papers that I just received will delay the return of papers by one class. But I won’t.”

And Professors Hope Some E-mails are Actual Attempts at Humor The important thing to know about this message sent in from a professor is that it arrived with an image of David Hasselhoff, the actor, attached:

Prof. myname,

I’d appreciate it if you could tell me the meaning of the word Haussmannization mentioned in your Impressionist lecture. My first inkling is that it has something to do with the raw manness that is “The Hoff”, also known as David Hasselhoff. However, I feel that is an incorrect assumption as I cannot recall any significant contribution he made to Impressionism, or Art History in general. I’d appreciate any response to my question. Attached is a picture of the Hoff for your troubles. Regards, student name

That student e-mail was a joke, right? —Jeffrey R. Young

Categories: Teaching, Student-Life