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[untenured]

Well, I got another origami critter and he got another failure.  He did not show up for the final. 

Did you keep the little critters?  They are the trapped souls of failing students.

Let's hope that the origami was good.

Untenured

[voxprincipalis]

Well, I got another origami critter and he got another failure.  He did not show up for the final. 

Did you keep the little critters?  They are the trapped souls of failing students.

Let's hope that the origami was good.

Untenured

Were they cranes? I hear if you can accumulate 1,000 folded paper cranes, you get a wish.

I think you're supposed to fold them yourself, though, but I'm sure you can get an exception.

VP

[polly_mer]

Well, I got another origami critter and he got another failure.  He did not show up for the final. 

Did you keep the little critters?  They are the trapped souls of failing students.

Let's hope that the origami was good.

Untenured

Were they cranes? I hear if you can accumulate 1,000 folded paper cranes, you get a wish.

I think you're supposed to fold them yourself, though, but I'm sure you can get an exception.

VP

They were cranes.  Do you suppose I could petition for that exception if I fold twenty myself and force my students to fold the others?  Surely, people will understand how that's fair.

[ideagirl]

Not to be a wet blanket, but could the TD get in any kind of trouble for forcing a student who was not engaging in academic dishonesty not to finish an assignment?

Academic dishonesty isn't the only reason a student could be made to leave class, and if the student is made to leave while an assignment is happening, or while discussion is happening that counts towards participation credit, then hu is going to lose points, which seems only fair. A student who is being disruptive (such as by pestering the prof so much that the prof can't effectively supervise and help the other students) certainly ought to be kick-outable.

[grasshopper]

Student: "My friend got a 96/100, and I only got a 69. We studied together, and put down almost the same answers. How did this happen?"

Me (in my dreams): "I could actually understand what your friend wrote in the essay question, whereas what you wrote seems to be little more than feverish gibberish."

Me (in reality): "I would need to see your friend's exam to give you an exact answer, but I suspect that it had to do with the quality of your writing."

[dr_evil]

I go away for a bit, and a new favorite thread appears.  And now for my tale:

Student skips class, but runs into me in the hall to turn in the assignment.  She also asks about next week's quiz, which I tell her will include up to today's lecture.
Student: But I wasn't there this morning.
Me: No, so you'll have to get the notes from someone.
Student: Can't you just tell me what you covered?
Me: *brief summary that should hint to the proper sections of the text*
Student: Chapter 10 will be on it?!  What sections?
Me: The ones I just told you.
Student: Which pages are those?
What I want to say: Like I have them memorized just for lazy people like you.
What I did say: The ones covering what I just told you.
Student leaves frustrated.

Of course, this is the same person who regularly asks how to do the work on exams and quizzes, so I've lost all patience.  This person complains that "I knew how to do it.  I just didn't understand the question."  Then you really don't know what you need to know, since that question was basically "apply this definition."

[conjugate]

Of course, this is the same person who regularly asks how to do the work on exams and quizzes, so I've lost all patience.  This person complains that "I knew how to do it.  I just didn't understand the question."  Then you really don't know what you need to know, since that question was basically "apply this definition."

My teachers had a strict no-questions-during-exams rule.  I did not establish such a rule, and from time to time I come to regret it.  Perhaps I can get something established like that next year.  That's what resolutions are for. 

Still, sometimes I can see that a question is poorly-worded or ambiguous, so I let myself help out a little.  In fact, sometimes there are outright errors and typos.  But for the most part, I should be hard about it and I am not.

[cc_alan]

Of course, this is the same person who regularly asks how to do the work on exams and quizzes, so I've lost all patience.  This person complains that "I knew how to do it.  I just didn't understand the question."  Then you really don't know what you need to know, since that question was basically "apply this definition."

My teachers had a strict no-questions-during-exams rule.  I did not establish such a rule, and from time to time I come to regret it.  Perhaps I can get something established like that next year.  That's what resolutions are for. 

Still, sometimes I can see that a question is poorly-worded or ambiguous, so I let myself help out a little.  In fact, sometimes there are outright errors and typos.  But for the most part, I should be hard about it and I am not.

I'll reread a question for clarification but that's it. However, I still have students come up and ask me-

"Is this right?"

"Is this what you are looking for?"

"Do I have the right idea?"

"Can you give me a hint?"

etc.

Alan

[galactic_hedgehog]

(I've told this story before, but, oh, how I love it.)

One day in grad school I was setting up an intro geology lab and finished maybe 30 minutes before the lab started.  I then started working on some problem set of my own (I was still taking classes), writing things out on the blackboard.  A little while later, two students walked in, took one look at the blackboard, and one asked, "What is all that?"

"Oh," I said, "this is for a class that I'm taking." 

They looked shocked.  "You need to know math for geology?!" the other asked.

I stare for a second.  Then, waving the chalk, "You have no idea how easy we make this for you."

I could have thrown an eraser at them.

[octoprof]

(I've told this story before, but, oh, how I love it.)

One day in grad school I was setting up an intro geology lab and finished maybe 30 minutes before the lab started.  I then started working on some problem set of my own (I was still taking classes), writing things out on the blackboard.  A little while later, two students walked in, took one look at the blackboard, and one asked, "What is all that?"

"Oh," I said, "this is for a class that I'm taking." 

They looked shocked.  "You need to know math for geology?!" the other asked.

I stare for a second.  Then, waving the chalk, "You have no idea how easy we make this for you."

I could have thrown an eraser at them.

This week an aerospace engineering major came by to talk about switching to accounting. He was really concerned with the math requirements. When I showed him the checksheet, which only has Calc I and two statistics courses, I thought he was going to dance with joy.  I think if you've got 70 hours toward an aerospace engineering degree (assuming that's 70 hours you've passed), you should be able to handle the  math in any business degree, surely.

[comp_queen]

(I've told this story before, but, oh, how I love it.)

One day in grad school I was setting up an intro geology lab and finished maybe 30 minutes before the lab started.  I then started working on some problem set of my own (I was still taking classes), writing things out on the blackboard.  A little while later, two students walked in, took one look at the blackboard, and one asked, "What is all that?"

"Oh," I said, "this is for a class that I'm taking." 

They looked shocked.  "You need to know math for geology?!" the other asked.

I stare for a second.  Then, waving the chalk, "You have no idea how easy we make this for you."

I could have thrown an eraser at them.

Oh come now.  Especially if they were first-semester freshman, and asking the question with interest rather than snark, couldn't you have taken two minutes to tell them a little about why and how you used math in your research?

My students are so young and clueless that they ask ME for hand lotion, Tylenol, and--yes--feminine products.  Now, I have all these things on my person (or at least in my office) at all times, but of course it would be totally inappropriate to hand such things out to students, so I just direct them to the campus bookstore, but yeesh!  Academic questions should get answers!

[galactic_hedgehog]

(I've told this story before, but, oh, how I love it.)

One day in grad school I was setting up an intro geology lab and finished maybe 30 minutes before the lab started.  I then started working on some problem set of my own (I was still taking classes), writing things out on the blackboard.  A little while later, two students walked in, took one look at the blackboard, and one asked, "What is all that?"

"Oh," I said, "this is for a class that I'm taking." 

They looked shocked.  "You need to know math for geology?!" the other asked.

I stare for a second.  Then, waving the chalk, "You have no idea how easy we make this for you."

I could have thrown an eraser at them.

Oh come now.  Especially if they were first-semester freshman, and asking the question with interest rather than snark, couldn't you have taken two minutes to tell them a little about why and how you used math in your research?

It wasn't interest so much as shock and surprise.  What could math possibly have to do with with geology?  Whenever an equation was presented, and always a simple one at that, the inevitable responses were, "But, this is geology," "This isn't a math course," and "I'm no good at math."

[comp_queen]

(I've told this story before, but, oh, how I love it.)

One day in grad school I was setting up an intro geology lab and finished maybe 30 minutes before the lab started.  I then started working on some problem set of my own (I was still taking classes), writing things out on the blackboard.  A little while later, two students walked in, took one look at the blackboard, and one asked, "What is all that?"

"Oh," I said, "this is for a class that I'm taking." 

They looked shocked.  "You need to know math for geology?!" the other asked.

I stare for a second.  Then, waving the chalk, "You have no idea how easy we make this for you."

I could have thrown an eraser at them.

Oh come now.  Especially if they were first-semester freshman, and asking the question with interest rather than snark, couldn't you have taken two minutes to tell them a little about why and how you used math in your research?

It wasn't interest so much as shock and surprise.  What could math possibly have to do with with geology?  Whenever an equation was presented, and always a simple one at that, the inevitable responses were, "But, this is geology," "This isn't a math course," and "I'm no good at math."

Okay, then the eraser-throwing-desire makes a bit more sense.  But especially with freshpeeps, such statements are good openings for the "All knowledge is important; subjects don't live in little boxes" discussion.

[tuxedo_cat]

Oh come now:  Isn't it a given that G_H is generally one of the most benevolent, good-natured creatures on the fora?  Even if he _had_ thrown an eraser at them, I would imagine that it would have been very benevolent eraser-throwing.

TCat
sticking up for the zoologically confusing in the face of the regal and terrifying
;)

[galactic_hedgehog]

(I've told this story before, but, oh, how I love it.)

One day in grad school I was setting up an intro geology lab and finished maybe 30 minutes before the lab started.  I then started working on some problem set of my own (I was still taking classes), writing things out on the blackboard.  A little while later, two students walked in, took one look at the blackboard, and one asked, "What is all that?"

"Oh," I said, "this is for a class that I'm taking." 

They looked shocked.  "You need to know math for geology?!" the other asked.

I stare for a second.  Then, waving the chalk, "You have no idea how easy we make this for you."

I could have thrown an eraser at them.

Oh come now.  Especially if they were first-semester freshman, and asking the question with interest rather than snark, couldn't you have taken two minutes to tell them a little about why and how you used math in your research?

It wasn't interest so much as shock and surprise.  What could math possibly have to do with with geology?  Whenever an equation was presented, and always a simple one at that, the inevitable responses were, "But, this is geology," "This isn't a math course," and "I'm no good at math."

Okay, then the eraser-throwing-desire makes a bit more sense.  But especially with freshpeeps, such statements are good openings for the "All knowledge is important; subjects don't live in little boxes" discussion.

I'm sure when the moment passed, I did continue with an explanation of what I was doing.  Typically, I have to be restrained from giving too much information (which is often prefaced by a statement like, "You don't need to know this but...")

Oh come now:  Isn't it a given that G_H is generally one of the most benevolent, good-natured creatures on the fora?  Even if he _had_ thrown an eraser at them, I would imagine that it would have been very benevolent eraser-throwing.

<blush>

Actually, in those days, I had a fake rock with "breaking glass sound" that I would wing on occasion.