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[lolar2]

I don't know if this is the best thread to post this, but:  my students had a paper assignment in which they had to use sociological concepts, which were specified, to compare two social contexts to which they belong.  Some students compared high school marching band to college marching band, civilian life to military life--so far, so good.  Now, here's a paper compared Christianity to Nilism. 

Not nihilism, but Nilism, the student's word for the religion of ancient Egypt.  He has converted and is a follower.  It's not a group, so there is no social element in the conventional sense (he is bonding with a lot of dead Egyptians), but aside from that, have you ever heard this word before?  I Googled with no results.

I have not heard the word before, but it wouldn't surprise me to learn that a student decided to be a follower of the ancient Egyptian gods (it's not that uncommon), particularly if he is doing it as a solo venture.  I would be much more surprised if he had found a larger group of people who were sincere in their beliefs and joined them in a more conventional religious worship.

It's not that it surprises me, but the term is unfamiliar.  Do you know a more commonly used term?

I don't know that I've heard of a commonly used term other than a name like worshippers of Horus or whomever, but I'm pretty sure that Nilism is something that this student made up for himself.

Kemetic Faith is the accepted term, apparently. http://www.inkemetic.org/ Google knows all.

[mountainguy]

Glowdart: I would have been wicked annoyed, too. In my large lecture class, we've had problems with students from the class that meets in the same room immediately afterward "crashing" the last ten minutes of our class. (I don't understand why--our class isn't all that interesting!!!)

Rowan: I'd say to bust the student for cheating, if indeed that is what happened. On a similar note, part of the reason why I stopped doing online quizzes was that the students couldn't wrap their minds around the idea that once the quiz module had been launched, they had to finish it in that sitting. I got tired of dealing with all the requests for resets and the inevitable weeping and gnashing of teeth that followed.

[chicago_48]

I don't know if this counts as "teaching despair," but it is about teaching and is making me despair!

I have major student problems in every class. I mean, each class has major problem students. Each class isn't a problem, but particular students in each class have major problems. One class has cheaters and 13th graders, another has students dealing with severe personal and familial issues, and one student in particular I have spent all morning and will spend all afternoon dealing with--because of HIS behavior! (A male student is harassing female students who are in the class.)

This is NOT what I signed up for. And it's not fair to other students or myself that these problem students are taking up so much of my time. And...why do I have so many problem students?!?

After 14 years of teaching at Urban Community College, I've come to the conclusion this comes with the territory.  I try not to let those few students -- and they are "few" -- get in the way of the other students who are learning.  Luckily for us, we can drop the student mid-term.

The severe personal and familial issues run the gamut from a student who was shot in the leg, in the hospital for 4 weeks and just made it to class; to the pregnant women who come (at least they come) and have their babies near the finals; to the severely sick parents (terminal) that throw students for a loop; to the students who end up in jail for 2 weeks because of traffic tickets.  Awh the joys of teaching at the CC.

I have a student in my Intro Computer Class, who claims she's in the nursing program.  All I can say is dear god, don't let her get pass the first year because I don't want her nursing me.  She doesn't know how to type dollars and cents (24,35 should be 24.35).  She doesn't know that she's supposed to hand-in assignments to get a grade.

Another student hasn't done any work in the Computer class because she "doesn't have a computer."

This is not the Twilight Zone, I keep telling myself.

[cgfunmathguy]

I have a student in my Intro Computer Class, who claims she's in the nursing program.  All I can say is dear god, don't let her get pass the first year because I don't want her nursing me.  She doesn't know how to type dollars and cents (24,35 should be 24.35).  She doesn't know that she's supposed to hand-in assignments to get a grade.

Is she originally from Europe? Decimals there are written with commas, and spaces separate the thousands, millions, etc. So, what we Americans write as 2,457,326.7804 would be written in Europe as  2 457 326,780 4. Just some food for thought.

[magistra]

Rowan:  Why?  There's nothing there.  It was his responsibility, and there's a good chance he just didn't do the work.  You give him an F and move on.  You DO NOT spend the emotional energy on this.  You have enough to worry about!

He may not even complain if he simply didn't do it.  Personally, I'd enjoy telling Mr. Obnoxious "Sorry, you didn't follow directions and didn't complete the exam.  F for that portion!"

[concordancia]

I gave an essay test on Tuesday and decided that they didn't know how to take essay tests. So in class today, we went over general strategies and I gave them the same prompt again, pointing out the answer to each section of the prompt (they still had to elaborate). One of the strategies was to use the prompt to write and introduction, then write a paragraph for each piece of information that the prompt asks for. This should be at least four paragraphs: the last two turned in have three paragraphs each.

[post_functional]

This story (fortunately) isn't about one of my own students, but I witnessed an epic undergraduate student meltdown in a diner about an hour ago. It was pretty much the real-life equivalent of a fora trainwreck.

The scene: a popular diner a few blocks from campus. A female student is sitting in a booth with a similarly-aged young man, who was possibly her boyfriend. I am sitting by myself about three or four booths away. They were not terribly remarkable for the first 10-15 minutes that I was there. About fifteen minutes into my lunch, the female student started speaking in a raised voice, agitated and on the verge of tears. Here's an approximate snippet of what she said:

 "It's ABSURD and it's INSULTING!!! How is it not a lab and a science??? No one told me I had to sign up for the lab. THEY ARE GOING TO LET ME GRADUATE THIS SEMESTER! My advisor does sh*t for me. SH*T!!! I'm going to go into the department chair's office and I'm not going to wait for them to call me in. I'm going to scream until I get my way and I don't care if I have to shove a stapler up their ****es!!! Those f****ing b***ches are going to let me graduate!"

This went on for several more minutes. The male student was trying to calm her down, without success. She seemed oblivious to the fact that half the diner was staring at her. I feel sorry for whatever admin people have to deal with her this afternoon.

To be fair, in my many years experience as a student pursuing sundry degrees, I remember vividly being let down by advising.  I have no idea if it's supposed to be patently obvious that a student is supposed to sign up for the lab.  But both my wife and I have had the experience of having had surprise requirements sprung on us at the last minute by advisers who didn't know what they were doing and forgot to tell us.

[dr_alcott]

Sorry for the long post, but this is a new one for me . . .

I had a student a year ago who, in addition to not being very intelligent, was clearly not quite right. He stared vacantly into space all the time; he needed lots of extra time to do simple things (like pack a backpack after class); his odd behaviors were distracting (and humorous) to his classmates. He struggled with absolutely everything academically, had to be told simple directions over and over, and spent a lot of time in my office getting these repeated directions. I suspected he either had some kind of learning disability/different or had  just done way too many drugs. He refused to get tutoring, saying he didn't need help, in spite of obvious evidence to the contrary. Eventually I did what is generally frowned upon around here: told him he should be tested for a learning disability. Naturally, he refused, saying he didn't need help. I tried connecting him to various resources on campus, but no one can help a student who won't get it. And naturally, he failed my course.

Just now, he stopped by my office to tell me that the reason he failed my course a year ago is that he'd been drinking then, but he's quit now, and his head is clearer. Wonderful, I told him! Best wishes! etc. etc.

But then I noticed how jittery he was (literally standing on one foot and kicking with the other, then alternating feet), and asked him how long he's been sober. "Three days," he said. So I asked him what kind of help he was getting to stay sober. "Oh, I don't need any help," he said, predictably. "I can quit all by myself."

Ugh. I don't have first-hand experience with this topic, but my indirect experience tells me that if he is an alcoholic, this young man is not going to be able to quit by himself. I'm considering referring him to Counseling and Advising, but then what's the point? He continues to deny that he needs help. He's not my student anymore, so I suppose I should just let this go, but this is going to nag at me . . .

Any thoughts?

[phlegmatic]

Ugh. I don't have first-hand experience with this topic, but my indirect experience tells me that if he is an alcoholic, this young man is not going to be able to quit by himself. I'm considering referring him to Counseling and Advising, but then what's the point? He continues to deny that he needs help. He's not my student anymore, so I suppose I should just let this go, but this is going to nag at me . . .

Any thoughts?

ccenglish, I feel for you and your student. I would go ahead, like you said, and refer him to Counseling and Advising. Even if he's not your student anymore, you've seen how this is affecting him and his work. Even if he continues to deny he needs help, at least the Counseling services will have him on their radar.

[antiphon1]

Give Counseling and Advising the heads up about this student.  He may eventually solve his own problems, but he's probably headed for a relapse.  

[chicago_48]

Sorry for the long post, but this is a new one for me . . .

Just now, he stopped by my office to tell me that the reason he failed my course a year ago is that he'd been drinking then, but he's quit now, and his head is clearer. Wonderful, I told him! Best wishes! etc. etc.

But then I noticed how jittery he was (literally standing on one foot and kicking with the other, then alternating feet), and asked him how long he's been sober. "Three days," he said. So I asked him what kind of help he was getting to stay sober. "Oh, I don't need any help," he said, predictably. "I can quit all by myself."

Ugh. I don't have first-hand experience with this topic, but my indirect experience tells me that if he is an alcoholic, this young man is not going to be able to quit by himself. I'm considering referring him to Counseling and Advising, but then what's the point? He continues to deny that he needs help. He's not my student anymore, so I suppose I should just let this go, but this is going to nag at me . . .

Any thoughts?

You are being too kind to send him to Counseling and Advising -- unless it's a Psychological or Rehab Counseling Department.  This guy WILL NOT SUCCEED IN COLLEGE.  Feel sympathetic, but that's all you can do.

[mystictechgal]

ccenglish,

I think you can now be quite certain that the majority advice you've received is good advice to follow.  Please do give Counseling and Advising a heads up about the student. They can take it from there; that's what they're there for.

[dr_alcott]

ccenglish,

I think you can now be quite certain that the majority advice you've received is good advice to follow.  Please do give Counseling and Advising a heads up about the student. They can take it from there; that's what they're there for.

Yep, mystictechgal, I'm certain. Actually, right after I made my post, I talked to someone in Counseling and Advising, and she appreciated the heads up. If the student seeks me out again, I'll just march him over there myself, if he'll let me. (He probably won't.)

Thanks for your advice, everyone.

[conjugate]

Too many students interpret the suggestion of "counseling" as "my teacher thinks I'm a loony."  In a way, I can't blame them; I'd have felt that way if any of my teachers had suggested this when I was an undergrad.  But really, getting advice from someone who is outside of your current situation and may be able to view matters impartially and with experience, is a good thing.  Even if you're not mentally disturbed, suffering from substance abuse problems, or in need of mood-altering medication, it can help.

[dr_alcott]

Too many students interpret the suggestion of "counseling" as "my teacher thinks I'm a loony."  In a way, I can't blame them; I'd have felt that way if any of my teachers had suggested this when I was an undergrad.  But really, getting advice from someone who is outside of your current situation and may be able to view matters impartially and with experience, is a good thing.  Even if you're not mentally disturbed, suffering from substance abuse problems, or in need of mood-altering medication, it can help.

Yes--just like they interpret the suggestion of "tutoring" as "my teacher thinks I'm an idiot." (Unfortunately, in some cases, this may be true . . . )