Finals Week = Bitch About Students

I am, perhaps, unusual in my appreciation for students who brazenly don’t care. The way I see it, the beauty of teaching at the college level is that my students are all adults who can set their own priorities in life. My course can take the shit end of their academic schedule if it has to, and academics can take second place to work, family, or getting drunk and standing all over the sidewalk outside the bar, blocking my way when I am trying to walk home. Whatever. I consider it my job to help students make the most of whatever limited time they want to devote to their physical science breadth requirement, and if they want to know how much work they can avoid and still get a C, I’ll tell them.

Or actually, I won’t tell them, because this class is graded on a curve. No one on this campus understands about curves. I have had many students come to me, very upset, because their grade was below whatever cutoff percentage their high school teachers used to determine a C; or demand to know what grade they need to get on the final to earn a B, even though they “know the class is curved”.

Anyway, point is, I meet apathy with apathy. What really drives me up a wall is when I get emails to the tune of, “I am really interested in the course material and have learned a lot. What is the minimum I need to do to pass the class?”

Dear students: Please learn to construct more believable sycophantic natterings. Fondly, Your GSI.

Trackbacks & Pings

  1. A Blog Around The Clock on 17 Dec 2020 at 10:27 pm

    Blogrolling: G…

    Let’s keep moving down the alphabet. Let me know what is missing from this list………

Comments

  1. Lab Lemming wrote:

    Did you make it to AGU this year, or are you covering for everyone else (e.g. all the professors who are getting drunk and standing around on sidewalks on the other side of the bay)?

  2. yami wrote:

    I made bits and pieces… the problem with being local is that you keep having to rush off to invigilate exams and whatnot. I’ll have deep, insightful things to say about it when I’m un-seismologized for the semester, I’m sure.

  3. Lab Lemming wrote:

    “un-seismologized”

    Heading back to the craton for holidays?

  4. jen wrote:

    I had these two students one in particular who was “supposed to be more mature” age has obviously nothing to do it. He was obnoxious throughout the course. I don’t know how this guy was a leader in the canadian Military he’s a complete dink. He doesn’t listen to anyone or any topic that offends him or his sensibilities well that’s what school is about you idiot. Furthermore he socializes with his friends on twitter about my class WHILE in class. Like Grow up and be the so called Leader you are. I have fortunately had the experience of working with military students and find them to be the most respectable people ever. This guy was an idiot and sometimes I wonder if he was put up to being such an ass for the entire semester. I don’t wish him well and I think the Navy would be better off without a maladapted personality he needs therapy.

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