TEACHSOC: Re: about midterm holidays

Sat, 24 Sep 2005 04:03:14 -0700

I have the ultimate respect for my students. I do about 20 times the amount of work necessary to keep my material fresh and interesting. I teach in a state school, near an inner city, and most of the students are not anything like their spoiled, entitled counterparts coming out of the schools in the suburbs in which I live.  Many work fulltime and attend school fulltime.  However, I must say, that if there is any display of disrespect going on, it is the students for the instructors.. or perhaps it is for  learning in general. ( It is generally NOT the minority students who are the offenders.)
 
This is only my second semester, and I've noted people who routinely decide to attend only every other class; not purchase the book;never communicate about an anticipated or past absence in an attempt to make up missed work; miss class on a day they know they are to present material with no explanation;and never do the reading.  I had a recent graduate tell me that I was very kind, extremely enthusiastic about the subject, creative in the way I used film, guest speakers and NY Times articles to augment the text and lecture notes (all this was reflected in all my student evaluations)...yet this student told me that because I had allowed a student to make up a missed exam by expanding the content of his term paper, rather than failing him on the missed exam, I might come across as "weak", and she went on to extol the virtues of a prof. who made certain students drop her class after telling those students "You're not smart enough for my class."
 
Many students from a working class background, as mine are from, give respect to those who are stern and punitive.  That's the way they've been socialized to define respect-inspiring behavior.  You should hear, in my Family course, how many say that good parenting -- like they had -- comes with plenty of corporal discipline!
 
Anyway, I love teaching and my students, and I think they really like me, given that many signed up for my second class after having me for the first -- but many (mistakenly) see the more creative way I teach (we're analyzing rap lyrics this morning) as a way that will be more accommodating of their  lax approach to scholarship in general.  I haven't witnessed much dedication to scholarship or much sociological imagination, and I guess the generation in which they've grown up and the parenting they've experienced has much to do with that.  I hear the same exact remarks from my colleagues. 
 
And I do think that those who engage in "sloppy" classroom behavior will have a rude awakening in the work force, where lateness, incomplete work and lack of communication are punished.  I mean, can you imagine if I, as an adjunct, nonchalantly told my department chair, that (like one of my students) I was going to miss the first 5 weeks of classes due to a pleasure trip?
Sarah
 
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, September 23, 2005 10:09 PM
Subject: TEACHSOC: Re: about midterm holidays

I find this fascinating as it parallels a quick and dirty study I did, regarding learning.  Teachers were asked which they
would be more likely to do, take away points for untimely/late work or give points (rewards) for those who have timely/
on time submissions.   90+% preferred to punish.   Why should you reward them for doing what they should.  (note the absence
of respect)  This is a classic rejection of the good science on learning.  Another victory for lecture think.

What is learned are work patterns not suited for the non academic world.

I do agree that classroom management has become more difficult.  I have had students drop my course because the
8 to 10 page syllabus was too much reading. The problems come from the dominant definition of the classroom
situation and the use of untested instructional materials.  And of course our failure to use  what we know about social learning.
Based on the punitive content and lack of respect for students in the posts we may not be willing to focus on learning even
if it was allowed.

This situation is also difficult for students...  perhaps an example of disenchantment.

Del



GIMENEZ MARTHA E wrote: 
Thank you so much for the very thoughtful and helpful responses I have
received, on and off line.  I kept them to use them in the process of
changing my syllabus next semester.  I found particularly useful Keith
Roberts suggestion about giving them choices.  My concern about giving
less points to make up exams was not intended to punish students but to be
fair to students who had less time to prepare.  Also very useful is the
idea of spelling out policy about these issues in the syllabus, calling
students' attention to these policies, making it very clear their
responsibilities during the semester and explaining the reasons why it is
important to develop certain learning and work patterns that will serve
them well as students and beyond.

I don't know whether it is  just my perception but I think issues of class
management have become increasingly demanding and complex in the last few
years - my syllabi are beginning to resemble corporate contracts and I now
require at the graduate level that students tell me in writing that they
understand the course requirements and grading policy.  Sigh.....


Thanks again - this is what makes this list invaluable.

Martha

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