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----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, January 13, 2006 10:25 AM
Subject: Re: TEACHSOC: Re: Help: the emotions of
teaching
Del:
"Work" in my class consists of coming to class;
participating in roundtable discussions with guest speakers; logging on to an
on-line discussion board to share opinions on readings and observations of
social phenomena; showing up on the day one is assigned to share with the class
a current event pertinent to our studies; taking the exams, which often involve
analyzing political/sociological cartoons; participating in field trips and an
optional lunch afterward; watching film clips and relating them to social
perspectives; communicating with me about absences and missed assignments;
writing a paper (usually something fun like tying in theories of family to a
favorite TV show); buying the text books (usually not traditional, dry books,
but social commentary like Nickel and Dimed)and
actually doing the readings, so one can participate in discussions.
The non-workers are not the norm but get this
"funny" story: I found out at a family BarBQ that a distant family member
(30 years old) was a Soc major at my school. He presented as bright and
mature, and I encouraged him to sign up for my course, a class of 6
students He came to the first half of the first class, then never again --
yet didn't drop the course. I very generously allowed him to submit
assignments on-line, as if this were an online course, which it was not.
He still did nothing. I gave him an Incomplete rather than an F, and
extended the deadline for final submissions by 2 months. Still
nothing.
I since found out, he's a guy who looks for a "free
lunch" -- married a millionaire's daughter, is set up in business, and thinks
relatives are there to do favors, which has been the case in his life, until
me.
I'm curious, Del, in your classes, what do you
define as "work" -- and surely if students don't show up, they can't do "work",
no matter what it is.
Thank God, the vast majority of my students have
really good intentions, and like participating in the creative activities I
devise.
Sarah
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, January 13, 2006 9:51
AM
Subject: TEACHSOC: Re: Help: the emotions
of teaching
Sarah,
What is the work?
Del
Sarah Murray
wrote:
In just 3 semesters of adjuncting, I've
toughened up on the issue of those who do no work. I reach out to them
consistently, but really pin my hopes on the ones who work diligently --
even if some of them have less innate skills -- and draw my inspiration only
from them.
After trying to accommodate the non-workers
again and again (numerous personal, upbeat communications; extra, fun
assignments; referral to special services), usually to absolutely no avail,
I realized that it would be doing them no favor whatsoever to shield them
from the reality of the world: that those who do nothing, often get
nothing. They'll either change on their own, after a bit of nudging
from teacher, or they won't.
The workers seem to far exceed the non-workers
anyway -- and some are super-hard workers!
Sarah Murray
WPUNJ
-----
Original Message -----
Sent:
Friday, January 13, 2006 7:13 AM
Subject:
TEACHSOC: Help: the emotions of teaching
Folks: Another request for help.
My
graduate assistant just made up her first quiz, and did a fabulous
job. In fact, by agreement it was very easy, and really there
was not much excuse for getting less than 9 out of 10 (especially since
there were 11 questions with a maximum score possible of
10). She was pretty proud of both the quiz, and conning me into
letting her give a first quiz that guarantees a high score to anyone who
does the work.
But, of course, in a class of 100 there were a great
many people who didn't do the work, and scores ranged down to a low of 3.
If an infinite number of monkeys ...... She is feeling
bad about how really hard we are working this term (I am too old for
this), and that so many students didn't do any work (can you guess that
SHE graduated with a 3.9??).
So, the Sociology of Teaching
Emotions. Does anyone have any advice/experiences to share/
etc. on this issue? How do you deal with feeling bad that
students aren't doing the work? I have a meeting of teaching
interns, and I have promised them that we will have a full session on this
topic, incorporating your views.
Thanks for helping
out.
Marty
Martin D. Schwartz
Professor of
Sociology
Ohio University
119 Bentley Annex
740.593.1366
(voice)
740.593.1365 (fax)
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