I sometimes provide an "optional final exam" which can replace a Test grade, or substitute for a missed test. It is amazing the excellent attendance for tests when they know instead of a "make-up" their choice is to come to the optional final exam.
Kelly At 07:17 PM 5/10/2006, Karen Loeb wrote: >Marty, > >LOVE your idea of allowing a make-up exam composed of 90% essays taken in >your office. Will try it next semester. > >Karen >----- Original Message ----- >From: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Marty Schwartz >To: <mailto:[email protected]>teachsoc >Sent: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 8:45 AM >Subject: TEACHSOC: on Eileen's dealings with deans > >In my years, not only including chairing a large department but one with >five branches, and having loads of students like Eileen going out to >teach, it has been my experience that it is possible that any one of the >actors in these dramas can be very wrong. Certainly students are commonly >irresponsible, and the stupidity of small college administrators can be >astonishing, but often enough the student is in the right. My query is >whether you took the time to talk in detail to the student and find out >why she acted the way she did. We don't have this much on our >traditional-age main campus, but out on our branches it isn't unusual to >find that your irresponsible student is a single mom, and couldn't leave >for the final until the baby stopped throwing up or something. Perhaps >the dean was the first time she told her entire story (I know of such >cases). So all that I would throw in, before partially endorsing Robert's >idea, is that you talk to her and at least give her a chance to give her >side of the story. Of course, my first presumption would be that the dean >is a moron. > As to Robert's notion that you let her take the exam, but at the > end of the exam time you collect all exams and leave, I would add that > as soon as the first person leaves the room I will no longer allow anyone > to start, because then the questions are out in public circulation. If > you teach long enough, though,. you will find even one of your best > students will have a nervous collapse and sleep through the start of an > exam occasionally. > Particularly early in my career I had a lot of working people who > had a lot of excuses, most of which were hogwash. My way of sorting them > out was that I told them they could take a make-up exam in 101, but I > wasn't going to do more multiple choice again, so the make-up would be > essay. 90% suddenly found a way to make it to the exam. The ones who > dropped to their knees, started crying, grabbed my ankles and couldn't > stop saying thank you, I figured probably had a real problem. > >marty > >Martin D. Schwartz >Professor of Sociology >Ohio University >119 Bentley Annex >Athens, OH 45701 >740.593.1366 (voice) >740.593.1365 (fax) > >> --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Teaching Sociology" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/teachsoc -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
