Usually I write recommendation letters when requested, I have refused to write one for a student who had behaved irresponsibly in class and towards class work. Deb's email prompted me to wonder if asking students (especially in a Psychology of Career and Career Planning class) to write a letter of recommendation about themselves at the start of the semester. I think this exercise might stimulate discussion on the characteristics of successful students including attitudes towards self and one's chosen responsibilities. It might also stimulate discussion on the skills/abilities students may wish to develop or acquire in their academic lives to be (pragmatically) transferred to career life, always neat to have one's professors attest to certain such skills.
Perhaps it will also help students (who need to do so) realize that they are the seed of their own reference letters. Joann Jelly Deb Briihl wrote: > I think that the problem may be whether the student would still "get it." I > have to write quite a few letters of recommendation (I teach 4 upper level > courses) and I have run into this problem a few times. Usually I try to get > the student in my office to have a chat with them about any concerns that I > may have with the student. In at least 2 cases, after my chat, the forms > for the letter of recommendation have shown up under my door. > I wouldn't include the information about the Psych Club since much of the > information you have appears to be second-hand - not at least until you > talk to that student. I hear a lot about students from other faculty > members and I try to base my letters of recommendation on how they acted > around me rather than around others. > For example, I had an advisee (who also was in 2 of my courses and active > in the Psych club, of which I am co-adviser) who wanted a letter of > recommendation. How could I say no? The problem was that I believed that > this girl has undiagnosed Tourette syndrome (I kid you not - tics, odd > outbursts, etc.). I had overheard from a few other students about an > incident in another class in which this student had practically gotten into > a fist fight with another student because the other student was sitting in > "her" seat. She was a good student - I really couldn't fault her in that > area. While she was rather socially inept, I didn't notice any really > severe problems with how she interacted with other students - in fact, I > had to chastise two of my other students for mocking her in class! > I tried to explain my concerns to her at least 2 or 3 times, but she didn't > get it at all - and she was applying to a Community Counseling program. I > wrote her a letter of recommendation, stating she was a good student, but > that she could use some work on her personal skills. I kept the letter as > bland as possible. > If the student keeps pushing even after you have said that you can't write > a good letter of recommendation, then write the letter and offer to show it > to the student. If the student still wants you to send the letter, then > send it. That's what I did with the student. > > Deb > > Dr. Deborah S. Briihl > Dept. of Psychology and Counseling > Valdosta State University > Valdosta, GA 31698 > (229) 333-5994 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://chiron.valdosta.edu/dbriihl/ > > Well I know these voices must be my soul... > Rhyme and Reason - DMB > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
