I have found that many students--particularly first-year-students--aren't aware that college requires more independent work. I would guess that many students have had high school teachers that would do this sort of work for them and don't know that more is expected of them in college. The specific situation you mentioned is really just one variation on a theme. I have had students asked me to prepare very detailed study guides, takes notes on chapters for them, give them copies of my lecture/discussion notes so they don't have to take notes in class, etc. When I have to educate students about these kinds of things, I try to do it with no personal agenda--no heat or parental-like anger--but just a calm explanation as to what is acceptable and why it is acceptable. I try to adopt an "Oh, they must not get it. I'll need to explain it" attitude, assuming their behavior is based on naivete rather than illwill.
This is sometimes difficult to do, though. I had a student last week who was drawing unflattering pictures of me in class on the paperwork that he was supposed to turn in at the end of the class session. When I asked for the class to submit this paperwork, he bust out laughing and showed his drawing to the rest of the students at the table, who also then started laughing. He then took his paper back and began furiously erasing his artwork. I made an appointment to meet with him later that afternoon and explained how his behavior came across as disruptive and disrespectful. He understood the disruptive part, but he didn't think he was being disrespectful. I asked him what he had been erasing and he told me he was erasing a picture of the class sleeping. I asked him, "Don't you consider it disrespectful to be drawing a picture of your professor lecturing while the rest of the class is sleeping?" but he told me that I should be grateful because his sketching during class allowed him to stay awake in the first place. Sigh...Part of me thinks that this is the sort of thing that she be taken care of in high school and shouldn't be seen among juniors and seniors. At any rate, in handling these types of situations, I have found that the more punitive I come across, the less likely my students are to internalize the message and the less likely they will be to grow from the experience. Just my 2 cents. ______________________________________________ Roderick D. Hetzel, Ph.D. Department of Psychology LeTourneau University Post Office Box 7001 2100 South Mobberly Avenue Longview, Texas 75607-7001 Office: Education Center 218 Phone: 903-233-3893 Fax: 903-233-3851 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Homepage: http://www.letu.edu/people/rodhetzel > -----Original Message----- > From: Lenore Frigo [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2003 11:44 AM > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences > Subject: student request > > > A student just send me this email in regard to preparing > vocabulary terms for a test tomorrow. The odd thing is that > all of these terms are listed in the subject index at the end > of the book. Do you think this student is lazy or just does > not know how to operate a textbook? Is it my obligation to > look up these page numbers for the student? I would > appreciate any of your quick replies. > > Thanks, > > Lenore Frigo > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > "Dr. Frigo: > > Here's the vocabulary words off the list that I couldn't > find, or must have > > just skipped over in the book. For chapter four, contrast > effects, opponent > > process theory, perceptual set. Chapter five, nominal > fallacy, role playing > > of hypnosis, psychoactive. Chapter six, BF Skinner, primary/secondary > > reinforcers, behavior modification. If you could tell me the > page they're > > on, or just the general definition, that would be great. > Thank you so much." > > > > > --- > 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]
