I think this idea, about stressing students, is a bit mean. It also violates
the bond of trust between teachers and students. Look at it this way: Would
it pass an IRB? What was the pedagogocal benefit, and did it outweight the
cost? Or did it just enable the teacher to engage in a bit of enjoyment of
power?
A similar protrayal of the use of power: Several years ago, I chanced to
give a major test on St. Patrick's Day. As I am Irish myself, I joked that I
would give 2 bonus points to anyone wearing all green to the test, and then I
forgot I'd said that. On entering the classroom on the 17th I notoced that
something was jarringly different. With a shock I realized that the WHOLE
ROOM was a sea of green. I called my fellow profs in for a look!
Karen K Block wrote:
> Dear TIPsters,
> I love this antic, but take pause that it may be ethically
> questionable. Could you help me decide?
> My student, intending to teach the topic of "stress", used an
> interesting activity. She had, at the outset of her course told the
> students what the ground rules were: so many tests, required
> participation, no pop quizzes, etc. On the day allocated to"stress", she
> entered the classroom, and in a commandeering way told the students
> ..."Today we are having a little quiz"...."get out one half sheet of
> paper, please" Faces dropping, paper tearing, students looking perplexed
> and a little unbelieving and a lot betrayed. She used the moment well."
> I am going to dictate the quiz question. Please write it down carefully
> and then we will have ten minutes to answer. Thank you, and I look
> forward to reading your answer."
> "Now, she said, Listen Up...." (Silence prevailed and tension
> mounted). She then spoke the quiz question slowly, very slowly, word by
> word, ostensibly so students could write down the question. She said,
> slowly and deliberately, so they could take word for word dictation.....
> "There......is...........no................................quiz." Of
> course there was collective relief. And then she could relate their
> experience and feelings to "stress."
> Now I thought this was rather cool and wish I had thought of it.
> But then I realized deception was involved. One of my more conservative
> students said,...Suppose one of her students had a heart problem!..And so
> I wondered what everyone here thinks inasmuch as this is a thoughtful
> bunch re: what one actually says to students and how one interacts with
> them under the testiest of conditions at times.
> When I took her a bit to task, she averred that this was not her
> idea and she had read it in some TIPS-approved publication. Then I
> thought perhaps my thinking was just too IRB reactionary and her teaching
> behavior was justified given the instructional point.
> This is clearly an issue needing collective wisdom. Thanking you
> in advance for any true light you might shed on this matter. KB
