This weekend was a stressful weekend, partly because I had a take-home midterm to try and get through, partly because my students are expecting me to spoon-feed them.
I went out on Friday to Fishapalooza. It was awesome, we bought Fish and Chips for $100, made just under $130. We all got our cash back and managed to do some betting too. It was pretty clutch.
Just before Fishapalooza, I gave a Water Management lab. I lectured/explained the assignment for an hour stuck around for 2 hours afterward and went home. I told them that they had all the resources and skills they should need to do a really complete water budget. If they didn't have the values they needed, there's a whole wide world of peer-reviewed literature to search through.
When I got home, there were 2 e-mail from students in my class wanting help. Not just "Dude, I don't understand help", but more like "Dude, can you check over my spreadsheet, make sure I'm doing it right?" and "Dude, I have no idea where your numbers are coming from and where I can find them."
First off, DO NOT E-MAIL ME AFTER 4:30 ON A FRIDAY EXPECTING ASSIGNMENT HELP! It can wait until Monday, trust me.
Secondly, DO NOT ASK ME TO CHECK YOUR WORK! I'll look it over when I'm ready to mark it. Until then, ask your classmates, figure it out your own damned self, whatever....just don't expect me to look it over to see if you fucked up.
I don't care about your assignment until it's in a pile on my desk under a sign labeled "To Mark".
Over the weekend, I got 3 more e-mails, some of them from people that don't even show up to class. I responded to them in bulk stating that they should think about it a little more, actually show up in class and ask me on Tuesday and if that doesn't work, arrange an appointment during my office hours and we can talk then. Bottom line, don't be afraid to think and no, I'm not going to spoon-feed you. Figure it out your own damned self.
I don't remember being like this as an undergrad. I would put in the effort to try and figure stuff out for my own and if that didn't work, I'd consult with my friends. My last resort was going to the Prof. Last. Resort. I'm still that way. I won't bother the Prof until I've run out of resources, and at least thought about it a little more. They're busy people too, and in all honesty, I'm not their #1 priority....I know it and I'm more than cool about it.
After all this, I started to wonder about the validity of my Ag Degree. If this is the quality of grads that are being pumped out right now, the College has a long way to go. Maybe I just got a class full of duds. God, I hope it's just a class full of duds.
Either way, I'm not impressed with them.....so I'm going to give them a tougher assignment. I'm at the point where I have to start separating the duds from those who can actually figure shit out on their own. I only have 8 classes, 3 labs and a final exam left. I can make it through.
Things I've learned:
My expectations aren't too high, they're realistic....for Engineering students.
I actually am a bitch.....deal with it.
I'm never teaching an Ag class or a pure elective......EVER. AGAIN.
I have a very low "idiot tolerance threshold".....even lower now.
Favourite. Post. Yet.
ReplyDeleteYour class being big helpless babies is definitely unfortunate and truly uncool, but DAMN I love a good angry rant. You, my friend, have just earned yourself another gold star in my books.
...and for the record - you can spoon feed me anytime ;)
All joking aside though, you are awesome and I'm so thrilled that you're going to give your class a more difficult assignment. Here's hoping that they buck-up.
Best idea for this week's assignment. They're really not going to like me after this.
ReplyDeleteHere's my logic:
In order to get better at something, you need to practice. You can't just expect to be good right off the bat. So, I'm going to let them practice this skill.
I'm going to give them the same assignment....well, same concept, different numbers...and I can easily add the concepts that we're learning this week and that I've taught them in the past to add another level of difficulty.
Instead of just a water budget, they're going to do an effluent water budget, where they'll have to calculate and monitor (theoretical)water and soil quality as they go.
My end of the bargain will be to give them 2 weeks and return their current water budget assignment as soon as I can.
I know they can do this....unless I've got a class of duds....then they shouldn't have even gotten this far in the first place.