I'm Sorry, Were You Looking For Your Class??
There was one girl who didn't show up in my class for all of the first week. I should have dropped her, as department policy says we're supposed to drop those who don't show in the first week to make room for those on the waiting list. In my haste to get out on Friday, I forgot to do that one thing. This past weekend, I sent out a group email letting them know how to post comments on a moderated blog, because apparently it was just too damn hard for some of them, although they're smart enough to get into college--go figure. This girl was still on the class email list, and gets the same email. The next thing I know, I get this little jewel late Sunday night:
Dear Virgil-Teacher-Person:
My name is Idiot Girl, I'm in your Mon, Wed, Fri class
8:30-9:20. I was not there this week because I was trying to get my
scheduled changed, but I could not find another opening so I will this
class and I will be there Wednesday. What do I need to catch up on?
Thanks for your time!
-Idiot
Names have been changed, but sadly the grammar has not. You need to catch up on a lot. Starting with why your teacher is now so pissed off at you. You missed both sign up sheets, the syllabus, two writing assignments, two articles and the instructions for how you're going to succeed in my class. You weren't even smart enough to come up with a clever excuse! I've yet to respond to you, because I'm mulling my options, and because I have 48 hours to respond, which you'd know if you had a copy of the damned syllabus. There's no need to thank me for my time, because I'm not granting you any. I explained everything in class twice if not three times, and I don't at this point see why you should get special attention. Based on the delicious sample of critical thinking and writing that you've given me, I have grave doubts for your success, and I've not even met you yet. I'm sure I will tomorrow.
I hope my look will chill your blood.
-- Virgil
posted by contemplator at Tuesday, January 16, 2007
11 Comments:
Idiot girl? Why? Because she is having a hard time dealing with a college's usual bureaucracy?
It is so easy to be judgmental when you are the professor or the administrator, but there's a world of difference when you are the student yourself.
My little brother is having a hard time getting the right classes at his college, and he is actually quite smart, dedicated and accomplished.
Go back and read her email. She has the right class. She locked up this class so that someone else can't get into in until she finds something that quite likely just doesn't require her to get up so early. What in the hell does bureaucracy have to do with it?
She's an adult. She's registered for class. She's expected to show up and find out what the requirements are. She chose not to get up at 8:30 until she absolutely had to, and now she expects me to fill her in. Sorry, that's not how the real world works.
She's probably the reason your little brother is having a hard time getting the right classes at his college.
And as far as "don't be so judgemental". I'm the teacher. I am the judge. That's my job. I'm also a student. I know what registering is all about. I know how to show up and put my butt in the seat, and frankly, I've figured out how to do that since I was 18 years old.
If you want to drop or add classes, that's fine. But come to the ones you register for--at the very least don't expect the teacher to bring you up to speed when you purposely missed.
I still maintain she's an idiot.
Mad Dog, I am not talking about your brother as I think his problem is people, like this girl, who are too inconsiderate to realize they are holding spots they don't want in the first place and keeping another student from those spots which they do want.
But...
This generation is under the impression that the rest of the world is going to bend over backwards and lay everything at their feet. I'm sorry, but life isn't that way. If these kids don't learn that now, when are they going to learn that important lesson?
Every person is entitled to their own opinion whether other people think it is judgemental or not.
Contemplator, my professors always told us it was our responsibility to get with other students to make sure we didn't miss anything when we were absent. Instead of giving this girl a hard time (which I know would be all too easy and justifiable, in my opinion for her lack of responsibility), I'd give her the syllabus and tell her that it's her responsibility to get with one of her fellow classmates to get the assignments she missed.
I know I'm only starting to realise my place in this world, but I can categorically state one of the more idiotic things I've ever done (yes, there's a long list) is skip my 8:30 lectures.
Um, Kari, what do you mean YOU were talking about my brother, don't you mean that CONTEMPLATOR was talking about my brother? Unless of course, you are really a sock puppet of Contemplator, your first sentence doesn't make sense.
mad dog: you need to slow down and read things again before you get worked up about them. You misread my post and you've also misread Kari's. Kari was prefacing her remarks by stating that she was NOT talking about people like your brother, as you described him, probably so you wouldn't feel the need to pop back in and say "well, my little brother isn't like that." She was simply describing the general attitude of the current generation of college students. There was absolutely no need to raise your internet "voice" by typing some words in all caps, nor to imply that Kari was some sort of "sock puppet."
You've misread both of us. Take some time before you post.
Kari: I didn't give the girl a hard time. I just didn't give her what she wanted, which was essentially a week off from responsibility. (And I know what you meant, anyway. :) )
She'd been registered for this class since December. I told her she'd missed all the work for that week, and there was no make-up. (My syllabus says that I do not take late work, so I had to tell her that anyway.) Additionally, my class has a department required absence policy. So, I told her she already had one absence on record (they get 3 for "free"), and that I could've counted three, but that I chose to count it as one incident. I didn't have to do that.
But I don't expect much from her anyway. I've learned that it's fairly easy to predict who goes on to do well and who does not, although occasionally you do get a few surprises.
'There was absolutely no need to raise your internet "voice" by typing some words in all caps,'
The only reason why I made the words caps was for emphasis, and was not intended to be read as 'shouting'. Maybe next time, I will denote words I intend to emphasize as emboldened or italized.
'nor to imply that Kari was some sort of "sock puppet."'
In case you did not know, what I meant by that is that it seemed as though she was really you, but under a different screen name, given the circustances that were apparent to me at the time.
One of these days, I'm going to have to find out where that 'party college' reputation comes from - I'm not seeing too many pointers here.
(and that's not criticism - just an eye opener)
Mad Dog, You are highly mistaken if you think I am anyone's "sock puppet". If you had read what I said with an open mind instead of expecting to get upset, you would have noticed that I said "I am NOT talking about your brother as I think his problem is people like this girl."
"In case you did not know, what I meant by that is that it seemed as though she was really you, but under a different screen name, given the circumstances that were apparent to me at the time."
I understood what you meant by the "sock puppet" remark, but that implies that anyone who sounds educated or has an opinion about students in a college setting must all be one person. Your logic is flawed, the circumstances you noted were not "apparent" but misread, and I can assure you that I am my own person. Maybe you should take a few deep breaths and reread the posts before you start flaming people.
Contemplator already did a fine job explaining to me that you and her are not the same. But thanks anway. Besides, that 'sock puppet' remark was a bit tongue in cheek anyway.
"I understood what you meant by the "sock puppet" remark, but that implies that anyone who sounds educated or has an opinion about students in a college setting must all be one person."
The reason why I originally implied that you were both possibly the same had nothing to do with your education status. It had everything to do with your first sentence in your first post, which I played with.
Flaming? I never flamed anyone. Flaming is when a person intentionally tries to antagonize or insult others, something that I did not do.
Post a Comment
<< Home