Seriously, are you 5?

[Primer]

I don't know where to start-- I LOVE having older students in my classes also! This semester I had 2 pregnant women who were both due the week after finals (this is finals week). One went into labor a week ago Friday, and was back in class bright and early the following Monday morning! The other one had to have an emergency C-section, and made arrangements with me to finish up over the summer. But both stepped up and did what had to be done, rather than try to give me a sob story and take advantage.

[Megg]

Sorry, that's more work for me because they didn't live up to their responsibilities.

This is the part that gets me. My daughter is a senior in high school, so not the same level, but this might help explain some of the frustrations. They were given an assignment to write an essay, and my daughter came complaining to me that her teacher told them they would not be allowed to write the essay over again if they got a bad grade. *boggle*

I asked her if teachers let them do this all the time, and she said sure, all the teachers did, and it wasn't her fault if the teacher had too much to do! After all, it's only graduation time, plus her daughter's getting married, and she has two papers due herself! But it's not the kids' fault that she's so busy, why should they have to suffer?

I set her straight with a quickness, and explained how it boggled they were ever allowed a do over at all, and that she and her classmates should, oh, I don't know ... do it right the first time, or suck it up if they get a B? I mean, really, the entitlement blew my mind. She was mad at me, but who cares? That's just stupid.

[Exaspera]

Oh, if the classes are participatory then yeah, not showing up is incredibly stupid. And rude. Engineering tends to not have those, and it's almost just all numbers and facts and figures, so books teach it just as well.

I do some lectures in the dark with pictures, but I do the participatory work to keep them paying attention and awake. Plus we go to the other art studio classes (the other profs are really great about this and give tours) to let non-artists see the dark side. Muahahaha! This past semester we got to see a bronze pour.

I took this with my iPhone and put it on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/puffthem.../0/ntZapn2mfXc

Just if y'all want to see. The banging in the background are students pounding off the plaster casts.

[Kristev]

That's what happened to me. Diabetes combined with burnout and a family problem.

[XCashier]

This past semester we got to see a bronze pour.

I took this with my iPhone and put it on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/puffthem.../0/ntZapn2mfXc

Just if y'all want to see.

That was cool! Wish we could see the finished product. What were they making with the bronze?

[Miss Fatale]

This is the part that gets me. My daughter is a senior in high school, so not the same level, but this might help explain some of the frustrations. They were given an assignment to write an essay, and my daughter came complaining to me that her teacher told them they would not be allowed to write the essay over again if they got a bad grade. *boggle*

I had one student ask, "How many times can we rewrite our paper?"

I paused and said, "Well, I encourage you to write several drafts, since writing is a process. But once it has been graded, you cannot resubmit it for a new grade."

The student said, "Wow! That's tough!"

.....

No, not really.


Personally, I love all students who are willing to work hard, ask questions (if they need to), and accept the consequences for their action or inaction. I have had crummy students who were 18 and who were 45, and I've had amazing students who were 18 and 45.

I don't think you're ever too old to learn, and I (and most educators, in general, I think) would never look down on someone who wants to learn and grow.

[draftermatt]

I had one student ask, "How many times can we rewrite our paper?"

I paused and said, "Well, I encourage you to write several drafts, since writing is a process. But once it has been graded, you cannot resubmit it for a new grade."

When I was in Highschool I was never allowed to rewrite once we had turned in for a final grade. We could turn in drafts for the teacher to look at in some classes though.

When I took English 101 Freshman year the teacher allowed us to rewrite for a better grade in some cases.

And most people in the class complained that it was "too hard" and were upset when my wife (then GF) and I didn't agree and told them to go take the classes we had in highschool if they think this is hard.

[TheSHAD0W]

It's an attempt at a Jedi mind trick. "These are not the droids you're looking for!" "Yes I did turn in the paper!"