I'm Supposed to Do What You Said?

[Miss Fatale]

BG I teach writing online to college freshman. Most of my students are non-traditional (adults, with children, etc). /BG

Sorry for being vague here, I don't want to violate FERPA, but this incident really bugs me, so I wanted to vent.

Last week, we spent all week learning a specific writing concept. That's what the chapter was about and that's what our discussion was about. Let's say that the lesson was "When to capitalize words." An entire week on just that lesson.

"Chris" didn't understand the capitalization rules. Several times within our discussion, Chris asked, "When am I supposed to capitalize words?" Each time I saw this question, I responded, and included examples. Several of Chris's classmates also responded, with the correct answers and more helpful examples.

Once I realized Chris had asked this question several times, I sent a personal note, once again explaining the capitalization rules and including even more examples. (I realize that repeating the same thing over and over sometimes isn't helpful, so I tried to include different examples each time.)

Chris never responded to any of these messages. Not much I can do about that.

The class assignment was due yesterday. In it, the students had to capitalize a variety of words, to show they had learned and understood the lesson.

Chris got it completely wrong.

*Sigh*

[taurinejunkie]

I'm thinking you did what you could, if he doesn't get it he doesn't get it. At least he made the effort to try and get clarification, which many wouldn't bother with.

[Miss Fatale]

Good point! It's a start in the right direction.

[Slayer]

Wow, that's awful. Not to mention also very discouraging for you. Hopefully someone smacks him and jostles something in his brain so he can actually process the concepts.

My mom is a teacher (elementary, mind you) and she sadly has similar stories.

I'm thinking you did what you could, if he doesn't get it he doesn't get it. At least he made the effort to try and get clarification, which many wouldn't bother with.

I wish I could say the same. I really do.

My mom has kids that ask the same questions over and over again just to talk, but never listen to the answers. They just don't want to understand and don't actually care.

I hope you're right and he really did put in the effort.

[taurinejunkie]

Yeah, my faith in humanity is unusually high today.

[XCashier]

My mom has kids that ask the same questions over and over again just to talk, but never listen to the answers. They just don't want to understand and don't actually care.

There are far too many people like that in the world today. They are so enamoured of the sounds of their own voices that they refuse to listen to what anyone else says. It's pathetic.

[Kheldarson]

Sounds like the students in my class last year. Critical thinking, not to mention memorization, is sadly lacking nowadays...

[Chanlin]

I'm curious if this is your first assignment from him or not? Any indications he understands other lessons? Is his first language English?

As someone who is working on an education degree I understand some students just won't get it the first time around, but I have to wonder if some extenuating circumstance is at fault.

[strawbabies]

If English is his first language, how the heck did he pass high school?

[PepperElf]

In all honesty I'm not surprised.

I once did paper printing for people for cash and was horrified at what some people considered to be appropriate punctuation and grammar.

Not just when to capitalize words but when you're suppose to use a comma or an apostrophe. So yes, I saw words like "you,re".

[manybellsdown]

Not English, but the around the midterm of my college algebra class, there were people asking "Can you explain what a variable is again? I don't get it."

[Chanlin]

If English is his first language, how the heck did he pass high school?

High School in his native country and College elsewhere

[Hanzoku]

Do you get people with learning disabilities in the class? That might also be the reason/cause of his difficulty picking up the concepts.

[Lachrymose]

So yes, I saw words like "you,re".

Oh god..there's this other forum I visit where someone does this all the time. Drives me nuts.

[Moosenogger]

Sounds like Chris needs to hire himself a personal tutor.