09/24/2008 08:16:51

Why thank you Crazycongirl ;)

09/23/2008 20:59:42

Sounds like you have things well in hand.  Now that I've seen your wicked sense of humor on the site and reading about your high expectations, I have no doubts you are the kind of teacher that I would love and most kids need.

Was going to wish you luck, but, somehow, I don't think you need it!

09/23/2008 19:19:28

Yep, the e-mail student is my issue now. She missed the last two classes and she sent me this flaming e-mail about how horrible I am and I am the worst she has had at the school in her 4 years there (it's a 2 year school). I responded and BCC to my chair....... We'll see where that goes.

And yes I was professional in my response, but made  it clear how things were. We were on class 3 and she missed 2....something outside of school must be going on. I'm probably a scape goat for some other issue they might be having.

09/23/2008 15:30:45

I'd talk to the head of your department first off, cover your ass!  Disgruntled students have a way of finding a sympathetic ear and it biting you in the end.  My recommendation is to do exactly what you said, disuade them from taking their smoking breaks, and let them know if they do, they'll fall behind, and it's not your responsibility to keep them in the class room.  They're adults, they have to make their own decisions and reap the benefits, penalties, or outcomes.

09/23/2008 15:02:07

Well how times have changed. I grew up with parents who taught college so spent way too much time in college classes even before attending my own. And i have never heard or seen students act in such a way.Now i now my father always told his students first thing first day you get so and so breaks at this time and your responsible for any missed lessons. If he received a email like yours he would have informed the student he could not anwser said email due to the fact the student had not read her book or did her course work.I feel you need to impress on your students that the responsiblity too teach is yours but you in no way agreed to the job of making them learn. They signed up for the class and they paid for it let them take the responsibilty for that. If they prefer to smoke let them  just  make a note when students leave and why in case your asked later why a student has issues .

09/23/2008 14:48:40

It's funny. ALL my students refer to me as the @-hole instructor who is asking for the impossible (you should see my class expectations, but hey, it's college). After two weeks they usually change their tune. My shopping student today apologized for last week. Good. The e-mail student didn't even show up to class today...not cool. And tomorrow I have the "I need a break" crowd.

I had students like this my first term teaching and I put my fist through some heads trying to break them of their jerky habits. Needless to say some failed and some did really well.

I'll have to see what happens tomorrow night.

09/23/2008 14:21:56

I’m not a teacher but here’s my two
cents. Don’t give in. The moment you do you have lost control of your class. It
is your class, just because they pay to be there does not imply in any way that
they have the right to dictate how the class is run. Tell them if they don’t like
it they can leave.

 

            When I went
to collage if you missed class more than 4 times you automatically failed the
course. If you do not have an option like that and most collages don’t you can
tell them they can leave when ever they wont but you just wont wait for them or
repeat material. After the first few tests you will wash out the people who are
not serious or they will shape up.

 

            Also what
about all the people who need the full two hour course to learn the material or
the serious people who want to earn the best grade they can and want as much of
your time as possible. It’s not fair to everyone else to loose class time because
of someone’s unhealthy addiction.

 

            What ever
your decision is stick to your guns. If you don’t your students will roll over
you.

09/23/2008 12:43:27

I am not a college teacher but I am a college student (second time go-around).  As much as I like laid back teachers, I respect tougher ones more.  When I get a blend of high standards with energized teaching, I am thrilled beyond belief.  I have seen many teachers talk about the need for standards since they feel their job is not only to teach the subject matter, but also prepare students for the harsher "real world".  Fact is, if they were at a job, a second smoke break within a two hour time span would be unacceptable, end of story. 


I might mention that fact with a new rule that anyone leaving for a second break will have points reduced from the FINAL grade (not a test grade or homework grade).  It sounds like you have a group of friends that want to push the limits and rule the class.  It would be unfair to those trying to learn to let it continue.  I think it would be better to be a little tough and loose some students than let them set a bad example.  Some of them do try, even in the lower level classes and those students are the ones who deserve the best learning environment you can provide.  Hopefully, the admin. will back you up.

09/23/2008 10:30:19

Let me start by making it clear that I am not a professor or a teacher. I do, however, enjoy the act of teaching and imparting knowledge and had aspired to be an educator at one point. I HAVe been a student in classes with a similar vibe to the one you are describing and it always bothered me when the students didn't seem to give a rat's @#$ about learning anything. I also take an exception to those who can't control their needs/addictions well enough to live up to the obligations of the task at hand.

I run into this in the work place all the time. I work a ten hour day and I still get the same two breaks and a lunch that everyone elese gets. With the exception of the occasional "gotta go" bathroom break, I keep to that schedule. There are smokers and others with what I can only call a lesser work ethic, who seem to think it is okay to slip away at unscheduled times for a smoke, to make a phone call, etc.

To address something that Carl_G mentioned, I do not think that the students in this situation sound like "silver spoon" brats, but more they seem to demonstrate the growing arrogance and sense of entitlement that is increasingly characterizing much of young America. You see it at the grocery store, the mall, on the streets. It starts when they are kids and, if left unchecked, continues into adulthood and that's just not a pretty thing.

 

Anyhow, I didn't mean to hijack your rant, but this is a sore subject with me. I guess I was raised under a different set of ethics and seeing anybody, but especially an educator (heroes in my book), being treated with such blatent disregard and lack of respect sticks in my craw. I believe that if you have given your students plenty of rope, if they choose to hang themselves with it, that is their own fault.

 

Best regards,

 

-Eli

09/23/2008 09:48:20

They are right, they are paying you...or rather the school...so they
should be invested in the class and willing to learn/pass it. These
students sound like they are the types that sound like they have a
silver spoon in there mouth since birth. This is a problem in the lower
level schools too, you can no longer be stern with the students, but
rather 'discuss the problems and work them out'

 

Screw
that, if they are out of seven classes, fail them, thats the rule we
had in HS and College. Don't give them an inch, they'll take a mile. Do
you have tenure? I know that student reviews can sometimes hurt a
teacher at the end of the semester, but if its just a few of these
under-achievers I wouldnt worry aabout it, chances are they shouldnt
even be in college.