7 Responses to “They’re Baaack!”

1. 1.   Anthony McCarthy Says:
   September 1st, 2009 at 5:34 am

   I don’t see ” That’s haaarrrrd!”, or ” Why do I have to know this. All I want to do is teach little kids!”

   One of my friends told me that she expects to get an argument about how to add or multiply fractions from someone in her first section Calculus class. It happens every year.

2. 2.   Barry Says:
   September 1st, 2009 at 11:23 am

   They forgot to include the professor’s answers:

   “Is it going to be an open book exam?”
   I wouldn’t want to see you spend $150 on a required textbook for nothing. There will be one question based on the textbook; and you may open the book to look for the answer. The rest of the test will cover my lectures, based were on science journal publications.

   “Hmm, what do you mean by that?”
   What? You don’t think I have time to take that crap from Mooney and Kirshenbaum about improving science communication seriously do you?

   “Are you going to have office hours today?”
   No. The door will be locked as is often the case. I and your lab assistant, Ms Mary Jane Rottencrotch, have a conference scheduled.

   “Is this going to be on the test?”
   Everything may be on the test. Including facts you should know by inference.

   “Is grading going to be curved?”
   Only if the scores are too high.

   “Can I get an extension?”
   Only for a death in your immediate family, and you have to bring me the eulogy signed by the speaker, and a newspaper clipping of the obituary that lists your name as a family survivor. And of course, makeup tests and papers will be “different” than the originals. If the funeral was held in a church, I won’t be able to provide you with a letter of recommendation in the future.

3. 3.   Sven DiMilo Says:
   September 1st, 2009 at 8:28 pm

   Barry, keep the day job, dude.

4. 4.   Dave C Says:
   September 2nd, 2009 at 12:11 am

   Unless your job is in education, in which case you should quit immediately.

5. 5.   Peter Beattie Says:
   September 2nd, 2009 at 7:07 am

   Wow, it’s the brainless old “students are lazy, stupid, and irresponsible” cliche. That’s so, like, totally lame.

6. 6.   Scottie B Says:
   September 3rd, 2009 at 4:52 pm

   Totally lame yet totally true. Just finished my required year of TAing at an Ivy and found that most of the students are brightly inquisitive, a few ruin the bunch, but everyone is looking to game the grade-system. I don’t blame the students, I blame the incentive system of grades and their ridiculous emphasis with no consideration of competence. Where’s the blog on that?

7. 7.   Peter Beattie Says:
   September 6th, 2009 at 10:37 am

   If I didn’t have my own teaching and PhD work to worry about, I’d love to run that blog. In the meantime, have a look at Alfie Kohn’s web site: http://www.alfiekohn.com.