So, I had the class do a writing assignment, because I had just given them a new topic that their next paper would be dealing with (for those who don't know, I'm having them write 5 different types of papers, and they're now on their third one). So, I wanted them to write for about 15 minutes, while I watched, twiddled my thumbs and stared off into space. All of a sudden, I saw this same student with his head down, again. And I wasn't willing to let him sleep in class. So, I stood up from my stolen desk (see my last blog if you don't know what I'm talking about), and I walked over to him. I then leaned in, and waited for him to open his eyes. Once he did, I told him that if he wanted to sleep, he should do that on his own time, but right now, he's on mine time, and he needs to either write or get out. He decided to write.
I really couldn't believe that someone would come to my class just to sleep! I guess he thought I wouldn't count him as absent because he was present, but that reasoning didn't fly with me. So I asserted a little bit of that authority that I'm so addicted to, and decided to nip this problem in the bud before it even became a problem... because at the moment, it was just an annoyance. And I truly don't know if anyone else saw me do this - I bet they all saw me do this, I was wearing my boots, and they click when I walk, declaring my presence to everyone - but an example had been set, and it won't happen again... and if it does, I have other ways to deal with that problem... a heavy book smacked on the top of a desk will scare the shit out of anyone, especially someone who's asleep.
Okay, that story was really short, so here's a blog that I to did for my teaching class... if it's funny, that means I went and rewrote something, because it was meant initially to be read by my teacher, but I'm a lazy fool, who will take something, rewrite it, and submit it to the public, so i can be ridiculed, lambasted and overall mocked by my peers. Enjoy!
The second, observational, essay was due in class on Friday. And I had three students in my 9 am class give me excuses for why they couldn’t hand it into me on time. So, it's time to put the fear of Professor Burnsy back into them.
I didn’t have this problem with my 8 am class. In fact, one student actually showed up, handed it to me, and then left because he was sick. I asked him if he was okay, and he told me that he had an upper respiratory infection. Yet, even though he was on Death's door, this poor bastard still made it into class, and handed me his essay. So, I don’t think it’s me, because I’m treating both classes the same way. And even though I know that each class is different and independent, my classroom antics are pretty similar in both rooms. So, let me go through how this snow balled out of control, because of one particular student.
Student A is a pretty good student, who started off this whole mess. She came up to me after class, and at least appeared contrite about not having the paper with her. She told me that she had forgotten the hard copy at work, and wanted to know if she could give it to me later today through email. I told her yes, that would be fine, but she would need to both email it to me by the end of the day, and also give me a hard copy on Monday.
Right after that Student B came up to me and told me that he was not aware that it was due today. Now, to begin with, he had his paper with him when we did peer reviews on Wednesday, and I had been telling them for the last week that papers were due today. Everyone else knew, so his excuse seemed bull-shitty to me. But he had seen me give Student A a pass, so I felt like I had to give one to him as well. So, I told him that he was lucky that I was feeling generous today, and I would let him email it to me by the end of the day as well. But, as an addendum, I also told him that that excuse wouldn’t fly again, because the due dates for the papers hadn’t changed since the very first day of class, and it was his responsibility to know them.
Then Student C (this C actually stands for Chicken-Shit, the other two I didn't have names for, but for this student I made some effort), another kid from my 9am class sent me this email: “Hey, sorry I missed class at 9, I was feeling a bit under the weather. I know the observational essays were supposed to be due today, so how should I get that to you?” This for some reason really pissed me off, I think because of the fact that another one of my students came in sick as a dog to hand me a paper, and this kid was only feeling a “bit” under the weather… I also didn’t like the “Hey,” I’m not his friend and you don’t address a boss with ‘hey,’ so you shouldn’t address me with one in an email either. Yet, he, too, was given a pass, because I gave the other two students chances to turn their papers in late.
So, even though I started out this class as being kind of a hard ass, and have now loosened up -THAT's WHAT SHE SAID!-, it appears that I again have got to do something differently in my classroom pedagogy, because they’re starting to slack off for whatever reason. It’s just odd, that both classes are treated in very similar manners, yet one gives me problems and the other has sick people coming to class, just to give me an essay, because he's scared of me, and doesn't want to piss me off.
And finally, here’s the rub: Student A, the first person I gave the pass to, still hasn’t turned her paper in. So I failed her, because it’s too late by that point to turn it into me. Especially after I told her that I needed it by the end of the day on Friday and now it's Tuesday and I haven't heard a word from her, explaining to me what's going on. So basically, she's up shit creek without a paddle when it comes to this particular paper, which is worth 20% of her grade.
I didn’t have this problem with my 8 am class. In fact, one student actually showed up, handed it to me, and then left because he was sick. I asked him if he was okay, and he told me that he had an upper respiratory infection. Yet, even though he was on Death's door, this poor bastard still made it into class, and handed me his essay. So, I don’t think it’s me, because I’m treating both classes the same way. And even though I know that each class is different and independent, my classroom antics are pretty similar in both rooms. So, let me go through how this snow balled out of control, because of one particular student.
Student A is a pretty good student, who started off this whole mess. She came up to me after class, and at least appeared contrite about not having the paper with her. She told me that she had forgotten the hard copy at work, and wanted to know if she could give it to me later today through email. I told her yes, that would be fine, but she would need to both email it to me by the end of the day, and also give me a hard copy on Monday.
Right after that Student B came up to me and told me that he was not aware that it was due today. Now, to begin with, he had his paper with him when we did peer reviews on Wednesday, and I had been telling them for the last week that papers were due today. Everyone else knew, so his excuse seemed bull-shitty to me. But he had seen me give Student A a pass, so I felt like I had to give one to him as well. So, I told him that he was lucky that I was feeling generous today, and I would let him email it to me by the end of the day as well. But, as an addendum, I also told him that that excuse wouldn’t fly again, because the due dates for the papers hadn’t changed since the very first day of class, and it was his responsibility to know them.
Then Student C (this C actually stands for Chicken-Shit, the other two I didn't have names for, but for this student I made some effort), another kid from my 9am class sent me this email: “Hey, sorry I missed class at 9, I was feeling a bit under the weather. I know the observational essays were supposed to be due today, so how should I get that to you?” This for some reason really pissed me off, I think because of the fact that another one of my students came in sick as a dog to hand me a paper, and this kid was only feeling a “bit” under the weather… I also didn’t like the “Hey,” I’m not his friend and you don’t address a boss with ‘hey,’ so you shouldn’t address me with one in an email either. Yet, he, too, was given a pass, because I gave the other two students chances to turn their papers in late.
So, even though I started out this class as being kind of a hard ass, and have now loosened up -THAT's WHAT SHE SAID!-, it appears that I again have got to do something differently in my classroom pedagogy, because they’re starting to slack off for whatever reason. It’s just odd, that both classes are treated in very similar manners, yet one gives me problems and the other has sick people coming to class, just to give me an essay, because he's scared of me, and doesn't want to piss me off.
And finally, here’s the rub: Student A, the first person I gave the pass to, still hasn’t turned her paper in. So I failed her, because it’s too late by that point to turn it into me. Especially after I told her that I needed it by the end of the day on Friday and now it's Tuesday and I haven't heard a word from her, explaining to me what's going on. So basically, she's up shit creek without a paddle when it comes to this particular paper, which is worth 20% of her grade.
So, let's sum up for the night, and see where we stand, in regards to me. I guess, I've come to the conclusion that I'm the type of guy who really can be too vindictive when it's in regards to my students and their perceived lack of respect for me, especially if I've even felt slightly personally disregarded in any way, and when this happens the fury of Tony comes out and sets things on fire! And my students either haven't figured out that's the type of personality that I am, or aren't smart enough - or worldly enough - to know not to screw with me, because I basically already hold their lives in my hand, and as we've seen from my previous blogcast - a new word I think I'm going to use in regards to my blog, either that or TBone's SpoutCast, we'll see if that catches on; that's a mouth fool though; THAT'S WHAT.. too easy - anyways going back; I'm particularly willing to fail someone when I feel they deserve it, and might even do a little pirouettes once I'm done.
I had a friend in college who would attend and sleep through classes during the semester he was pledging, but when teachers called on him and woke him up, he could always answer the questions so they let him slide. An appropriate compromise?
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