tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070355695530434450.post6036362796726262437..comments2024-03-14T04:16:20.472-07:00Comments on In Socrates' Wake: This ain't no customer service lineMichael Cholbihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02012523929044363216noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070355695530434450.post-46668960534399121312010-04-19T00:30:26.151-07:002010-04-19T00:30:26.151-07:00You're clearly right, but it doesn't all n...You're clearly right, but it doesn't all need spelling out in quite that way. Saying "sorry" in our beautiful language of English doesn't necessarily constitute an admission that you're in the wrong. A simple, "Sorry, I didn't check my email at that time, so I wasn't able to help you..." would be fine. Only if the student pushes the matter and starts claiming that you *should* be online 24/7 do you have to start stating the bleeding obvious.chinaphilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14572591745611690731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070355695530434450.post-64614196442934596022010-04-07T09:13:02.417-07:002010-04-07T09:13:02.417-07:00"I'm right, you're wrong" is har..."I'm right, you're wrong" is hardly the tone you want to be taking in a teacher-student relationship. If a student wrongly disagrees with you in class over a philosophical issue I doubt you take such a harsh tone, instead trying to turn it into a learning experience. That's what good teachers do-- they don't defensively battle to prove their students wrong and vindicate their own opinions when they're challenged. Simply explaining to the student how this is an example of managing one's time -- because these kinds of problems inevitably crop up -- might cause a couple neurons to crack. Or it might not. But either way, you wouldn't be bullying your students.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070355695530434450.post-19783789551439226172010-04-07T06:31:25.031-07:002010-04-07T06:31:25.031-07:00In the email, I would only point out 1) that the p...In the email, I would only point out 1) that the problem was the result of mistakes the student had made (closing the browser, waiting until the last minute) 2) (presumably) that students had been warned about these problems, and 3) that they can come to discuss the issue during office hours. <br /><br />The in depth discussion is more appropriate in person, I think. Tones change and become more civil, and there is less dodging of responsibility.<br /><br />JSJim Spencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00361312076055620893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070355695530434450.post-35740127769175300912010-04-06T20:32:42.734-07:002010-04-06T20:32:42.734-07:00Michael
He did contact you within the time frame f...Michael<br />He did contact you within the time frame for doing the quiz and I think you should have responded accordingly at the time you read the email the next morning.<br /><br />You can still send the response that you would like too regarding his presuppositions about your availability. They are absurd. But I would tone down the idea of doing the quiz 'late' because he did try to do it within the appropriate time frame. I would reopen the quiz for him because my guess is that you would have done so had you read his 1st email before 9:00.John Alexanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07039491963727391880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070355695530434450.post-14315871353174656292010-04-06T18:47:09.716-07:002010-04-06T18:47:09.716-07:00For courses with an online component, I recommend ...For courses with an online component, I recommend putting something like this right in the syllabus (24/7-attitude problems seem to be much more common in these courses...perhaps they think you're tech support?). Then in this situation, you can just remind them that they knew (or should have known) the terms of your student-teacher agreement and still decided to remain in the class.<br /><br />I would tone it down, but only a little bit.Kevin Schuttehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04562007179161022792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070355695530434450.post-46151992390833936842010-04-06T13:27:19.097-07:002010-04-06T13:27:19.097-07:00I agree with Anon 10:39. Your proposed response st...I agree with Anon 10:39. Your proposed response strikes me as a bit harsh.<br /><br />I would separate the tech problem from the attitude problem. Here's my suggestion: With respect to the assignment, do whatever you would do if a student couldn't turn in a paper on time because they had a printer problem. Separately, explain clearly and directly why you are offended by the tone of the email and the expectation that you are available to help students on short notice at any time. Suggest an alternative way that the student could have handled the problem.david morrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17628941227584383772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070355695530434450.post-39452231126345096852010-04-06T10:39:49.862-07:002010-04-06T10:39:49.862-07:00I tend to agree with your frustration -- which see...I tend to agree with your frustration -- which seems to stem from the student's tone and unreasonable expectations. <br /><br />While the expectations of the student are different -- the student's actual problem, waiting until the last minute, is a common issue for my students. They then get stuck / have technology issues or whatever and lose points. I don't worry too much about it, and I don't give extensions.<br /><br />What I do is to ask how I should fix the situation while being fair to the other students in the class, some of whom may have missed the quiz and not complained..Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070355695530434450.post-69569895228229478812010-04-06T09:55:25.716-07:002010-04-06T09:55:25.716-07:00Not too harsh, but I'd say it's both too d...Not too harsh, but I'd say it's both too defensive, and harsh in the wrong ways. It really seems like you're angry because of the disrespect shown to you by the student, rather than specifically because of the student's waiting until the last hour to complete the quiz. (After all, I bet a lot of your students regularly do that -- even the ones that take their studies seriously.) It seems at best pointless, and at worst petty, to criticize the student for this when what you're actually riled about is the insult to you implicit in the student's assumption that you should be at her beck and call at odd hours. Harsh words can have a pedagogically beneficial effect but I don't see your message accomplishing any such thing.Cephnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070355695530434450.post-49523286800480649462010-04-06T09:50:41.316-07:002010-04-06T09:50:41.316-07:00Not to harsh. Completely appropriate.Not to harsh. Completely appropriate.Travis Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00474420975853375436noreply@blogger.com