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Deadlines
I’m not sure why other people teach, and there are days I don’t know why I do, but I’m willing to bet none of us does it as a means to undermine the success of students.
There is very little joy derived from students who don’t succeed, and even if the lack of success is completely out of my control, it’s never pleasant to inform students they’ve fallen so far behind the end isn’t just near—it has arrived.
That’s how I spent part of my Wednesday: advising several students (each of whom had failed to write a 4-page paper in three weeks’ time) they could no longer pass the course.
I’m amazed by the number of students who are shocked by my telling them they can no longer pass the class. I clearly state it on my course syllabus in the section dedicated to “How to pass this course.” One of the items is “all formal writing assignments must be completed in a manner timely enough to receive credit.”
I repeat this statement on my essay prompts, and I discuss it when I pass out the assignment.
There is always a group of students who ignore all of this because the first essay is worth only 5% of the final grade. (This is after I’ve explained it as my way of making certain everyone has the chance to get settled in, to learn my standards and expectations, but that failing to turn in that paper in a manner timely enough to earn credit will result in an automatic failure.)
It doesn’t matter: somewhere in between the multiple chances students are given in high school, in other college courses, and in life, they just don’t get that sometimes a deadline is a deadline.
I am, of course, personally responsible for their lives falling apart because I:
- a. am so mean.
- b. am completely inflexible.
- c. don’t understand what it’s like.
- d. All of the above
Because the answer is “d,” it also follows my sole purpose in the classroom is to undermine my students’ success.
Because it’s my fault they couldn’t write four pages in three weeks’ time.
Because I had the audacity to ask them to write an essay in the first place.
In a composition class no less!
I have to go plot my next scheme now: I have more lives to ruin.
Maybe another essay?
A reading response?
No—how about part of a research paper? Yes, that’s it!
Muwaaaaaaaaaaah.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
Amen! A friend pointed me out to your blog. Actually, she told me I had to run, not walk, over here, which naturally makes little sense in terms of the Internet. But anyway, it sure is nice to read a perspective that justifies my own thoughts and feelings as a teacher (especially an English teacher).
September 29th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
Tiffany,
I’m happy you beat feet to get here and even happier to have another English teacher aboard.
I suppose if enough of us continue to insist on silly things like minimum standards and deadlines, things might change.
Someday.
Perhaps.
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