Well, I just got done sending out about two dozen attendance report warnings to students who have either excessive absences, have stopped attending class, or have never attended class. It just dumbfounds me as to why a person would pay several thousand dollars a semester only to not go to the classes they signed up for. Befuddling. And we're not talking just a class here or there; we're talking three or four classes with excessive absences or non-attending. Does it strike anyone else that these students probably shouldn't be in college in the first place if they can't handle the responsibility of simply going to class? Mid-term grades aren't even upon us and several dozen kids are failing already! It's enough to make my head swim, and more than enough to reassure me that yes, yet again, people are stupid. Luckily (or unfortunately), only one of the students I called/e-mailed was one of my own Univ 101 kids. Not sure how that reflects upon me, but I honestly don't think it does. Bad students are bad students regardless of the teachers they have. I can hope only that the students I do reach go on to do better things than those I can't get through to. Madness. Education is a messy field, but it's what I'm good at, I guess, other than research. Oh well, time to go grade some papers before tomorrow. Gonna be a long afternoon!
Posted: February 15, 2005 at half past three in the afternoon.
www.writingingreen.com
Dr. Layton:
Among his many many nuggets of wisdom, Dr. Layton used to say that a college education was the only thing people would pay thousands of dollars for then try not to get. Of course he also said that light beer was for people who wanted to piss but did not want to drink water.
Ahahaha:
Smart man, this Dr. Layton. Smart man.
well… speaking as a slacker…:
I can actually think of one reason that I, and many other people don't go to class: lack of actually learning anything. Now I'm not saying that you're either a bad teacher or there is nothing to learn in your class, as I have never taken either Uni 101 or any class you tought.
But as someone who does enjoy learning but detests classes where I do not learn and merely waste my time, I have to raise the question: are all of these people merely out spanking off instead of going to class? Or are any of them possibly beyond the scope of a Uni 101 class and lacking the drive to force themselves to do busy-work?
Indiana State seems to excel at forcing busy-work without actually giving an education. Just my two cents worth. YMMV.