My senior seminar students are writing reviews of major pieces of literature. In order to complete this assignment, they need to send me via email their 7-8 page paper (book or article review for which they received explicit instructions) which I will then post on a website for all students to read. These are due a week before the presentation is due. So, the first set of presentations are tomorrow. Two students haven't sent in their paper, so I guess they get zeros. One student sent me the paper Friday at 530pm (the email is time stamped) and then sent me an email today wondering why I hadn't posted it on the website. I want to know, do they think I have nothing else to do on a weekend but check my work email anxiously waiting for their product, that is four days late?
So I'm thinking I may put on my syllabi in the spring that I will only be expected to answer emails from 9am to 5pm M-F. I often think how great it is to be a professor with email, but one of the drawbacks is I did not have instant access to my professors in undergrad. I could not send them an email and just assume that covered whatever I was doing. I actually had to make time to go to their offices during their office hours. This made me more responsible and also made it easier for my professors. I know I can't tell students they can't send emails, I am seriously not that much of a Luddite, but I am thinking that a work week limit might be appropriate.
On another professional note, go listen to my podcast:
Mayoral Debate
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2 comments:
I think I'll follow your advice on email.
Here's another one for your files: I went to the office at 500pm to grade a few papers b/f our policy meeting Saturday night. At 545p, there's a knock at my office door. I (reluctantly) open the door. It's a student! The student asks, "do you have about 2 hours to review some things about our class?"
In my head, I say (and think this could only be said best by Samuel L. Jackson), "F$#! NO I DON'T HAVE 2 HOURS TO LISTEN TO YOUR BULLS#$% F#$%-ING SORRY-A#$! IT'S SATURDAY! SAY IT WITH ME: 'S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR GD MIND?"
You have got to be kidding me...was the student stalking your office?
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