Making a Prediction

Yesterday when I was responding to papers, I was being honest.  Yes, I praised the students for what they did well, but I also let them know what they needed to do better, and I gave some low grades.  This morning I thought about the commercial aspect of being a teacher--the need to please and win your customers over.  Maybe that's why some tests put out by the publishers of textbooks--not NorthStar!--are so easy.  They want the students to get high grades so they'll be happy with the textbook and convinced they're learning.

I was startled by the strips of paper students turned in for their self-evaluations of the videotaped (and put on YouTube, no less) of their self-evaluation.  I told them they could turn them in the next class period if they didn't have them ready because I don't want students doing their homework in class.  But they "rose to the occasion" and scribbled something on paper they obviously shared because I got bits and pieces of the paper.

I'm speaking of the class in question--the one that was under-enrolled when I took it on (as a substitute with the possibility of being assigned the hours if it wasn't cancelled).  They don't have their books.  They apparently don't have binder paper.  They probably have a lot of doubts about whether the class will continue.

I'm sorry that I didn't give a better class last Friday.  A student who had been out a week for surgery had returned, and I could have worked more closely with him when he was doing the pair work that they slacked off (in contrast to the other class, which really did it in a meaningful way).  He was supposed to e-mail me to get more information and help, but he didn't, and I predict that he won't be back today.  If he's not back today, I doubt that the class will continue.

But before it's cancelled, I would really like to communicate some simple messages to the students.  I predict that I will.