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Post by nia2311 on May 7, 2013 20:10:03 GMT
Disclaimer: this moan applies specifically to students I teach, not all students, or students in general. Please do not take offence! Okay - I spent the Bank Hol weekend preparing revision lessons and materials for my students, and crucially, marking lengthy practical reports and essays, so I can give feedback in time for their exams. I received an email at about 6pm yesterday from one student in the group I teach on Tuesday mornings. It basically said " none of us will be coming tomorrow, as we have a maths exam on Weds and we are staying home to revise." The maths exam is not a major "final" exam - it is a short assessment of 1hr. They haven't been given specific study leave, as it falls just after an extended Bank Hol weekend break, in which they've had plenty of revision time, so I was told classes ran as normal. They do not have the right to simply decide, en mass, not to come. Coincidentally, today was the hottest day of the year so far, with temps hitting 24 degrees and we have enjoyed blazing sun all day........ I wonder how many sat in their accommodation revising?! Its just so blimmin irritating that I have effectively given up my Bank Hol to prepare material, mark work etc. for them to then not turn up (which they didn't!). Its for THEIR benefit! I also had to go into work for the morning, wasting a peak time train fare, to faff about doing admin and then come home again (I am part time). Why do students not appreciate the efforts their teachers put in?!?! I could have waited until later this week to mark their work, as I only see this group once a week. I could've done all sorts this fine weekend, but no, I stayed home and worked! More the fool me, eh?!  |
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gem86
Full Member
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Post by gem86 on May 8, 2013 12:45:13 GMT
Lots of empathy coming from me! So few students (or even real people!) seem to realise or care what other people do for them. As long as they are happy and doing what they want, sod what lengths other people are going to. It all comes down to this stupid society we seem to live in where the majority of the population exist in their own little bubbles and are oblivious to the thoughts and feelings of others.
Ohh if I start I'll never stop!
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Post by nia2311 on May 8, 2013 14:09:10 GMT
So today's group, due in my class AFTER the Maths exam all bogged off home. Not one out of 15 came. So I went in today for no good reason too. I now have to go in tomorrow (don't normally do Thurs) to make up hours as I haven't taught 2x groups and I won't get my full prep time unless I do 3-4 hours tomorrow. Thanks students. Thanks a b***** lot.
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Post by rightrein92 on May 8, 2013 14:16:09 GMT
Really do feel for you I'd be sending them all an email giving them a right telling about how this effort has to be mutual and I they aren't willing to put the effort in then you won't bother .
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Post by nia2311 on May 8, 2013 14:33:24 GMT
I've reported the lot of them to academic support. There is a warning system but its pretty pointless 3wks before the end of the semester. I will, of course, speak to them in strong terms next week, but its water off a ducks back! I'm more peeved I have to "make up time" because I didn't stand and teach for X hours!! Senior managers say I must do my prep in the college tomorrow instead. Normally, prep can be done any time, anywhere and is not monitored. They didn't get their money's worth out of me this week, clearly, despite the other admin and dogsbody jobs I did instead.
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Post by mara on May 8, 2013 20:03:21 GMT
And they then expect to go & get a job in the real wide world!
I'd cancel all their marks for the papers you've marked & put it down on their assessment sheets.
Dare I ask if any of them are having to foot the bill for their courses or is the wonderful general public subsidising the lazy b*stards?
There is a LOT to be said for people having to pay for their university fees etc - there should be some form of subsistence but only those who attend lectures etc & I suspect if they were having to pay for it all themselves now, rather than in the future they would be more inclined to put the work in.
I went back to college as a day release 'mature' student on an engineering course many years ago (I'd be even more mature now!) & the 5 of us on day release ended up cornering several of the school leavers & suggesting that they might like to shut up & learn or go back to the crèche (their behaviour was worse than a toddler's) & leave the 5 of us who were expected to show good results to our employers to study in peace.
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Post by nia2311 on May 8, 2013 20:13:00 GMT
The hilarity is, I work at a private college. All students are fee payers. However, many are funded by their home Governments (my students are mainly from abroad, I teach Uni access courses in Manchester). However, many are self funded, aka their parents pay. Unfortunately, paying for it doesn't improve student attitude. What it does cause is a flurry of irate emails from parents back at home, complaining their little darling is only achieving a "C" in Maths, when they need an "A" for their Uni offer. They implore us teachers to work harder, put on more revision sessions, do 1:1 tuition and suggest more supplementary textbooks. Little Jimmy is NOT a C student, therefore WE must be doing something wrong. In reality, Jimmy has handed in several half-arsed assignments, mostly late. He has plagiarised one of them. He is regularly late to class and is clearly over tired from being up till 2am. But this is what students age 17-19 do when let loose in a foreign country with no parental supervision!!
And yes, we DID get an email from a parent stating the above today. It was passed around by our manager for "a carefully considered response." I despair!
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Post by fanfarefan on May 11, 2013 15:24:13 GMT
Nia i have every sympathy with your dilema, why oh why do these students enrol on courses that they clearly dont want to do ,,,,, i would call their bluff one day , and sit at your table,,,, ask for their attention , and then sit there have a cuppa , eat a piece of cake , scout through the paper , and see what their reaction is , ask them if they think that you are wasting their time , and if they think that you should be showing more interest in their studies ,,,, and then give it to them with both barrels,,,, dont give them the short version , give them War and Peace ,,,,, respect works both ways ,!!!!!
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Post by Guestless on May 13, 2013 9:33:08 GMT
Crazy! I would love to cut classes to study for another one, but I wouldn't dare! I wouldn't personally let it annoy me - you have done your job as you should, they are the ones who are acting irresponsibly. I certainly wouldn't repeat whatever lessons they were supposed to get though and I would make it clear that as they decided not to attend, they can do their own research to learn whatever they missed. Can you set them a short assessment on it?
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Post by gillwales on May 13, 2013 11:17:14 GMT
And yes, we DID get an email from a parent stating the above today. It was passed around by our manager for "a carefully considered response." I despair! If this was from a parent of an absentee student I would write an inform the parent that their little darling cannot be bothered to attend class. Send full details of when the student was absent. |
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Post by nia2311 on May 13, 2013 16:49:23 GMT
Update: students did 3hr mock exam today and to be horrible I made them stay for the whole 3hr, even if they finished early. This was preceeded by a rollocking.
Mother referred to above RANG the college today, demanding to speak directly with all teachers of said student. I was having dinner so the maths teacher took the phone and really gave her what for! Chemistry teacher refused to speak, on the basis she couldn't hold her tongue. But despite being told "from the horse's mouth" about her son's attitude, she still doesn't believe my colleague.
Its hard for us to communicate with parents, as our students are all from abroad and many are here on their own, in halls of residence. Their families are in different time zones and ringing them or writing to them is not easy. We can email, but emails often seem to be returned unsent. For example, I have a lazy student from Syria, but his family are dispersed around the Middle East at present, with limited online access, so how do I engage his parents, who frankly, are just happy their son is safe in Manchester?!
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Post by gillwales on May 13, 2013 18:04:12 GMT
Does their visas depend on them being in college?If they are not meeting the required standards are they allowed to stay in college? This is an obvious way to keep up standards. In Wales there has been a scandal involving Newport Uni re overseas students and visas
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Post by nia2311 on May 13, 2013 18:15:18 GMT
Yes their visas are dependent on attendance to a certain degree, but if they make up a "legit" excuse, such as "I am very ill today, ate a dodgy curry" then we can't say its unauthorised. They are clever - they know how far they can push it, and what excuses they can use before getting into trouble. We report attendance/lateness via electronic registers, but no-one has been withdrawn this year. Withdrawals look bad with the Border Agency (former) so our big-wigs avoid that at all costs. There's nothing dodgy going on, just playing the system quite legally, like British students do!
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