"The man is the totem on the pyramid of sociology."
Sorry for the lack of posting. I've been swamped with a variety of things that have made posting not my utmost priority. They are listed below in no particular order:
1. Spending lots of time in deep conversation with Joshua trying to figure out what our life is about, what we want the end result to be, and what to do next accordingly.
2. Having an amazing, relaxing weekend with Joshua. The best we've had in a long time.
3. Baby-sitting dear sweet Eli. Nice for both extra cash, and extra joy because of his cuteness.
4. Grading mid-terms.
My post today is primarily about grading. I HATE IT. It was so much easier grading statistics tests when there was much less room for interpretation. Today, I began the arduous task of grading the big 40 point essay. It is no fun...but we've been instructed to be lenient (which is hard for me as a Grove City Alum....what is leniency?????) Some of the responses to the short answer questions are absolutely, unbelievably absurd. It's given rise to two main questions:
1. How is it possible that some of these people could actually be this stupid???
or
2. How is it possible to not care one iota about even TRYING?????
I mean, I have one girl who (before grading the essay) has already missed 45 POINTS!!! If you are going to make up answers, I have a few guidelines:
1. Pretend that you understand the question by at least using the same terms that appear in the question in your answer.
2. Write complete sentences.
3. Use proper grammar (so as to indicate that you at least have a moderate command of English, whether or not you know anything about sociology).
I thought about posting some of the more absurd answers - but wasn't sure if that would violate some sense of integrity as a TA. What do you think?
p.s. the title of this post is a direct quote from one such asinine answer.
9 comments:
I think you should totally post them.
It's probably against school policy to publish all of them, but selected snippets of idiocy can't hurt, right? ;)
Good luck, M-Lo. I hope all the convos with Josh also yield some good results. Miss you guys!
I think it would be completely inappropriate to post them in a public forum like this.
Its one thing to call a co-worker over and have a laugh about it, but to humiliate someone on the internet is a bit much.
wow - anon. had a strong reaction to my idea of posting stupid test answers. I ask: How would it humiliate ANYONE, since I OBVIOUSLY wouldn't post any names??? I mean, it's not like I'm going to say, "And...first year Susie Q responded with this answer....I mean how dumb could Susie Q be????"
C'mon....lighten up.
Hmm... But what if someone, somehow found out you had a blog ... and read it? And saw one of their answers? Yeah, the internet might not know who they are, but they would. And, ouch.
But at the same time, I really would like to see them.
Hey Cap'n - you've hit on one of my biggest fears...well, not about my students...but I'm paranoid that a colleague will find my blog and read everything I write about sociology, the department, etc. My life would be over. So scared.
Think of it this way instead.
What if you found something you submitted in your graduate class anonymously posted on one of your professor's websites. Even though no one else would know, how would that make you feel? Especially with comments like these associated with them:
1. How is it possible that some of these people could actually be this stupid
...indicate that you at least have a moderate command of English...
Some of the responses to the short answer questions are absolutely, unbelievably absurd
...some of the more absurd answers
...one such asinine answer
Since you seem to be one of the most insecure bloggers I have read, perhaps that question is rhetorical.
So, lighten up you might request of me, perhaps you should take your role as a teacher to these students a little more seriously.
If you want a form of compromise, just email examples to the people who want them.
Wow...anonymous throws down some heat. A few things:
1. Who are you? Do I know you? At least have the decency to identify yourself.
2. I do take my role as a teacher seriously, which is why i spend at least an hour everyday responding to emails from students, helping them with their assignments, and giving suggestions as to how to do better in class. This is in addition to the time I spend talking to students in person about their work and helping them understand things.
3. Since I take my role as a teacher seriously, I also expect students to take their role as college students seriously, which is why I have little tolerance for people who obviously aren't trying. It's not just that some of the kids struggled, it's that some of them didn't even TRY.
4. Perhaps it would help to add that before the mid-term, they were given a very detailed guide as to what to study and nothing appeared on the test that wasn't on the guide. In addition, they were given the essay question (word for word) well ahead of time. This study guide was so good that the mean grade ought to be coming out as a high B/low A rather than a high C/low B.
5. Finally, how do you feel qualified to say this: "Since you seem to be one of the most insecure bloggers I have read..." ????
p.s. Anonymous commenting is now turned off...and if you want to reply, you have to identify yourself somehow.
First of all, I think it would be a lack of in-teg-ri-ty if you posted the students comments.
Second, I don't think you are insecure at all... I think you are seriously searching. Searching for meaning, purpose, contribution, "looking for a reason, roaming through the night to find your place in this world." AND THAT IS A GOOD THING.
Thirdly, I believe that it is your right to use your blog to post your thoughts, concerns, fears, achievements, joys, and your thoughts. I view it as kinda like a diary (maybe not quite as private)
Fourthly, you are going to be a great person or sociologist because of all of the above.
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