I got a call from a student this morning.
To "remind" me to put the notes for the new section of class stuff up on BlackBoard. (I put up the Powerpoints I use with the graphs and stuff in them, so people can print them off to take notes on them). Okay: full disclosure: I forgot to do it ONCE. I was feeling not-well, I had a pile of other stuff on my desk, and I forgot. It wasn't even the last chapter I forgot to do; it was one much earlier in the semester.
But today? I already had them up. (Student in question sounded like she was calling from her car on the way to campus).
But still: who does that? Calls a prof to "remind" them to do something, without checking to see if they'd done it first?
Also, for what it's worth: I'm not required to do that. Many of my colleagues don't bother with BlackBoard, and at least one of them doesn't do it on principle. There is no mandate that I make the graphs and things available. (And actually, it's stuff like this that makes me really question why I continue to do it at all. This, and the people who think they can skip class because "the notes are online" (and in my gen bio class, get upset when they find that the attendance policy WHICH IS CLEARLY OUTLINED IN THE SYLLABUS has just lead to their grade going down 10%). What stays my hand from just deleting the pages and saying "never again"? The fact that there are some very dedicated students who do come to class with the printouts and take notes on them and stuff....and who don't harass me if I don't have everything up for the whole week at 8 am on Monday morning.)
This is also the person who put up a stink about it being "unfair" to have an exam and a paper due in the same week.
I know that the "my life is harder than yours" game never goes anywhere good but I really want to show her my lists of things-to-do next time she complains either about "too much work" or about my not doing something ON THE MOMENT she wants it.
I swan, students ask for stuff now I would have been EMBARRASSED to ask as a student.
"'Become a professor,' they said. 'People will respect you,' they said."
Though now I'm going to remember to do it EVERY TIME and if she calls again, say "they're already up" and hang up the phone. I'm getting tired of playing nice with this one...
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Someone I follow on Twitter commented about how she "Squealed like a fangirl" at a fiber-fest when she met a pattern designer whose work she liked. And you know? That's one of the secret sadnesses of my life. That I will never really do anything, ever, that will gain me that kind of fandom.
I mean, I know. I believe the point of one's life is to serve and to do things to benefit other people. But once or twice, it would really be nice to walk up on a stage and have people applaud, or go to some big gathering and have people go "OH MY GOSH! YOU'RE **YOU**! I LOVE **YOU**!"
On the other hand, I suppose people like that do get a lot of detractors. But still. It would make getting demanding phone calls easier to bear, I think.
3 comments:
Sounds like the student may have an anxiety disorder. Who knows what's going on in her life. Maybe there are parents or a partner pressuring her to do well.
Sometimes fandoms are bandwagons and not always sincere. Fans may jump on and be enthusiastic, but they also jump off the bandwagon and go elsewhere.
To me you are young which means you still have time to write that best selling textbook or discover some unknown insect when you do field work or whatever it is that would make you famous in your field. Don't be so hard on yourself.
The reality is that 98% of us will never receive that kind of attention (okay, I made up that percentage but you know what I mean). I always tell people that my talent lies in being an appreciative member of the audience. I think you have a small, devoted fanbase because of your blog. I would love to meet you in real life someday, but cannot guarantee I will squeal upon doing so. :)
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