Stories of KFAP...

Kid from another planet...

is graduating. She can't understand the concept of the on-line gradebook not taking her final exam into account.

It's scary. I explained it to her at least three times.

If 60/205 points are not entered yet, your average isn't going to be good.

A thought from Panera...

... the little twit sitting behind me is whining because she can't pass chemistry. Apparently, she blames the fact that it's on-line for her inability to achieve.

As I type, she's on-line registering for a chemistry class at BNCC.

I know many of the chem people at BNCC. I hope she falls flat on her face -- she's going to BNCC because she thinks it's easier. I suspect the problem is her, not the class.

Obviously, I have a high degree of student dislike -- not unusual for this time in the semester... although, it is kind of odd for me to dislike students who a) aren't in my class, and b) aren't even currently enrolled at BNCC.

Oh yea, her boy-companion suggested the BNCC plan to her. I hate him too...

God, please let her pass ethics and logic at the big school -- I don't want her in my classroom, I'd have to slap her.

I've got a gunner...

... yes, in a CC ethics class.

Generally, the term "gunner" is restricted to law students.

But -- I have a summer ethics class that starts May 25.

I've opened the on-line course management system early so they can take a look around.

Someone has already completed the first two quizzes.

Teach for America ....

They just played a radio commercial advocating alternative teacher certification in my state.

The following facts caught my ear --
1) the low percentage of minority students in my state that go on to college (they say 10% -- seems to be more than that.. but, I teach at a suburban CC...). (edited due to comments, since I wasn't paying close enough attention to the commercial_...

2) the success of Teach for America candidates in bringing up test scores etc.

The implication was that the TFA teachers are more successful because they tend to be minoirites.

Umm -- the little I know about TFA says that they prefer students from elite colleges and univiersites and that many TFA folks are not education majors.

Maybe their success is due to the fact that they are well-educated, non-education majors.

I know a couple of peace-corps folks who are now in teaching positions and I know one TFA person. All of them are quite bright, good role models and I suspect they are great teachers. None of them are education majors -- hmmm.

End of semester drama --

... logic style:

• Kid from another planet (KFAP) stopped by my office just now. Funny thing about that, since he could never find time to talk with me before, when I wanted to talk about his behavior and the fact that he wasn't prepared to work with Super-Tutor.
• I had to tell KFAP that, no matter how well he did on his final, his grade couldn't be a C. He also claimed that Super Tutor told him he could get a B -- umm, no. In fact, he had a fit when ST told him that he couldn't get a B. That's one of the things I wanted to talk to KFAP about.
• Some logic students are kicking themselves for not maxing out their bonus points -- a few points here or there would have saved them from having to take the final. Ummmm, guess what, I know they are busy, but in several cases investing one hour with the tutor would have saved them two hours of a final exam.

... Ethics style:

• Some students think the last paper is a group paper. I gave them the option to write a paper with their presentation group or individually. A couple of slackers are going to find out the hard way that the students who did all the work on their presentations aren't writing a group paper.
• Presentation drama -- every presentation day someone has an issue that makes them run late... So, their presentation group ends up nervously watching the door... So far, every tardy presenter has made it.

Bears? really?

There are bears in the neighborhood...

Granted, I've seen fox, deer, opossum, and many geese in the area. We hear coyote on occasion -- but, bears?

This is a suburb -- with tract housing, strip malls and highways. This isn't prime territory for bears.

Our apartment faces an abandoned golf course -- and the apartment people tend to leave the dumpsters out... now I wonder why we haven't seen bears.

Maybe there is a light at the end of the dissertation..

Dr. Advisor said that a couple of the committee members reported no significant objections... and, he's trying to get a consensus so we can schedule a defense.

Wow--- I'll know more in a couple of weeks... but, it could actually happen.

I'm not sure what I'll worry about when I don't have a dissertation to write.. hmmm.