Good one, Kelly; I pick up such gems on this listserve. Karen ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kelly Goran Fulton" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Karen Loeb" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Marty Schwartz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "teachsoc" <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2006 9:57 AM Subject: TEACHSOC: Re: on Eileen's dealings with deans
> > I sometimes provide an "optional final exam" which can replace a Test > grade, or substitute for a missed test. It is amazing the excellent > attendance for tests when they know instead of a "make-up" their choice is > to come to the optional final exam. > > Kelly > > At 07:17 PM 5/10/2006, Karen Loeb wrote: > >Marty, > > > >LOVE your idea of allowing a make-up exam composed of 90% essays taken in > >your office. Will try it next semester. > > > >Karen > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Marty Schwartz > >To: <mailto:[email protected]>teachsoc > >Sent: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 8:45 AM > >Subject: TEACHSOC: on Eileen's dealings with deans > > > >In my years, not only including chairing a large department but one with > >five branches, and having loads of students like Eileen going out to > >teach, it has been my experience that it is possible that any one of the > >actors in these dramas can be very wrong. Certainly students are commonly > >irresponsible, and the stupidity of small college administrators can be > >astonishing, but often enough the student is in the right. My query is > >whether you took the time to talk in detail to the student and find out > >why she acted the way she did. We don't have this much on our > >traditional-age main campus, but out on our branches it isn't unusual to > >find that your irresponsible student is a single mom, and couldn't leave > >for the final until the baby stopped throwing up or something. Perhaps > >the dean was the first time she told her entire story (I know of such > >cases). So all that I would throw in, before partially endorsing Robert's > >idea, is that you talk to her and at least give her a chance to give her > >side of the story. Of course, my first presumption would be that the dean > >is a moron. > > As to Robert's notion that you let her take the exam, but at the > > end of the exam time you collect all exams and leave, I would add that > > as soon as the first person leaves the room I will no longer allow anyone > > to start, because then the questions are out in public circulation. If > > you teach long enough, though,. you will find even one of your best > > students will have a nervous collapse and sleep through the start of an > > exam occasionally. > > Particularly early in my career I had a lot of working people who > > had a lot of excuses, most of which were hogwash. My way of sorting them > > out was that I told them they could take a make-up exam in 101, but I > > wasn't going to do more multiple choice again, so the make-up would be > > essay. 90% suddenly found a way to make it to the exam. The ones who > > dropped to their knees, started crying, grabbed my ankles and couldn't > > stop saying thank you, I figured probably had a real problem. > > > >marty > > > >Martin D. Schwartz > >Professor of Sociology > >Ohio University > >119 Bentley Annex > >Athens, OH 45701 > >740.593.1366 (voice) > >740.593.1365 (fax) > > > >> > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Teaching Sociology" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/teachsoc -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
