Doug Peterson wrote "I have made one similar deal involving grading of essay tests: "If I don't have your essay exams returned within one week you all get 5 extra points" (which in 7 years of teaching I've never had to do!) This however leads me to ask others the following: Is it necessary or desirable to let students know about reasons for what might appear to less than professional behavior?"
On the one hand, I have no problems explaining to students why something happened. I think it humanizes me in their eyes. But on the other hand, I can't imagine something like tending to a sick child (the night before I'm due to hand back exams) causing me to miss a deadline. I'm forever warning my students that you NEVER put off studying or completing an assignment until the night before it's due because one of the few verities of life is that "S**t Happens!" I think you're setting a horrendous example by validating their tendency to leave the completion of a task to the last minute. Admittedly, I'm compulsive about such things and have a recurring nightmare about being late or otherwise unprepared for an exam. Of course, thyis is the guy who taught two classes while having a heart attack because we had an exam coming up and I had to get through the material!!!! (I sid I was compulsive...... not bright!) But in all fairness, I wasn't certain at the time that it was really a heart attack. :-o Ed ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Edward I. Pollak, Ph.D. Dept. of Psychology, West Chester University of Pennsylvania Office: Peoples Building Room 44 Office Phone: 610-436-3151; Home phone: 610-363-1939 Office Hours: Mondays noon-2 & 3-4 p.m.; Tuesdays & Thursdays 8-9:15 & 12:30-2 p.m. Home Page: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/epollak/home.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Husband, father, grandfather, biopsychologist, bluegrass fiddler and herpetoculturist...... in approximate order of importance. --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: archive@jab.org To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
