I, too, frequently get requests of this kind from students who don't want to meet assignment deadlines. Most likely the students feel that the response cost is low for asking and the likelihood of an instructor "giving them a break" is reasonably good. These days I'm coming to believe that "working with the student" by providing extra time on a test or assignment (which is unfair to other students who scrambled to meet the deadline) isn't really helping the student. When we reduce a due date to a suggestion instead of an unambiguous deadline, we fail to teach students the importance of planning ahead and taking deadlines seriously. I prefer to treat the student's troubles and excuses as an /explanation /for a low grade resulting from the late or missed classwork. The grade is based on the work that has been done on time; the personal problems (health, financial, social, etc.) provide an explanation for the grade received, but they don't excuse the student from the course requirements. --Dave
William Scott wrote: > Do you get excuses like this or is it because I am identified as a clinical > psychologist? This is an intro student, not an abnormal psych or clinical > methods student (although I teach those courses and they mostly all know that > I do). This kind of excuse seems to be more and more common for me. Should > student performance (and evaluation) be dependent on appropriate medications? > ---------------------Quote > Prof. Scott, > > May I please take my exam on Tuesday? I want to take the exam a day later > because I am really struggling right now with motivation, the reason I am > struggling is because my psychiatrist wanted me to begin taking a mood > stabilizer, Trileptal, in addition to the Zoloft and Adderall that I am > already taking. Instead of feeling emotionally stable I have felt > overwhelmingly depressed, I have not been able to will myself into doing much > of anything, except sleep. The Trileptal was introduced on Wednesday night > and needless to say I have stopped taking it. May I please take the exam one > day later so that I may have some time to rest and recover? > > Sincerely, > > (a student doing poorly in the class) ------------Unquote > > --- > To make changes to your subscription contact: > > Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) > > > -- -- ___________________________________________________________________ David E. Campbell, Ph.D. [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Department of Psychology Phone: 707-826-3721 Humboldt State University FAX: 707-826-4993 Arcata, CA 95521-8299 www.humboldt.edu/~campbell/psyc.htm <http://www.humboldt.edu/%7Ecampbell/psyc.htm> --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
