I should just take this as a sign that I will never be able to make everyone happy. But I'm very stubborn, so I keep on trying.
This quarter I am teaching two classes, one that has no textbook, and one that has a textbook plus a shitload of supplemental readings from outside sources. The plus-a-shitload class I taught last quarter. In an attempt to be nice, and to circumvent copyright concerns under the "fair use" clause, I scanned in all the readings for my classes (well, okay, my secretary scanned them in) and put them on WebCT.
At the very end of the quarter, one of my students complained that I didn't order a course packet from Kinkos, because it was too hard to "find" all those readings. Apparently this person had never ever logged in to WebCT. Now, first day of the new quarter, another person is complaining that I didn't work with Kinkos, because s/he wants all the readings bound together (and apparently doesn't know how to print a pdf file).
I can't believe that someone would really rather pay those bandits upwards of $100 instead of shelling out $15 for a three-ring binder and a three-hole punch. What the fuck?
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
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6 comments:
See, "just being nice" is crazy-making when it comes to being a teacher dealing with students. Because the ones who complain are the ones who will not be appeased because they are the ones who expect an A without the course inconveniencing their life at all.
Just worry about doing what is right and fair---be as considerate as you would want someone to be towards you. Be consistent in whatever policies you decide on for your class. Be clear in explaining these on the syllabus and in going over said syllabus on the first day of class. Be willing to change from year to year based on circumstance, new resources, etc. Anyone who expects anything beyond that has an entitlement problem.
FWIW, I boggled over some of my grad student classmates who expected all reserves to be in our department's reading room (i.e. 2 steps from the conference room where we had class) or handed out in class rather than just getting them at the library like everyone else. I know everyone has a life and responsibilities, but, seriously, if you can't spare a weekend afternoon or an evening and some cash sometime in the first week or so to just go to the library and make all or most of the copies of the reserve articles for the semester all at once, then, you're probably going to have trouble finding time or money for the class altogether.
Yup. I puzzle over the same thing constantly myself.
Last semester was beautiful, though ... I had a very small grad seminar, did everything online through the library, they all printed and made binders and thanked me for saving them money. Sweet! And unusual.
Still waiting for the fallout this semester.
If I try to use kinkos or the campus copy center, I have to deal with a zillion copyright clearance forms. I found it much easier to post the papers to a password protected page (or use WebCT). Maybe it's because I teach engineers, or they are cheap, but the experience of my colleagues and myself is that our students hate buying bound notes -- they would actually prefer to download PDFs.
Go figure.
Maybe it's because I teach engineers . . . they would actually prefer to download PDFs.
Yup, that's engineers. "You mean I can just download it print it for free on the random unsecured printer I found? In my PJs?"
I've had complaints from students about library PDFs and requests for a coursepack. I guess a lot of them are using dial-up connection, so it does take them a long time to get the files. The printers they can use on campus all have hefty charges, so I can see substance to their complaints. The library won't do hardcopy reserves at this point, so I put a couple of copies in the department office and let students borrow them at their leisure. Usually at least one of the copies walks off, but small seminars are somewhat self-policing.
Okay, the people in my class must all be ... different.
Two of my professors had coursepacks made up through the campus bookstore this term, and the result? A lot of complaining that we have to pay upwards of $50 each for the packs when they could have just put the readings up on WebCT. So I guess you just can't make everyone happy, no matter what you do.
For the record, we aren't engineers. We're in health care.
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