Both my teaching assignments this quarter are huge. As in previous quarters, my statistics class is packed to the rafters and the waitlist keeps growing.
Because this is a recurring problem, I strategically hit this class with a no-holds-barred linear interpolation lecture on the second day. ("You already know the equation for a line, so I know I don't need to explain that to you.") After this lecture, they drop like flies, and everyone on the waitlist who really wants/needs to get in has a chance. In a fit of frank honesty, I told one of the waitlisted students my strategy, and commented, "Aren't I a bitch?"
His response: "Of course not. You're helping them find themselves."
Friday, March 31, 2006
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3 comments:
That is a terrific answer to that question.
It gives me hope for people.
That was a beautiful thing.
In most of classes, I give a "diagnostic" quiz on the first day. While it doesn't count towards their grade, I do collect and grade it. It test them on much of the material they were supposed to pick up from their pre-reauisites.
It does wonders for setting the tone.
I figure, you can always back off later, but you can't toughen up.
And if they're not going to make it in the class, it's best if they drop before they expend energy on a quiz or exam and I spend energy grading it. That way I can concentrate on the folks who "belong" there (i.e. have the background to pass and are willing to work).
I set the tone with 8-12-page syllabi (about 4-5 pages are required by my department) outlining everything from theoretical frameworks for the course to reading lists and detailed grading scales. In small classes, students quickly drop, though I usually gain one or 2 by word of mouth. And I agree with unknown professor--drop before we both get hurt.
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