April 21, 2009

How to Make Your Teacher EXTREMELY Cranky

My speech students are working on their final speech project. The last speech is a group speech with an intense question/answer period following it. Students were able to form their own groups. I helped, if necessary. In some cases it was necessary. For example, the four students who decided they wanted to be a group of four when I had already told them groups could be no larger than three.

Breathe in, breathe out. FRUSTRATING!

After two weeks of group work during class time so that I could supervise, assist, and advise, outlines were due today. I should stress that this was the fourth time they were handing in outlines. The only thing different about this one was that I also required a group outline with a group introduction and group conclusion and transitions in between. It's not confusing, especially since I went over how to create it at least four times in class. On Thursday of last week, I wrote the exact format on the board and went over it. There was no shortage of instruction on how to create this outline.

I have six groups in my class and figured I would be able to get through all of their group outlines today during class. The plan was to conference with each group and advise them regarding changes they needed to make.

I got through two groups. The first group took me about 15 minutes which put me on schedule to finish all of the groups by the end of the class time. Then I got to the second group.

One of the group members was absent. . . again. The other two guys sat there, doing nothing, as they've done for the past two weeks which has surprised me because one of the guys is one of my best students. I have repeatedly told them to use their time wisely, to work on their group introduction, and that if they weren't busy, it signaled that they weren't going to do well on this speech.

Their outline was a complete mess, and guess what? No group introduction, no group conclusion and barely a transition. It was scattered, incorrectly formatted, and just plain irritating because it had nothing that I told them it needed in the previous weeks.

"Let me see your notes from last Thursday," I said grumpily.

They stared at me like I'd just asked them to recite the Bible, backwards, in Farsi or something.

"Where are your notes on how to do this group outline?" I demanded.

They stared at me, but this time, they were both turning a little red.

"So neither of you have notes on how to do this outline?"

They both nodded in agreement. "Ah, well that explains why this looks like garbage." I couldn't help myself. I was just so angry. I mean seriously! Why do I stand up there speaking to them, instructing them, spelling things out word for word, if they're not going to listen or write it down?

I had a little fit on them, hacked their outline to pieces with my pen, and then told them I'd have to take it with me to grade it because at that very moment, I was tempted to put a big fat zero on it. I asked them if they'd like to go and make a copy of it before class was over so they had my notes and suggestions and they stared at me again.

Hello? Anyone home?

"It's not really a question guys. Go and make a copy so you have my notes and can piece this mess into something decent for your speech next week! GO!"

I'm not usually this cranky with my students. I'm really not. In fact, most of them would say that I'm downright pleasant. But when I have spent this semester bending over backwards to try to get them on track and kick their butts into academic shape, and they turn in something as pathetic as that outline and then just stare at me like that?

UGH.

When I was finished with them, I had five minutes left. I told the students I was willing to stay late and work with any group that needed help. Two groups stayed and I'm thankful they did. Those two groups proved to me that I taught them what to do properly.

It's not me; it's them. Sometimes I need to remind myself.