To every cloud there is a cheesy lining...
Jul. 7th, 2011 03:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meirwen_1988So, it is Thursday. This morning began with the grading of about 50 placement tests (much smaller number than usual, and followed with my first advising stint of the summer.
Summer advising the first week is always...interesting. Usually there is some new protocol, or document. We get a mixture of the bored, anxious, and energetic students, and then there are the parents/guardians. Some hover and micromanage, answering every question for the students (we call them "Helicopter Parents," and some cheerfully sit back and act as moral support but let their chick attempt this first flight on there own, willing to lend a wing of support on a glide here or there, but otherwise content that they've fledged an adult.
Today the students and parents were the expected mix, but the new software was being a problem. The IT department hadn't given me all the access rights it was supposed to, two of my students weren't in the new system (for 2 different reasons), and none of them had the starting paperwork from downstairs that is supposed to make it all work in the advising session.
It was a new mix of problems, but overall the same old-same old. What's important is I gave them the information they'll forget (like the unfortunate truth that to be successful they need to spend 2-3 hours outside of class for every hour in class--success being defined differently than simply "get an A") and that professors don't do the same "hand-holding" on keeping on track of work that's due as high school teachers, and moms and dads, do. And they got the lists of courses they should register for. Which is, ultimately, all they'll remember, because it's all they really cared about when they walked in the door. With any luck, when something smacks them in the face later this year they'll at least think "Oh, yeah, that lady in July said something about this." More likely, though, it will be more like "That's not fair! Somebody should have told me."
Oh, well. They seemed like good kids. We can but hope the smack won't be too tough.
In happier news, when I came in today in my email there was a coupon for dinner at one of my favorite places to sabotage my weight for a dinner deal, good today only, and since I need to eat dinner in town....
Summer advising the first week is always...interesting. Usually there is some new protocol, or document. We get a mixture of the bored, anxious, and energetic students, and then there are the parents/guardians. Some hover and micromanage, answering every question for the students (we call them "Helicopter Parents," and some cheerfully sit back and act as moral support but let their chick attempt this first flight on there own, willing to lend a wing of support on a glide here or there, but otherwise content that they've fledged an adult.
Today the students and parents were the expected mix, but the new software was being a problem. The IT department hadn't given me all the access rights it was supposed to, two of my students weren't in the new system (for 2 different reasons), and none of them had the starting paperwork from downstairs that is supposed to make it all work in the advising session.
It was a new mix of problems, but overall the same old-same old. What's important is I gave them the information they'll forget (like the unfortunate truth that to be successful they need to spend 2-3 hours outside of class for every hour in class--success being defined differently than simply "get an A") and that professors don't do the same "hand-holding" on keeping on track of work that's due as high school teachers, and moms and dads, do. And they got the lists of courses they should register for. Which is, ultimately, all they'll remember, because it's all they really cared about when they walked in the door. With any luck, when something smacks them in the face later this year they'll at least think "Oh, yeah, that lady in July said something about this." More likely, though, it will be more like "That's not fair! Somebody should have told me."
Oh, well. They seemed like good kids. We can but hope the smack won't be too tough.
In happier news, when I came in today in my email there was a coupon for dinner at one of my favorite places to sabotage my weight for a dinner deal, good today only, and since I need to eat dinner in town....
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no subject
Date: 2011-07-07 07:55 pm (UTC)Odds are they've heard that before. I've been saying it to my teenager since he was in 6th grade, but I still don't think he gets it. Experience may be a hard teacher for him.
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Date: 2011-07-07 10:13 pm (UTC)I am a helicopter wife ;)
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Date: 2011-07-08 01:48 pm (UTC)Actually, I had pretty good one as I recall.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-08 10:39 pm (UTC)The comment is usually less than a page, but at least two of my coworkers could do with taking your class. :-)