A shitty day just became good...

[Chariotoflove]

...and I thought I would share.

This has been an incredibly stressful couple of months at work. A lot of difficult stuff going down. And yesterday was not a high point. I spent almost no time at all doing science and lots doing paperwork, compliance, and accounting.

Today started with me giving a test for my biomed class, so not my students' best idea of a fun hump day either. But one gal just came to my office to look at her test. Her face was stained from all the crying she had been doing. She has, shall we say, not been doing well in the course. At all. And, she expected nothing but bad news.

I got to show her the B she just earned, and she was through the moon. We spent a half hour looking over her exam, mostly as a well earned victory lap. She was giddy and gave me the biggest hug. She said I made her day, and that made mine.

This is why I teach.

F-88 concept car for your time.

[tophercrowder]

I miss teaching. First day going over the curriculum was always a blast. I had a rule that tests, assignments and quizzes could only be made up if

• Death in the immediate family (with proof)
• Medical (with proof)
• Religious holiday (I must be notified 4 weeks in advance)
  Then you would get that kid that would raise his hand and ask "What about meetings with a parole officer?"

[ttyymmnn]

@Chariotoflove

That's awesome. I occasionally have breakthroughs with my trumpet students, when they do something they never thought they could do. It's those moments that make all the drudgery worthwhile.

And since your F-88 photo didn't load right for me, here's another F-88.

[Chariotoflove]

@tophercrowder said in A shitty day just became good...:

I miss teaching. First day going over the curriculum was always a blast. I had a rule that tests, assignments and quizzes could only be made up if

• Death in the immediate family (with proof)
• Medical (with proof)
• Religious holiday (I must be notified 4 weeks in advance)
  Then you would get that kid that would raise his hand and ask "What about meetings with a parole officer?"

I live for those. Usually unpredictable, but always interesting.

The syllabus is my friend. The University says that everything in the course must be spelled out in the official syllabus. Someone always asks me for extra credit, especially at the end of the semester when she's squandered all her opportunities. I just say, it's not in the syllabus. They won't let me.

[ttyymmnn]

@tophercrowder

"What about meetings with a parole officer?"

I teach trumpet lessons at a middle school. The other day, I noticed one of the girl students in the hallway was wearing an ankle monitor.

[Chariotoflove]

@ttyymmnn
Looks fine on my screen. But I'll take your offering anyway!

[Chariotoflove]

@ttyymmnn said in A shitty day just became good...:

@tophercrowder

"What about meetings with a parole officer?"

I teach trumpet lessons at a middle school. The other day, I noticed one of the girl students in the hallway was wearing an ankle monitor.

It's Austin. What was she arrested for, asking for bacon on her veggie burger?

[ttyymmnn]

@Chariotoflove

It's nibbl'd for me. Interesting.

[tophercrowder]

@Chariotoflove That same kid asked for a meeting 3 weeks before the final asking if there was anything he could do to raise his grade....he hadn't turned anything in.

[Chariotoflove]

@tophercrowder said in A shitty day just became good...:

@Chariotoflove That same kid asked for a meeting 3 weeks before the final asking if there was anything he could do to raise his grade....he hadn't turned anything in.

So then the answer was an easy "yes".

[Chariotoflove]

@ttyymmnn

[ttyymmnn]

@Chariotoflove

The syllabus is my friend.

Back in undergrad, we were getting close to a final exam and the instructor asked us if we wanted to move the date because some people complained that they had other exams that day. We went around and around with all sorts of optional dates that somebody always had an issue with and finally I raised my hand and said, "Look; the final has been on the syllabus all semester. You knew when it was going to be. It's up to you to budget your time and get it done. I say we leave it as is." After a smattering of applause in the room, the instructor said that we would leave the date as it was originally scheduled.

[Mr.Ontop]

@Chariotoflove I miss teaching for reasons like this. Maybe I'll take it back up part time after I retire. I loved the teaching part of it. Dealing with the admin on the other hand, sucked and the low wages waaaay back when also sucked so bad that it made me change my professional direction. But it is still the job I liked most.

[ttyymmnn]

@tophercrowder

MAKING THE GRADE by Kurt Weisenfeld

Should be required reading by all college freshmen.

[Chariotoflove]

@ttyymmnn said in A shitty day just became good...:

@Chariotoflove

The syllabus is my friend.

Back in undergrad, we were getting close to a final exam and the instructor asked us if we wanted to move the date because some people complained that they had other exams that day. We went around and around with all sorts of optional dates that somebody always had an issue with and finally I raised my hand and said, "Look; the final has been on the syllabus all semester. You knew when it was going to be. It's up to you to budget your time and get it done. I say we leave it as is." After a smattering of applause in the room, the instructor said that we would leave the date as it was originally scheduled.

We had that shit with the professional students several years back. They would try to get us to move exams for their convenience, but then they would push the envelope and try it with every exam. Finally, my colleagues and I shut that down by general agreement.

The most laughable request was the one year the dental students wanted me to move my Physiology test from Monday because it was the day after Super Bowl Sunday.

I declined.

[Highlander]

@Chariotoflove That's great, I'll take the student who cares and actually tries any day over the student who gets an A or B and just phones it in.

[Chariotoflove]

@Mr-Ontop said in A shitty day just became good...:

@Chariotoflove I miss teaching for reasons like this. Maybe I'll take it back up part time after I retire. I loved the teaching part of it. Dealing with the admin on the other hand, sucked and the low wages waaaay back when also sucked so bad that it made me change my professional direction. But it is still the job I liked most.

You really do have to be financially stable. I fantasize about winning the lottery and going to teach high school science.

[tophercrowder]

@Highlander I hear that..I taught a drawing class and had a guy that worked evenings at his family's party store. A couple of times he turned in drawing homework done on cardboard and drawn with mascara pencils. It was fucking beautiful and still get chills thinking of them. The work was fantastic. He never gave up.

[tysmagic]

@Chariotoflove awesome, thank you for sharing this!

[john norris]

@Chariotoflove

Congrats on your teaching success!

Man that Oldsmobile is ugly. I'm glad that didn't get past the prototype stage. That might have dragged down the Corvette with it. Although it looks like they had a V8 in there before Chevrolet did. I'll give them points for that.

[facw]

@ttyymmnn Yeah, like some exams are going to be on the same day, deal with it.

I did have the problem one semester that three of my exams were at the exact same time (fallout from my possibly dubious decision to take three classes at the same time), but for one I was able to take the same test at a different time when it was being offered for another class period, and one I was able to take in the department office at a different time (not so different that I could find out what had been on the test and cram).

[Shop-Teacher]

@Chariotoflove That is fantastic! As much as I enjoy working with kids who do well in my class, there is nothing that tops the satisfaction of seeing a student struggle, and work their ass off, and succeed.

[Chariotoflove]

@john-norris said in A shitty day just became good...:

@Chariotoflove

Congrats on your teaching success!

Man that Oldsmobile is ugly. I'm glad that didn't get past the prototype stage. That might have dragged down the Corvette with it. Although it looks like they had a V8 in there before Chevrolet did. I'll give them points for that.

To each his own. I like it!

[Chariotoflove]

@Shop-Teacher said in A shitty day just became good...:

@Chariotoflove That is fantastic! As much as I enjoy working with kids who do well in my class, there is nothing that tops the satisfaction of seeing a student struggle, and work their ass off, and succeed.

And now, I need het to power through the rest of the course!

[Darkbrador]

@Chariotoflove