The last class meeting is over. I've spent the last 16 weeks with four classes of students. I've read their papers. I've met with them one-on-one. I've gotten to know them each a little. I've seen all of their growth as writers. In each of my on-campus classes, the students filed out without even looking back.
Not a single student said "thanks for the class"...or "I learned a lot"...or "have a good semester"...or even "goodbye." And it's not like it's the first time this has happened (see a previous rant), but it's still a little sad.
Don't get me wrong. I love my job. By and large, I like my students. But one of the real dangers of only doing comp is that I am never around to experience their growth. I am firmly convinced that they don't really get everything I do until later in their college careers. I plant seeds, but I don't get to reap the benefits.
This is why I am on the market for other jobs. Of course, there's been utterly no positive motion on that end as of yet (other than three rejects, there's been no motion at all), but the year is still young. There is still time to get a bunch o' MLA interviews. I think my application material is as solid as I can make (and all that writing I did over the summer, I think, helped). Now I just have to hope that someone bites.
Anyway, this is a depression for another day. Now onto grading.
7 comments:
Hello Mike, I figured I probably should have come to shake your hand after class but it never crossed my mind. Your a great teacher and I appreciate all you have done. -Tyler
I wasn't actually requesting the ego boost, but it's nice!
haha not an ego boost, but you deserve it, you work a lot harder than a lot of people. I think maybe its the morning thing ahah
I feel some of your pain, mike, in that I now have 160 projects and 640 worksheets to grade. I still have two classroom days yet though.
let the end-of-semester grading crunch begin!
I gave the final in my lecture class yesterday. Out of 100 students, two stuck around to say thanks and goodbye. I thought that was a pretty good average.
Of course I also had 5 or 6 stick around to complain about their grades.
-IAThunder
See I always think the "I enjoyed your class" comments post-exams are insincere. Maybe it's a low-self esteem thing (in that I think they can't possibly be telling the truth) but I want a little more positive feedback than that. I'd like to hear why they liked the class, but then I guess that's what evals are for?
I have kept in touch with students over the years - my first batch of students at this university are graduating (tear in eye). Sometimes that's good enough for me.
To follow up - I always appreciate the emails post-course. Those seem more sincere to me because clearly the student has taken time to compose the email. I cherish those emails; I still have them in my inbox from years past.
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