The Walls Have Ears (and the Net Has Eyes)

It’s amazing what you can learn about a person on the web—even about folks who have never touched a computer are there, waiting to be discovered.

I was talking with a student today when he commented how he liked this blog. I do not advertise this blog to my students. He, like many web savvy students today, make a habit of doing web searches on their instructors to see what they can learn about them, much the way a prospective employer will do for a job applicant.

Reason, Force, and Love

It has been observed in a number of places that there are basically two means of persuading someone to do something they are not initially inclined to do. You can convince them through logic and reason or you can force them with superior strength or power of some sort. The only time you can do the latter is if you indeed have the upper hand in some way. If you are in a weaker position, the former is believed to be the only option available to you, though, you do have the option of using reason even if you are in a stronger position, resorting to force only if reason doesn’t work.

In a magazine letter to the editor, a reader conveyed the above message. In the next issue, another reader responded saying there was a third means of persuasion, love. For example, neither reason nor force explain a father running back into a burning building for his children. Only love does.

As an educator, I am sometimes frustrated in finding ways to motivate my students. Often logic and reason seem to fail before the forces of other classes, jobs, and even laziness or apathy. When that fails, the only other tool I’ve found in my toolkit is their grade, which for an upper division, one credit-hour class, isn’t always a very strong motivating force. But, is there a way to love them into higher performance?

I’m open to ideas.

SDG

Things That Go Bump at the End of the Semester

In an earlier post, I think I mentioned how as a student I hated the end of the semester because it meant I was out of time for ‘catching up,’ and that now end-of-term-dread is lessened, but not removed, because I get to see human beings change into cornered/panicked animals. It’s not a pretty sight.

Today, I did a preliminary posting of the grades on one of the university’s online gradebooks, and announced as much. About 45 minutes ago, I got a panicked email (from a non-native English speaking student):

“Dear Dr Robb J Wilson

                   I just go to eGradebook to check my grade and I didn't see my letter grade yet. Oh no, am I fail your class?”

Emotion trumps logic—“No letter grade = fail” instead of “No Letter Grade = @$%@#$$ technology” Keep in mind also, that the numerical grade IS posted, and the grade breaks are in the syllabus. That’s too much work. It’s much easier to panic and email the instructor. And these are upperclassmen.

In all honesty, I do get frustrated and tired by the stream of panic, attempted manipulation, anger, indignation, immaturity, and so on. I forget that this is actually a small percentage of the total class (something about a squeaking wheel comes to mind). My defenses are raised up and I have to force myself sometimes to stop and listen to them to see if, actually, they have a valid complaint. I should be more patient. I just want to wrap up the semester and move on.

Then I remember our Father. I have to laugh at what HIS perspective must be when He sees/hears us panic at what to Him is not even an anthill. I suddenly get real thankful that He shows me far more patience than I sometimes show my students. Is my frustration reflecting Christ? Uhh, let me get back to you.

SDG

Student Sabbaths

It just occurred to me that one way for us to demonstrate our faith to students, TA’s, and our research team is by giving them regular Sabbaths. As Christians, we are not under the Law, however, the Lord did teach the disciples and Pharisees that the Sabbath was made for us. In short, God created us with a need to rest and recharge, and dictated that it should happen weekly.

Today’s academic rat race pushes everyone to burn the candle at six ends. How can we creatively work our classes and research schedules such that we encourage those for whom we are responsible to actually take those breaks? At the very least, to take the breaks from the work we give them, as we have little control on their duties for our colleagues?

This thought occurred to me as I was contemplating the short holiday week we have this week. Often, faculty tend to have major assignments due the Monday after Thanksgiving, with the idea that the students can use that time to finish up. I’ve always tried to have things due before Thanksgiving, so they could then hopefully relax and enjoy their time with family/friends before the last push for finals. Furthermore, have them due on Monday rather than Wednesday. This way they aren’t pulling all-nighters then driving home across the state. (I did this preparing for my last final one semester and very nearly was in a bad accident. I woke up just before I drifted into another car. Praise the Lord!)

It really amazes students when we do things that take their situations into account. What a ministry opportunity!

SDG

Professor Coach

I've noticed a peculiar dichotomy in academia--when an instructor tells students to do an unpleasant or seemingly random or arbitrary assignment, they catch all kinds of grief--if they're really lucky they get an email from the chair or dean regarding a student complaint. When the athletic coach tells the players to run the bleachers or other mundane, aerobic punishment/task, there is grumbling (but only under the breath) and they do it. No one seems to question the coach for apparently random or arbitrary tasks.

Perhaps one reason for this is that subconsciously, the player realizes that the task will get them in better shape for the game and make them a better player or related reason. Yet, as faculty, we get, "Why do we have to learn this? I'll never use this again!" etc. They recognize the coach's wisdom and authority for training them in athletics but not ours for training them in their major. They recognize that running the bleachers increases both their lung capacity and their coordination, even though they don't literally run bleachers in the game. They don't recognize that the brain needs training in mental pathways just as much as the body, so some of the exercises we give are designed to do this, even though they WILL NEVER literally do that activity again.

It's funny, when I point this out to students, they typically get a sheepish grin, and get to work.

SDG