I ran out of patience today. I'm pretty sure that was all I had for the whole semester.
I didn't yell at my students (though they got several no-nonsense get-it-together-now mini-lectures), but it was a real moment when I just felt physically drained and thought "that's it, ya'll are on your own." First-semester students require a fair amount of shepherding and guiding to get used to college in addition to learning the course content. I have four first-semester writing classes. And in one class is the neediest, most obstinate student I have ever encountered in my nine years of teaching. I'm usually very generous in the learning-about-college-while-we-learn-to-write department. I used to teach four-year-olds; I have lots of patience. This is not even the most insane semester I have ever had. But not losing it when dealing with this one student has sapped me dry.
3 comments:
Yes, well, though, freshmen are much worse than four-year-olds. IMHO.
fair point, delager
Four writing classes IS extraordinarily draining, especially when one of them is as needy as you describe. Hang in there. Whew! Hope the rest of the semester just sails on by with ease. :)
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