Disadvantages to knowing your students well

Well, there's Bias.

When students are no longer anonymous to you- just numbers- you have to watch out for bias.

Students are relatively consistent with the level of their work throughout the semester. The problem lies when I realize that such-and-such is a B student then I unconsciously grade to a B. I become biased that such-and-such is a B student and then it becomes self-perpetuating.

As hard as I try to fight bias, it is always lurking. I guess I could get credit for acknowledging that I have biases and doing everything I know how to prevent them. But they are still there.

Other areas of bias I recognize
1. Cheating- I'm not sure if this is really a BAD bias, but once a student gets caught in my class for cheating, they will be scrutinized constantly.

2. Rude behavior in class- If a student texts constantly during lecture, or some other obnoxious behavior, they seem to get put into the "disengaged" category.

3. My general feeling of "got it". If a student does poorly in class, or more importantly, just CAN.NOT seem to follow directions repeatedly to save their life, I write them off as someone who's not going to make it.

4. Spelling- if you can't spell (especially in spell-check-able word processor documents!) it creates an overall impression that you aren't careful or uninterested in doing well.

5. You mess up my title repeatedly. More here.

Now, some of these may make a grain sense. But what I really want to avoid is preventing each student from having a clean slate at the beginning of each assignment, or worse, grading their assignment subjectively up or down according to my unconscious opinion of them.

For example, on an 15-point essay question, if given the same answer from a student who I thought was a pretty good student vs. a student who texts in class and doesn't seem to pay attention or follow directions, I could imagine (there's no way to test this) that I could give the texting student a point less. That's simply not fair.

The reverse is also true. If a student shows up in my office weekly, and I really want them to succeed, for the same answer I could imagine giving the student I was "rooting for" a point more for the same answer as a student who I never saw outside of lecture periods. Also not fair.

I'm human, and recognize that there is no way to completely eliminate bias in grading. It's true life is not fair. But I really want to be AS "JUST" AS POSSIBLE in the classroom.

I know the students well. By midterms at the latest, I know that names of every one of my students. I also have probably formed my biases by then, too.

Ways I have figured out so far to combat bias

1. Forced Anonymity. I give essays on tests. Because of this subjective part, I design the test such that I can't see the student's name before I grade the whole exam. This works pretty well. However, at the end of a two-semester course I can recognize some unusual handwriting. I try to cover names when grading worksheets or papers with the name on the front, but this is not 100% successful.

2. One-size-fits all- no exceptions. For example, if you miss a quiz, there are no make-ups. I don't care if its excused or not. You can make up the quiz by the longer alternative assignment, like everyone- no exceptions. This prevents me from: a. listening to some pretty crazy excuses and b. treating people I imagine as being less responsible with less mercy than other students. It's rigid, but it seems fairer.

3. My natural forgetfulness. Luckily for most students I don't walk around with their grade in my head. So if they bombed the last exam, I probably don't remember that. If I see them in the hall, I will greet them just like I did before they bombed my test. This really only pertains to the conscious part of the equation, not really eliminating many unconscious biases.

4. Your suggestion here.

Yoga class = college choice?

Warning, this is a bit fluffy.

I had an epiphany the other day during yoga.

Long before the discussion on FSP about the relative merits of a SLAC/ PUI to a BigU, (my response) I have been really pondering whether my students get THAT much more out of college to justify the increased expense of their college education. As I mentioned at FSP, I went to a Big U, so don't really get the idea of a SLAC / PUI from the STUDENT'S perspective. Hence the epiphany.

The prallels will be painfully obvious as you read this, but to me, there was an AHA! moment. Call me slow....

I am a member of a gym. I go to a yoga class there. The class is quite large such that when the lights are lowered, there are students in the far reaches of the class that are physically in a cave- like environment. Its hard to see and hear what the instructor is doing, but as long as between you and the instructor there is chain of two people that are doing it semi-correctly, you can manage something relatively close to what is being modeled up front. Moreover, the instructor NEVER comes around to correct your form. If you really care about your form, you will both pay attention AND you will either get closer to the instructor so as to do it right, or you will intuit from your peers the correct form. The better your abililty to intuit, the better yor ability to do it correctly.

Recently, the Yoga instructor has been out due to an injury and she has been replaced the pilates instructor. Class suddenly transformed from a mostly yoga class that had been hybridized a little to a class where club music was being played, the instructor commanded every breath, the moves slowed down considerably, and became far more pilates-like with a few yoga-ish moves included. The new instructor even theought that we would be insulted if he called the move "cow" (like its been called for centuries), and instead, changed the name of this combination of back stretches (belly up, belly down) to "cat lift" and "cat raise"- leaving everyone in the class to look up to try and figure out what the heck he was talking about.

I hated this class, and slowly stopped going. I hear the normal instructor is back, but now I am going to a pre-natal Yoga class at a private studio.

The Yoga class at the private studio is 100% pure unadulterated Yoga, even using the sanskrit names for all the moves. There is a spiritual component to it that is entirely absent at the big gym. There were 4 women in my class the other night and we had a moment where we shared about our pregnancies, and though we weren't making friends, at least we had some form of solidarity (albeit, we were a homogenous group). The instructor was very knowledgable, and took the time to adapt moves in an individual basis for each mother. At the end of class, I felt fabulous inside and out, and felt like I had advanced my practice by a lot.

I pay $35 per month at the large gym and $15 a SESSION at the studio. I jusify the studio as a special need for pre-natal Yoga (which the big gym does not offer). I know that I could go to the big gym, sit up front, and remind my instructor (though its obvious by now) that I am pregnant and need special attention and modifications. I could guess on my own what moves are not a good idea for me and simply adapt without the help of the instructor. Sure. Exactly like I did as an undergrad.

In the studio class I get taken care of by an instructor who is an expert, and I directly benefit from her training without me having to guess (act as independently?). Just like my students here at SRU.

In the big gym, for $35 per month I also have available to me free weights (which I never use) classes such as spinning (which I don't need now, but will later), nautilus (never use), and treadmills (not appropriate for me now). There is also a vending machine of sports drinks (uh, no thanks), a swimming pool (a GREAT boon to me), and towels (which I have plenty of at home).

At the Yoga Studio, for $45/ month I have everything I need to do Yoga but nothing else. No extras that I do need, like a swimming pool, and no extras that I don't need, like a sports-drink vendo.

So in Yoga class the other day, while I was lying in savasana rest pose letting my mind wander, I suddenly and dramatically understood why students (or their parents) would want to pay the extra money to come to SRU. And depending on many factors, not that much more money. I guess I came to the conclusion overall that you can get what you need at a Big U, and even do well there. There are some definite benefits to the size. But the higher personal quality of the education at the PUI/ SLAC is very appealing.

Big U vs. Prestigious U vs. SLAC/PUI

Another juicy discussion at FSP on the relative merits of a Big U, etc. Go see it...

Here are my comments:

I went to a Big State U for undergrad because I assumed I couldn't afford anything else. I did graduate with no debt- yahoo!

I was brought up that "college is what you make of it" and since I am a relatively assertive and confident person, I did fine at a Big U, seeking out the resources I thought I needed. I found out in grad school, however, that my academic preparation could have been a bit better.

Hub went to MIT, and though he did well academically, he really floundered socially/ mentally/ spiritually, and it took a long time for him to recover from that. So I'm not sure he got the best education he could at a prestigious U. He was one that 'slipped through the cracks', even though he graduated with a good GPA.

When I applied to teach at at SLAC/PUI I really didn't know what I was getting myself into. I assumed that the students that were attracted to a small school like ours lacked confidence to make their way at a Big U. I was wrong about that. They come for many reasons, but I wouldn't say that a lack of desire to compete for resources is a general charateristic of SLAC/ PUI students. I do know that nearly every one of them benefits *greatly* from closer Prof/ Student relationships. Students in our department get a GREAT education. While there are a lot of students that do great at Big U's would say that the student population in general does better at a SLAC/ PUI. JMHO.

I haven't yet decided how I feel about Big U's vs Prestigious U's vs SLAC's If my kids had no preference where to go, I would recommend them to go HERE (SLAC) as long as they wanted to do so in one of our shining departments, and to go far away from here if they wanted to major in something we stink at!

But for grad school? Prestigious/ Big/ Resource-Rich ALL THE WAY.

__________

There's some really good comments in this thread, many of which I agree with. unfortunately, there's also another that I agree with: that there's a certain degree of homogeneity among our student body. Looks like I need another post for that...

Let's get a little nasty!

Over at FSP, she posted a poll that apparently struck a real nerve on stay-at-home spouses. I participated in the comments, and got a nasty little (anonymous) comment from someone who responds to mine by saying "talk about the me generation". Oh, Please! Check it out...

By the way, the "friend" I refer to as having "wife-as-household-staff" is none other than "Rock Star" from this post.

But this comment has gotten me thinking, do I come across as "whiny" in this blog? Is this person right in calling me out? Or is that just a nasty person angry about something that has nothing to do with me? I'm a sensitive person. I'll at least think about it before I blow it off...

I'm experimenting with polls anyway, so here's a fun exercise...

Do you find the "Two Body Problem" blog as being whiny and victim-y?
	Yes, almost all of the time. Its a real turn-off.
	Yes, every once in a while, but overall it has merit
	Not really but I could see how someone else would.
	Not really, in fact the "lifestyle" stories are very helpful
	No not at all. I read it for the struggle/ lifestyle stories.
pollcode.com free polls

A completely unproductive day, save the chickens

Boy has some chest-something sick, and ran a fever yesterday. All night he was fine and into the AM, but he's banned from the day care for 24 hours after a call to fetch him has been made. I understand the policy, and agree in theory. But it makes things hard on me to not be able to work with such short notice. I still have not found a place/ person that will watch him while "sick". Besides, my babysitter budget is running out for this month.

I have no classes right now, how could I possibly be stressed out about not being able to work at the office?

Here are the things that demanded my immediate attention today:

1. E-mail from dean of students. A student has too low of a GPA, and will be put on academic probation. Student argues that a grade in my class will be changed as soon as I get the grading done (^%#&^!!!), therefore can't be put on probation.

2. E-mail from colleague running the summer school I will be participating in. Needs my course plans and description asap.

3. E-mail from dept'l chair wanting to set up a meeting to look at course evals together.

4. Phone call from local doctor wanting to donate samples to the school, but needs a decision this week.

5. Two phone calls from incoming students / parents. We (faculty!) call prospective students to help recruit them, and I did my calling last night. These students wanted to know about the status of their application for a program in which they have applied. This is info I don't have privy to, and will take communication with my other colleagues to solve for the incoming students. Moreover, I called these students from the admissions office last night (there was a "calling party") and don't have their numbers to call them back. More interdepartmental communication required to solve that problem.

So I felt a bit stressed about bringing the Boy into work for a few hours today, and he was in his finest form- very active and curious- making sure that he could not be left to play quietly while I got work done. Luckily, we have some animals around the science center that made HIS visit a particularly exciting one. He got to feed the chickens and was completely thrilled with his adventure. He even ended up clucking back at them several times. BOK! BOK!

So I went into work with boy for about 3 hours and got perhaps 20 minutes of work done. The rest of the time, we were having 19-month-old fun in Mommy's office and science building.

No Thanks for the Memories

Does every department have a forceful reminiscer?

Maybe you know of this common departmental character. A professor emeritus (or emerita), who comes in to "work" to hang out and socialize. This person will spend long stretches of time in the lunchroom (or any common area) engaging anyone in conversation who enters the area.

This person will direct the conversation relatively forcefully to "the good ol' days" in 600 milliseconds or less. They can not be dissuaded from the subject of the "good ol' days", despite your best polite efforts. Sometimes you hear the same story twice.

The "good ol' days" were always superior, no matter what the subject. Dr. Emeritus Reminiscer is not interested in your alternative hypotheses. And, he will keep talking to you as you walk out the door.

Refrigerator Humility

Here at SRU (a pseudonym) the entire Science Center shares a lounge, with a refrigerator and a big table, where many gather to eat for lunches. Its very collegial.

As in EVERY other workplace with shared resources, we have petty little conflicts regarding 'fridge etiquette. We don't eat each others' stuff, but we do leave stuff in there for decades, forcing the secretary to organize a cleanup day, in which only a few participate. This is very typical of everywhere I've worked (at least in the US).

Before fridge clean-up day, space in the fridge can be pretty tight. All those jars of relish that have been in there forever crowd out the cute little lunchboxes carrying the leftovers du jour.

At the bottom of the fridge are the meat and veggie crispers, one of which I marked as mine with tape sometime last year: "PUI Prof's drawer". Well, aparently this caused some consternation, especially in the math department, populated with folks just slightly higher on the Aspie scale than the rest of us. One says to me, "How can you do that?!?! I could just take some tape and mark on the outside of the fridge door 'Aspie Math Prof's fridge', then would you be expected to respect my space?"

Ok, Fine. I came up with some lame neutralizing reply, laughed with him, but continued to claim my drawer until this morning when the fridge was found completely empty. Apparently the cleaning lady- at the behest of the secretary- just chucked everything and cleaned the 'fridge. She removed my tape, too.

So I took my tape and a sharpie and made a new sign: "With your permission, PUI Prof's Drawer" and then re-populated my turf. That should do it.