I have mentioned it a few times in passing elsewhere, but I teach programming at the local college. These last few terms have been stressful for staff and students both, because it’s all been done by remote. I’m missing lecturing a class in person, though my material has translated well to Zoom calls and the like.
What’s been remarkable about this term has been students thanking me or writing complimentary notes. Some of them have hidden little text files in their assignments for me to discover. One of them thanked me for the term, even as I had to tell him he failed.
I’m really not used to this. It’s been an unusually friendly term. This isn’t to say there isn’t the usual amount of wheedling, cheating, bald-faced lies and casual indifference to good work, because I think as a teacher, that’s as universal a thing as death and taxes.
It’s perhaps mundane, it may not be pointless, but I really did have to share. How’s this four-month chunk of time been for you? I’m interested (let’s call it statistical analysis so I can pretend to be scientific about it) if you’ve had unexpected friendliness.
I’ve commented on this before: I’ve been noticing a steady increase in little courtesies from people. More people waving for another to go through the door first, gestruing that someone else should go in line first, drivers waving to indicate who has priority at an uncontrolled intersection, and so on, with a lot of smiles (even when wearing a mask).
I think it’s a side-effect of social distancing - to make it work, and ensure you stay 2 metres apart in public, there’s a lot of little traffic controls that people have to do, even just walking in a mall. It’s good-natured, with a “we’re all in this together and have to make it work” vibe.
Recently I was breathless, having made a mad kilometer dash because time was short. I was sweaty, gasping for breath, and waiting for an elevator. There was somebody inside and he waved me in anyway.
“I"m not sick,” I was telling him, “just short on breath from running.” He commiserated, we discussed how it was easy to run out of breath from wearing masks, and it was a more earnest conversation than the usual elevator empty pleasantries.
Though I am in Ottawa, and it’s apparently kind of a relatively low-infection island compared to the rest of Ontario. I sort of wonder if that doesn’t also have an impact on it.
I hope you might get a moment’s amusement from contemplating me reading your post and getting to the end wondering what friendly word or phrase has come to an end. So much for skimming…
As a matter of fact, I did. I contemplated playing it hot, decided against that. Tried to think of a word that fit your perception and came up short again.
I also teach college level programming. As in the OP, a few students thanked me for a fun semester.
But I also had to fail a larger number than ever before just because they simply didn’t submit any of their assignments. They had attended every class session so they knew what was due, and were given many reminders. Also more than ever, many of them asked me to extend deadlines. Unfortunately for many it was the last week, and they wanted every assignment reopened so they cram the last week.
I’m kind of relieved in a weird way after reading this. I’ve got a shockingly large failure rate going on, for essentially the same reason as you: students were not handing in things. My failure rate quadrupled. I’ve had some very bright students get through, and that’s pleasing, but some remarkably casual indifference to doing the required work as well.
I don’t want to bore people with the usual Professor’s Blues (and surely you know the lyrics) when I was hoping to focus on the positive a little.