This post was supposed to be about making online classes personal. That will have to wait until another time. As I write this, my tolerance level is at an all time low. Students are asking me questions as if they are in 6th grade, not college level.
I do not know about anyone else, but sometimes my tolerance and patience level goes WAY DOWN. When I get the same excuse over and over again, or things like “I am just now being able to read my e-mails”. Whatever it is, I sit at my computer and shake my head.
I find keeping my patience and tolerance after years of teaching is one of the most challenging thing. We all love the bright, disciplined student that gets their work in on time, or early; responds to all e-mails, discussions, and the like. What about the others? The ones that drive us crazy?
Students are our customers. They all need to be treated with respect and courtesy. The challenge for me it to keep my cool, and not reply with the “snippy” answer that I want to send. Examples:
Did you follow the directions?
Can’t you read the lecture notes?
Do you realize how much time and effort I put into this class to provide helpful notes?
Instead, I sit back, and take a deep breath before responding to a student. I cannot take out my frustration on the next person with a problem just because they are the 15th one of the day.
My frustration is at an all time high this week. I look forward to others comments. Mary
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Hi Mary, I'm actually not frustrated this week, although I can definitely relate to that. One thing I've found useful is to add in links to the Student Wiki in several places in my course. I try to encourage them to go there first for technical help and/or access the Help Desk so that their questions to me are related to course content. It doesn't always work, but I don't seem to get as many of the "I can't read my emails" messages.
ReplyDeleteAnd the Peach Cobbler looks yummy! Too bad we don't have scratch and sniff with our blogs!
Holly DB
I feel your pain, Mary. You are right to "take a deep breath" before replying. I have a set of "canned" email responses that have been carefully crafted for just such incidents.
ReplyDeleteA walk in the garden relaxes me, too.
:-)
- Dave Trott