tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post3885999191679415664..comments2024-03-14T04:53:49.513-05:00Comments on FemaleScienceProfessor: The Cowardly ProfessorFemale Science Professorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15288567883197987690noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-51267432008140420572008-05-01T16:16:00.000-05:002008-05-01T16:16:00.000-05:00Thanks...Cal TelArticlesThanks...<BR/><BR/>Cal Tel<BR/><A HREF="http://article.ezedir.com" REL="nofollow">Articles</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-73100186548594277392008-01-22T22:11:00.000-06:002008-01-22T22:11:00.000-06:00I teach C++ programming at an urban university. I ...I teach C++ programming at an urban university. I point out to the students in my introductory course that there's nothing I'm teaching that isn't in the book, or available online, or in one of any number of introductory C++ books available in any number of fine bookstores. (My explanations may be a little different, I use different examples, but all the material's there.) So why are they paying for the course? <BR/><BR/>They're paying for the right to ask me questions. To come by during office hours (or pretty much any other time, I try to keep an open door) and get the best explanation I can give them. To have me go over something again in class. For help troubleshooting their programs when it's not going right. To attend the weekly outside-of-class review sessions I hold. And to get their work evaluated, with feedback, and a summary evaluation (in the form of a grade) as to the overall quality of that work at the end of the semester. <BR/><BR/>If they choose not to take advantage of all that--it's probably going to be reflected in the quality of their work. There's not a lot I can do about that. Other than saying "Horse, here's some water" several times. <BR/><BR/>If they'd recognized you and asked for help--that's a different question. If they all had their notes with them and were comparing with the text, trying to work something out, I may have been more willing to step up. <BR/><BR/>But at some point, students have to learn to take advantage of the resources they have. If they're not going to class or asking questions, then they're making a decision to teach themselves. By all means, let them. Shielding them from the natural consequences of their own decisions isn't doing them any favors. <BR/><BR/>If a student is putting forth an effort, I'll do whatever I can to help them understand. But when I'm working harder at it than the student, I'm not being helpful. <BR/><BR/>Gah, I sound like a grumpy old man. I'm not always like this, honest... ;)KCProgramrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02629904132331025556noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-3225504621443583492008-01-19T07:05:00.000-06:002008-01-19T07:05:00.000-06:00Perhaps y'all are looking at this the wrong way. ...Perhaps y'all are looking at this the wrong way. Perhaps - this is an opportunity for enhancing student-professor action. It doesn't need to be publicized as a new service ... but what if on some sort of rotating basis professors JUST HAPPENED to be hanging out in the various lounges and cafes around campus. The stigma of going to the professors office is lessened, and information can actually be shared ... and people may actually realize that learning the information in and of its self is a cool thing ...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-41798132771174863672008-01-18T00:37:00.000-06:002008-01-18T00:37:00.000-06:00Don't feel bad. They don't go to class. They deser...Don't feel bad. They don't go to class. They deserve the bad grades they're going to get. <BR/><BR/>I tend to be overly enthusiastic and interrupt confused people by offering help. I tend to do this so early in overhearing the conversation that I would have jumped in at 'clueless', before they got to (ungrateful lazy whiny bastards from the sound of it!). <BR/><BR/>I've done this on more than one occasion. Sometimes I get a sincere thank-you, and sometimes I sense that they think I'm a freaky geek and would I please just go away and shut up. <BR/><BR/>When it's the former, it makes my day; when it's the latter, I always regret having bothered because it takes more than a day to shake off that yucky feeling. <BR/><BR/>You can't help everyone all the time, and you need to let go of the guilt. I know it's easier said than done, but I don't think this is a case of brave vs. cowardly. I think this has to do with extraordinary, inhuman generosity of spirit. <BR/><BR/>There are only a handful of people who would ever go out of their way to help students despite hearing what you heard, and they have names like Gandhi, Mother Teresa...Ms.PhDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06542602867472447035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-57672029924137736682008-01-17T04:28:00.000-06:002008-01-17T04:28:00.000-06:00I agree entirely with the comments that say don't ...I agree entirely with the comments that say don't help. I'm a grad student who has dealt with numerous undergrads who show newer ways, it seems, of hating learning in any form.<BR/><BR/>That having been said, it might have been useful for you to give help just to talk to them and find out more about them. They weren't exactly spending their time productively anyway. Anything that helps professors deal with the attitude these students expressed, I think, is a good thing - you wouldn't have had to confront the students, even if you found yourself ultimately disgusted by them.Ashokhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13888023208356336263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-34964583203455384842008-01-17T01:13:00.000-06:002008-01-17T01:13:00.000-06:00You might appreciate this.I used to work at a univ...You might appreciate this.<BR/><BR/>I used to work at a university, but not as a professor. <BR/><BR/>I was in lab one day, and some students came to see me (having got my location from the School Office) to find out what was on the exam. <BR/><BR/>I was working in Engineering, they wanted to know about Geology.<BR/><BR/>I gave a wise-arse answer about rocks that sparkle being my favourites, and then I put it to them they did not go to class. They promised faithfully they had been to every single class, they just wanted to know what would be in the exam.<BR/><BR/>I put it to them that they were fibbing. They denied all.<BR/><BR/>I put it to them they had not gone to even one class. You see, I shared a surname with a professor (different spelling). I said I suspected their fibs as Dr My-last-Name in Geology, was 4 inches shorter than me, had a far better beard, and was a man. I am taller, have no beard and am a woman.<BR/><BR/>They did have the good grace to blush. And then said, "Oh, so we don't have to study gemstones". I don't know! I have nothing to do with it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-65746933316087902792008-01-16T23:13:00.000-06:002008-01-16T23:13:00.000-06:00I could use some graph paper socks.I could use some graph paper socks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-16589607475586130092008-01-16T22:54:00.000-06:002008-01-16T22:54:00.000-06:00...or wear your iPod headphones. ;)I do find it h......or wear your iPod headphones. ;)<BR/><BR/>I do find it hard to ignore confused students (and there are so very many here at LargeU...even on my bus!), but I try to resist interrupting, for the very reasons you outlined.Unbalanced Reactionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13407339711183651108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-16585858467309384192008-01-16T22:00:00.000-06:002008-01-16T22:00:00.000-06:00I liked the duel option.Brats.I liked the duel option.<BR/><BR/>Brats.sandy shoeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05617376664356510015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-27456165431951115982008-01-16T19:30:00.000-06:002008-01-16T19:30:00.000-06:00I'm an undergrad, and I probably would love if som...I'm an undergrad, and I probably would love if some random professor came up and started talking to me about their area of expertise. I've also given up studying in groups because I'm always the one saying "can we get back to actually studying instead of bitching about everything already?!" <BR/><BR/>With that in mind, I think had you gone up to that group of students, they probably would've let you talk for a bit, feigned interest until you left, and then they'd say "that was weird. Were you listening? No, me either." Just like they do on the few occasions that they go to class. Some people just don't care.Zinjanthropushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15636936601087773977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-21410552068345949002008-01-16T18:37:00.000-06:002008-01-16T18:37:00.000-06:00ECS<---Undergrad here. I think you should have said something. The look on their faces would have been great. Plus, as undergrads we often feel we are just a number and a paycheck, and we are always worried about bothering you guys. So to know that outside of office hours, on your own free time, you were willing to help out probably would have meant a lot :)<BR/><BR/>ECSAlyvia Plummerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06003531604605732353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-22456807929965113872008-01-16T17:49:00.000-06:002008-01-16T17:49:00.000-06:00Graph paper SOCKS? Oh my, and I thought you had to...Graph paper SOCKS? Oh my, and I thought you had to wear one orange and one gray sock. With sandals. Just goes to show how abysmal my fashion sense is. Thanks, FSP!Schlupphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16399256701731431557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-15514562579132717172008-01-16T16:13:00.000-06:002008-01-16T16:13:00.000-06:00I am all for micrographs on articles of clothing, ...I am all for micrographs on articles of clothing, but I just can't get too excited about it until micrographs are incorporated into more feminine attire. I would love a micrograph twin set, for example, or perhaps a silk scarf that would go well with my graph paper hat.Female Science Professorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15288567883197987690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-6938718625456797502008-01-16T16:12:00.000-06:002008-01-16T16:12:00.000-06:00I'm probably an idealist, but I would have talked ...I'm probably an idealist, but I would have talked to them (I'm also not a coward, but perhaps to the point of where maybe I should be.)<BR/><BR/>This is a fantastic opportunity to try to encourage students to display more interest in science. I frequently have students in my classes who don't care and are thinking about dropping the major or how to just get by in the class. Those are some of the students that I direct the most energy at. People skip class for many reasons, Sometimes it is a drunken binge, but sometimes they don't get it or don't feel like they belong and reaching out can really help them find the resources they need to succeed or direct them to a major/class that might be more fitting of their interests.<BR/><BR/>Also, I second the comment about telling them if for no other reason than to realize that comments can be overheard and get back to the individual they were directed at. That is a crucial life lesson better learned here than on the job.PhD Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10863651986930363534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-47168906273483838262008-01-16T16:06:00.000-06:002008-01-16T16:06:00.000-06:00I must say the 'nerdy-est' thing I have EVER seen ...I must say the 'nerdy-est' thing I have EVER seen someone wear was a Micrograph TIE from AMS. How fantastic is that!?!?!?<BR/><BR/>Info on the tie: (Is it nerdy I am including this? Don't answer that! LOL)<BR/>"Description: <BR/>The ASM Micrograph tie! A unique combination of Art and Science!<BR/>This micrograph won second place in the artistic microscopy class in the 2003 International Metallographic Contest. It was submitted by Brian Rose, ArvinMeritor Columbus Technical Center. The image shows an as-cast weld deposit of a 409 stainless steel joint, exhibiting large columnar ferrite grains with martensite occurring at the grain boundaries. The original photograph was at a 100x magnification with bright-field illumination. The sample was etched with potassium disulfite, sodium thiosulfate, and hydrochloric acid in water.<BR/>100% silk"<BR/><BR/>Check it out here: http://asmcommunity.asminternational.org/portal/site/ASM/AsmStore/ProductDetails/?vgnextoid=2c63d76d35af3110VgnVCM1000000e1e010aRCRDAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-36319266706648159732008-01-16T15:57:00.000-06:002008-01-16T15:57:00.000-06:00I'm sure I'd be different now, but here is how und...I'm sure I'd be different now, but here is how undergraduate me would have thought about it (in real time!):<BR/><BR/>Wow, I'm mortified that FSP just overheard me mocking another professor. She's going to think that this accurately represents my feelings about my other professor. But its not true, I really like most of my professors, including this one. I just think he/she is funny, and sometimes I say harsh things about him/her to mask the fact that I feel like a slacker (as haley already said). I feel like a slacker because I want to *really* understand this stuff but I don't always put in enough time to *really* understand it, and I'm frustrated with myself because of that.<BR/><BR/>But I guess since FSP still came over, she must not think I'm a complete waste of education. Actually, she just heard me at my stupidest - completely not understanding the concepts. Wow, now I have no pretense of intelligence in front of her. This is great! I can ask her my most ridiculous and stupid questions now. And she can steer me around these ridiculous and stupid roadblocks in my mind. This is great!...but I can never take a class with FSP in the future.<BR/><BR/>Now, here is how cynical grad student me thinks about it: I doubt that anyone who can legitimately answer this question from the "average undergrad" point of view is reading FSP's blog. Also, those kids needed to struggle if they ever hope to learn anything.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-72214953078601906902008-01-16T15:52:00.000-06:002008-01-16T15:52:00.000-06:00I can probably guess which science class the stude...I can probably guess which science class the students were carping about. For me, it's rather disappointing (but all too common) that a student would (a) enroll in a class they have no interest in, and (b) do not set their professional standards higher than "doing the minimum" to get by, if that. (Especially if someone is paying up to $50,000 a year for the opportunity.) Hating the classes you selected and taking no pride in your work are a recipe for failure both in school and in life. Very few challenges in life can be overcome by disinterest and minimum effort. Unless mummy, daddy or spouse are willing to support them into adulthood, they might start practicing saying "Want fries with that?"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-61383271310281161762008-01-16T14:00:00.000-06:002008-01-16T14:00:00.000-06:00I'm an undergrad and my first reaction to this was...I'm an undergrad and my first reaction to this was to say "don't help them." I'm still in that camp... <BR/><BR/>If those students you overheard were struggling because they had done the minimum amount of work, then they should suffer the consequences of their actions. <BR/><BR/>I was once the "do the minimum" kind of student and I got pulled out of school. I learned a lot from it...I eventually went back with a very different attitude. Maybe those students aren't ready to learn science. Maybe they're just ready to learn about responsibility and hard work.<BR/><BR/>Anyway...my math professor wore a graph paper shirt on the first day of class. I wouldn't have noticed if it weren't for your blog :)Amandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01477707480338232435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-37450500165629489282008-01-16T13:51:00.000-06:002008-01-16T13:51:00.000-06:00(I'm an undergrad)I think you definitely should ha...(I'm an undergrad)<BR/><BR/>I think you definitely should have helped them! After all, we're in college to learn, and your job as a professor is to share your knowledge. Who cares if they were bad-mouthing their professor? They were probably doing it just because they're mad at themselves for slacking off. When slackers get into groups they tend to feed off each other anyway to make themselves feel better about doing poorly. <BR/><BR/>Next time I would help them. As a student (and a slacker, I admit), I would really appreciate a random professor making such a bold move to help me out when I'm not even her student. I think that would be really cool.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-37495193237724926072008-01-16T13:36:00.000-06:002008-01-16T13:36:00.000-06:00You know, I bet there's a way to sell graph-paper ...You know, I bet there's a way to sell graph-paper hats on the internet somewhere.Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738706550175991130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-22372238769227165932008-01-16T13:18:00.000-06:002008-01-16T13:18:00.000-06:00Graph paper shirts are so 2007. I have moved on to...Graph paper shirts are so 2007. I have moved on to graph paper hats and socks, but I'm not going to throw out my graph paper shirts because I think they will be back in style again soon, maybe even by the next big conference.Female Science Professorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15288567883197987690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-74490327230814302732008-01-16T13:13:00.000-06:002008-01-16T13:13:00.000-06:00THIS is something I'm all too familiar with...It h...THIS is something I'm all too familiar with...<BR/><BR/>It have this tendency to help those struggling with science or math. <BR/><BR/>What I have learned is rather simple... Those who really want to learn, will find a way...They will at least seek out help...<BR/><BR/>Those not willing to look for help ussually don't want the information or knowledge enough to work for it.<BR/><BR/>You did the right thing... Although, the duel was not a bad idea except that you were outnumbered.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-41858636252379842352008-01-16T12:56:00.000-06:002008-01-16T12:56:00.000-06:00I think I would have butted in, told the students ...I think I would have butted in, told the students who I am, and asked if they wanted help. They would be shocked, sure, and perhaps experience a moment of cognitive dissonance, but that's good for people occasionally.<BR/><BR/>Also, FSP, from now on you should wear your graph paper shirt when you work at the student union!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-69033589138448174952008-01-16T11:17:00.000-06:002008-01-16T11:17:00.000-06:00I have to wonder if students like that would reall...I have to wonder if students like that would really be embarrassed if they knew you heard them. I am a TA lab instructor, and my students always bitch openly, without shame, to me about the professor. Maybe it's different, because technically I'm a student, too, so they think I'm on 'their side,' but obviously they want their complaints (unfounded or not) to be known. <BR/><BR/>That said, I wouldn't have helped them and I definitely wouldn't have felt guilty about it. Let them suffer.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-78912906769537532342008-01-16T10:46:00.000-06:002008-01-16T10:46:00.000-06:00Another undergrad's thoughts:That really does soun...Another undergrad's thoughts:<BR/><BR/>That really does sound more like a venting session than a study session, and they clearly thought that they were alone. I think it would've been awkward and mortifying if you had stepped in. If I had been one of those students, I'd have been too horrified that another All Powerful Professor had heard to concentrate on any sort of studying, probably for the next month.<BR/><BR/>But it is nice to know that profs feel an urge to help. It's always us students that go chasing after the professors, and we're always worried about wasting your time and intruding in your busy schedules. It'd be nice if profs just... well, mingled... more.<BR/><BR/>So if that group of students had been earnestly making an effort in the class, I think it would've been delightful if you had stepped in to help.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com