Friday, August 28, 2015

Frivolous Friday

What kind of professor gives a reading quiz during the first week of classes? Not to mention requiring written homework in just about every class, even in the first week! Who does that?

Guilty as charged. I know the first week is fluid: students are still figuring out their schedules, so some are bound to drop my class while others may add. If I require real work during the first week, those students will start my class already behind.

But that's not stopping me. I refuse to spend a week doing meaningless stuff for the benefit of those who add the class late; learning starts on the first day, which means reading and writing start on the first day and anyone who starts class a week late will be a week behind on some real work. 

Including that reading quiz. On a Friday. In the first week of class. (Yes, I am a despicable human being.)

Gee whiz--a quiz!
On Friday, too!
This really is
too much! Boo hoo!

I'm barely here!
I'm still in flux!
I don't know how
to get my ducks

in order! I can't
think or write
on Friday--I've
been up all night! 

I'm sick! I'm tired!
I'm overwrought!
I can't recall
what I've been taught!

There's just no way
I can perform!
(The Friday quiz:
a perfect storm.)

2 comments:

Bardiac said...

I think it's smart, and good, because it gets students involved and invested in the course right away, and that's good!

Bev said...

That's the goal. It also scares away a few students, but then they have to go find another section of the required class and they start off behind. But not my problem, right?