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I didn't know this was a real paper...
Have you ever had a moment in teaching where a student comment left you speechless? The one I remember best occurred when I was a graduate student instructor for an advanced French grammar and composition course.
On the first day of class, I made a point of communicating course goals, as well as my expectations, to my students. I let them know that I took their work seriously, and would hold that work to high intellectual standards.
I was therefore surprised when "Sue" submitted an essay that had all the signs of having been thrown together at the last minute. When I returned her essay, which had received a grade of C-, Sue lost no time in expressing her dismay.
After listening to my detailed explanation, she simply said, "Oh. I didn't know this was a real paper."
What had I done wrong? Had I been unclear in communicating my expectations?
Years later and with a lot more teaching experience under my belt, I realize that I had failed to present this assignment in the context of course goals and expectations.
The more I’m able to do that now, the more students understand that assignments—even small ones—are not "busy work," but opportunities to learn and grow.
—Patricia Armstrong,
Vanderbilt University
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