| Math rule 5: We don't have time for that.Again, to avoid the stink of hypocrisy, I must admit that I was not the best student in college.I often blew off homework.It was not because I did not have time to do it, I simply did not take time to do it, and often only suffered slightly for my laziness.Circuits burned - nay, crucified me - for that, but I learned from my mistake... the third time, anyway.After acing round three of circuits, I still loathed homework, but I was also well aware that if you don't get it, you need to work until you do.I try to pass on that tidbit of knowledge to my students, but it doesn't stick.I had a student tell me today that she was planning to drop my class.(She had just finished a make-up test for the algebra portion of the class, whereon she applied the math rule that allows subtraction to work on factors.)She complained that we covered too much material too quickly, and backed up her opinion by pointing out that we generally only do one example of a certain type of problem in class...Her: We only do one problem, and then you move to something else, you know... it would help to see more.Me: That is why the guy that wrote your book put practice problems at the end of each section.You should do them.Her: We're in the military.We don't have time for that.Me to myself: LOLOLOLOLOLOL rofl LOLOLOLOLMe to her: You're a college student struggling in your class.You'd better make time for it.She was rather unhappy with my response, but unfotunately for her, it is too late to drop the class, and she is stuck.I am also not normally that abrupt with my students, but she had previously asked me about extra credit work, and in my experience, that only comes from people who can't be bothered to do the work you ask them to do in the first place.No extra credit...We don't have time for that. |
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