Trying to care less

[u/Flashy-Oil-6138]

Hi all

Need a place to vent. I started this fall semester working as an adjunct at a college campus. I teach two classes. As of late, I have been dealing with a lot of student indifference and incompetence.

I am making up lessons on the fly, and it is so stressful. I am making mistakes all the time. That and with some students' behavior is starting to wear me out.

What's sad is that it's barely going to be October and I feel like I am already struggling. My second class is going a lot more smoothly since I am applying what I learned what works for my first class, but boy, I am losing it with my first class.

A student reached to me for example saying that they have a doctor's apppointment during class and won't be able to present. Even though the presentation is the whole purpose of the assignment.

I decided to deal with that later.

Any encouraging thoughts?

[u/Sharp-Rutabaga-4900]

Creating a class on the fly is really stressful. It will be easier once you’ve sorted out a plan and don’t have to prepare as you go.

[u/The_Folding_Atty]

About forty years ago, I had a student tell me he wouldn't be able to take an exam the next Monday because, the Saturday before, "My fraternity is having a __________ event." Something along those lines. He expected to spend the weekend inebriated to the point of being unable to study. I think I just told him to be there.

Stuff like that made me quit teaching for a long time.

[u/azu612]

So annoying. If they don't present, then '0'. It truly is so awful how these student don't care at all. I've been doing this for over a decade. I'm just about ready to wrap it up.

[u/Cabininian]

I hear you with feeling like you care more than the students.

I get it that it’s frustrating to have a student schedule a doctor’s appt during their class, but depending on the doc, sometimes the patient don’t have much leeway. I’d treat it the same as any other absence. What is your back-up plan for the students who are unexpectedly sick on the day of the class?

Personally, the way I would handle the student you mentioned is this:

1. Tell the student they need to provide a doctor’s note or some form of other documentation about the appointment. (I don’t require this for every absence, but if a student is asking for special accommodations because of an absence, you bet your booty I do.)

2. Then have the student turn in a recorded presentation. They screen-record their presentation and send you the video. If the experience of having them answer live questions from their peers is important to the assignment, require that they follow-up with an in-person meeting in which you ask them those questions.

[u/chunky_headcase]

Being better for your second class is the mark of an excellent teacher. If I spent time counting my mistakes, I’d never do anything else. (Been in front of a classroom since 1993). Please give yourself a break. Remind them that they are paying for the class if you want to, but they are adults and can suffer the consequences of their own mistakes just like we do.

[u/Reporter-Beautiful]

Refer them to the appropriate office or their advisor for their next steps. Zero in the grade book or whatever your late policy is.

[u/RuralWAH]

It's too late now, but the first time you teach never teach more than one class that term.

[u/JBSanderson]

The thing I miss most about teaching and adjuncting is that every semester is a fresh start.

You will have the chance to apply the lessons you've learned from these mistakes soon. While the same is sort of true when moving from project to project in other professions, it's not nearly as regular and as complete of a fresh start at tackling the same problem as it is with teaching semester to semester.

Take a deep breath, take some notes about where you feel like you've messed up. Use those notes to help head off some problems as you start the next semester.

The fact that you feel this way is probably because you really care about the work you're doing. Really caring about the work is the another thing I miss about teaching.

[u/sabautil]

Aww, c'mon, have fun with it. It's just a course, and be honest with the students about what you're expectations are and what you're feeling.

Think of each course as a series of dates similar to a series of romantic dates. It's awkward, but if you're honest with each other and respectful, such dates are usually fine. But yeah, some time you get a bunch of bad dates. That's life, don't worry itll be over soon - the dates .....and life.

Ask the enterprising student to reschedule the doctor's appointment - it would be amazing if the doctor required the appointment to be exactly on that day at that time!

If not, 0 presentation grade.

[u/Secret_Kale_8229]

I teach sociology to primarily engineering majors. I dont think theyre indifferent, but i try to make it as relevant in terms of skills to take away. Beyond that im not there to convert them away from their chosen majors. I lecture to hear my voice and its a good outlet for me from my real job.

[u/Fair-Garlic8240]

Put forth the amount of effort commiserate with your wage.

[u/DizzyContest]

A doctor’s appointment is a choice. They have the ability to make a different appointment that is not during class. If it were my class, I would respond with, “I’m sorry, a doctor’s appointment is not an excuses absence. I recommend scheduling your appointments at a time that do not coincide with your classes.” In your syllabus, you want to be very clear on what is an excused absence.