Thursday, May 08, 2008

The Dance of Lateness has Begun

A student just came in to talk to me (before class, so she gets kudus for that) about turning her final essay in late. I told her I'd accept it, but there would be a grade penalty.

After she left, my office-mate said that he sometimes wondered about what characteristics were common to students throughout the world, and what were specific within a culture, and we both agreed that turning things in late was probably common to all students. And to all professors. And pretty much most every one else.

I should start a quick poll on how many of my students will not be prepared to turn in their essays today.

4 comments:

  1. Well, this makes me feel better about all the conversations I've had with my own students lately ...

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  2. speaking as a mom -- this is how they learn. by screwing up and losing something as a result, but still having a chance for hard work to mean something.

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  3. Hm... are Japanese students more likely or less likely to run in papers late? Some of the cultural issues around how we educate people are fascinating.

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  4. MWAK, The cultural issues are, as you say, fascinating.

    But I've got WAY too small a sample size here to say more than, a few will turn in late papers. In a similar sized class at NWU, a few would turn in late papers. I think there's so much variability within a population of students at either school that getting a sense of averages would be impossible without huge statistical work.

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