That would be me. Gah. I insulted someone without realizing, and now that I realize it, I don't quite know how to bring it up to apologize. I think I need to straight up apologize.
***
And then I had a student come in to office hours who smells strongly of tobacco. I didn't say anything (because despite tenure, I retain vestigal social skills).
Then in class, the lit mentioned something about cigarettes in a rather negative way.
And I couldn't help wondering if the tobacco student felt pointed out in a negative way.
I didn't choose the lit with that in mind (the cigarette thing is one line among many, noticable), and I don't tend to think about how tobacco users smell when I'm writing up a syllabus. And maybe other people don't notice tobacco smell as much as I do. (And then, of course, more than one student in the class smokes. I just noticed the one because of sharing a small space.)
(I really wish students wouldn't smoke, not only for their health, but mostly, utterly selfishly, because talking up close to a smoker tends to make me nauseated.)
I'd have to know more specifics here, but surely you're not responsible when the text says something negative about smoking?
ReplyDeleteI don't take it personally when the text goes after demon rum.
If that's what we're on about, I mean.
Aww. I don't think you're a jerk at all, either about the smoking or the other thing (impulse to apologize proves it!). Blech, smoke. I used to work in an office with a ton-a-day smoker. He always went outside to smoke, but using the *telephone* after him was just awwwful.
ReplyDelete