Day 10 - Governor Newsom imposes new restrictions

Students…

Wednesday. 11/25/20

7:00 – 7:30 - I had to wake up a little earlier than usual this morning because I have three classes and need to post the Discussion Board for each one. I lay in bed for a few more minutes…ok, I’m up. I go downstairs and greet the dog.  She’s still asleep, so I rub her tummy until she’s awake.  Outside, and she pooped on the patio so I have to clean it.  The dog goes potty and back inside we go: bacon for her, hot water with a slice of lemon for me. I go to work.

7:30-11:00 – I have to think a little harder before I come up with a sign-in prompt for these lectures.  The students have to answer a question in order to “sign in” on the Discussion Board and it takes longer than I expected.  I check course content and make sure all the components are there.  Good to go and I post the three Discussion Boards at 8:30 sharp.

Because I have THREE morning classes at the same time on Wednesdays, emails from students are typically ‘off the hook.’ On Tuesday, a video quiz was assigned; however, as you know, if you read this blog regularly, if a student does not sign in on the Discussion Board, they are technically absent and receive a 0 for all assignments due on that day.  This is in the Syllabus.

Two students did not sign in on the Discussion Board, but thought they could dart onto Canvas, take a quiz, and dart out.  No. 

Today, there are frantic emails from a stupid student, one right after the other, for a total of 6 emails, all sent within a 3-minute period, disputing the score of 0 on the video quiz. The emails were sent Tuesday evening. This morning, I respond to each email, separately, with the same message, which the students are well aware of by now and which is in the Syllabus:  If you don’t sign in on the Discussion Board, you’re absent.  If you’re absent, you could not have possibly completed an in-class quiz. 

Email No. 1 from “stupid student” says he just received my email informing him that he was absent and would be receiving a 0 on the test [this is Tuesday evening at 6:00 p.m. – I sent the email at 10:30 a.m.] He said he took the video quiz, got a 9, and should receive full credit. No.  I respond with the above statement that I mentioned in the previous paragraph.

Email No. 2 says “I’m already having a bad day. Can’t you just give me the points?”  Can you believe that?  I’m having a bad day… Are these students so self-centered that they actually believe someone cares if they are having a bad day?  Newsflash:  nobody cares if you are having a bad day.  Try telling that to an employer! How do these kids navigate life? I respond with the same reply, adding, “I hope you’re having a better day this morning.  However…”

Email No. 3 says, “I had problems with my internet and couldn’t sign in on the Discussion Board.”  I respond with the same reply, adding, “I’m not sure I understand…you were able to take the video quiz, but you weren’t able to sign in on the Discussion Board?” He drops this tactic immediately.

Email No. 4, etc.

Email No. 5, etc.

Stupid student starts emailing me in real time, right now, this morning. He says, “Does that mean I don’t get the points?” Yes, you’re correct. Your score will remain a 0.  You must be incredibly stupid to ask me that question after I’ve addressed it in 5 previous emails. Same reply, but this time I add a P.S. – “This email marks the 6th response I have sent to you concerning this issue.”

Stupid student emails again, whining, “But I did the work.”  No.

 I respond with a lengthy email informing the student that it is not enough to simply log onto Canvas, take a quiz, and leave the platform.  This is a “synchronous” class, which means we meet in real time, every Mon-Thurs, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:05.  If we were meeting in a classroom, and instructors are supposed to treat synchronous classes as if we are meeting in a classroom, you would be expected to arrive in class at 8:30. It is not fair to your fellow students, who signed in at 8:30 (which is pretty early for most people), if you show up at 9:30, take a quiz, then leave. I copy and paste the relevant section from the Syllabus into this email and add a P.S. “This email marks the 7th response I have sent you concerning this issue.”

Stupid student responds, “ok.”  This just took an hour out of my day.

The second student who was absent yesterday emails me that she “overslept, but still completed the work.” No.

 I copy and paste the response I sent to “stupid student.”  The second student emails back immediately, apologizing and saying that she will do better.  “Thank you, R”, I reply.

-I step out, put 8 yams in a pot, and start boiling them.

Back to work:

One of my highschoolers emails me, at 9:30, that he is ‘here’ but could not find the Discussion Board at 8:15.  I’ve had numerous discussions with this student in the past who absolutely refused to sign in on the Discussion Board at 8:30, or at all, for that matter, until I started zeroing out his assignments. I respond, “I find it odd that you are trying to sign in on the Discussion Board at 8:15 when I have been posting the Discussion Board at 8:30 a.m. for the past 14 weeks.  Additionally, if you were having trouble signing in at 8:30, why am I just now receiving an email from you at 9:45?  Class started at 8:30 and you are reporting to class 1 hour and 15 minutes late, which is unacceptable and counts as an absence.  I have marked you absent for this date.” 

The student doesn’t respond, but then he doesn’t have to.  He knows there is no assignment due today – Syllabus shows that it’s a straight lecture – so there is no penalty, no lost points, other than a severe tongue-lashing. The student decided to sleep-in, woke up at 9:30, and lied that he couldn’t sign in on the Discussion Board.  He used the “8:15 a.m. excuse” as a cover-story because he knows that the Discussion Board is NEVER posted at 8:15; therefore, he would be unable to access it.  The fact that class starts at 8:30 and the Discussion Board is never posted prior to that time is of little consequence to this lie.

I’m really close to submitting my resignation.

-I update attendance and the online grade book for my classes. I listen to The Daily.

11:00-11:30 – I make a strawberry, almond butter, avocado smoothie with walnuts.  It’s one of the recipes in my dtox book.

11:30-2:00- I catch up on blog posts.

-L leaves to pick up a charcuterie and cheese board that she purchased.

2:00-3:30 – The yams are done. I make a marshmallow yam dish for tomorrow, then clean the kitchen.

3:30-4:30 – I have some of the chicken soup I made a few days ago and read Wiving. The thing about this detox is that without caffeine or sugar, I’m too tired to do much of anything.  BUT, I guess that’s the point: without caffeine or sugar, I’m too tired to do much of anything which means I’ve been relying on these stimulants to get me through the day instead of the appropriate hours of sleep that my body needs.

4:30-5:30 – I take a nap.

5:30-6:30 – I color my hair and read Wiving while the color sits.

6:30-8:00 – Shower and I make sure the color is completely washed out of my hair. I put on clean pajamas and paint my nails.  I read a Money Diary while my nails dry.

9:00-1:00 – Grade papers. These are the Extra Credit essay assignments for my Core Class at College No. 2. I binge listen to Do No Harm while I’m grading. This is a great series about two families who each have an infant that was injured in a fall.  In family No. 1, the baby accidentally rolled off a lounge chair right before the mom changed his diaper.  In family No. 2, the dad dropped the baby [yeah – you read that correctly – stupid and the judge refers to the father as “Daddy butterfingers”, but that’s besides the point].  Both families are investigated by CPS for child abuse and their children are removed from their homes and put into foster care in what can only be described as an absolute nightmare that goes on for years.  Highly recommend.

-I finish 9 papers.

-L. makes pumpkin bread and creamed corn for tomorrow.

1:00-1:30 – Night time routine. Bed.