Today I received my first "Yo Professor!" email of the semester*, had a student sitting in my office providing an unsolicited out-of-the-blue trashing of some colleagues, and, during the meeting, had a student who I've never seen before just walk in to my office asking to borrow a stapler.**
Last week another female STEM professor and I were walking down the street and a car of young men drove past and started honking and shouting. And another almost-student posted very bizarre ethnic and racial slurs online.
I think we need R. Lee Ermey to give the opening speech at orientation, whoever is doing it now is clearly too much of a softie.
Apparently it's not just me having fun encounters with students this week! Must be all the crazy weather.
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(*) Actually, at least he called me Professor instead of Mrs., or, worse, Mr. (That gender confusion happened last week, actually. "I'd really like to talk to Dr. FCS about his research program.")
(**) Ok, so it's Labor Day, so maybe the main office was closed. But it seems to me he could have knocked. And left when he saw another student was in my office. And, apologized and/or left when I growled and scowled. @Piggie(Oh, Ermeyyyyyyyyyy).
Okay, I just had to comment on the stapler: when I taught last year, my office was directly across from one of the three networked copier/printers in the building (one on each floor; the dept. office is in another building). Before each class, a line of students would be next to the copier, printing out last-minute coursework. EVERY day, I got at least two of the following:
ReplyDelete1) Gotta stapler?
2) Gotta pen?
3) This thing is out of paper. Can you refill it?
4) This thing won't print. Can you fix it?
Because of budget cuts, the university took away the stapler that used to be chained to the copier, and paper/ink was refilled only once a month (students and faculty were advised to buy their own paper in the interim - an out-of-pocket expense for faculty). [I couldn't close the door, unfortunately. I was on campus 3 days a week, but was required to have 8 hours of office hours, so if I wasn't teaching, I was holding office hours. And at least I had an office.]
One assumes/hopes that you have a Red Swingline stapler?
ReplyDeleteAnon, I actually don't have a Red Swingline, but I've considered it!
ReplyDelete