Teachable Moments

— Matthew Henry Hall

Matthew Henry Hall is a cartoonist and writer, living in Flagstaff, Ariz. Matthew would be gosh darned tickled if you visited his Web site: www.matthewhenryhall.com.

Comments

Thank you, Matt. I have a two-ton Mommy coming to my office today to tell me that her sweetie should pass my class, even though she’s done no work at all—zero—and missed 6 out of 14 classes, because she has such a hard life. I think I’m going to post this prominantly.

Judith, at 8:20 am EDT on March 21, 2008

humor in some ways

Although I do see the humor here, as an academic advisor (and ex-instructor) I also see the sharp side. Too often, our office, tasked with undeclared students, works with students who cannot find their faculty advisors during advertised office hours or whose advisors tell them to see us instead of working with the students. Too often, faculty cannot be bothered to complete midterm evaluation forms for first year students (sent to students and their advisors) because they are “too busy.” Too often, faculty clamor for administrative corrections to their advising mistakes while decrying the excuses students make for making administrative errors like missing deadlines.

So the instructor part of me laughs at this cartoon; the advisor part of me cringes.

theron, at 8:50 am EDT on March 21, 2008

Fees have been the wave of the future

Bravo, you have said what I have been thinking for several years. Coming from a region where the litany of the legislators is no tax increases but raise user fees, this is a reform long overdue.

KEL, at 11:35 am EDT on March 21, 2008

hourly rates

Hey, I’ll listen to student complaints at that rate of pay. That would be about a $20 per hour pay raise.

Jodi, faculty, at 9:25 pm EDT on March 21, 2008

Two-ton Mommy?

Judith,I hope you’re not describing someone with a weight/obesity problem. Obviously you’re describing a Helicopter Parent, a recently evolved parasite which troubles instructors. If she has a weight problem, it probably isn’t related, and bringing it into the description is not helpful.

Karen, grad student / department evangelist, at 6:20 am EDT on March 23, 2008