It drives me crazy how easily students give up when they are given a challenging task. They either roll over or refuse to do the task or whine and complain about how stupid the task is. They are not willing to try or even to THINK.
Case in point. I covered LB's Financial Analysis class. The students were given an assignment to help them get started on their research paper. The assignment was to be completed using the computer. It asked the student about certain resources and why those resources would be helpful with their paper.
Well this one student just threw her hands up in the air, stating that it was too hard and she was not going to do the assignment because she did not know what a particular word meant. I suggested that she Google the word. But that was just too hard for her. She asked if I could do it for her. My response was "Your hands seem to be working properly. I think you can handle this." She let out a heavy sigh and went back to work.
I guess she was afraid that if she thought out the problem, her brain would explode.
About Me
- Seeking Solace
- I am a college professor who is fumbling through the chaos of academia, rheumatoid arthritis, working on my PhD and just being a 40 something woman. I used to be a lawyer, which made me a snarky little person. I have a wonderful Husband and a German Shepherd named Junior. They help keep me sane.
Paws to Consider
My Sister's Keeper
2 comments:
I get the same thing. They give up without a fight. They don't even try! As soon as it gets tough, they quit.
Also, I get the thing where they won't do something because they don't understand the word. I ask them what the dictionary said when they looked it up, and they think that I have lost my mind. They won't work a problem because the density of some material isn't given. I tell them to look in their chemistry book, or in their lab manual. They, again, look like I've lost my mind.
I don't get it.
I've had more than a few students expect me to give them a list of difficult words and their meanings. Problem is that I don't see the words as difficult --- so MY list is useless.
Of course, some of our fellow profs don't help this problem. I had a debater whose Speech teacher told him not to use such big vocabulary words.... aargh.
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