Dear Rate Your Students,
I am sorry. I had the hubris. I was feeling smug because I didn't hate any of my students, and I was all "Pssh, RYS and their assumptions and enabling of hatezors. I am above all that." But then I read my email. And now I hate not just one student, but 3. Three!
#1 sent me an accusatory email about the questions on his assignment. The first two questions, he said, are not clear. It is not at all apparent what I am asking for. (Said questions read: "1. Correctly punctuate the following", followed by some items, and "2. What is the rule shown by these examples?") I think they are not clear because he does not know the answer, which is a different issue to the instructions being unclear. I have, in the last few classes, asked if anyone had any questions about the assignment; he has not asked any questions at those times. I respond with a helpful hint, and resist pointing out that he appears to be stupid. He replies, complaining about how he can't seem to get the information he needs from our email exchange and can he come and see me. Today. The assignment is, of course, due at 8 am tomorrow. I hate him.- #2 is a student who was apparently in my class last semester, except I don't know her because she never came to class and never handed in any work. This semester she is not coming either. 8 am is a little early for her. She writes a long email about how she really is working on the material for this class, but can I reschedule it to later in the day, because, really, the time just isn't working. I hate her.
- #3 is also from last semester. She needs an A. She wants to know why, when she was sitting on a B+ and then wrote a crappy final, she did not get an A. Can she come and see me to talk about what I can do? This is a student who at the end of last semester told me how much she enjoyed my class, and how she had learned so much, and she even gave me a thank you card. That happened before she got her grade, and foolish me, I actually felt good about having her in my class. Now she has made me think all her gratitude was just buttering me up. I hate her.
