Help me with this please!

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Help me with this please!

by Sspil

Jan 8, 2010

I am an adjunct teaching a physics class at my local community college. This will be my second semester. I have a student that needs my class, but it conflicts with another class that she also needs for her degree. She can make my lab class, but not any of the lectures. She asked if I could teach her the material outside of class. I told her no, that I didn't think that was possible, but she emailed the head of the department and he told her that "whatever we work out is fine with him". Right.

I'm not sure what to do here. I don't feel it's fair to ask me to reteach my curriculum to one student outside of class. They pay me very little as is. I don't think it's ethical to ask for "tutoring" money from this student outside of normal tuition for a class where I'm giving the grade. I want to be accommodating, but on the other hand I don't want to be taken advantage of. I am considering the option of having her hire a different tutor/instructor to teach her the material, and I wil...See More

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Another Adjunct It is amazing how students as well as administrators have changed over the 20 years I have been teaching! The current entitlement attitude is alive & well in your student. It is absolutely fine for you to refuse to teach this student individually unless 1) you want to do so AND 2) you are paid for your time. Let the department head work out tho...See MoreIt is amazing how students as well as administrators have changed over the 20 years I have been teaching! The current entitlement attitude is alive & well in your student. It is absolutely fine for you to refuse to teach this student individually unless 1) you want to do so AND 2) you are paid for your time. Let the department head work out those details, but get any agreement in writing. If you put it back in the dept head's hands, you're likely to hear no more about it!

I was once asked to teach a student individually by a dept head who told me only that the student needed some "extra" help. Before I gave an answer, I contacted the instructor of the class this student was coming from. Turns out, the (male) student PHYSICALLY THREATENED the (female) instructor! So instead of suspending the student, Administration's solution was to coddle him! My answer was an emphatic "NO!"

I love teaching, and I'm sure you enjoy it as well, but set your standards now because I doubt this will be the only time a student or administrator tries to take advantage of you. It's OK to say no!

On 1/08/10, Sspil wrote: > I am an adjunct teaching a physics class at my local > community college. This will be my second semester. I have > a student that needs my class, but it conflicts with another > class that she also needs for her degree. She can make my > lab class, but not any of the lectures. She asked if I > could teach her the material outside of class. I told her > no, that I didn't think that was possible, but she emailed > the head of the department and he told her that "whatever we > work out is fine with him". Right. > > I'm not sure what to do here. I don't feel it's fair to ask > me to reteach my curriculum to one student outside of class. > They pay me very little as is. I don't think it's ethical > to ask for "tutoring" money from this student outside of > normal tuition for a class where I'm giving the grade. I > want to be accommodating, but on the other hand I don't want > to be taken advantage of. I am considering the option of > having her hire a different tutor/instructor to teach her > the material, and I will work with that person to make sure > it meshes with my curriculum. > > I am interested in your point of view on this. Am I right > in thinking there is a conflict of interest in taking > outside money from this student? Is it fair to say no, I > don't want to teach her outside of class for free?

Jan 8, 2010

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bernoulli On 1/08/10, Sspil wrote: > I am an adjunct teaching a physics class at my local > community college. This will be my second semester. I have > a student that needs my class, but it conflicts with another > class that she also needs for her degree. She can make my > lab class, but not any of the lectures. She asked if I > could tea...See MoreOn 1/08/10, Sspil wrote: > I am an adjunct teaching a physics class at my local > community college. This will be my second semester. I have > a student that needs my class, but it conflicts with another > class that she also needs for her degree. She can make my > lab class, but not any of the lectures. She asked if I > could teach her the material outside of class. I told her > no, that I didn't think that was possible, but she emailed > the head of the department and he told her that "whatever we > work out is fine with him". Right. > > I'm not sure what to do here. I don't feel it's fair to ask > me to reteach my curriculum to one student outside of class. > They pay me very little as is. I don't think it's ethical > to ask for "tutoring" money from this student outside of > normal tuition for a class where I'm giving the grade. I > want to be accommodating, but on the other hand I don't want > to be taken advantage of. I am considering the option of > having her hire a different tutor/instructor to teach her > the material, and I will work with that person to make sure > it meshes with my curriculum. > > I am interested in your point of view on this. Am I right > in thinking there is a conflict of interest in taking > outside money from this student? Is it fair to say no, I > don't want to teach her outside of class for free?

If the chair will create a new, separate section and pay you, then go ahead. She is a whimp and dumped it back on you so you would look like the lackey.

Otherwise, don't do it!!! Say it is your policy not to teach outside of class because it affects your ability to do take care of your full class.

I have a few policies I learned the hard way:

1. Don't let students take a Final exam a second time if they fail the first time. 2. Don't add a student to a class unless there is a seat in the room for them. 3. Don't let a student audit a class with the understanding they will enroll later and you can give them the grade then. 4. Don't give a student an incomplete unless they meet the requirements for an incomplete according to school policy.

90% of the time these situations don't work out and sap your time. These are students who are used to begging and getting what they want.

Here is a side note: The worst students I have had in my classes are the ones who begged to be added and wore me down to let them in.

Sometimes when a student asks me for something special, I look up their transcript on-line and that usually tells me what kind of person I am dealing with. Low GPA or lots of "Withdrawals" is a bad sign.

Jan 8, 2010

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Say NO! nfm On 1/08/10, Sspil wrote: > I am an adjunct teaching a physics class at my local > community college. This will be my second semester. I have > a student that needs my class, but it conflicts with another > class that she also needs for her degree. She can make my > lab class, but not any of the lectures. She asked if I > could tea...See More

Jan 9, 2010

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SSpil Thanks everyone for your posts/opinions. The way I ended this was to tell the student she needs to hire an outside tutor to teach her the lecture material. It will be over and above the cost of class tuition. Our college doesn't have any provision for registering as an independent study for this. I told her I could not be her tutor because I felt t...See More

Jan 11, 2010

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Leah I just have to grow a > backbone and start pushing back.

YES! You have been give some great advice.

Best wishes

Feb 6, 2010

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