I got a link today about a business professor who allegedly put a student on blast via email. It was an interesting read and I’m ashamed to admit that I found it horrifying and oddly affirming.
The affirmation comes from believing that it is important to have some lines and make some lines clear. While I’ve never quite eviscerated a student the way this guy allegedly did, as a student and instructor I’ve delivered uncomfortable messages to students. I can remember multiple occasions when, as an administrator, I told students I had to advocate for their removal from school. As an instructor, I tell people on a quarterly basis that they are not passing my class. When thinking about this guy’s alleged email, the closest I come to it is when students miss class and ask questions covered well by our textbook. I do have a tendency to ask if they’ve read or gotten notes from peers. If and when they say no, and they usually do, I tell them I’m happy to talk to them after they’ve read the text, but not until then. Call me mean, but I think it’s disrespectful to not do your part and monopolize class time.
The horror comes in how that message was conveyed. I know I can be a hardass, but that message was rough. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t disagree with the general idea, but as much as I laughed as I read it, I also felt for the kid on the receiving end of the email. There are a number of arguments that can be made around entitlement, for students and faculty, and I tend to meet the tone of those with whom I am communicating, but wow… as important as I believe it is for students to understand when they make mistakes and figure out how best to learn from them, I don’t think I could go that far. I may want to for a few minutes before breathing, re-centering, and realizing it’s not about me, but I haven’t and hope I never do.
At the end of the day, this kid was wrong. Not only in his assumption that it would be ok to behave as he did, but I think he should have given a little more thought to writing the prof with light chastisement for sticking to his guns. But the greater wrong, at least from my glorious perspective, is the public trashing this kid got as a result.