TILT # 37 - Be accountable
- Dreamer
- Mar 12, 2021
- 3 min read
In the last few months, I have heard young adults/students lament about a host of things. Here are some examples:
Scenario A:
Student: My professor/ teacher doesn't do any teaching in our Zoom classes. They just put up readings online, set up quizzes or assignments but do nothing in class to explain the concepts so nobody knows how to do anything.
Me: Did you ask questions for clarification in class?
Student: No
Me: Why not?
Student: One or two people ask questions but the answer doesn't make sense.
Me: Did you ask for further clarification for what doesn't make sense?
Student: No.
Me: Why not?
Student: .....(silence)...
Me: Did you go see your teacher during drop-in hours?
Student: No
Me: Why not?
Student: What's the point? I don't even know what I don't know, so how can I ask?
Me: ......(silently going WTF in my head)... Well, how about having an honest and respectful conversation with your teacher and tell them you have trouble making sense of things. Make a shortlist of exact sections where you feel lost and try conversing with your teacher. Sometimes, the best learning is during one-on-one drop-in hours with your teacher.
Student: I don't have time for that.
Me:.... (Homer Simpson facepalm moment in my head, biting my tongue)
Scenario B:
Student: I can't do this learning online thing. I can't focus. It's hard to read things digitally. I can't remember from one page to another.
Me: There are workshops offered to help students with these challenges. These are real hardships right now for many students. I understand. Here's the link to some great workshops. Check them out and register. There's an interesting one soon that talks about the "best online learning hack".
A few days later...
Me: (30 mins before the workshop) ...Did you sign up?
Student: Which one was it?
Me: I sent you the link and I just reminded you 30 minutes ago when I double-checked its availability.
Student: .... checks link.....points to "The class is now full. Registration is closed"
Me: Why didn't you action this a few days ago when I offered the help? And half an hour ago when I mentioned it again, why didn't you take action? It was still opened then.
Student: So I'm supposed to feel bad now?
Me: You said you were in difficulty. I sent you suggestions to help yourself. You did not help yourself with the help that was available. Is it now only the institution's fault for how you are coping with online learning?
Scenario C:
Student: My teacher sucks. He's not teaching anything. The class average is 40%. Nobody understands a thing. One of my classmates was the top student in Physics at high school.
Me: Is there anybody you can speak to at the college who can guide you in getting the help you need?
Student: I don't know.
Me: What about the First Year's Students department? I heard it is their mandate to help students make a seamless transition into college and assist with anything else that might come up.
Student: I don't know. I don't have time for that.
Me: You know there are peer tutoring sessions, right? Have you checked that out?
Student: No.
Me: What are you waiting for?
Student: .... (silence)
Scenario D:
Student: I'm depressed.
Me: There are mental health and wellness people at your school that can help. Check out these amazing workshops (sends link) and here is the contact info of people you can talk to (psychologists, counsellors, etc) ...
Student: ... (no response)
Sometime later....
Student: I'm still depressed. I'm dropping a course (5 weeks to finals)
Me: Did you check out the resources I sent you?
Student: No.
Me: There IS help out there. I can guide you there but I cannot force you to take the final step. IF there is help out there, why do you keep living like there isn't?
Scenario E:
After multiple reflective logs, students continue to indicate stress from online learning but only 20% of students acknowledged feedback given had included references to resources the university provides. Various studies about what students do with feedback offer a very disappointing discovery about the impact of feedback from feedback "often not read at all (Hounsell, 1987) or not understood (Lea & Street, 1998)", or being thrown out if the student did not like the grade (Wotjas,1998).
So.....maybe I am the meanest parent/ teacher/ teaching assistant (TA) ever but after offering feedback and help by way of highlighting where resources can be found, and STILL that help is not actioned, what else can I do? In the meantime, some of these young people have time to play video games and chat with their friends online.
I guess I just need to stand back and let nature do its job of teaching.

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