Trivial incidents that occurred during tutorial classes recently.
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#1
One minute before the presentation of her communication research proposal...
Student A: Miss, I want to inform you that I didn't include the section of 'Literature Review' into the proposal.
Me: Why? Are you planning to just explain it verbally during your oral presentation?
Student A: No, I don't know what is 'Literature Review' and I don't know how to do this, so i didn't include that part.
Me: Do you know that that section occupies 10 marks in total? If you don't include that, I will need to mark you '0' at that section. Why you didn't ask if you don't know since the beginning of the class like week 1? This is week 7 already! You just realised that you don't understand 'Literature Review' few minutes before your presentation? When you start writing your research proposal? This morning?!
Student A: No, not this morning. I started yesterday night...
Me: Have you ever attended my class? I have been teaching you all about this since week 1. I circulated the samples, outlines and important handouts. You witnessed your friends' presentations and heard my comments at all?
Student A: (silent*Looking at me idiotically)
Me: So, how can I help you? What you expect from me? I can't give you any mark if you don't provide this part. You are going to fail in this assignment for sure. Do you want a second chance?
Student A: (silent*Looking like a total retard)
Me: Ok, I will give you one more day for your assignment then. If you are able to submit another complete copy tomorrow morning, before 10.30am, I will mark you solely base on the new one, pretending that I never receive this assignment today.
Student A: (expression changed dramatically) HuuuHHHhhhhhhhhh.... Miss, that means I have to work on it today and then submit it by tomorrow morning?! Too rush!
Me: ... Anyways, if I don't receive anything new from you tomorrow morning, I will mark you according to this proposal and you are going to fail.
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#2
After two oral presentations, I was confirming with the students about the number of presenters and the total number of assignments that I was supposed to receive. Then, suddenly...
Student B: Miss, in fact, I am supposed to present today but I didn't know it until the beginning of today's class so I cannot present or submit anything today.
Me: What?! Why?! What happened?!
Student B: I don't know. My friend never told me about that so I didn't know about that until just now.
Me: This is week 7 already! The sequence and date for presentation was fixed since week 1. Everybody received a copy of the name list at week 2 and now you are telling me that you know nothing about it at week 7, right on the day you are supposed to submit your assignment and do your presentation?!
Student B: I really don't know, my friend never told me. I attended all of your classes...
Me: So it's not your fault for not knowing things that are going on in class, your friends will have to bear the responsibility for not informing you about your own due date for assignment?
Student B: ... Can I present next week?
Me: If you want a second chance, I can only allow you to present at other course's tutorial class as there's a schedule that must be followed. So, next Monday, 8am at this venue, if you were late or don't show up, I will fail you right away.
Student B: Ok...
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#3
Three hours before my next research method class, I was getting the documents ready in my office. Two students were knocking at my door...
Me: Yes, may I help you?
Student C&D: We are coming to see if Miss has time to check our proposal for us, we are not sure about the points that we have included.
Me: Sure. (*start checking, commenting and guiding them in writing their proposals)
Student C&D: So we only have Introduction and research questions right now, the rest of the three chapters we are not sure what to include, can you please give us some guidance?
Me: Sure. (Explaining to them what are the important areas and points that they will have to include and elaborate). You all will have a lot to work on then, when will be your presentation? I hope not this week because you all will need a lot of time to write the following chapters and also make the relevant amendments.
Student C&D: Actually, we will present at Miss' next class, after three hours.
Me: What?! Then how are both of you going to do this? Skip your next class and just simply insert some irrelevant points inside? Why do thing last minute?!
Student C&D: We are going to skip the next lecture for other subject and try to work on this proposal. We have just came back from East Malaysia from Chinese New Year holiday yesterday so was too tired to do assignment yesterday.
Me: (WTF) Good luck and see you all in class then.
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#4
I was sitting in the office, scratching my head hard, thinking about the mid-term test questions at week 9. My cell phone rang, I received a text message --
"Miss, are you free to talk now? I want to tell you that I cannot finish my assignment on time and I think I won't be able to submit the proposal and do the presentation later in class."
Immediately, my heart sank. I was pissed. No reply being sent for that ridiculous message. After one hour, *knock*knock.
Me: Yes, what can I do for you.
Student E: (*looking embaressed) Miss, I sent you a text message a moment ago, have you received it?
Me: Guess so. So what you want to tell me?
Student E: I haven't complete my assignment, I cannot submit it by today and I won't be able to present later in class.
Me: Why?
Student E: Because I do things at very last minute. To be honest, I started writing the proposal only yesterday night and there are a lot of parts and information that I don't get. I cannot do it.
Me: Why you only do it last minute? Your friends do not have this problem, they handed in their assignment before the due date. What's your problem? You been busy with something else lately?
Student E: No, I am not really busy, nothing much going on in my life. My friends are not as lazy as me. I don't know what happens to me this semester, I don't have the mood to study and I cannot focus at all, this is entirely my fault and I can blame nobody. I am a procrastinator and I have to bear the consequence.
Me: Ok, so what you want me to do?
Student E: I wonder if you will allow me to present next week in class? I don't mind if you deduct 50% of my marks because this is my fault. I am just asking for a chance to submit my assignment.
Me: hmmm. Ok, how about that? This coming Thursday I have another research method class. If your time table allowed and you can make it on time, I will allow you to present. I won't make things hard for you by deducting 50% percent of the mark, I don't think you will have a lot of marks for me to minus after all. It sounds fair for you?
Student E: (*hesitates)Yeah, but it doesn't sounds fair for you, Miss.
Me: You are a student, still, so I give you another opportunity. If you are working right now, probably you will get fired. I just want you to not repeating this type of mistake later in life.
Student E: Thanks, Miss...
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Around 4 years of gap in age, but gigantic difference in terms of attitude. Generation gap?! What's the roots of the problem? Parents? Friends? School? Society? Media?
Totally insane!
Though, I kind of like student E in someways, at least he admitted his mistake and showed his regrets. He had the guts to take the responsibility and bear the ramification of his action.
There are hopes, maybe!
