sucker punch : to punch (a person) suddenly without warning and often without apparent provocation REBEL GIRL has had a good semester thus far, inspired by new texts and new students. She feels challenged and so do her students. It makes for a lively classroom.
At this point in the semester, students are making the necessary progress, some more than others. There are always those who excelled from the beginning and those who have failed to do so. Then there are those who are surprised by their own ability to progress – there's something special about that bunch. In the beginning, Rebel Girl worried they would drop even though she saw their potential, even though they may have failed the first paper. Stay, she counseled, I know you can do it if you manage your time and focus. They stayed –and now, well, many of them are doing more than passing; some are on their ways to earning B's. They discuss writing and critical thinking with an awareness that they admit they lacked 10 weeks ago. When asked, they say, somewhat shyly that they can see their own progress, notice the difference.
Huzzah.
About this time, Rebel Girl queries them about their future classes. Who's taking Writing 2 next semester, she asks. Hands rise. Excellent. She advises them on Writing 180 opportunities, the reading classes and reminds them not to overload themselves.
So yesterday, in consultation with one of those students who is making her own surprised way to a B, Rebel Girl asks, "What are your plans for the Spring?"
"Oh, I'm taking writing," the student says, "but at another college."
"Why?"
"Well, I heard it's easier."
Rebel Girl goes into her standard patter on this subject: "You don't need easy. You don't want easy. You want to be prepared for the university where things are not easy and besides, you're doing WELL. Look at this paper." They stare at the 5 page rhetorical analysis of a poem by Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Hass.
The student is now embarrassed.
"Is this what your friends told you?" Rebel Girl asks.
"Yes," the student says, "but my counselor told me to do it too." She says the word "counslor" with a certain defensive pride.
"Your counselor here? At this college?" Rebel Girl's voice has gone up an octave at this point.
The student nods. She seems uncomfortable so Rebel Girl lets it go. Besides, she knows when she has lost. This student is a fairly reliable witness. She works on the campus. She will, next semester, take all her classes here expect writing. Writing she will take at another college. This on the advice of her academic counselor here, at this college.
Sigh. Big sigh.
Rebel Girl might dismiss this if this was the first time she heard this story. But it isn't.
There's ways to read this story.
One way is that the counselor wants to "help" the student achieve her academic goals and thinks an easy A is the way to do it. That version, of course, insults the smart student, the student that Reb has worked hard to teach the semester. Perhaps the counselor thinks the student isn't as capable as Reb thinks she is.
Maybe the counselor thinks Reb and her colleagues have standards in their writing courses that are higher than necessary, hence the suggestion to move on to another institution where the standards are, uh, different. Reb has certainly heard that one before.
Maybe the counselor wanted to ease up crowded classrooms on campus here on campus. After all, we certainly have seen a rise in enrollment so maybe this is part of some kind of enrollment management strategy.
Maybe the student's narrative isn't as reliable as Reb thinks it is and no counselor ever suggested anything of the sort because he or she would recognize how it undermines our educational mission and so poorly serves our students.
Maybe.
What do you think?
27 comments:
I would doubt the student's version at this time without something much more tangible--it sounds fishy right now.
I do think that there are individuals who counsel some students to take writing classes elsewhere -
You english teachers think too much of yourselves and your classes - that's why they go somewhere else. Who wants to put up with you?
It could be that the student is covering up her own poor decision by placing some blame on the counselor and is lying to Reb (we DO know that SOME students lie) - but all the Reb has to do is ask the student who her counselor is and then go and inquire. It would make for a fine follow-up story.
I can't imagine our counselors advising students to go elsewhere, even for one class - I mean that's terrible.
9:50 - that's the point. no one anymore is willing to work or earn something, and instead expect to have everything handed to them. If these teachers didn't have standards, then they might as well all be replaced with trained monkeys.
I agree with 9:59. I can't imagine one of our counselors doing that - I think maybe Reb fell for the student's "story" a little too hard.
Which college is she going to anyway where the "A's" in writing are easy? There's your follow-up story, Reb.
No IVC counselor would do that.
Rebel Girl has just had a hard day.
Rebel Girl has stumbled upon part of the college's enrollemnt management plan! Direct students elsewhere!
Evidence of this plan can also be seen in the failure to plan for and construct classroom buildings! Hence the need to direct students elsewhere!
Tricky!
I think if a student is having trouble with his/hers GPA the Federal Government should bail them out.
Reb is correct and the student probably did not lie. IVC Counselors have actually said in my presence that they advise students to take writing at Saddleback or to take assessment tests at Saddleback or OCC because they're "easier."
Unfortunately, the evidence suggests that transferring IVC students who complete writing in our program may outperform Saddleback students who transfer to the same institutions.
Reb does have a reason to feel suckerpunched by colleagues who are not thinking of the larger picture. Sorry to have to confirm her tale with my own experience.
It is very well possible it is a lie, but there ARE counselors that do this exact thing. I've had it recommended to me for Physics/Math in particular (But, I never listen to my counselors).
However, I agree with 13 Stoploss, there are students who don't want to work for it. They want the easy grade, and they want out. You are fighting a losing battle with laziness, not to mention alternate interests.
For example, I have no interest in Economics and I have to take a class in Economics. OK, I say, bring on the easiest class so I can focus on my major.
But, I have found that easy is always boring.
Harder does not necessarily equate with quality. Besides, the student may not have the same passion for writing as Reb does and simply wants to achieve the highest grade in return for the lowest level of effort. Who know what the real motivation is.
A student that I mentor told me that his counselor said that there is an easier class at IVC than at SC, and vice versa, depending on the subject. I don't think he was encouraged to take the class he wanted to at IVC, but he was certainly informed of the option, which is probably just as bad. By the way, this student has absolutely no reason to lie to me.
I've read the student's paper on the Hass poem, and it is an insightful essay on the wars of Palo Alto. But there is a long-standing tradition among some counselors at IVC who relish their status as insiders whispering foolish advice to students. I know this from years of student stories. And sadly, writing isn't the only class students are warned away from.
I too have had students tell me that they were going "south" to take writing 2. I have been told that there are some instructors down at Saddleback that are much easier than the instructors here at IVC.
Yes, everyone wants the best GPA possible but when it comes to writing - you need the best experience you can get. You will write for the rest of your life.
Lisa, try not take it personally. You are a wonderful teacher, coworker, friend, mom, etc.
"You want to be prepared for the university where things are not easy . . . ."
This is an assumption all of us (including me) often make, but I don't know whether it's accurate.
I'd like to know how much and what kind of writing is required in upper-division courses at our neighboring CSU and UC campuses. I'd like to know what standards students are held to.
And data is not the plural of ancedote.
--100 miles down the road
Whatever the "university" may or may not require I am sure it's more than the simplistic paragraph and plaigiarism strategies taught at nearby institutions that primarily serve the interests of the instructors who simply don't want to work that hard.
It's one thing if a counselor suggests a program or class at another college because that institution might be better (I'm thinking of some of our programs that are udner-funded or have thin course offerings), but to direct a student to another institution because it's easier seems indefensible.
I am so happy that we're all working together to deliver the best education to our students!
Don't studies show that basic competency in writing furthers the chances of students' eventual success in their chosen fields? I think it's related not only to retention but also to degree completion rates.
There are so many English 1B ( = Writing 2) instructors here at Saddleback that anyone issuing advice to come south for a higher grade or easier time had better make sure what instructor the student gets.
I wonder whether her counselor is a "virtual" counselor. Have we all checked out our stats on pick-a-prof? If what you're shopping for is an "A" that can be earned by breathing regularly, it's definitely a site you want to visit.
IVC doesn't have any WR 2 data yet; someone has been loading Saddleback data for a few years now. I did an In-Service study on grade distributions in UC-transferable courses to check out a few hypotheses/myths, and will do another in January, if anyone's interested.
Dear Bohrstein:
I've had students tell me they were advised to go north for math.
I do think some counselors habitually underestimate students, however.
Alannah:
We're interested. --RB
For the record, Rebel Girl did not identify the institution the student was directed to ---
Yikes.
Does the dean of counseling up there know about this?
Should we meet with the counselors? I think so. Let's discuss and clear this up!
I've had the counselors at IVC give me some really bad advice. One piece of their brilliant work resulted in my now having to take 3 extra classes, and being barred from upper division enrollment in my major because i hadn't fulfilled the lower div requirements at IVC. I also left IVC with about 85 transferrable units because they couldn't decide what it was exactly that I needed before they would sign my IGETC verification. I can't tell you if the student is lying, but I can tell you some of the counselors at IVC, well, I really don't know what they get paid for.
my counselor told me i should take an easier class at compton college
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