The RT Thread Part V

[mickeytoo]

It is called, Tax Refund Season. Yes, we have been busy as well, not as busy as we should, but still, better than the thumb twiddling.

Yes, that would be it. Refund season it is!

[mickeytoo]

RIP Whitney Houston.

What a complete and total shocker.

Wow. Sorry to hear about that.
Of what did she pass?

[mickeytoo]

It is freezing here. We had to bring all of the fruit trees onto the lanai, and closed the newly installed curtains. DH used "C" clamps, and small parts clips to close and secure the curtains, since we haven't even put in a way to secure them.

Cold here, too.
We're supposed to have a chance of some flurries by morning.

[mickeytoo]

OK...
Time to start closin' this puppy up and head out to meet the family for a late dinner at Chili's.
Wow. We haven't done that in QUITE a while.
Have a good'n Chris and all!
Laterrrrr...!!!

[Keasmom]

Wow. Sorry to hear about that.
Of what did she pass?

No real clue yet, BUT the body is still at the scene and she passed about 4 hours ago. hmmmm?

Cold here, too.
We're supposed to have a chance of some flurries by morning.

Bitter cold here, with NO chance of flurries to give us a pretty looksie.

[wallfan329]

Fun night. Now I am off to bed... Well I am trying to sleep sitting up... I do not want to ruin my hair

[HauntedGabe]

Hi McKayla. Going to read your pre-trip report!

[HauntedGabe]

I just watched an 8 minute video on you tube of a Dad who had utterly had it with his 15 year old daughter and her disrespect. Funny, funny stuff. He actually shot her laptop. Told her she could have another one when she buys it herself.

I found this whole video disturbing. Actually the father more than the kid. The kid being a jerk, but teens often are. The father shooting a gun to make a point, a whack-o.

[HauntedGabe]

LMAO so I guess when you request your account be deleted on sites where they are rude to you... they just ban you instead... perma-ban you in fact. Most people would probably be irritated... me I'm literally sitting here

Ya, banning someone makes it appear that the sight is not at fault, but the members. Oy.

[QUOTE=BamaJenn;993408]She'll call CNN and it'll happen... just wait. LOL!

I have a friend that works for our DCFS. He said they would look at the father. No matter how justified he believes he is, it is child endangerment shooting the gun, being the Sharp from the computer could have done harm. He does seem less stable than the stupid kid. Could be how the kid got that way.

I'm getting ready to head out soon as this meeting is done. Have a lovely weekend everyone! Tonight and tomorrow I'm putting every bit of energy I have into my kiddo. Laters!

I remember those days. Weekends were for the kiddos. The dust, the rugs that didnt get vacuumed, don't matter now, the days in the park did.

.........they both picked the same date

So what are you going to do? Hit both or pick one over the other?

Seagrams Ginger Ale is really, really good. Without additives. Yum.

Best thing ever for an upset tummy too.

Beyond depressed about the cold. Cold feels sad. Cold down to 24 for two nights feels like a sentence in Siberia.

Oh, I'd trade for the 11 this morning and the -7 wind chill and ice everywhere this morning.

It's freezing here also. Snow has been coming down since I got up this morning. We should have quite a build-up by tomorrow.

So how much snow did you wind up with. We got about 3, but the wind was horrible and so was the ice.

[HauntedGabe]

Morning. I need coffee, and lots of it.

I had that morning too.

Grades aren't getting higher. Invalid test or they don't listen or they can't apply the knowledge they have. Probably a mixture. Not sure it is invalid. We covered the material it assesses. It was developed to go with the text they were to read.

What a waste of tuition. Sad for the students. Worse reflection on the University as a whole. I've heard you speak of how many students do so poorly at your University, year after year. How the majority of students continue to do poorly in your courses. Doesn't take long for the word to get out that a University has so many below par students. Who would hire them? Smart enough to get in and tank continuously during their education, makes you wonder what happens when then get into that University. Semester after semester the same data. Makes you wonder what the deal is there. Will you stay there when you get your Doc or move onto somewhere where students succeed?

[HauntedGabe]

Whitney. RIP. What a waste. Fame and fortune, not always worth it in the end.

[HauntedGabe]

Fun night. Now I am off to bed... Well I am trying to sleep sitting up... I do not want to ruin my hair

Glad you had a great time, as it should be!

[HauntedGabe]

I'm evil... I'd enjoy giving all those bad grades! Seriously though I'm dying to know what the made up words were. LOL
.

See I so disagree. I'd feel awful having the vast majority of students in a classroom doing awful, my pride would kick in. Especially, semester after semester, year after year. I'd have to work elsewhere. If a University continues to have results like this what is the point? How can they come into a University at an acceptable level and the vast majority tank like this? I could not enjoy being an educator and enjoy awarding so many bad grades year after year. At some point if it is a valid university they have to take a big step backward and ask why are they smart enough coming in and so dumb subsequently?

My kid is at a Big 10 University. If she or the class average was this poor, I would not continue to pay $30,000.00 a year for the majority of the class to tank. Ya some tank, always do, but not this many year after year. I could not enjoy my reputation being brought down by a University that this continuously bad.

[SnwhtNdwrfs]

I'm evil... I'd enjoy giving all those bad grades! Seriously though I'm dying to know what the made up words were. LOL

... and the sad thing is I'd be willing to bet you that she could find a lawyer who would sue her father and win.

I don't enjoy grading papers. The most common made up word- audiograph.

.........they both picked the same date

Lucky you!

Beyond depressed about the cold. Cold feels sad. Cold down to 24 for two nights feels like a sentence in Siberia.

I know! Luckily it should be in the 70s by Tuesday.

Morning. I need coffee, and lots of it.

I will need a lot of DP today. I woke up at 4 a.m. Yuck. I see a nap in my future!

What a waste of tuition. Sad for the students. Worse reflection on the University as a whole. I've heard you speak of how many students do so poorly at your University, year after year. How the majority of students continue to do poorly in your courses. Doesn't take long for the word to get out that a University has so many below par students. Who would hire them? Smart enough to get in and tank continuously during their education, makes you wonder what happens when then get into that University. Semester after semester the same data. Makes you wonder what the deal is there. Will you stay there when you get your Doc or move onto somewhere where students succeed?

No- a worse reflection on the fact students are over tested in high schools and can't think beyond the basic. The test was an application of basic knowledge. The situation is that an adjunct teaches the course before this one. I haven't been impressed with her teaching and now I have the "proof" that she isn't pushing students to where they need to be.

This unfortunate trend isn't just at my university. In general 40 percent of freshmen do not have the reading and writing skills to handle college level material. And that is around the country- not just mine. One reason you are seeing more statements for college and career readiness standards for high schools. Unfortunately, around here, high school teachers don't think beyond the state test which doesn't prepare students for college. Add the fact that students have changed- they expect A's for being there, expect their parents to come to their rescue, aren't held accountable for their own learning- and you have big problem.

The question is- will these students put for more effort and do better on the next test or will they continue to do nothing? I gave the information, we did activities to supplement instruction and learning, they can read the book, and I made all power points available- even gave them a study guide and class time to ask questions. But it wasn't basic knowledge- it was applying that knowledge to situations.

Things have improved a lot at our university in the past six years. We dont have the reputation you state in your post. The students who do poorly can't get into our program. There are just several classes we call "weed out" courses. However, the one the adjunct is teaching is suppose to weed them out. It didn't. I will have two students who will be counseled out of the major by the end of the semester. (State requires a certain GPA- got to have it).

[SnwhtNdwrfs]

See I so disagree. I'd feel awful having the vast majority of students in a classroom doing awful, my pride would kick in. Especially, semester after semester, year after year. I'd have to work elsewhere. If a University continues to have results like this what is the point? How can they come into a University at an acceptable level and the vast majority tank like this? I could not enjoy being an educator and enjoy awarding so many bad grades year after year. At some point if it is a valid university they have to take a big step backward and ask why are they smart enough coming in and so dumb subsequently?

My kid is at a Big 10 University. If she or the class average was this poor, I would not continue to pay $30,000.00 a year for the majority of the class to tank. Ya some tank, always do, but not this many year after year. I could not enjoy my reputation being brought down by a University that this continuously bad.

You also have to realize- this is a rant- when I complain here. I don't talk about all the great wonderful things they are doing.Grades may not be horrible over all. It may be one or two grades (not in this case though). It is the first test of the semester -which always brings lower grades. (Then at the end of the semester there are always one or two who don't turn things in or they bomb the final).

I do love where I work- we have a good reputation of taking those who can't make it at other schools and push them to where they will succeed. But it is a struggle and sometimes it is frustrating in the process to get them where they need to be. It is frustrating to teach and be a very good, caring teacher only to have students tank- and be blamed for the fact they haven't opened (or in some cases even bought) the book. They sit in class and text each other or use their laptops for pintrest or bridal gowns. Yet you are saying it is the university's fault. Put at least part of the blame on the student.

Yes- there are crappy professors- always will be. Just like there are crappy doctors, lawyers, salespeople. But learning/teaching is different than those professions. I can try to teach you all day but at some point, you have to learn it. (You in a general sense- not attacking Gabe in any way).

There are students who shouldn't be on a college campus (hmmmm.... should I say football players?). Some whose parents want them to be ___________ but they don't want to? A lot of very young students who don't have the maturity to know when to study, how to study, and how to step up to the plate. With more dual credit courses being offered in high schools, the younger our students. They don't come with a basic understanding of knowledge and skills and then they don't have the maturity to know how to be responsible. For some people, maturity/responsibility just comes later. (This scares me that some of these less responsible people want to be in charge of 30 young children on a daily basis )


You ask- why are they so great coming in and dumb sequentially---- simple. It's money. A behind in a seat brings in revenue. Now is that person ready for what is asked of them? Can they handle it? Do they have the untapped potential? Does an admissions counselor really know what goes on in the classroom and what is asked of students or do they base it on what they are told or what they remember their college is about? So I have to take an unprepared students and get them prepared- in addition to teaching the content, in addition to making sure they reflect well on the university when out in the schools. It is more than just knowing basic information- and somehow I have to get these 12 students ready for all that in just a few weeks.(yes- we are talking a small number- not a class of 400).


I really love this conversation by the way..... I am not angry or upset.

I am just awake at 5:30 a.m. and no one is here.....