The Adjunct

I’m starting to feel like a broken record, but here we go again!

His class is based on the discussion. He likes student who take part in the class. He is hard on grade the essay. Very strict and high-standard. Don’t expect to get A easily. It is extremely hard!

Things this student admits, whether knowingly or unknowingly:

*An A is possible, it is just extremely hard.

*I have high-standards.

*Students who participate do better than those who don’t.

Again, is a professor who has high-standards really something students need to be warned about? Please contemplate the difference between a professor who is strict and has high-standards, such as myself, and a professor who in unfair in their rules and erratic in their behavior. I had professors like that in college: the sort who were just mean and it was impossible to get an A in their class. That’s not what this student is saying about me, and if it were, I’d take note and change my behavior immediately.

What this student is saying is that I am a real college instructor. Someone who has strict rules and adheres to them. Someone who does not give an A or even a B grade unless a student has worked hard and earned it. Someone who does not allow students to sit and stare during discussion, or be otherwise checked out during class, not without ensuring those students will either not pass or barely pass with a C.

Yet, as I read review after review saying this exact same thing, I feel that I am generating bad will because of my work ethic. I feel that slowly the students are reacting, rebelling against the professor who keeps strict attendance, demands high performance, and isn’t afraid to fail anyone who doesn’t work their ass off in the class.

Should I instead just sit back and enjoy the toboggan ride? Take attendance but not enforce any policy regarding excessive absences? Give everyone who shows up and turns something in a B? Reserve C grades for those that failed? Hand out A grades as though they were gold stars for effort? Show twice as many movies, lecture aimlessly and allow students to put their heads down? Give extra credit to anyone who has an excuse for missing class or for not doing the work?

I just can’t help but feel that my ratemyprofessor.com ranking would be much higher. People would say things like, “He’s really nice and the class is fun! Totally recommend!”