Demanding Students

On WPA-L, CL from TCU asked whether we thought students from different academic cultures had different attitudes about challenging their grades on composition papers. That's a fairly provocative question--filled with all sort of implications about class and, by extension, race.

Rather than responses breaking out according to private/public and 4-year/2-year, people suggested that the tendency to challenge is more a factor of the millenial student, motivation, time, and money pressures.

I don't completely agree with the millenial response because some of the most persistent and nagging types I've dealt with are the 30-something females. My theory on that is that they are only now trying to get control of their lives, so they over compensate. They are so accustomed to be "used" that they want to make sure they get every little point coming their way.

I do agree that motivation is a factor, but it works both ways. It all depends on whether the student is motivated to learn or to get the gpa. If it's the former, all is well; if it's the latter, they will challenge anything and everything because we're in the way of their goal. WHO is the motivator also makes a difference. If it's the student him/herself, that's one thing. If it's Dad or, worse, Mom, Katie bar the door. Around here, we become the "enemy," depriving their children of their life goals. As RW's mommie screamed at me on the phone, "You're destroying his life." The fact that he had missed over one-half of the class and had under 40% mattered not one ounce to her, because, in reality, it was HER life that was being damaged. She knew the word would get out to the girls at the club that ol' R hadn't made it, while their darlings had.

Time is especially a problem for the hs students taking college courses--and for everyone else as well. But the hs students really don't have good time-management skills, and they universally under-estimate the work required for the courses. Combine the time with the fact that they have often been taught to write but not think, they are in trouble--quick. They are really not ready for college, so they do what they have done before--and what they see Mom and Dad do: they try to intimidate the teacher. What a pain!

And then there's the money. When people go to school to get the money--via financial aid--to pay bills, the entire system is upside down. And then there's the whole insurance scam: enroll and then don't show up. Later, when students find they have to account for a grade, they start pressuring the teacher. As I said in my posting to WPA, this is a uniquely community college situation. Our low tuition is insurance scam fodder.

Another thing that we failed to mention is the varying quality of teacher responses on writing. Some think that if they can challenge successfully with some that they can challenge successfully with all.