Posts by ebremen
“All I Want is to Accomplish My Dreams… Yet I’m Constantly Facing Huge Roadblocks.”
(“They drive into the parking lot with a dream. We are all a part of that dream.” These words were spoken at 2000 Darton College Opening Week by my former college president Dr. Peter Sireno. I was a wide-eyed new prof, believing, just like my students, that college is a ticket to dreams coming true. I still perceive college as a gateway to more confidence and competence. But I know now that on the way to a student’s dream, someone or something within a college or class can suddenly tear everything down. Maybe even the student, themselves. A few students have written to me about threatened dreams. I’m going to spend a few posts on the subject....
Read More“Help! I’m Only Graded on Multiple-Choice Tests!”: How to Survive and What to Say
(Quick programming note! I’m on #InternPro radio tonight at 6 p.m. PST. The topic is important: The Soft Skills Gap and the Young Careerist. I have TONS of thoughts and tips! Call in: (347) 843-4970. Now on to business: I promised that I’d cover inquiries I received toward the end of 2012. Here is a very universal problem: Grades that are comprised by nothing more than multiple-choice tests! Ugh! Let’s discuss it… As always, please… everyone jump into the comments! What are your thoughts? What did I miss?) Ellen, I have never failed a class before. I have always been an Honors student. My lowest grade ever was a B. I am so stressed in my...
Read MoreWhy You Fell Just Short of Perfection And Got the Wrong ‘A’. What To Say When You Do.
(Happy 2013, my fantastic blog audience! I am back and can’t wait to interact with all of you! As students return to school, some are rebounding from grade goals that weren’t quite met. I struggled with my return topic because this post–“You Failed Your Class… Now What?” –from 2011 on the old Blogger site had over 2,000 hits in a two week period. I worry about so many students concerned about failing grades. I promise to cover that topic further in many upcoming posts. Let’s start on the opposite side, which can be frustrating in a different way: When you are thisclose to getting a 4.0, but you don’t. What then? Once...
Read MoreFarewell for Now, Updates, and What’s to Come in 2013
To my incredible blog audience, I finally concluded my term and then realized that I was in some pretty big need of decompression. I wanted to write a note to say farewell for 2012 and to express my tremendous appreciation to you for being with me through this past year. I started The Chatty Professor in April 2011. During 2012, particularly in recent months, 3,000 – 4,000 visitors per month seemed to be finding their way over. I have no idea from any kind of analytics perspective if that is good, bad, or indifferent, but the thought that my niche blog could possibly be reaching that many people astounds and humbles me. I am thankful to each and every one of you...
Read MoreBefore You Demand What You Believe You Deserve, Ask Yourself These Questions
(End of term craziness is here! My last post involved students talking to their professors about grades before the end of a term. This post reflects the next stage of that conversation. I have to believe that some of this advice translates to workplace evaluations, too). Can you feel an uprising afoot? I’m not talking about lingering sourness from those dissatisfied with national or local election results. I’m talking about students who are calculating/seeing their final grades and thinking (in a huge huff!), “I don’t deserve that!” Yep! Floods of students around the country will e-mail and suddenly storm professors’ offices about...
Read MoreBuy the Book!
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A tenured professor of Communication Studies helps students correctly--not cluelessly--speak/deal with those who teach them.
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