I shouldn't be as pleased as I am to learn that I am not the only one who has students ask for extra credit after the term ends - although I may hold the honor of being the only one who was contacted 6 months later because the student needed a better GPA in order to transfer.

Ah, Jesse, sorry about the sucktastic day.

msbelle -- Go yoga! Not only has it helped with my depression and anxiety, I've gotten to know people in classes, and they're pretty cool.

Try Groupons or drop-in classes in your area.

Yay, Nanita's friend, Jasmine! That's a publication I've got on my "Write something for" list."

Lisah -- Cover letter? *perks up ears* You know you have a pro -- as Trudy about the cover I just write for her.

I've been adulting all day, will continue to do so, and run arrand, but have a b-day party to make an appearance at for a while tonight, because early-ass 5K tomorrow.

Last term I actually snapped and told one of my students, "that's a bit like saying 'we lost the patient, but if we mop the floors it's all good'." (I teach mostly health science prereqs)

Una, I am totally using that. I also have something I lovingly call fatal errors which are automatic zeros (like not capitalizing I). When a kid gets one they often say, "Can I rewrite?" and I say "fatal is fatal. If you cut someone's carotid and they bleed out, they can't be revived." But I don't teach tech/science folks, yet they get it.

The thing is, there are enough points between now and the end of the semester that he COULD pass if he did the work. In fact, April 9, there is a paper due worth as many points as about half of what was already given. But he won't and is empowered by dad NOT to. So there is that.

Jesse, so sorry for the ucky-bad day. May it improve.

Lee! Are you home? What'd you bring us?

I hesitate to post a thing about self-entitledment, because I think humans are innately self-centered. But on observation, I seem to see that attitude not only increasing, but actively fostered and encouraged by media, including social media. Andy Warhol's 'everybody gets their 15 minutes of fame' seems to have translated to 'I have to be ready constantly for *my* fame', with an understood "and screw everybody else." It's in politics, from fed to local levels. It's taken over church philosophies, where churches are no longer bodies of praise in service and example, but of "prosperity doctrine."

I know the attitude has always existed--every organism out for its own existence--but it's evidently more blatant, and more encouraged and supported, rather than being counted as a negative trait to be suppressed and discouraged.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it's bad. And I don't like it.

Is this kind of self-absorption and entitlement also on the rise in non-English speaking European countries? I'm wondering if it's a result of most people no longer needing to do manual labor to make ends meet, or if the cause is more cultural and less physical.

contacted 6 months later because the student needed a better GPA in order to transfer

That sounds like the kids who already have undergrad degrees we get calling my office (we handle what's know as special students - non-degree seeking) wanting to take classes as a special to raise their GPA. The down-hearted "ohs" we get when we tell them it ain't gonna happen, you can not affect your GPA once you've graduated. They can take classes as a special and that will earn them a GPA for any classes taken as such, but sorry, kid, you're stuck.

I'm wondering if it also has to do with smaller family sizes.

ION, it looks like Minet, my foster kitty, has inoperable cancer. At his age the vet doesn't think it's worth a biopsy to figure out just which it is.

I'm really not looking forward to telling his Mom.

Steal away, Kat! We teachers have to stick together. I'm going to borrow your carotid thingy for when they get a zero for plagiarizing!

“Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company; gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers.”

That aside, degrees now seem to be a necessity, and grade grubbing seems epidemic. Bob is having a nervous breakdown partly due to these goddamn monsters who complain, e.g., they won't be able to stay in the country if they aren't enrolled / retroactively passed, then they still do shit work.

Aw, that's sad for Minet and her mom. And for you, Theo!

Kids These Days are definitely always the worst. I do wonder if anyone is rewarding people for these outrageous requests -- shouldn't they die off if they never work?