As final examinations inch closer and closer, students get into a frenzy about getting their grades up at the last minute. I offer "grade booster" opportunities (or what normal people call extra credit) throughout the semester, but the students see me as a Scrooge when it gets to these last few weeks and I explain that their current grades are accurate representations of how they've been performing and there is nothing "extra" to do at this point.
As a course, all the students from one class to the next have been working on genetics research papers for two weeks, not including the week off for Thanksgiving. It is insane, to me, that I had students that straight-up did not turn in a paper and then asked for extra credit-------- NO! Why would I give you extra credit when you don't do the actual credit? Had any of these conversations occurred a few weeks ago, yes, I would have offered extra credit. Oh, wait, I did. Hmmm...
Now, to be less perturbed, it is the end of the last week before finals. I know that students are reviewing in every class all day long. To break up the monotony a bit, and also to do something to improve/update our classroom environment, we took 5 or less minutes one day to tell each other our Winter Break plans with snowflakes! It looks like many of my students will be busy bees over break!
Everyone LOVES a 2-hour delay. You don't have to make it up at the end of the year, classes are shortened, and the kids are more alert in the morning. At school yesterday, everyone was getting in the mindset that school would be cancelled the following day due to a huge snow storm heading our way. During all the chatter (of which I could hear the hopefulness in student voices....and some teacher voices, too), all I thought was Are you kidding? This is Indiana. We probably won't end up with any snow at all. And if we do, DON'T hope for a snow day, just a delay! Besides, that's what we'll get.
