First of all, Math 124 went a lot better this time around. I still don't think I connect quite as well with that class as I do with the Math 097 students. It is true that I go into the classes with different mentalities. Since Math 124 is a college level class, I treat them more like how I think college math students should be treated. I do less hand-holding and I let the students work on their own more.
Math 097 went very well this time around. I think I found the right level at which to try to meet the students and the introduction of more worksheets seems to have had the effect of helping the students to understand the material.
The homework cover sheet was a pretty good addition. Some students didn't really take to them, but I'm going to keep using them anyway. I changed them slightly so that they interact with the course content more, so that should be a positive change. I also need to write a more defined homework policy and let the students know much more clearly what I am really expecting from them in the homework.
There were a number of interesting comments that I received on the unofficial evaluations I handed out to the students, and even though the probability of them actually seeing them here is very small, I believe it is a useful exercise to reflect on them, and then to take my thoughts from here and put them into the next syllabus and work them into the class content. (Side comment: I'm always amused by the level contradiction from different students about how things have gone in a class.)
"I do not think quizzes you be a part of attendence." The same student also wrote "I like participation credit for [the] test." This is the type of comment that I feel deserve little attention. I know that Jason gives credit for attendence (he also has 'detention' where he forces students to show up to the tutoring center for specified periods of time to make up for missed classes), but it seems like extra paperwork to me. This is a college level course in which the emphasis is on learning content. What part of that description implies that credit should be given for simply showing up? It's very much like a work environment. Do you expect to get paid simply because you show up for work, and not because you actually perform your job competently?
"Quizzes should be at the beginning of class." Over the course of the last year, I have started to agree more and more with this, and will probably implement it during the summer session. This will also be used to make sure class actually starts close to 'on time' and only punish the students who show up late to class.
"Too much homework." No student actually used that phrase this time around, but a couple students commented on it. Students who say this are usually the ones who aren't very good at math, and they often spend far too much time on their homework because they spend all their time being lost and making zero progress. These also tend to be the students who don't come to office hours or ask questions to get help. Even though students will probably make this comment as long as I'm teaching math, unless the response is overwhelmingly stating that the assignments are too long, I will tend not to give much weight to these comments. (There was another comment from another student: "The amount actually helped me to learn the material." That's the whole point of the homework!)
I had a spot on the evaluation where I ask the students to write themselves a short note to themselves at the beginning of the semester. I find this quite amusing and I will definitely have to talk about this on the first day of class for the upcoming semesters. I added my own comments in parentheses:
- "Do your homework." (This was the most frequent comment)
- "Stop slacking!" (Do I need to say more?)
- "Do not miss any classes, you will get behind."
- "Be prepared for the quizzes." (If you spend the 5 minutes before class glancing over the homework, the quizzes will be significantly easier because the ideas will all be fresh in your head.)
- "Don't take this class if you are taking other hard classes." (Straight-forward, reasonable advice. Math classes take up a lot of time if you're not as natural with it, and this is worth considering at the start of the semester.)
