I Don't Wanna Hold Your Hand
Dear Anxious Student,
I've always prided myself on being available to my students for consultation, but I think that you are taking advantage of my availability.
When you asked where my office was and when my office hours were within the first ten minutes of our first tutorial, I was fairly certain that you would turn out to be the type of student who wants their hand held through the entire course.
This has only been confirmed over the past week.
Last Monday, I received and responded to your email asking for instructions on what to prepare for the second tutorial. And this was after the prof had given those instructions FOUR TIMES and I had given them THREE MORE TIMES. Weren't you listening the first seven times?!?
Last Tuesday, I received and responded to your second email asking for detailed advice on how to handle your upcoming absence from class during the first week of February. But if, as you say, you are already half way through your degree, don't you already know to borrow notes from a classmate and make sure you do the readings?
Yesterday, I received and responded to your email asking for more detailed advice on how to handle your upcoming absence. Yes, the quiz will still be held the day after you return from your trip and yes, material from the class that you will miss may be on the quiz.
Today, I received and responded to your email (which I noticed you sent at 1 a.m.) asking me to "refresh your memory" on the instructions for the first assignment. Those instructions are printed in your syllabus. Perhaps, however, I'm expecting too much from you because it can certainly be difficult to understand what's printed in the syllabus at 1 a.m.
I'm still being polite in my emails to you. But you should know that I am quickly reaching the end of my patience with you. I am your TA, not your mother. And you need to stop expecting me to hold your hand.
Best of luck for the rest of the semester,
Scholar-Wannabe
3 comments:
yikes! i had no idea what you TA's had to go through when i was an undergrad. i don't think i was ever the hold-your-hand type... i don't recall every sending an email to a TA or even visiting them during office hours. i was probably more of the smart-slacker-flying-by-the-seat-of-her-pants type. =P
I would have thought to myself: "I am your TA, not your THERAPIST!"
I suggest you tell him/her to go see the U psychologist. Seriously!
BW: If you had ever been my student, I'm sure that I would have been frustrated with you, too! "Why can't I get this student to care enough about this material to actually achieve their full potential?!?" =)
LD: This student actually works in a counseling setting. Talk about ironic!
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