My "To-Don't" List

A while back, I wrote about having a to-don't list, which is a list of things you don't do. I have one that helps me stay consistent and focused. Consequently, I have a life outside of work.

Years ago, I read HBR's classic article on Monkey Management. It changed my approach to how I manage my time in relation to other people. Typically, I teach 250 students a year and advise an additional 20 or so. Most are fantastic, but there are those few who attempt to manipulate me into do things for them. It's easy to fall into the trap of "I'm being helpful" or "It's just easier" - but really, you aren't helping (you are enabling) and it isn't easier (you've just taken on another responsibility). Maybe it's my age (50+) and maybe I'm just tired, but it's gotten easier and easier for me to tell my students to read the email I sent, figure it out, look it up, and read the directions. 

Before I get into my list, I want to be clear about two things: 

1.  The difficulty with this is knowing when you are offering to help a student who typically has things figured out and when you are offering to help a student who will then keep asking for exceptions, breaks, and assistance. That's up to you. I do make exceptions for certain students. Is that fair? Yes. They earned it and it probably won't happen again.
 
2.  This isn't about me being too busy to do something. I might have a lot of grading to do or maybe I'm working on a new assignment. But getting THAT work done benefits me, all of my students, and my employer. When you do your student's work, you have added to your work load so they can play video games, Snapchat, or hang out with their friends. And yes, they appreciate it (who wouldn't?), but at what cost to you, your other students, and everyone else? Suddenly, YOUR work is not the priority.

It's time to adopt the oxygen mask principle: Take care of yourself.

In an effort to own my own life, I developed a list of to-don'ts:

Teaching:

• No extra credit
• No discussing grades in class
• No discussing assignments right after I return them - wait 24-hours but discuss within a week.
• No discussing test questions as a class
• No calculating student grades
• No talking/emailing parents (unless emergency)
• No getting involved in other faculty-student issues (at the request of the student)
• No student FB friends
• No giving cell phone # to students
• No responding to email over the weekend or after work hours (unless emergency)
• No rearranging my schedule for a student (they don't show up)
• No changing grades unless I made an obvious error
• No writing letters of recommendation to students who haven't earned my respect 
• No printing for students (in my office)
• No fretting over small online assignments - due at 11 pm - but I check it at 8 am - who cares if it's a little late?

Advising:

• No looking up classes for unprepared students
• No printing program evaluations
• No telling students what related electives they should take (give them a bunch of options)
• No tolerance for cluelessness/drama

And no making excuses or feeling like you have to explain yourself. I've learned that when I don't take breaks to escape work, I burn out, I'm resentful, and I'm a grump. This helps no one.


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Responding to a Grade Change Request

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It's the end of the semester. A time for joy and anticipation. And by "anticipation", I don't mean that I'm anticipating what the summer has to hold. I mean that I'm anticipating a complaint about a final grade.

OK, I rarely get a request to review a final grade, but when I do, it's seldom about a mistake on my part; typically it's a student who needs to get a higher grade to keep a scholarship, stay in a program, or remain in college. So really, it's not a complaint. It's a request.

Here's how I respond: (1) I keep my email short and professional (2) I give a deadline, and (3) I don't get roped into an emotional exchange. I simply write,

"Dear So-in-so, I recently received your grade change request. Please refer to the grading criteria/assignments on the syllabus. If you believe that I have made an error in calculating your final grade, please provide the grade you earned for each assignment by Friday, May 13, 2016 and I'll be happy to review my calculations. Thank you..."

And end it.

When I reply to the email like this, I've sent a message to my students: give me evidence and I'll be more than happy to work with you. When you write long, drawn-out emails, you are experiencing an emotional reaction to a student's emotional reaction. Yes, you are reacting. And when you react, you lose your authority as the professor. And remember, you created assignments with a purpose in mind: so students will learn something. When students start begging for a do-over, it's not about learning. It's about getting a particular grade.

When students start begging for a do-over, it's not about learning. It's about getting a particular grade.

And it will never end. You've opened yourself up to requests for extra credit, reviewing assigments that were returned months ago, and more criticism. And then you'll start second-guessing yourself. Was I fair? Maybe I missed something? Did I write down the wrong grade? Soon you've completely redesigned the course so one student, who didn't do the work in the first place, can pass.

When I get one of these requests, I do look over the student's grade to see if there is something suspicious. And you know what I always find? The student bombed a test (or two) or didn't complete an assignment. So by asking students to review and submit grades, they are forced to examine their assignments and calculate their own grade. And as the professor, all I have to do is wait until the deadline.

I put a lot of time and effort into creating meaningful assignments and writing useful feedback. I also return graded work quickly...like within a few days (papers take longer, but usually no more than two weeks). I have a deadline for discussing grades - one week from the time the assignment was returned in class. The in class criterion is there for a reason: I have students who miss class and collect their assignments at the end of the semester...then want to argue with me on the last day of finals.

It might seem harsh, but grades aren't up for debate; calculations are.

College is about learning and developing life skills. It's work. And it might seem harsh, but grades aren't up for debate; calculations are. If a student needs a higher grade, s/he will have to retake the course, meet a particular standard... and earn the desired grade.

Using "To-Don't" Lists to Streamline Grading

As we move into the final weeks of the semester, I find myself thinking of all the things that I have to cram into a short amount of time. I wouldn't describe myself as overwhelmed, though. I'm fairly efficient - mainly because I don't allow myself to get distracted by inconsequential things. I'm a planner who lives in the future. Yes, I'm a Virgo. I create assignments and rubrics that are designed to promote learning ... and that allow me to efficiently grade with a quick turn-around.

But it's not just that. I came across this article on HubSpot - that seems to capture how I operate. I liked what the title tells me...how to focus on what matters. As faculty, we often allow ourselves to get hung up and distracted by student behavior. I refer to these as "student red herrings." You know what I mean: what's my grade? can I do extra-credit? can you look over that assignment you graded back in September? etc... Suddenly you are regrading old assignments, listening to sob stories, and finding a way to raise someone's GPA.

When you no longer drive the bus and your students are running your life, it's time to develop a to-don't list. Over the years, my set of principles keeps me centered.

Here's how...

Thank you to blog.hubspot.com/sales.

What's on your to don't list?