I operate under what I believe to be an erroneous assumption: that students do their homework.
I need to rethink this.
On the first day of classes, after the introductions and the explanations and the previews of coming attractions and before I cued the students to write a paragraph on what they wanted to get out of this semester, a paragraph that I keep with me over the course of the semester, a pile of first-day writing samples from students, students who are cautious yet still open, wary yet still willing, one of my TAs turned to me and asked if he could say something. I nodded and watched as he chose his words carefully: "If there's one thing I could stress...the homework readings are really helpful. Read them. They will help you with your papers."
Why did he have to say that? Why do students need to be told that preparing for class is a good idea? No, but like really. This is an honest question, one meant to generate honest, not cynical (too much) responses. Do students not read in preparation for their other classes? Do they not have to? Can they still do well without doing their homework? What about in high school? Could they get away with doing their homework in there? Do I get called on not only because the course is demanding, but because the homework actually matters? I don't assign a chapter a night. I don't assign extensive readings. Instead, I assign a handful of different things every night. Is that too much?
"If they know that you're watching them, they'll do it."
Yes. I can see on the course website who has read what, or at least who has opened what. I find this horrifying; if I had been told at eighteen that all of my movements were being tracked, I would have freaked. I suspect my peers would have, too. I don't think that's the case anymore. In fact, I brought this up with my TAs yesterday in our meeting and they all shrugged and said that it was fine.
Transparency. We are in a weird age of transparency and tracking. None of my students seem to mind.
I am confused. Not upset. Not incredulous. Just confused. Bemused.
