CandidProf: time and limitations
August 7, 2008 by Miki Saxon
One of my colleagues was talking to me a few days ago about a student who has already contacted her before the start of the fall semester.
Normally, this is a good thing. I have a number of students who have already contacted me for the upcoming semester.
But I am still teaching summer classes, so I have not had time to prepare syllabi for the fall yet.
Instead, I direct these students to look at the syllabus on my web page for the previous semester. I am using the same textbooks, so I’ll be covering the material in pretty much the same order. I don’t mind if students ask if the coming semester will be using the same textbook.
However, my colleague’s student is getting to be a pest. She has emailed numerous times, asking all sorts of questions, and asking for word lists of key terms, a list of homework, etc. Now, that is a bit overboard.
As faculty, we have a duty to be available for our students. I go a step beyond that, and I am available for prospective students, too. However, being available doesn’t mean being available 24 hours per day.
I have a lot of students. It would be nice if I could give each one an individual mentoring. But, that is not how it works. I hate to tell them “no,” but sometimes that is what you need to do, in order to have time to do your job.
I have to focus on my current students, all of them. Sometimes I have a student who takes far more of my time than others. They are always coming by my office. If I have the time, then I am happy to spend time with them, but not if it keeps me from helping other students, doing my own research, and doing all of the other things that I have to do.
That’s the hard part of the job: deciding how to apportion my time among so many different things.
I spend far more time with students and prospective students than most faculty, but I still get things done.
Knowing your limits is important.
Do you know your limits when apportioning your time? (from Miki)
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