It is frustrating.

I have been having a good day thus far, and I was starting out teaching today by giving an examination in the Anatomy & Physiology course I am teaching.

However, I am now feeling grouchy and out of sorts because of one student. She is a bright student and is earning a grade that is near the top in this course. However, she is also very, and I mean VERY nit-picky and rather hyperkinetic about ANYTHING she gets incorrect on my exams. After she turned in this exam, she brought to me the last exam (from a week and a half ago) and proceeded to question and fuss and cajole at me about the 5 questions she answered incorrectly. THIS GIRL RECEIVED 92% on the exam. Very near the top. IT IS ANNOYING AS HELL having to deal with students that are like that.

The harder reality is that 95% of the students are NEVER like that, but after having one or two or three that are that intense and obsessive and over-the-top each and every class, it grinds your spirit down to nil and your energy seeps out of you in a torrent of annoyance.

The most aggravating part again, is that 95+% of students are not like that, but in this semester in particular and in the last few semesters as well.... I have grown to dislike this aspect of teaching greatly, and it is starting to affect the parts of teaching I love.

After so many years teaching at the university level, I have developed many coping strategies for students with "issues" and have taken it as par for the course. But IN MY OPINION, it seems that these students in the frustrating 4 or 5 % have changed in some ways in which I have yet to develop coping strategies for. I have yet to identify what is different about them, but I MUST DO SO to figure out an effective strategy to deal with their annoying manners.

Any comments or suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated!

PipeTobacco