Overheard: floaters and filler-ins

Astronomy 210, Spring Semester 2011
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

(Overheard as students are moving to their assigned groups to work on an in-class activity ("lecture-tutorial").)

Student: "What does it mean if the seating chart says I'm a floater/filler-in?"

Instructor: "Just hang back until all the groups are seated. Then look for the smallest, most pathetic-looking group, and then join them for today."

(Beat.)

Instructor: "But don't tell them I told you this."