Astronomy 210, spring semester 2013
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard during a review session, just before a midterm.)
Student: (Pointing to notes.) "P-dog--is this the right answer?"
Instructor: (Beat.) "Yes, I think so."
Student: "Really? Are you lying to us?"
Instructor: "Why would I lie to you? I would never lie to you."
Student: "That sounds like a lie. How do we know you're not lying to us?"
Instructor: (Beat.) "I may be selective with the truth, but I would never lie to you."
Showing posts with label overheard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label overheard. Show all posts
20130412
Overheard: Wite-Out™
Astronomy 210L, spring semester 2013
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard as students are working on their astronomy laboratory worksheets.)
Student: "P-dog--do you have any Wite-Out™?"
Instructor: (Making crossing-out motions.) "Can't you use 'black-out?'" (Looks around the instructor work station.) "Besides, I can't have any Wite-Out™ lying around the classroom--it's a controlled substance."
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard as students are working on their astronomy laboratory worksheets.)
Student: "P-dog--do you have any Wite-Out™?"
Instructor: (Making crossing-out motions.) "Can't you use 'black-out?'" (Looks around the instructor work station.) "Besides, I can't have any Wite-Out™ lying around the classroom--it's a controlled substance."
20130123
Overheard: all the starwheel questions
http://www.flickr.com/photos/waiferx/8409668035/
Originally uploaded by Waifer X
(Overheard after students practice all three possible types of starwheel (planisphere) questions in class.)
Instructor: "Hey, uh--do you know what Rage Comics are?" (Beat.) "But of course you do, you're college students." (Draws in Rage Comics' "All of the Things" character next to outline of possible starwheel questions.)
20120929
Overheard: extending telescope tripod legs
Astronomy 210L, fall semester 2012
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard as students are setting up telescopes on tripods in astronomy lab.)
Instructor: (Noticing students kneeling on the ground, looking through the telescope on a tripod with unextended legs.) "You'll probably be more comfortable if you extend the legs on the tripod."
Student: (Watching as instructor picks up tripod to extend legs.) "I didn't know it could do that--I've never used a tripod before in my life!"
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard as students are setting up telescopes on tripods in astronomy lab.)
Instructor: (Noticing students kneeling on the ground, looking through the telescope on a tripod with unextended legs.) "You'll probably be more comfortable if you extend the legs on the tripod."
Student: (Watching as instructor picks up tripod to extend legs.) "I didn't know it could do that--I've never used a tripod before in my life!"
20120928
Overheard: resistance to changing group assignments
Astronomy 210, fall semester 2012
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard as students are finding their new group assignments at the start of lecture.)
Student: (Looking at assigned group chart.) "Do we have to be in different groups this week?"
Instructor: "You get assigned to a different group every week. Everyone does."
Student: "But I really liked the group I was in last week. Why can't we stay in our old groups?"
Instructor: "If you change groups every week, you will eventually get to meet everyone else in class. Don't you want to meet new people?"
Student: "I don't want to meet new people."
Instructor: "Who knows? You might get a new group that's even more awesome than last week's. Or are you the type of person who would rather settle for last week's group?"
Student: (Mumbling.) "There's nothing wrong with settling."
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard as students are finding their new group assignments at the start of lecture.)
Student: (Looking at assigned group chart.) "Do we have to be in different groups this week?"
Instructor: "You get assigned to a different group every week. Everyone does."
Student: "But I really liked the group I was in last week. Why can't we stay in our old groups?"
Instructor: "If you change groups every week, you will eventually get to meet everyone else in class. Don't you want to meet new people?"
Student: "I don't want to meet new people."
Instructor: "Who knows? You might get a new group that's even more awesome than last week's. Or are you the type of person who would rather settle for last week's group?"
Student: (Mumbling.) "There's nothing wrong with settling."
20120925
Overheard: comparing in-class activity (lecture-tutorial) worksheet answers (2)
Astronomy 210, fall semester 2012
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard as student groups are completing their in-class activity (lecture-tutorial) worksheets, comparing answers with other groups as instructed before turning in their worksheets.)
Student 1: "Did you finish yet? Can we check answers with your group?"
Student 2: "No. Your group is stupid."
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard as student groups are completing their in-class activity (lecture-tutorial) worksheets, comparing answers with other groups as instructed before turning in their worksheets.)
Student 1: "Did you finish yet? Can we check answers with your group?"
Student 2: "No. Your group is stupid."
20120919
Overheard: comparing in-class activity (lecture-tutorial) worksheet answers (1)
Astronomy 210, fall semester 2012
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard as student groups are completing their in-class activity (lecture-tutorial) worksheets.)
Student 1: (Raising hand.) "Do you want to check our answers, and see if they're correct?"
Instructor: "No, I don't want to check your answers. I want you to compare your answers with another group."
Student 2: (Looking down the row of seats to the next nearest group.) "They're too far away. Why don't you check our answers?"
Instructor: <sarcasm> "If they're too far away, why don't you just take a smartphone picture of your worksheet, and post it on Facebook, saying, 'Like this if you think this is correct?'" </sarcasm>
Student 1: (Beat.) "Why don't you just check our answers?"
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard as student groups are completing their in-class activity (lecture-tutorial) worksheets.)
Student 1: (Raising hand.) "Do you want to check our answers, and see if they're correct?"
Instructor: "No, I don't want to check your answers. I want you to compare your answers with another group."
Student 2: (Looking down the row of seats to the next nearest group.) "They're too far away. Why don't you check our answers?"
Instructor: <sarcasm> "If they're too far away, why don't you just take a smartphone picture of your worksheet, and post it on Facebook, saying, 'Like this if you think this is correct?'" </sarcasm>
Student 1: (Beat.) "Why don't you just check our answers?"
20120918
Overheard: science is hard
Astronomy 210L, fall semester 2012
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard while students are formulating a research question in a backwards faded scaffolding laboratory on telescope powers.)
Instructor: (Reading students' proposed research question.) "You know I don't like 'yes or no' answerable research questions, such as, 'Is science hard?'"
Student 1: "Because the answer is 'yes?'"
Instructor: (Beat.) "So, you need to ask better research questions, like, 'Why is science hard?' Or, 'What makes science so hard?' Those are the tough kinds of research questions I want you to be able to ask."
Student 2: "Because science is hard."
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard while students are formulating a research question in a backwards faded scaffolding laboratory on telescope powers.)
Instructor: (Reading students' proposed research question.) "You know I don't like 'yes or no' answerable research questions, such as, 'Is science hard?'"
Student 1: "Because the answer is 'yes?'"
Instructor: (Beat.) "So, you need to ask better research questions, like, 'Why is science hard?' Or, 'What makes science so hard?' Those are the tough kinds of research questions I want you to be able to ask."
Student 2: "Because science is hard."
20120821
Overheard: like really, first-day adds
Physics 205A, fall semester 2012
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard after the end of the first day of class, with several waitlisted students attempting to add into an impacted class.)
Student 1: "I would really like to add into this class."
Student 2: "There are a lot of us who would like to add into this class."
Instructor: "I can't add any of you into this class. I can't promise a space unless there are no-shows or drops."
Student 3: "Yeah, but we really like the way you taught this class today."
Student 4: "You're such a likable teacher, it's really hard not to want to add into this class."
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard after the end of the first day of class, with several waitlisted students attempting to add into an impacted class.)
Student 1: "I would really like to add into this class."
Student 2: "There are a lot of us who would like to add into this class."
Instructor: "I can't add any of you into this class. I can't promise a space unless there are no-shows or drops."
Student 3: "Yeah, but we really like the way you taught this class today."
Student 4: "You're such a likable teacher, it's really hard not to want to add into this class."
20120709
Overheard: obligatory electrical safety warning
Physics 205B, spring semester 2012
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard after instructor recounts a previous incident, having accidentally touched the exposed 5,000 V ends of a discharge tube apparatus.)
Student: "What did it feel it like?"
Instructor: "You know how when your stomach feels nauseous, like it wants to barf, but can't?" (Beat.) "That's how my arm felt for a few hours afterwards--like it wanted to barf, but couldn't."
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard after instructor recounts a previous incident, having accidentally touched the exposed 5,000 V ends of a discharge tube apparatus.)
Student: "What did it feel it like?"
Instructor: "You know how when your stomach feels nauseous, like it wants to barf, but can't?" (Beat.) "That's how my arm felt for a few hours afterwards--like it wanted to barf, but couldn't."
20120703
Overheard: instructor introduction
Astronomy 210, spring semester 2012
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard on the first day of the semester, after the instructor introduces himself to the class.)
Student 1: "Dr. Len, do we have to call you 'P-dog?'"
Instructor: (Beat.) "Well, by the end of the semester there will basically be two kinds of students in this class--those who can call me 'P-dog,' and those who just can't possibly call me 'P-dog.' You'll figure out which kind of student you are."
Student 2: "Dr. Len, why do we have to call you 'P-dog?'"
Instructor: (Beat.) "'Dr. Len' is my slave name, my real name is 'P-dog.'"
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard on the first day of the semester, after the instructor introduces himself to the class.)
Student 1: "Dr. Len, do we have to call you 'P-dog?'"
Instructor: (Beat.) "Well, by the end of the semester there will basically be two kinds of students in this class--those who can call me 'P-dog,' and those who just can't possibly call me 'P-dog.' You'll figure out which kind of student you are."
Student 2: "Dr. Len, why do we have to call you 'P-dog?'"
Instructor: (Beat.) "'Dr. Len' is my slave name, my real name is 'P-dog.'"
20120505
Overhead: Earth awesomeness/lameness?
Astronomy 210L, spring semester 2012
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard while students set up their research posters for the last astronomy lab meeting.)
Student 1: "I hate Venus--Venus is such a lame planet."
Student 2: (Presenting a project tracking the sidereal motion of Venus.) "Nuh-uh. Venus is cool."
Instructor: "Yeah, Venus is so cool, Earth is so lame."
Student 1: "Are you kidding? Earth is awesome--it has a moon."
Instructor: (Beat.) "Earth only thinks it's awesome...it's like, 'I'm so special, check out my moon,' and the moon is like, 'Why do I hang around with this loser? If I could leave Earth I could be a planet.'"
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard while students set up their research posters for the last astronomy lab meeting.)
Student 1: "I hate Venus--Venus is such a lame planet."
Student 2: (Presenting a project tracking the sidereal motion of Venus.) "Nuh-uh. Venus is cool."
Instructor: "Yeah, Venus is so cool, Earth is so lame."
Student 1: "Are you kidding? Earth is awesome--it has a moon."
Instructor: (Beat.) "Earth only thinks it's awesome...it's like, 'I'm so special, check out my moon,' and the moon is like, 'Why do I hang around with this loser? If I could leave Earth I could be a planet.'"
20120423
Overheard: whiteboard penmanship
Physics 205B, spring semester 2012
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard after the end of algebra-based introductory physics lecture on Faraday's law/Lenz's law.)
Student: "I have to ask, did you ever take a course in whiteboard writing?"
Instructor: (Beat.) "Uh, what do you mean by 'whiteboard writing?'"
Student: "You know, learning how to write neatly on a whiteboard. You have better handwriting on the whiteboards than me, or teachers in my other courses."
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard after the end of algebra-based introductory physics lecture on Faraday's law/Lenz's law.)
Student: "I have to ask, did you ever take a course in whiteboard writing?"
Instructor: (Beat.) "Uh, what do you mean by 'whiteboard writing?'"
Student: "You know, learning how to write neatly on a whiteboard. You have better handwriting on the whiteboards than me, or teachers in my other courses."
20120129
Overheard: not full moon is not full
Astronomy 210L, spring semester 2012
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard during presentation introducing moon phases, showing a slide of a nearly full moon.)
Instructor: "So, which phase is this?"
Students: "Waxing gibbous?"
Instructor: (Beat.) "Are you sure? How do you know that this is not a full moon?"
Student: (Beat.) "Because it's not full?"
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard during presentation introducing moon phases, showing a slide of a nearly full moon.)
Instructor: "So, which phase is this?"
Students: "Waxing gibbous?"
Instructor: (Beat.) "Are you sure? How do you know that this is not a full moon?"
Student: (Beat.) "Because it's not full?"
20111205
Overheard: all that glitters
Astronomy 210L, fall semester 2011
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard while students set up their research posters for the last astronomy lab meeting.)
Student: "Do you like how I did the galaxies [at the top of the poster]?"
Instructor: "Are those [elliptical galaxy and spiral galaxy] just glitter and glue?"
Student: "Yeah. I had some space to fill in so I went with that."
Instructor: "Seriously, when was the last time you got to use glitter and glue?"
Student: (Beat.) "I'll have to get back to you on that."
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard while students set up their research posters for the last astronomy lab meeting.)
Student: "Do you like how I did the galaxies [at the top of the poster]?"
Instructor: "Are those [elliptical galaxy and spiral galaxy] just glitter and glue?"
Student: "Yeah. I had some space to fill in so I went with that."
Instructor: "Seriously, when was the last time you got to use glitter and glue?"
Student: (Beat.) "I'll have to get back to you on that."
20111204
Overheard: fabulous graph
Astronomy 210L, fall semester 2011
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard while students set up their research posters for the last astronomy lab meeting.)
Instructor: "Are these data points on your graph...sequins?"
Student: "No, they're just drawn in with purple ink."
Instructor: "That's too bad." (Beat.) "Because if they were sequins, your graph would be...fabulous!"
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard while students set up their research posters for the last astronomy lab meeting.)
Instructor: "Are these data points on your graph...sequins?"
Student: "No, they're just drawn in with purple ink."
Instructor: "That's too bad." (Beat.) "Because if they were sequins, your graph would be...fabulous!"
20111119
Overheard: recursive learning about stars
Astronomy 210, fall semester 2011
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard at a review session just before midterm on the sun/stars/Milky Way/cosmology.)
Instructor: "Just think: you're learning about stars that died...to make the atoms...that made you...so you could learn...about the stars."
Students: (Beat.) "Whoa."
Instructor: "Yeah. Whoa."
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard at a review session just before midterm on the sun/stars/Milky Way/cosmology.)
Instructor: "Just think: you're learning about stars that died...to make the atoms...that made you...so you could learn...about the stars."
Students: (Beat.) "Whoa."
Instructor: "Yeah. Whoa."
20110901
Overheard: astronomy instructor belief in astrology
Astronomy 210, fall semester 2011
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard at the start of the second week of class in introductory astronomy, going over student comments and questions submitted online.)
"110826-1250199"
Waifer X
flic.kr/p/ahdaQW
Photo by Cuesta College Physical Sciences Division instructor Dr. Patrick M. Len.
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard at the start of the second week of class in introductory astronomy, going over student comments and questions submitted online.)
Instructor: (Reading student question.) "'Do you believe in astrology?'"(This is the lead-in to discussing student-submitted opinions on astrology.)
(Beat.)
Instructor: (Picking up a Mattel™ Magic 8 Ball®, speaks into it.) "Do... I... believe... in... astrology?" (Places Magic 8 Ball®, window up, under video overhead projector, such that reply is visible to the rest of class, which will be one of 20 possible responses:Students: (Murmuring, snickering.)
- It is certain
- It is decidedly so
- Without a doubt
- Yes – definitely
- You may rely on it
- As I see it, yes
- Most likely
- Outlook good
- Signs point to yes
- Yes
- Reply hazy, try again
- Ask again later
- Better not tell you now
- Cannot predict now
- Concentrate and ask again
- Don't count on it
- My reply is no
- My sources say no
- Outlook not so good
- Very doubtful)
Instructor: "Well, there you have it. The Magic 8 Ball® cannot lie."
"110826-1250199"Waifer X
flic.kr/p/ahdaQW
Photo by Cuesta College Physical Sciences Division instructor Dr. Patrick M. Len.
20110823
Overheard: stolen book on reserve
Physics 205A, fall semester 2011
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard at the start of the second day of class in college physics, going over student comments and questions submitted online.)
Instructor: (Reading student question.) "'Is there a copy of the required text in the SLO Campus library?'"
(Beat.)
Instructor: "I did visit the library earlier today, and a librarian told me that there used to be two books on reserve..."
Student: "So what happened?"
Instructor: "Now there's only one book on reserve. Somebody stole the other book! So you know that kind of person who would steal a book on reserve from the library? Don't...be...that...person..."
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard at the start of the second day of class in college physics, going over student comments and questions submitted online.)
Instructor: (Reading student question.) "'Is there a copy of the required text in the SLO Campus library?'"
(Beat.)
Instructor: "I did visit the library earlier today, and a librarian told me that there used to be two books on reserve..."
Student: "So what happened?"
Instructor: "Now there's only one book on reserve. Somebody stole the other book! So you know that kind of person who would steal a book on reserve from the library? Don't...be...that...person..."
20110822
Overheard: first-day choral response
Astronomy 210, fall semester 2011
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard at the very start of the first day of class in introductory astronomy, just before administering the Science Motivation Questionnaire.)
Instructor: "Let's see how sharp you guys are! Let's have you guys fill in the..."
Students: (Beat.) "...blanks?"
Instructor: "Hi there! Welcome to..."
Students: "...astronomy?"
Instructor: "And you're going to love this class, because astronomy is..."
Students: "...Awesome? Interesting?"
Instructor: "Yes! In fact, astronomy is so..."
Students: "...awesome..."
Instructor: (Holding up a stack of surveys.) "...the first thing you're going to do for this class is take a..."
Students: "...test."
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
(Overheard at the very start of the first day of class in introductory astronomy, just before administering the Science Motivation Questionnaire.)
Instructor: "Let's see how sharp you guys are! Let's have you guys fill in the..."
Students: (Beat.) "...blanks?"
Instructor: "Hi there! Welcome to..."
Students: "...astronomy?"
Instructor: "And you're going to love this class, because astronomy is..."
Students: "...Awesome? Interesting?"
Instructor: "Yes! In fact, astronomy is so..."
Students: "...awesome..."
Instructor: (Holding up a stack of surveys.) "...the first thing you're going to do for this class is take a..."
Students: "...test."
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