So.
I checked my e-mail for school a few minutes ago because my Ecology Instructor called me and asked me to respond to her e-mail asap.
As we didn't give her our phone numbers, she had to call the school to get it...(I'm suprized they gave it to her, actually)
But, I checked it and now am extremely frustrated. We had the choice to go solo on this group project and I chose to go solo because my class is nothing but cocky PSEO students and lazy students. Grrrr.
But this is what her e-mail said:
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Francis, There is one student in Ecology who doesn't have a partner for the group paper - Filip V*******. He is the tall guy who sits one row behind you. I would like to pair the two of you together. Here's the caveat - he is not the most motivated student in my class. I can understand that you might be less than thrilled to work with him, particularly because I regard you as one of my most motivated and academically inclined students. Having been in a similar situation both as an undergraduate and as a graduate student, I understand the challenges of working with someone less motivated than you are - it becomes more time-consuming and difficult to do a group project than it does to work alone. And while I understand that, this could also be a really good opportunity for him to learn what college is all about. You don't seem to be the type to let him get away with a free ride, and I know that you will make him pull his own weight, which is a really important lesson for him to learn. And on the flip side, it is also a good skill for you to learn as well. In your future career - whether you go on in science to become a reasearcher or a teacher - you will have either subordinates, research assistants, and/or students that you will need to work with and motivate. You will find that in science, as in any profession, there are those who will take advantage of a situation, unless skillfully "encouraged" to do otherwise. With Filip, I encourage you to set deadlines early and often. For example, make him find a handful of sources by late next week. Have him write a paragraph or two after you discuss some of the research. Just make sure to give him deadlines, and while I wouldn't be surprised if he responds well to your requests, if he doesn't, let me know right away. I will create a sense of urgency in him if I need to. And at the end of the project, if he hasn't contributed in a meaningful way, I want you to let me know that, too. If necessary, I will grade him accordingly. Thanks, Francis. If anyone can handle this situation, I know that you can. Please email me back and let me know if this sounds reasonable to you. Regards, Beth |
Of course, I'm going to agree to this. Of course this guy is going to take advantage of me and try to ride on my magic carpet of intelligence..lol. This does not make me happy. Any suggestions on how to make this as painful as possible?
Dammit.
