me: All ready?
Participant D: Yes.
Sent at 10:15 PM on Wednesday
me: Thank you for
agreeing to a follow up interview. I hope I haven't troubled you too much!
After going back and reading our interview, I realized I missed out on asking
about more personal experiences in the classroom and with students. You have
lots of experience teaching, so I hope I can trouble you to share a bit more.
Sent at 10:21 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: I've had
several students over the year take my class three times. One student actually
failed the class the third time but he was close enough to passing that I gave
him the C and sent him on his way. If you wish, I can provide you with all of
his relevant biographical information, including his gender. (haven’t asked a question yet; already disclosed gender
information)
Sent at 10:33 PM on Wednesday
me: Okay, let's start
with that. So you've experienced students retaking your class several times.
Did you notice at what point they dropped the class? Trouble with material or lack of effort on their
end
Sent at 10:35 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: Some drop,
some stop coming, some don't put in the effort and fail.(didn’t specify at what point he noticed they dropped the
class) It's not terribly difficult to do well in my Business Writing
course (what might not seem difficult for some may be
very difficult for others)- it's pretty much paint by numbers. I reward
effort and attention to detail.
Sent at 10:41 PM on Wednesday
me: Do you have an idea of what they
found most troubling with the material?
Sent at 10:46 PM on Wednesday
me: This is a writing
course and you mentioned you have a pretty evenly distributed diverse classroom. Any pattern in the students
that were having trouble with writing and if there was a pattern with a specific item that was of
difficulty Sent at 10:48 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: I think
the sudden focus on editing can be disorienting for some students. Those with a
facility with language and an eye for detail hit the ground running in most
cases. (assumption that it’s the focus on editing and
not the class material)
Sent at 10:58 PM on Wednesday
me: Do you find it
difficult to teach editing skills to a diverse classroom with students who have
all different backgrounds/ knowledge of writing? (in
previous interview- he stated that he had a very diverse classroom)
Sent at 11:04 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: I
couldn't imagine teaching not being difficult. (unnecessary
sarcastic comment; avoided question)
Sent at 11:07 PM on Wednesday
me: Well, of course it
is. I deal with younger students where as you deal with college students. In
this case, you can shed some light due to your 14 years of experience. You
touched on the kids who seemed to be failing due to lack of effort, not so much
the material. Can you tell me about some of the best students you've had
Sent at 11:12 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: The
students that do exceptionally well all say the same thing in our "exit
interview": "This (3090) was the easiest class I've ever had."
Some were not natural editors either. But they put in the time and read the
directions and it served them well.
Sent at 11:16 PM on Wednesday
me: What are the steps
you as the teacher have taken to help those students that had difficulty and or
failed the class several times?
Sent at 11:27 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: I offer
all students the option to email me their work before they hand it in so I can
provide more personalized guidance. Some do and some don't. For the students
who clearly need it I make clear that I expect them to do so.
Sent at 11:31 PM on Wednesday
me: In regards to the
student who failed the class three times, did he follow through with emailing
you work prior for comments?
Sent at 11:33 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: There
were more than one and although I can't remember specifics my guess would be
no. (why was there more than 1- what is the pattern?)
*can remember that he failed the class 3
times, but not remember why
Sent at 11:34 PM on Wednesday
me: Lastly, I know we
touched on bias in our last interview. We are all human and are all bias in
some way whether it be our upbringing or general stereotypes we make. You
mentioned you are very good about being cognizant and guarding that. In this
particular case, what kind of bias have you felt and how do catch yourself
Sent at 11:39 PM on Wednesday
Participant D: Well I
never want any of my students to fail, but I have to respect that this is a
defining thing for them (what’s the defining thing-
learning from their own mistakes?) - the opportunity to push back
against difficulty and grow as human beings. Sometimes that growth takes three semesters.
(avoided question again)
Sent at 11:46 PM on Wednesday
me: Thank you very much
for taking the time to have a follow up interview! Have a wonderful holiday
weekend!
Participant D: You too!
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