The general surveys the carnage.

2:30 on Wednesday afternoon, and things are looking grim.

Three students in one class (out of 9 remaining) have turned in no revisions; this, after I gave everyone a handout and explained how they should approach revisions and when they were due and that they were required and how much of the final grade they counted (25%). So in the final tabulations, three students in this class will begin with a 75.

In another class, one student plagiarized 90% of her research essay and got a big fat zero. (I'd link to the previous post but haven't figured out how yet, so just scroll down about 6-7 posts. Sorry...) Four other grades on the research essay were in the 60s, two were in the 50s, and one was in the 40s; these numbers are explained by a combo of 1) incorrect citation formatting; 2) turning it in late; 3) shitty writing.

My third class is the only one this spring in which I feel they've made something approaching progress. Their profile is overall much better; might even have an A or two and several solid B's. That said, three students in this class also turned in no revisions.

Which leads me to asking this: how much can an instructor influence a class's mood? If "mood" isn't the right word, how about energy, motivation, vibe? With the really sucky classes, I usually feel the energy start to sap around midterm and it rarely recovers, and I feel I can do little to change it. With this one bright shining class, I feel they are a real community--and I also feel, curiously, I've had little to do with it, that they supplied the energy and wherewithal.

The best I can do, some days, is hopefully not drag them down any further. The best I can do is create a (with luck) supportive environment. But some of them wouldn't know a supportive environment if it bit 'em.

The more things change...