The younger generations seem to be moving away from their studies more and more every day. Many teachers have become aware of this through controversial situations. In this context, it is becoming increasingly difficult for educators to instill in them the importance of hard work. A clear example of this is the story told by this teacher, who received an unexpected reaction from a student.
A slogan that caused a stir
The teacher in question said that this year he decided to assign a research presentation to senior students. This was a modality that he was going to use as a replacement for a final exam. This is something that would have certainly excited students years ago. However, after observing some students’ dramatic aversion to presentations, he plans to make changes to his course for next year.
As he explained in a Reddit post that he later deleted, he was upfront about the final research presentation from the beginning of the year. The educator reported that this would replace a final exam and would account for 10% of the overall grade. It is also on his syllabus before students enroll in classes.
But the reaction from his students disappointed him. “It’s been sad to have to deal with students who don’t know how to use databases or create a decent PowerPoint presentation,” he said. Along those lines, he criticized the fact that they have never been asked to stand up in front of a class and make a presentation alone. “The presentation part has been especially problematic,” he recounted.
He even allowed one of his students to give a solo presentation to him after she tried to get her parents to pull her out of class. This was a strategy to avoid the presentation because she was too nervous to do it. “This is a class aimed at future teachers,” she remarked. So she believes it is important that they make their presentations now and not throw money away by noticing that they are too anxious to make a presentation in the middle of their carrera.
An eye-catching statement from her student
Everything he tells is nothing compared to what happened next. The professor was particularly puzzled when one student refused to present the work. Strangest of all, this person had 95% attendance in her class and completed the homework preparation work thoroughly. Yet, she still did not want to come to the front to present.
This represented a significant drop in her grade, so he decided to talk to her and the response was not what he expected. “She told me I would just get a zero on the project because I had a dentist appointment,” he recounted. And while his grade did not drop to a 0, since the oral portion only accounted for 25% of the total grade, he was surprised by the position this student took.
Concern for the future of the younger generation
The professor admitted that he understands the nerves, because it happened to him too at some point. However, he never thought of giving up 10% of his grade for not wanting to make a presentation. In that vein, he acknowledged that teachers in the past were more firm and severe, with somewhat particular methods, but that they really worked.
And now, the situation is even more complex with students. “A year or two ago I realized that public speaking had gone from being a matter of anxiety to a matter of life and death,” he said. This is quite a worrisome situation, more so if they plan to go into teaching in the future. He also criticizes the fact that parents allow their children not to give them room to face these fears. Therefore, he considers changing his modality and going back to the final exam, to avoid this whole issue again.
