Attachment to students

I hate to say it, but when I was reading this I was thinking of that teacher (I think from Joplin, Mo?) who was very attached to her students. If you get my drift. wink wink nudge nudge horrified face. Apparently her veganism led her to it. I'm sad Boice didn't mention the dietary/twinkie effect on our teaching. I'm sure Semenza (sp?) would have.

It's interesting the way Boice approaches this subject, that we treat our students like we approach our writing. I never thought about it that way. Mostly I thought I was approaching teaching as sort of mentor position, a hybrid mother/friend who was there to guide them, but now I wonder if I'm going at them like they are a pile of washing that needs to be done, which I guess is my approach to writing as of late. Am I being humorless to them? I didn't think so, but maybe. I admit I feel somewhat annoyed that some of them keep asking about what their grades are and are not satisfied with my answer of adding up the points on their own because I don't think simple math is beyond them but, apparently, it is.

I haven't given evals midway through this semester, though at my previous institution we did. They were helpful, to a point. I don't know if it was the students there but they seemed incredibly hesitant to tell me what they wanted improved. They all said it was good and fine, and I was like well, what is your basis for comparison? High school? How do you want to be taught, kids? And they didn't know.

I have been asking in class if students like the things we do and if they find it helpful, and some nod, some say yes, and others stare at me like I'm this strange creature they still can't quite figure out and I may bite them at any moment. It's weird. I think I will incorporate evals into my schedule next semester. Why not? Especially if I make my own I can probably ask more in depth questions.