More Tales from the End of the Semester

1. I just got an email from a student who is asking about something that counts for eight one hundredths of one percent of her final grade.


2. Once again I'm thinking that instead of letter grades that the math department should issue a student's numerical average together with a 95% confidence interval. My class has 30 homework assignments, four hour exams, and a final exam. That should be plenty of data to give a sense of my students' knowledge of calculus.


3. One of the instructors in the department is stalking the TA who doesn't answer emails. She had me use my access to the registration system to find out what classes he is enrolled in so that she can try to ambush him and get some answers.


4. Yesterday I was talking to someone else who is quitting the math department at the end of the semester. We both agree that it's OK to give a final that is designed not to take the entire two hours as long as it tests the high points of the course and assesses the students' mastery of the course material.


5. New Job and Summer Job are taking more and more of my time. I really need to schedule various things like a dentist appointment and such before I am fulltime at New Job.