In my experience the “let it slide” attitude is more likely in an institution or community than in an individual. Teachers with that attitude who work for institutions with high standards don’t remain employed very long. (Sometimes long enough to do some damage though. I’ve known a couple.) Similarly, institutions that don’t meet the standards of the community they serve tend to lose funding and accreditation. So it’s more of a social problem than a teacher problem.

Dave

Aunt Bann, I don’t think anyone contends that I’m not utterly dedicated to my students’ success. The biggest contention is that I’m so single-minded about it that I don’t care about the “publish or perish” rule. I’m not involved enough in the “academic life of the department” to be a professor proper. I’m too involved in the academic life of my students. At some point, there has to be a tradeoff, and I’m not interested in publishing for the sake of publishing, which is what it often comes down to.

Thanks, Dave. :)

In one of my many EI sessions yesterday, one of my students told me she has been going to the Writing Center to get help with basic mechanics. I applauded her efforts and reassured her that they are simple to master and the payoffs are huge and lasting. She said she knows she should have figured this stuff out years ago, but she “didn’t have to,” which suggests that she, like many of my students, was well above the standard expectations of her teacher (or school?) and they didn’t waste further energy on her.

d

I like your style. You have clear expectations that are not negotiable, but you’re very flexible in helping your students meet those expectations. That’s rare in my experience. I see a lot more of the extreme ends of that spectrum: either the expectations are lowered until everybody is allowed to pass, or the teacher is a tyrant who will teach but one way, and it’s up to the student to accept it or fail.

Dave