You Got Me In A Box Here, Part 4

Many years ago, I was teaching a graduate-level college course that was primarily composed of public school teachers. This was a class I taught once a week and was nearly 100 miles from the main campus of the university. I traveled down each week (on the university’s dime) to teach a class that many teachers needed for graduate credit or to recertify their teaching license.

I had just finished my lecture for the day when one of my students came up to me. She was an elementary school teacher, probably in her forties. I was still a graduate student in my late twenties.

Student: “I didn’t really understand anything that you taught today.”

She left the statement hanging in the air.

Me: “Oh, okay. Well, I can stay after for a bit to try and clarify.”

Student: “Oh, no, I don’t have time to do that.”

Me: “All right. If you like, I can communicate with you via email.”

Student: “No, I don’t do any of that email stuff.”

Me: “How about you give me a call? We can set up a time—”

Student: “I’m not going to spend money on a long-distance call! I’m too busy anyway for long phone calls.”

This was in the pre-cell phone days.

I was left speechless. She had basically rejected every possible means by which I could provide some help. I just shrugged my shoulders and said nothing more. She flounced off in an irritated manner. I got dinged on my evaluations for “not being helpful enough”. As they are anonymous, I don’t know that it came from her, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if it had.

Related:
You Got Me In A Box Here, Part 3
You Got Me In A Box Here, Part 2
You Got Me In A Box Here