Teaching Tipster
This is a column devoted to addressing
teaching problems and issues. Anyone with a problem or issue may write
in. Anyone with a solution or comment may answer, and we'll print the
answers in the next Accounting Educator. Please send questions or
solutions to Janet Cassagio, Accounting and Business Administration
Department, Nassau Community College, One Education Drive, Garden
City, NY 11530. Her fax is (516) 935-5195, and her e-mail is
jsbkc@prodigy.net.
From the Summer 1998 Issue:
Dear Teaching Tipster:
You are teaching the first intermediate accounting course. You are
five weeks into the semester and your first exam is being given in
class in one hour. A student in this class is at your office door
having just made the following comment. "I have ADD and need to
have extra time on the exam. Would you please put me in a separate
room and allow me extra time to take the exam?" You have just
called the university college disabilities office and no one is in.
What do you do?
Answers:
In response to the teaching problem concerning the potential ADD
student, I can offer a "live and learn" solution. After
having this (and many creative variations on the theme) occur with
increasing frequency since the disabilities laws went into effect, I
added to my syllabi and introductory remarks a statement about needing
'special considerations' in exam situations. If the student has not
registered with the special services office at the university by the
week prior to the first exam, no special consideration will be
extended. It seems to be effective.
Tipster #1
I think this situation (student with
ADD) can be addressed on both a short term and long term basis. Short
term: ask the student for documentation that any other teacher has
granted the student additional time for an exam. If that fails, ask
the student to identify his/her previous accounting teacher and confer
with that teacher concerning the request. If these actions do not
produce any solution, the student should be required to take the exam
with the other students and stay within the allotted time frame.
Since ADD is not a new disorder for this student, the issue should
have been raised earlier in the term, not in the fifth week. Long
term: I put a statement in my syllabus requiring that students with
disabilities contact the Office of Student Services which then informs
both the student and me as to the accommodations I need to make to
deal with the student's documented disabilities. If there is no
contact with that office, there is a presumption of no disability, and
thus no accommodation.
Tipster #2
New Teaching Tipster
Dear Teaching Tipster:
After hearing about "one-minute papers" for years, I
decided to try them this semester. On the first day of classes, I
explained the objective of these forms and told students that I
would allot time to complete them at the end of each class. I have
been using these forms for seven weeks, and am very disappointed in
the results. Students have decided that this is a "license"
to end class early and rarely give these forms more than cursory
consideration. I have been relegated to acting as a "gatekeeper,"
standing at the door to ensure students don't sneak out without
handing me the forms. My question is, when I try something new like
this and it doesn't work, do I cut my losses, give in, and announce
that we won't be using the forms anymore, or do I continue with it
until the end of the semester and not repeat it in the future?
Considering Surrender
Can you help Considering Surrender?
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