I’m genuinely scared I’m becoming that difficult old professor???
I’ve been doing these adjuncting gigs for more than a decade, and this is starting to freak me out a little… I used to be a huge people pleaser with students. I would over-explain everything, soften every response, give people endless benefit of the doubt, and spend way too much time making sure nobody thought I was being unfair. Lately, I can feel that changing. Oh god.. A student submits something late, then sends me this obviously AI-written email explaining why the late penalty should be waived. He’s sick that exact date of the deadline (duh). Another argues over a deduction because the directions were supposedly ambiguous, even though the required item just wasn’t submitted (a sample screenshot is provided in the assignment directions).
And instead of writing the long, patient responses I used to write, I’m increasingly just responding with things like:
“I’m sorry, but no.”
“The grade will remain unchanged.”
“Are you able to provide me with a documentation you have been sick for the whole week?”
Sometimes my first thought is literally, “Good luck with that.”
That is what scares me.
I know boundaries are healthy, and I know I don’t have to negotiate every grade or policy decision. But I also don’t want to wake up one day and realize I’ve become that professor who is impossible to talk to and assumes every student is trying to pull something. But I can’t help it???! Like duh??? Maybe I’m just tired or I dunno.
Maybe this is just what happens after doing this for long enough, but I genuinely don’t know where the line is between becoming more experienced and becoming completely jaded.
Anyone else feel themselves changing like this after years of teaching? Pls tell me it’s not just me