Monday, March 5, 2012

On student misreadings of the text

Do you ever have a class happen where a student proceeds to build an elaborate misreading of the text hinging on some word or detail that is not actually present, and then, when this key missing link is pointed out to them, have them stubbornly double down on the misreading like they were going out for an audition for a fire sale?








Yeah, me neither. But mainly because they don't go so far as to actually roll on the ground covered in flames. They really could learn something from that clip.

4 comments:

Spanish prof said...

Agreed. I had a student last week complaining that I had marked wrong hir response to an essay question in the test because ze built an elaborate argument that included the fact that Montaigne was a Spanish "conquistador" in the Americas. Sigh...

Arbitrista said...

Hmm. Eerily reminiscent of every conversation I've had with pro-market education reformers over the last 5 years.

Fie upon this quiet life! said...

LOL. I love that clip. I had a very bad misreading in my grading earlier. I basically think, "D is for details."

Dr. Koshary said...

I nearly fell out of my chair laughing at that clip just now. I think my face is flushed, too.

Sometimes I'm tempted to give a slightly higher grade than one of those off-the-wall submissions deserves, just because they followed through on their wrong idea to the hilarious nth degree. Admit it, you'd be tempted to hire Tobias to advertise your fire sale. You wouldn't do it, but you'd be tempted.