Dear TACs:
How do I tell a student to stop emailing me questions that she could easily answer for herself if she bothered to, you know, open her notes/book or do a google web search or just think back a few days to the lab she just did, without discouraging her from asking questions she really does need my help with?
~ Over-Emailed TA
Dear Over-Emailed:
First, thanks for the great question! Often students do like to use their TAs as a personal search engine, and this can be flattering, but might quickly become frustrating. As a TA we want to make sure we are available to help (as you mention above) but we also do not want to get caught in some question-answering quick sand, right? Plus, an important part of our students' learning -- as we strive to help our students become independent learners and thinkers -- is to help them be able to search out and answer their own questions! So how can we make this happen?
The best learning does not occur in isolation, and letting your students know from the beginning what types of questions you will answer, and how, over email is important. I always encourage my students to get the email address of at least one classmate, that way if they miss lecture someone will have notes for them! Also, if you find yourself, in the middle of a term, answering repeated questions via email about "the answer to #3 is X, right?" or "I don't understand problem A. Can you explain it?" then it's worth taking a minute in class to re-address the issue. Have a discussion about what it means to learn-- mainly, that getting the "right" answer is often less important than understanding how to answer the question.
Without knowing your student personally, I'm going to hazard a few guesses and present a few scenarios. It is very possible that she looks up to you, and sees you as the best, most reliable source of information for matters related to the lab/class. If this is the case, you might want to think about how to instill confidence in her ability to answer her own questions. If the question is something to the extent of "what's the answer to problem 7?" maybe your email might begin with "That is a great question! I really think that if you take a closer look at X in lecture 8 you'll find what you're looking for. Let me know if I can help with anything else." Alternatively, if you're getting questions like "I answered problem 3. Is this answer correct?" you might want to try "I'm so glad to see you are working on the practice problems. What area of problem 3 was particularly challenging to you?" or, pick out a specific portion of their answer and respond with a question "I'm not sure what you mean by xxx. Can you explain more specifically how it relates to the first part of your answer?" Some TAs might feel compelled to flat out say they won't check answers over email, because it creates different levels of advantage/disadvantage among their students, but they are comfortable discussing answers. However, maintaining a positive but firm, uncompromising tone via email is important. Heck, it might not even hurt to wait an extra hour (depending on the question) and write to say, "I just saw your email! I hope you were able to find the answer by going back through your lecture notes. Let me know if you have any other specific questions I can help you with."
And another scenario: she doesn't get it, and she keeps writing you with questions she should be able to look up. It never hurts to have a polite heart-to-heart by first finding out the nature of the issue. Is she missing lecture? Did she lose her lab book? Does she not have the email address of her labmates? Does she not use the chatroom? And then perhaps the following is appropriate "I am more than happy to help you understand and explore the concepts we cover in class. However, it is in your best interest to at least try an answer your own questions first before emailing me. I am always happy to help you with logistical questions, but when you ask questions about course content I need to know that you have attempted to find a solution before asking me. Also, I often find it easier to answer questions in person. Why don't you come to office hours or set up an appointment?"
And finally: in all likelihood this student is not lazy or annoying (although it might feel like it). In sending you an email they are demonstrating that they are trying! They may just need some holistic help in targeting their study efforts, or they may not know how to ask a more nuanced question about conceptual links. I hope that you will strive to help them be a confident, independent learner -- as frustrating as it is to have to answer their questions with a question!
Good luck,
Mara, TA Consultant
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