Maybe I shouldn't have started this blog now, not with everything that's been going on.

Returning to my mechanics classes in the ninth week of classes, I gave make up exams of their first long exam to two students after the first meeting (during the third day of the week).

They took the exam during the time we were already preparing for the play, so I left them in the care of the college faculty secretary. Their exam had some of the same questions I gave the Korean who returned from his country after the term had started, but since that was only for the first coverage of topics, I had to add some other questions from the succeeding topics.

One of those two was Joseph.

During their latest quiz, one of the students hung around outside. In fact she wanted me to close the door completely so that her classmates could not hear what we were discussing, but of course I couldn’t do that.

She wanted to take a make up exam, because she said her school service left her that morning after she had already asked her sister to bring her things to the vehicle. She had to take another ride to school, and by the time she got there (and caught up with her service), it was already too late for her to study her notes.

She was already in tears by the time she got to the end of her story. I just told her I’ll give her a make up exam, not waiting for any more (potentially pre-rehearsed) appeals to emotion. She even asked me for a review of the topics before her exam. I consented as well.

Lastly I have two of the three Korean students in my class. They are the second most persistent in asking questions during the exams, and it is usually just clarifications.

When I do answer their questions, it is not verbal. Based on the symbols, illustrations and equations on their scratch papers (they are the only ones I allow to have additional pieces of paper on their desk, as long as I check them to be blank beforehand) I cross out the ones they have written that are wrong, and write down a hint as to the right direction of the solution if they are way off course.

The fact that their classmates cannot overhear whatever help I give them is comforting, and the fact that they do understand the concepts, which should not be hindered by their lack of comprehension of the English language from passing, and even getting a high grade in my course.

On the start of the tenth week of classes, academic advising started before my Electromagnetic Theory exam. This is because I moved (down?) the first session of the day to 1120am to 1250pm so that they can have three hours uninterrupted for their test. Seeing how they were having difficulty with the sample problems even though the assignment of tasks was by pairs, I expected that they needed it.

Some things I noticed with the new course offerings for next term: the engineering juniors have no minor subjects, but still have a full 18 units. They have Material Science, Electric Circuit Analysis lecture and lab, Switching Theory lecture and lab, Feedback and Control Systems lecture and lab, and Environmental Engineering.

I’ll have to continue next time. I just heard the bell ring. For now, class dismissed.