A victim of my own success

I have a great schedule this semester. I am teaching five classes - two Operations Management and three Principles of Management. Last week I learned that I have six sections of Principles of Management next term.

It's a class I like, but have you ever tried to say the same thing six times in 48 hours and make it sound interesting?

Coming back from the US in August I assumed I was teaching six classes this fall. Four of Principles and two of Operations. Due to unforeseen circumstances one of the Principles was dropped and both of my Operations classes were changed literally during the first week of the semester.

In other words, for three of my classes I walked into class, gave them my syllabus and said, "Hey, I'm your professor" but the next week I was not their professor.

A few students in the Operations classes switched sections to be in my new sections. Most did not.

Today I learned from the two teaching those sections that they are going through hell. Their students are saying, "We signed up for this class because we thought Dr. Steve* was teaching the course." They had had me for the Principles course and expected the Operations course to be similar.

It was a pleasant confrontation, but I had to say, "On my midterm less than 15% got an A. I am not an easy teacher." I felt the need to reassert with my colleagues that any student sentiment has nothing to do with the final grade... in a country where where learning something is a nice idea, but just give me a good grade.

One said to me, "Next semester everyone will want to take it from you."

Oh, joy. So I can't teach the course because students will want to take it from me. That's logical.

*I have never referred to myself as having a Ph.D. and certainly never called myself "Dr. Steve." It's a cultural thing; all teachers at the university are referred to as "Doctor."