I appreciated FB on the day Mom died; it was a quick way to let most of my friends know the news. I expected many responses expressing condolences and they came streaming in over the next couple of days. I found it reassuring and warming at a moment when everything felt cold. I was also stunned by the friends who sent plants, made food and wrote long personal messages.
For my birthday FB elicited a different set of emotions. Somewhere close to 200 people wished me a happy birthday. Rather than have any delusions of being popular I actually found it odd to scroll down the list of those who took the time to wish me a happy birthday. A sizable number - 20%? - are people that I've attempted to make contact with over my trips back to the US in the past four years and was repeatedly ignored.
I take it as, "We were friends/acquaintances at one time but now we're just FB friends. Let's just leave it that way."
I'll take a real friend over a hundred FB friends any day. The events of the past month have left me happy that I do have some terrific real friends.
Kind of a bizarre question, not intended to offend. Do you think your classes are more popular than other professors' b/c: a) you are a brilliant teacher and your students are learning so much from you and spreading the word, or b)your students have discovered they can get away with stuff in your classes (cheating?? skipping class?? lying?? to name a few)and spreading the word? I am not suggesting anything nor do I have any preconceived idea of the response or whether it is a combination of the two. I'm just curious!! I do tend to think you are foolish to allow the powers that be to continue to increase your class size to the point where you feel you are becoming less effective AND where your work load is double or triple that of other profs in your area. I suspect they don't make up multiple tests for each class and probably don't care if the students cheat or fail to show up for class...as long as they get a paycheck. I know you won't answer this as you never answer any of my posts.
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