Understanding Your Student

When Your Student Says…	What Your Student Means…
Your course is too tough.	I haven’t been doing my homework.
Writing exams makes me nervous.	I haven’t been doing my homework.
You’re always trying to show us how smart you are.	I’m embarrassed because I’m not prepared again.
I understand the overall concept of this topic.	I haven’t got a clue about the current topic.
I would like to have had more time to study the text.	I didn’t read it.
I have some concerns about the theory upon which this lecture is based.	I hope this won’t be on the exam.
There are some aspects of the chapter that I would like to hear more about.	I sure ain’t gonna read that many pages, so maybe you could just go over the highlights.
Your lectures are not strongly enough linked to the text.	You mean I have to come to lectures to get the notes?
Your lecture is an interesting explanation of the text material.	I fell asleep in class.
You’ve failed to discuss some of the more relevant sections of the text.	What do you mean---read on my own?
I would like you to explain…	I don’t know anything about this stuff.
Do you have a minute to answer a question about the assignment?	Wanna listen to me whine for an hour?
The exam was unfair.	I didn’t study.
I need an extension.	I started this morning and just realized that I can’t finish it in three hours.
You’re the worst prof I’ve ever had.	You make us work too hard.
The prof I had last semester was much better.	He didn’t make us work.
I’ll never take another course from you again.	I’ve failed out of school.