Ten minutes of grading papers will reassure anyone who fears that universities are indoctrinating students that they are vastly overestimating our influence.

For my birthday weekend, I wrote detailed feedback for ~80 students knowing less than fifteen would read a word of it. That’s the reality of this job at most universities.

Next week, I’m holding individual meetings using Zoom. Last semester, that kind of thing led to me sending out a few Kroger gift cards and trying to match students with counseling and other resources. We also talked about research and writing, and I think it helped.

My students would probably prefer that I just tell them what to think and say on exams because that’s easier than being asked to read critically and for content.

When they ask questions and I start with “that’s a good question because it’s complicated” I can see them all want to throw something at that student. But history isn’t an answer, it’s a process.

And it’s one I often get wrong. As I get older, I find myself wanting to share that part of the job more. I’ve gained an appreciation for the beauty of honest attempts by people of goodwill. That’s tough to communicate, and I’ll try to do better next time.