Suspiciously Nice Prof
@niceprof.bsky.social
The very opposite of too cool for school.
An emotional human--So, a regular one.
Have a writing prompt, on the house.
#Writing Prof
An emotional human--So, a regular one.
Have a writing prompt, on the house.
#Writing Prof
Curriculum: Teach research writing
Reality: Student misunderstandings of the first sample reading show critical literacy issues for a third of the class.
The ability to pivot *is* the teaching skill.
Reality: Student misunderstandings of the first sample reading show critical literacy issues for a third of the class.
The ability to pivot *is* the teaching skill.
November 12, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Curriculum: Teach research writing
Reality: Student misunderstandings of the first sample reading show critical literacy issues for a third of the class.
The ability to pivot *is* the teaching skill.
Reality: Student misunderstandings of the first sample reading show critical literacy issues for a third of the class.
The ability to pivot *is* the teaching skill.
People who like to make things tend to assume that everyone likes to make things, and people who want convenience and to outsmart systems think that everyone wants that, and this is why the artists and the A.I. peeps can't talk to each other.
That and the whole copyright infringement thing.
That and the whole copyright infringement thing.
November 11, 2025 at 12:35 AM
People who like to make things tend to assume that everyone likes to make things, and people who want convenience and to outsmart systems think that everyone wants that, and this is why the artists and the A.I. peeps can't talk to each other.
That and the whole copyright infringement thing.
That and the whole copyright infringement thing.
A trend I am seeing is the later-submitted essays are the most likely to be A.I. This has turned my grading experience into half a session of just fine and then a concentrated dose of trouble for the second half.
I need to switch to grading in alphabetical order.
I need to switch to grading in alphabetical order.
November 10, 2025 at 2:32 PM
A trend I am seeing is the later-submitted essays are the most likely to be A.I. This has turned my grading experience into half a session of just fine and then a concentrated dose of trouble for the second half.
I need to switch to grading in alphabetical order.
I need to switch to grading in alphabetical order.
Spending all these years teaching students to carefully vet websites just to have the world decide a robot, that ate every website ever and spits out *guesses* based on that info mishmash, is now "research."
(Ominously waves a rolled up newspaper)
(Ominously waves a rolled up newspaper)
November 8, 2025 at 3:57 AM
Spending all these years teaching students to carefully vet websites just to have the world decide a robot, that ate every website ever and spits out *guesses* based on that info mishmash, is now "research."
(Ominously waves a rolled up newspaper)
(Ominously waves a rolled up newspaper)
Raise your hand if you've seen English teachers almost come to fisticuffs over MLA citations
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November 7, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Raise your hand if you've seen English teachers almost come to fisticuffs over MLA citations
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Had my students do a rhetorical exercise where they write a supervillain speech with a completely non-threatening approach/tone. The first one I opened:
"Hi, guys! Welcome back to my channel, and remember to like and subscribe as we--"
"Hi, guys! Welcome back to my channel, and remember to like and subscribe as we--"
November 6, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Had my students do a rhetorical exercise where they write a supervillain speech with a completely non-threatening approach/tone. The first one I opened:
"Hi, guys! Welcome back to my channel, and remember to like and subscribe as we--"
"Hi, guys! Welcome back to my channel, and remember to like and subscribe as we--"
Brain has not yet computed that it's November, and it's already the 5th.
November 5, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Brain has not yet computed that it's November, and it's already the 5th.
I'm in a printer mood.
I want to print all my pictures from the cloud and all my recipes off Pinterest.
I want to leaf through memories and hodgepodge my own cookbook.
I want to print all my pictures from the cloud and all my recipes off Pinterest.
I want to leaf through memories and hodgepodge my own cookbook.
November 4, 2025 at 6:37 PM
I'm in a printer mood.
I want to print all my pictures from the cloud and all my recipes off Pinterest.
I want to leaf through memories and hodgepodge my own cookbook.
I want to print all my pictures from the cloud and all my recipes off Pinterest.
I want to leaf through memories and hodgepodge my own cookbook.
Teaching at a community college in November is a classroom of 15 people who are conscientious and dedicated, asking for extra credit on A- grades.
And 15 ghost people in the ether that I haven't seen since September.
And 15 ghost people in the ether that I haven't seen since September.
November 3, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Teaching at a community college in November is a classroom of 15 people who are conscientious and dedicated, asking for extra credit on A- grades.
And 15 ghost people in the ether that I haven't seen since September.
And 15 ghost people in the ether that I haven't seen since September.
My teacher weakness is responding to discussion boards. I'm a listener. When someone says their piece, there doesn't always need to be a comment.
So manufacturing that "I'm listening" comment for online forums can feel forced.
So manufacturing that "I'm listening" comment for online forums can feel forced.
November 2, 2025 at 1:20 PM
My teacher weakness is responding to discussion boards. I'm a listener. When someone says their piece, there doesn't always need to be a comment.
So manufacturing that "I'm listening" comment for online forums can feel forced.
So manufacturing that "I'm listening" comment for online forums can feel forced.
I struggle with imposter syndrome as a writer (even though I am prolific), so when I finally get into the publishing swing, there will suddenly be like 10 books to my name.
And people will probably say, "A.I.?"
And I get to say, "No, extensive therapy."
And people will probably say, "A.I.?"
And I get to say, "No, extensive therapy."
November 1, 2025 at 1:48 PM
I struggle with imposter syndrome as a writer (even though I am prolific), so when I finally get into the publishing swing, there will suddenly be like 10 books to my name.
And people will probably say, "A.I.?"
And I get to say, "No, extensive therapy."
And people will probably say, "A.I.?"
And I get to say, "No, extensive therapy."
Day 99/99 Days of Monsters: The Headless Horseman from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow! Irving's headless horseman character in the story is a Hessian soldier who lost his head from a canon shot during the American Revolutionary War. The scaredy cat teacher, Ichabod Crane--1/2
October 31, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Day 99/99 Days of Monsters: The Headless Horseman from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow! Irving's headless horseman character in the story is a Hessian soldier who lost his head from a canon shot during the American Revolutionary War. The scaredy cat teacher, Ichabod Crane--1/2
It's Halloween! AAAAHHHHH!!!!!
"Permission to jetison candy?"
"Permission granted."
"Permission to jetison candy?"
"Permission granted."
October 31, 2025 at 10:46 AM
It's Halloween! AAAAHHHHH!!!!!
"Permission to jetison candy?"
"Permission granted."
"Permission to jetison candy?"
"Permission granted."
My students using gen A.I. to circumvent learning how to express themselves is an educational tragedy.
And, no, its not like a calculator. Ask the bot to make a new argument for you, we're all tired of that one.
And, no, its not like a calculator. Ask the bot to make a new argument for you, we're all tired of that one.
October 30, 2025 at 5:32 PM
My students using gen A.I. to circumvent learning how to express themselves is an educational tragedy.
And, no, its not like a calculator. Ask the bot to make a new argument for you, we're all tired of that one.
And, no, its not like a calculator. Ask the bot to make a new argument for you, we're all tired of that one.
Day 98/99 Days of Monsters: the Grim Reaper! While humans have always personified death, this is a relatively recent assortment of death symbols rolled into one. The scythe was a symbol of death (mowing down souls like a farmer mows wheat), a skeletal figure was common in the middle ages, and-- 1/2
October 30, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Day 98/99 Days of Monsters: the Grim Reaper! While humans have always personified death, this is a relatively recent assortment of death symbols rolled into one. The scythe was a symbol of death (mowing down souls like a farmer mows wheat), a skeletal figure was common in the middle ages, and-- 1/2
The blessing of the trick-or-treats:
May all your tootsie rolls be soft, your twizzlers be pull-n-peel, and your Twix be full-sized.
May all your tootsie rolls be soft, your twizzlers be pull-n-peel, and your Twix be full-sized.
October 29, 2025 at 7:33 PM
The blessing of the trick-or-treats:
May all your tootsie rolls be soft, your twizzlers be pull-n-peel, and your Twix be full-sized.
May all your tootsie rolls be soft, your twizzlers be pull-n-peel, and your Twix be full-sized.
The tiniest bit of mom advice: Your kid has a weird rash? Or they say a body parts has been hurting?
You can wait and see how it goes, BUT go ahead and make the appointment. If it doesn't go away, that now-very-needed appointment would probably not be available for weeks.
You can wait and see how it goes, BUT go ahead and make the appointment. If it doesn't go away, that now-very-needed appointment would probably not be available for weeks.
October 29, 2025 at 4:35 PM
The tiniest bit of mom advice: Your kid has a weird rash? Or they say a body parts has been hurting?
You can wait and see how it goes, BUT go ahead and make the appointment. If it doesn't go away, that now-very-needed appointment would probably not be available for weeks.
You can wait and see how it goes, BUT go ahead and make the appointment. If it doesn't go away, that now-very-needed appointment would probably not be available for weeks.
Halloween in the mom chat is so fun.
"Does anyone have some handcuffs and/or a lightsabre we could borrow?"
And that is just all the context we need. No questions asked.
"Does anyone have some handcuffs and/or a lightsabre we could borrow?"
And that is just all the context we need. No questions asked.
October 29, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Halloween in the mom chat is so fun.
"Does anyone have some handcuffs and/or a lightsabre we could borrow?"
And that is just all the context we need. No questions asked.
"Does anyone have some handcuffs and/or a lightsabre we could borrow?"
And that is just all the context we need. No questions asked.
The argument that we should return to earlier family values and gender roles falls flat.
"Our great grandmothers were happier then."
"(Flabbergasted mumbling about my grandmothers' underage weddings and the abusive asshat husbands they were trapped with)"
"Our great grandmothers were happier then."
"(Flabbergasted mumbling about my grandmothers' underage weddings and the abusive asshat husbands they were trapped with)"
October 29, 2025 at 12:37 PM
The argument that we should return to earlier family values and gender roles falls flat.
"Our great grandmothers were happier then."
"(Flabbergasted mumbling about my grandmothers' underage weddings and the abusive asshat husbands they were trapped with)"
"Our great grandmothers were happier then."
"(Flabbergasted mumbling about my grandmothers' underage weddings and the abusive asshat husbands they were trapped with)"
Day 96 and 97 of 99 Days of Monsters: Scylla and Charybdis! Another twofer since I'll be busy tomorrow. In Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus has to sail a dangerous channel. On one side is a "gaping maw," the whirlpool creature named Charybdis. On the other side is a ravenous--1/2
October 28, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Day 96 and 97 of 99 Days of Monsters: Scylla and Charybdis! Another twofer since I'll be busy tomorrow. In Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus has to sail a dangerous channel. On one side is a "gaping maw," the whirlpool creature named Charybdis. On the other side is a ravenous--1/2
My high school college class is usually full of anxious questions for our classwork assignments, but I gave our first ever worksheet, and they just put their heads down and tackled it. The most quiet and focused they'd been this term.
These students are worksheet *TRAINED* my goodness
These students are worksheet *TRAINED* my goodness
October 28, 2025 at 3:14 PM
My high school college class is usually full of anxious questions for our classwork assignments, but I gave our first ever worksheet, and they just put their heads down and tackled it. The most quiet and focused they'd been this term.
These students are worksheet *TRAINED* my goodness
These students are worksheet *TRAINED* my goodness
Writing warm ups for the research class and continually backspacing and trying again because "This won't get them arguing with me."
I wonder if they realize how hard I try to get them to take a stance and defend.
I wonder if they realize how hard I try to get them to take a stance and defend.
October 28, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Writing warm ups for the research class and continually backspacing and trying again because "This won't get them arguing with me."
I wonder if they realize how hard I try to get them to take a stance and defend.
I wonder if they realize how hard I try to get them to take a stance and defend.
"You're interested in a new job?"
"Yes, but it's hard right now, so I just stick around."
"Well, what job would you do if you got laid off?"
Let me tell you, I am truly afraid of that question, and it should be outlawed.
"Yes, but it's hard right now, so I just stick around."
"Well, what job would you do if you got laid off?"
Let me tell you, I am truly afraid of that question, and it should be outlawed.
October 28, 2025 at 2:14 AM
"You're interested in a new job?"
"Yes, but it's hard right now, so I just stick around."
"Well, what job would you do if you got laid off?"
Let me tell you, I am truly afraid of that question, and it should be outlawed.
"Yes, but it's hard right now, so I just stick around."
"Well, what job would you do if you got laid off?"
Let me tell you, I am truly afraid of that question, and it should be outlawed.
Day 95/99 Days of Monsters: The Spirit in the Well! I grew up thinking pennies were lucky, and that's why you toss them in a well for a wish--but the tradition goes back way further. The idea of water as holy is ancient, and people tossed coins as thanks/offerings to--1/2
October 27, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Day 95/99 Days of Monsters: The Spirit in the Well! I grew up thinking pennies were lucky, and that's why you toss them in a well for a wish--but the tradition goes back way further. The idea of water as holy is ancient, and people tossed coins as thanks/offerings to--1/2
I wonder what it means when my algorithm on video sites decides I must enjoy reruns and just keeps showing me stuff I liked months ago.
Does it look at my age profile and go, "This one is of ye olde cable TV generation, give her reruns"?
Does it look at my age profile and go, "This one is of ye olde cable TV generation, give her reruns"?
October 27, 2025 at 1:35 AM
I wonder what it means when my algorithm on video sites decides I must enjoy reruns and just keeps showing me stuff I liked months ago.
Does it look at my age profile and go, "This one is of ye olde cable TV generation, give her reruns"?
Does it look at my age profile and go, "This one is of ye olde cable TV generation, give her reruns"?